In the News

Boyd Launches New Planet Sleep™ Line With Superior Memory Foam Design, Performance and Ultra Premium Retail Presentation

Specialty Sleep Association — sleepinformation.org, March 7, 2011

Boyd Specialty Sleep is introducing a new, three-model Planet Sleep™ memory foam collection aimed at giving select retailers an exclusive combination of benefits: Superior memory foam applications and comfort feels, a high-end in-store presentation, plus high profit opportunities.

According to company president Dennis Boyd, premium Planet Sleep beds are not only exceptionally comfortable, but like other Boyd sleep products, are also highly eco-friendly in their design and manufacture.

"We believe this specialty line delivers the 'complete package' to retailers who want luxury memory foam products that are demonstrably different," he said. These beds incorporate from four to seven inches of our exclusive open-cell memory foam layers, feature densities of up to seven pounds and total mattress profiles of up to 13 inches. A standout in-store presentation details the unique quality, comfort and contouring support that Planet Sleep beds provide, while promoting their environmentally-conscious design and production.

Expected to retail from $1,299 to $1,999 in queen, the top-of-the-line Planet Sleep model uses three layers of memory foam atop a high-density foam support base. The top inch of memory foam lies beneath an anti-microbial bamboo-pattern cover of 100% rayon. The fabric is made from sustainable bamboo fiber, known for its moisture control ability. The middle model has five inches of memory foam, including Boyd's patent-pending, channel-vented Stay-Cool™ layer. The Stay Cool memory foam is tri-zoned for enhanced lumbar support, improved air circulation and heat dissipation for the sleeper. Enhancing the performance of the Stay-Cool layer and the entire bed is a patent-pending FoamSpring™ Support System at the base, which also is tri-zoned and channel-vented. "Like the top number, this Planet Sleep model also includes memory foam just beneath the same eco-friendly rayon-bamboo cover," Boyd noted. The starting model in the collection — also featured in the same fabric — incorporates both solid and Stay-Cool memory foam layers atop the company's FoamSpring support base. All of the beds use open-celled memory foam "which spreads — rather than traps — air pressure, providing superior comfort, contouring support and a cooler sleep surface," according to Boyd.

To effectively promote the new Planet Sleep line, the company has created a comprehensive POS program that includes matching headboards and foot protectors — both with information inserts — plus coordinated pillows, all executed in a rich, textured suede look. The program includes a mini-mattress display that helps retail sales associates explain the features and benefits of Planet Sleep mattresses.

"The ultra premium feel and performance of this line, combined with the quality in-store presentation materials we have to support it, clearly deliver the brand message we want for Planet Sleep," Boyd said. The beds, which carry a 20-year limited warranty, also have earned Level I Seal /Tags of the Specialty Sleep Association (SSA) Environmental and Safety Consumer Education Program, as well as other environmental awards. One such award is for the company's "green" foam manufacturing process. Boyd's foam is produced in a sealed chamber that uses air pressure rather than chemicals to control the foam's properties and ultimate performance. As a result of this procedure, harmful emissions like VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are contained and prevented from entering the atmosphere.

Boyd Specialty Sleep was founded in 1977 by Denny Boyd and dedicates itself to quality, innovation and excellence in a wide range of highly diversified specialty sleep products. The company has earned more than 30 patents for its innovations and is strategically focused on the health and safety of consumers, and on the environmental impact of its products.

The Specialty Sleep Association Introduces its Environmental and Safety Program

Specialty Sleep Association — sleepinformation.org, January, 2011

SSA Environmental & Safety Program is an outgrowth of the initial SSA “Green Initiative”. It has three levels of compliance and will promote consumer education on environmental attributes of mattresses and awareness of compliance with federal flame resistance and children’s safety issues.

The Specialty Sleep Association (SSA) "THE FUTURE OF SLEEP™ is dedicated to providing consumers with pertinent information to help them make the best mattress and bedding decisions for themselves and their loved ones.

