Dow and GoodBed collaborate to establish landmark scientific mattress testing program
Midland, MI – Dow and GoodBed, the premier mattress information resource for consumers, have collaborated to develop a benchmark lab testing program for the mattress industry. This powerful partnership combines GoodBed’s unique bedding expertise and proprietary mattress evaluation framework, Mattress DNA™, with the robust lab testing capabilities of Dow’s ComfortScience™ Studio.
One of the key challenges in understanding mattress performance is the lack of standardized testing to describe comfort in a quantifiable way. This results in consumers being unaware of how to properly shop for mattresses that best suit their needs, manufacturers being unfamiliar with how to make the best mattress or properly differentiate their products from competitors, and raw material suppliers being uninformed of how to develop innovative and effective materials.
Comfort is a fusion of perceptions that can be easy to experience, but difficult to describe and measure. Through this partnership, Dow and GoodBed are filling this knowledge gap and strengthening their shared commitment to evaluating and communicating the holistic experience of a given mattress by developing a new industry standard of scientific mattress tests.
“Dow is a well-established global leader in materials science and testing. Over the last three years, we’ve worked hand-in-hand to develop scientific tests that can accurately measure the attributes we know to be most important in determining the performance and suitability of a given mattress for different sleepers,” said Michael Magnuson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at GoodBed. “Together, we’re excited by the unprecedented quality of mattress information that we can now provide, and our ability to give consumers confidence in choosing the best possible mattress.”
“Our ComfortScience™ Studio was established to study the different properties of bedding products and their contribution to comfort,” said Kevin Meyer, Associate Technical Service & Development Director at Dow. “By joining forces with GoodBed, the most knowledgeable and trustworthy source of mattress information in the market today, we’re transforming the mattress industry with a first-of-its-kind standard of testing. This will offer numerous benefits for key audiences, from consumers all the way to raw material suppliers.”
A portion of the initial phase of the collaborative research from Dow and GoodBed is detailed in their first published paper, which was selected for presentation at this year’s Center for Polyurethanes (CPI) Polyurethanes Technical Conference. The paper highlights key factors influencing mattress microclimates, such as temperature, humidity, and airflow, as well as showcases quantitative testing methods developed through the partnership. Additional test results in areas such as durability, spinal alignment, and pressure relief are planned for future publication.
With unparalleled expertise in polyurethane chemistry, Dow is at the forefront of R&D and product development in the bedding market and beyond. By configuring three dimensions of comfort – ergonomics, microclimate and sensation – differently, Dow creates tailored solutions to deliver the most comfortable experience possible. Visit comfortscience.com to learn more.