Myths, misinformation and scams of the mattress industry: Part 2

I have still not found a satisfactory mattress. At least, not one I can afford.

In October I went to Sanders and tried their Black Forest and top-of-the-range Schramm Divina. Both are available in different weight ranges and offer multi-zone support. The Schramm has a a shoulder cavity for side-sleepers that cushions the body just so. Both were comfortable; the luxurious Divina like lying on a cushion of air. However, the Divina is out of my bracket.

I had reservations about the Black Forest, though. Although in the premium price range compared to locally manufactured mattresses, but of superior technical standard, it lacked something for the price asked, specifically, natural fabrics like some wool or cotton in its construction. Having investigated mattresses for three months, I find I won't settle for anything less than a quality product, but at a reasonable price.

I looked on the internet at Treca Interiors Paris, Hypnos Beds, Visprings, Schramm and others and their products and constructions methods and wondered why South African bed manufacturers, of which there are more than I realised, are not making beds to similar standards, which is well within their capability. Furthermore, locally made products will be cheaper than the, for us, expensive imported brands.

For example, without exception local manufacturers do not make mattress spring systems with differing (body) weight ranges and zones. Their websites and retail staff advise customers mattresses must be selected based on body mass and sleeping position because each individual is different. But they don't offer a choice and all mattresses, within any manufacturer's range, have the same spring tension, typically in excess of 100kg. They make up the difference to comfort levels - the degree of firmness or softness - with padding, which is wrong and doesn't work.

So, to a person who weighs 75kg, springs made to support 130 kg will feel too firm, irrespective of the amount of padding. I tested this. If that's the case, why bother with an expensive pocket spring? Why not throw a piece of foam padding directly onto a board?

While natural latex (they use "latex" interchangeably with synthetic foam latex) is common, wool, cotton and other natural fibres are rare.

I spoke to a representative of Naturelle Beds (Cape Town) who gave a blunt assessment of the industry, confirming my misgivings. He said mattresses using the "old, cheap and easy-to-make Bonnell springs provide manufacturers with big profits". Memory foam, which is "rubbish", and synthetic materials are typically used.

There are "low barriers to entry" in the industry, and uniformity across the brands. So for each manufacturer's products to stand out among many, meaningless catchwords are utilised, dressed up as false innovation.

He said it's no trouble to make double-sided mattresses using little extra material. But the marginal savings (per unit) add up when making thousands. Naturelle don't recommend non-turn mattresses.

They also use natural latex and wool, and he claimed their mattresses are as good as imported luxury brands, for example, Visprings, at a fraction of the price. (Update 2016: I viewed Naturelle's range and found the claim of comparison with Vispring unfounded - Naturelle gets points for using wool and latex but the quality of manufacture and design is average.) However, he said they use only one spring tension - apparently for mass in excess of 100kg.

I phoned two stores, part of their own franchise, that sold Naturelle mattresses and asked about the top-of-the-range Ovation (double-sided, natural latex, wool and cotton). Unfortunately, neither saleswoman could answer my questions about it, answers they should have been able to give any enquiring customer.

I found NaturePedic, another Cape Town-based company. The blurb for their Lavish Royale says it's "truly beyond luxury and comfort, handcrafted with layers of the world's finest materials to provide unsurpassed comfort". The prices start at R9 000 for the entry model to R27 000 for the Royale king size. This is not cheap for a local brand (Schramm starts at just over R20 000).

I phoned their Green Point store and asked about their 100% natural organic latex collection - are the mattresses double-sided, that is, sleep on both sides. The salesman replied they were one-sided, but "you can sleep on both sides". Huh?

"It's an easy question - either its double-sided or not; either you can sleep on both sides or not", I said. You don't need to sleep on both sides, because it has latex, he replied.

"Then you know something Hastens and other luxury brands don't because they make double-sided mattresses", I said. A combative tone came in in voice. He said: "I know better than Hastens; I worked for them".

He was vague and then dismissive when I asked if the springs were made for different body weights, saying with their latex layers one does not need it; it's so comfortable. Perhaps he's right.

There you have it. NaturePedic knows better than Hastens and the world's luxury brands, some of whom have been in business a hundred years.

South African brands promise much but just don't hit the mark, not even their own advertising. They have adopted a uniform, low-tech model that fails to satisfy the individual needs of customers, and lack innovation. The strange thing is, none of it is beyond their technical competence and manufacturing capacity.

While local companies are not isolated from global trends - for example, the do-not-turn scam - none appear willing to break out of the straightjacket of conventional thinking.

Recently I emailed Rest Assured (Cape Town - not to be confused with the UK company) and challenged the industry to do better. Of course, there was no response - not that I expected one. This industry is typical of South African industry in general and why it lags in competitiveness.

If you are looking for a quality mattress or bed, you won't find one that bears the "made in South Africa" mark.

By the way, two months ago I contacted Brian Joss, Cape Community Newspapers' consumer writer of the "Off My Trolley" column. He contacted bed manufacturers and stores for comment and at least one delivered an "explosive" reply. As of last week, he had still not received responses from others. I look forward to the results of his investigation. Perhaps he succeeded in getting answers where I failed.

Updated September 2016. Despite contacting me in December 2015 saying he would publish, the 'Off My Trolley' never did, no reasons given.