The SSA Environmental & Safety Program for consumer education, retailer training and truth in "green" marketing is the SSA's most recent consumer outreach.

In its January 2010 Environmental Claims Report, the SSA's consumer research study found that 41% of consumers worry about the safety of mattresses in their homes and 15% of consumers want "emissions-free" mattresses. These two issues were consumers' top two concerns.

79% of consumers surveyed stated they would choose a mattress with an environmentally friendly claim that they could understand and trust to be complete and truthful. In response to this study and several other worldwide indicators, the SSA is developing this Environmental & Safety Program to address environmental truth in marketing. On this website consumers can see the industry's top manufacturers and follow links right into the manufacturer website, for up-to-date information on a diverse spectrum of sleep products and the newest innovations in sleep technology.

SSA Environmental & Safety Program. Introduction.

The SSA Environmental & Safety Program provides a three-step seal and consumer disclosure label (CDL) program that will help consumers to understand the environmental and safety attributes of participating manufacturers' products. The seals and labels appear on mattresses from manufacturers who join the program and serve to inform the consumer about the minimum environmental and safety compliance levels the particular product adheres to, along with a CDL that lists material content by percentage for components in the mattress.

For more information and to view the seal CLICK HERE.

To display the Level I seal, a manufacturer must:

Disclose materials used in construction and percentages of natural/biobased and/or recycled content if applicable
Achieve a minimum of 20% of natural/biobased or pre-consumer recycled content in component categories of fabric and quilt
Participate in an annual survey to identify carbon footprint issues and commit to continuous improvement
Meet all federal safety flammability requirements
Meet all safety requirements for children's products if applicable
Provide a warranty for the product

For the Level II seal, a manufacturer must meet all the requirements of the first threshold and in addition, the products must:

Disclose materials used in construction and achieve a minimum of 20% of natural/biobased and/or recycled content material in each component category: fabric, quilt, and core
Certify that the top fabric (closest to consumer during sleep) contains no harmful substances through either Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 or Global Organic Textile Standard
Polyurethane foam products much achieve CertiPUR®-US certification
Latex foam products must achieve Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certification.

The Level III seal is the highest that can be achieved. To meet the Level III requirements, a manufacturer must comply with the previous two levels' requirements and:

Disclose materials used in construction and achieve a minimum of 70% of natural/biobased material in component categories of fabric and quilt
Disclose materials used in construction and achieve a minimum of 50% natural/biobased, pre-consumer recycled and/or recycled steel for core
Certify that the final mattress contains no harmful substances as certified by Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 or Global Organic Textile Standard
Test the mattress for VOCs emissions

The Specialty Sleep Association Environmental & Safety Program Board of Governors includes:

CHAIRMAN: Ralph Rossdeutscher, President and CEO
Denny Boyd, President, Boyd Specialty Sleep
Barry Cik, President, Naturepedic
Roger Coffey, President, Latexco West/Sleep Comp West
Bart DeHaerne, President, Deslee Textiles, USA & Chair, Specialty Sleep Association
Jack Eppolito, Manager, Reverie
Scott Frisch, Sales/Merchandising Manager of Specialty Fabrics Division, Springs Creative
Anne Kozel, Specialty Sleep Brand Director, Simmons
Mark Larusso, Vice President, Jeffco Fibres
Kenny Oliver, President, Jones Fiber Company
Michael Nermon, President, Ergo Customized Comfort
Mark Quinn, Director of Marketing for the Residential Furnishings Segment, Leggett & Platt
Dale Read, Ex-official member, President, Specialty Sleep Association
Michael Rothboard, President and CEO, Sleep Studio
Kevin Stein, Vice President Marketing/R&D, Latex International
Umberto Torresan, North American Marketing Manager for Furniture and Bedding, Dow Polyurethanes

SSA is also pleased to recognize the following individuals and organizations that supported the development of the Environmental & Safety Program through information sharing, reviews/critiques, and by providing additional resources. Special thanks for the strong support from Dow in support of consumer education.

