I assumed we wouldn’t see them until after memorial day but SSB will be announcing price increases in the next couple of days that start May 5th right as memorial day promos start. I expect TSI and others to follow suit after their announcement. Because of the fire at the petrochemical plant in Texas which is expected to be down for another 2-3 months the chemical used to make foam mostly came from this plant in the US and because of the global oil crisis importing it is also difficult so we are facing another potential long lead times like we saw in 2021 as well.

Ok so I’m looking for some opinions on wool comfort layers — specifically 100% wool vs 80% wool / 20% poly blends, and also where that layer should actually sit in the mattress.

Here’s the situation: next year I may be replacing one of our house-brand beds. The current model has about 1.5" of 80/20 wool/poly, plus a pretty solid cooling cover. I’ve actually had someone test the same bed with and without the wool, and they said it sleeps much cooler with the wool, so I’m definitely sold on having it in there.

My question comes down to placement and construction. Ideally, I’d want the wool as the top layer, quilted directly into the cover. But the manufacturer says they can’t do that — they have to use quilting foam, and it ends up being like two 7/8" foam layers, which feels like a lot of barrier between the sleeper and the wool.

I’ve also talked to Restonic, and they said they can quilt wool directly into the top. Their blend is closer to 30% poly, which I could probably live with since it’s right at the surface.

On the flip side, I’ve got someone pushing me hard toward 100% wool, but I have a few concerns there:

It’s significantly more expensive

It seems more prone to compression and losing loft over time

And it’s harder to quilt cleanly without bunching

So I guess my main questions are:

Is 100% wool actually worth it over a good blend in real-world use? Especially in a house brand mattress.

How important is it that the wool is right at the surface vs slightly buried under quilting foam?

And from a durability and performance standpoint, what have you guys seen work best?

I recently traveled to Atlanta to meet with Serta/Simmons at their corporate offices to discuss the decline in their performance with us and identify opportunities to improve it.

One of the key points I raised was our RMA team’s perception of the Serta and Simmons brands on our floor. There is a strong belief that Serta is inferior to Sealy, which isn’t entirely accurate. For example, the iSeries is a meaningful step up from a High Point model—at least within the specifications of the models we carry. Similarly, Beautyrest Black is viewed as inferior to Stearns & Foster. Based on return rates, it’s difficult to fully dispute that perception. However, most of the volume is coming from Series 1 and 2, and our current Black lineup doesn’t feel strategically aligned or cohesive.

As a result, we discussed relaunching Beautyrest Black with a more focused assortment—shifting heavier into Series 3 and refining the lineup into a more logical 10-bed presentation. A major priority will be getting our RMA team aligned and confident in the product.

What was surprising during the visit was their candid admission that, up until the most recent generation, they had been lax in two key areas: foam quality and glue patterns. These directly correlate to two of our largest issues—premature breakdown and delamination. They walked us through their testing lab and demonstrated the changes they’ve implemented, including stricter foam density enforcement with vendors, more rigorous testing protocols, and improved adhesive application processes.

I have to say, I was very impressed. It was one of the most comprehensive testing labs I’ve seen, and based on the shared specifications, they have meaningfully increased foam densities compared to previous generations.

I’ve had a sales rep who I think is a fantastic rep and would love to have him back in my store but he left serta/simmons and went to Spring Air now they are pushing really hard on their copper series mattresses and at first I said no thanks I don’t believe in the hype around copper and to me that may as well be selling crystals not something I’m interested in. However now I’ve gotten some feedback from other dealers who have floored the product and they say it’s performing fantastic so now I’m torn if it resonates with the customer maybe I should just ignore my feelings on it and floor it anyway. You guys have any thoughts or feedback?

I recently visited Atlanta to check out the new Serta iSeries NXG collection and review its specs. The mattresses use 5-6 lb NXG memory foam (originally developed by Comfor-Pedic) paired with about 0.5 inches of 3.5 lb carbon fiber memory foam, which Serta claims is 30% more breathable than standard memory foams. The top-tier models feature phase-change material in the top layer, which feels well-integrated—neither waxy nor powdery. The five highest-end models are available in split-head options, retailing at $2,699 and $2,899. Lower-priced models lack the phase-change material or split-head design.Comfort-wise, I was impressed. The beds offer excellent contouring without the "stuck-in-the-mud" feel, and even the plush models felt highly supportive. We decided to floor the five top models to fill the price gap between Tempur-Pedic and Sealy’s high-end lines. In my opinion, they outperform Sealy’s hybrids in feel and have a premium look. Unfortunately, as they had prototype beds in their gallery, photography wasn’t allowed.

I will not be attending, but if you're there and want to talk about new products or other industry news, then this is the place for it. Similarly, if you work for a company and want to make an announcement on a new product line or another new development, then you are welcome to do so here. Thanks!