Randy Carter, Steelcase; Greg Crawford, Steel Recycling Institute; Michael Deese, Howe & Hutton, Ltd.; Susan Ebaugh, Lilly Management Group; David Farley & Jeff Scorziell, Anatomic Global; Al Hodgson & Raja Tannous, Berkeley Analytical; Josh Jacobs, GREENGUARD Environmental Institute; Bob Luedeka, Polyurethane Foam Association; Joanne Mattiase, Law Office of Joanne E. Mattiase; Susan Inglis, Sustainable Furnishings Council; Kate Lewis & Ron Buckhalt, USDA's BioPreferred Program; Sam Moore & Dana Dunn, Hohenstein Institutes; Reinhard Oppl, Eurofins; Ryan Trainer, President, International Sleep Products Association; Dwayne Welch, Hickory Springs Manufacturing Co.; Don Wright, Wright Labels.

Additional Information & Resources

Boyd adopts SSA's safety, green guides

Denny Boyd — Furniture Today, September 13, 2010

ST. LOUIS - Boyd Specialty Sleep has become the first U.S. mattress manufacturer to adopt the new safety and environmental standards created by the Specialty Sleep Assn. to help consumers better understand what is inside their mattresses.

Boyd is placing the SSA Safety & Environmental Program seal on its NaturalFlex latex mattresses and its PlanetSleep visco-memory foam mattresses. The mattresses are expected to be on retailers' floors in the next few weeks.

The Boyd mattresses in the program display the group's Level I seal, which means the company has met all federal safety flammability requirements; provided a warrantee for the product; met all safety requirements for children's products if applicable; disclosed material construction with a descriptive label content; will participate in an annual survey to identify carbon footprint issues and has committed to continuous improvement; and met standards set by the Montreal Protocol Act when applicable, for reduction or elimination of ozone depleting substances.

"The seal empowers consumers to see what a manufacturer is doing to actively assure the safety and environmental friendliness of their products." - Denny Boyd, Boyd Specialty Sleep.

"The SSA's SEP seal is a real breakthrough for the consumer and empowers them to see what a manufacturer is doing to actively assure the safety and environmental friendliness of their products," said Denny Boyd, president of Boyd Specialty Sleep. "The retail response we saw a few weeks ago in Las Vegas to our products carrying the seal exceeded our expectations and I believe is a further indication that the SSA has really solved one of the great challenges our industry has faced in recent memory by finding a way to bring us all together around the issue of safety and environmental sensitivity to the products we sell."

SSA launches safety, environmental mattress seal. Hopes to educate consumers about sleep set components.

David Perry — Furniture Today, August 4, 2010

AT THE MARKET — The Specialty Sleep Assn. is launching a safety and environmental mattress seal and label program designed to better educate consumers about the components in their sleep sets. The program, developed after more than a year of research and work, features mattress labels and seals on beds made by participating manufacturers.

Manufacturers pay a fee to the SSA to use the label and seal, which inform the consumer about the minimum environmental and safety compliance levels the mattress meets. Consumers who want more information can go to the SSA's website for additional details.

The SSA, an industry group based in Friant, Calif., shows here in World Market Center C-1350.

"Purchasing safe and environmentally friendly products is an overwhelming concern of consumers," said Dale Read, SSA president. "The Safety and Environmental Program represents the best way to finally deliver a clear message, through a revolutionary new label and education program, that the bedding industry is listening to that concern. The SSA is proud to have taken a leadership role in this important task of creating clarity in defining the broad terms being used to define environmentally friendly products as part of our ongoing mission to promote natural, healthier and safer sleep solutions for consumers."

There are two levels in the seal and label program.

To display the Level I seal, a manufacturer must meet all federal safety flammability requirements, provide a warranty for the product, meet all safety requirements for children's products if applicable, disclose material construction on a label, participate in an annual survey to identify carbon footprint issues, and meet standards set by the Montreal Protocol Act, when applicable, for the reduction or elimination of ozone-depleting substances.

The Level II seal requires all the above, and also that the manufacturer meet the standards in California Section 1350 testing for low VOC emissions, and to validate that the mattress's textile covering contains no harmful substances.

The SSA said several manufacturers have signed on and are displaying mattresses in compliance with the program here this week, although it did not name the manufacturers.

Read said the new seal and label program "is all about transparency and education. It represents a unification of suppliers, manufacturers and retailers around a set of environmental terms and definitions that will reduce confusion and bolster sales to consumers anxious to purchase environmentally friendly products."

He said the seal will "provide an industry standard for what is green, sustainable and natural," and will also give retail sales associates the opportunity to discuss mattress safety issues with consumers.

Top 10 reasons for specialty sleep

By Denny Boyd — Furniture Today, July 28, 2002

Savvy consumers, from Baby Boomers to Generation Y and generations in between, are increasingly committed to health and wellness. As a result, they are looking for new, better and more innovative ways to improve their sleep.

Specialty sleep products — most notably air, flotation, latex, foam and adjustable sleep surfaces — offer manufacturers and retailers a great opportunity to meet the need of this growing market segment. Consider the following:

Increases total bedding sales and protects innerspring sales.
Specialty bedding does not steal innerspring sales. In each case where Boyd Specialty Sleep has implemented a specialty sleep program, innerspring sales continue to increase at the same rate, while specialty sleep adds incremental sales.
Attracts an interested consumer.
Thanks to the national advertising of major direct marketers, many consumers have heard about specialty sleep as an alternative to innerspring. In fact, a recent study done by America's Research Group indicated that more than 28% of consumers felt that advertising for specialty sleep mattresses was "the most influential" or "very influential" in deciding where to shop for their next mattress.
Yields high profit dollars.
Since a small proportion of retailers commit to the specialty sleep category in any given marketplace, you have the ability to "own" your market. This can yield high profit dollars because of the 50% margin that is typical for specialty sleep products.
Caters to the ultra-premium segment.
Specialty sleep is not promotional bedding with high unit volumes and little profit dollars. Specialty sleep consumers usually have higher household income, higher education levels and greater disposable income than the average shopper.
Addresses the major portion of the bedding business.
Estimates of the market share for specialty sleep range between 10% and 22% of consumer dollars spent on mattresses. Assuming a reasonable 14% of the $7.6 billion bedding industry, specialty sleep represents nearly $1.7 billion in annual U.S. sales.
Encourages increased closing ratios.
In each market, there are relatively few retail locations where the consumer can "test rest" a specialty sleep mattress. If you carry and promote a full range of mattress options, there is a good chance the consumer will shop your store first and have no reason to go elsewhere.
Enjoys a 'premium' image.
Consumers are aware that the cost of memory foam, latex, air and flotation mattresses is generally in excess of $1,000 in queen size. The value of specialty sleep is also apparent, with a feel and support structure that is not found in innerspring mattresses.
Is a master bedroom purchase.
Ninety percent of specialty bedding sales are in king and queen sizes, making the average unit selling price dramatically higher for specialty bedding than for other sleep surfaces … and encouraging interest in sales of master bedroom furniture.
Offers customized comfort for better health.
If there is one word that describes specialty sleep it is comfort. Whether the support system is air, foam or water the selling story remains essentially the same: By contouring to your body and thereby reducing pressure points, overall support is increased which allows for a long, uninterrupted, efficient night's sleep. This all adds up to better health.
Adds more excitement to the bedding category.
Do your customers have fun shopping for a mattress? Specialty sleep mattresses are interesting and unique. They compel the shopper to lie down on them and find out more. This helps break down the communication barrier between the salesperson and the customer, making the shopping experience a positive one.