Early turnout, talk of tariffs and the return of familiar faces marked the April High Point show.
No one was quite sure what to expect going into the High Point Market, held April 26-30. There was an air of uncertainty and anxiety due to what Kyle Robertson, chief operating officer of Knoxville, Tennessee-based Mlily USA, elegantly referred to as “geopolitical forces at play.”
Many had hoped that 2025 would mark the start of a bedding sector turnaround, but economic indicators didn’t reflect that. Still, against that unpredictable backdrop, attendance was strong.
High Point Market Sees Unexpected Early Turnout
Many High Point Market buyers seemed to adopt the mantra of Ricky Bobby, the lead character from Will Ferrell’s NASCAR film “Talladega Nights:” “If you’re not first, you’re last.” Similar to the winter Las Vegas Market, some customers began calling on bedding producers as early as Tuesday — days before the market’s official opening on Saturday.
Steve Karns, vice president of sales and business development at North Brunswick, New Jersey-based Bedding Industries of America, summed it up best. “It’s a sneaky market,” Karns said. “People who said that they weren’t coming came. One rep said, ‘I have six guys coming in,’ and 12 guys showed up.”
Michael Carter, executive vice president for the sleep division of Hangzhou, China-based Kuka Home, seconded that observation, noting that many of the retail majors drove the early visits. “It was mostly the larger customers,” Carter said. “They want to see what you have first, go see everybody else and shop, then come back.”
Bedding Exhibitors Make Strong Return to High Point
Rancho Cucomonga, California-based South Bay International returned for its second market. “Coming here gives us an opportunity to have another touchpoint, to attract the East Coast customers that aren’t going to Vegas,” CEO Toby Konetzny said. “I think if you’re in the business, you’ve got to be very much at shows.” He noted he had twice the number of appointments as he had in the fall.
After a multiyear hiatus, Therapedic International came back with a new space in the Lifestyle building. “We’ve always believed in the power of High Point,” said Gerry Borreggine, president and CEO of the Princeton, New Jersey-based manufacturer and licensing group.
Sleep accessories supplier Purecare partnered with Paramount Sleep Co. for its first showing in High Point in years.
Lisa Mellet, senior director of national retail for Phoenix-based Purecare, appreciated the pace of High Point. “This is a more intimate show,” she said. “You actually can spend time, sit down, take a few minutes and endorse your product in a different way because people aren’t rushing from meeting to meeting.”
Tariffs Dominate Discussions at High Point Market
Predictably, tariffs were a hot-button topic.
“It’s what everybody in the industry is talking about,” said Derek Leishman, national sales director of Mlily USA. “The T-word.”
Attitudes toward tariffs generally fell into two camps: those with production primarily based in the United States, and those dependent on offshore production and sourcing. When possible, those relying on international sourcing were quick to tout their ability to shuffle offshore production to nations other than China or reshore to the United States.
Kuka Home was among those that anticipated the shift toward domestic manufacturing and began moving much of its production to America, starting in 2023. “We’ve got a lot of people knocking on our doors because we’re in Dallas,” Carter said. “Our foam still comes from our Mexico factory, but all assembly, warehouse, packaging, shipping — all those activities are here. The timing of (the grand opening of the dedicated sleep space) is perfect. It announces that we are a domestic manufacturer.”
Despite the financial uncertainty, some producers see opportunity among the market disruption. “It’s a great time to promote bedding because the pricing is stable,” Karns said.
Jonah Nelson, senior director of brand experience for Farmingdale, New York-based Bedgear, agreed with that sentiment. “Disruption and a little bit of macro-chaos creates an environment where innovators really can win,” Nelson said.
Bedding Industries of America Debuts 120-Year Eclipse Collection
To celebrate the 120th anniversary of its Eclipse brand, North Brunswick, New Jersey-based Bedding Industries of America introduced a special three-bed lineup, available in plush, medium and firm. Each features the patented Spinal Zone III system with 500 microcoils in the center zone plus 800 pocketed coils with additional high-density and gel memory foam comfort layers. Ornate ticking, two-tone blue borders and bar-tacked handles lend a sophisticated look to all three beds, which ship flat or roll packed and retail for $1,499. “It’s a great-looking bed and we have different incentives to get retailers into the program, so they can really save,” said Steve Karns, vice president of sales and business development.
Ashley Bedding Debuts Millennium 2.0 Mattress Collection
Arcadia, Wisconsin-based Ashley Bedding debuted the latest additions to its Millennium mattress collection. All four beds in the Millennium 2.0 lineup ($699–$1,299) feature a Hyper Cool four-way stretch-knit cover infused with phase-change material for temperature regulation. The 12-inch and 14-inch medium memory foam models include layers of premium high-density gel memory foam and a green tea-infused support foam base. The 12-inch and 14-inch hybrid plush models combine high-density gel memory foam, a pressure-sensitive 1,530-microcoil unit and a support layer of 750 individually wrapped coils.
South Bay International Showcases Diverse Mattress Lines for Quality Sleep
South Bay International Inc., headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, California, brought four lines that meet different needs. ActiveAlign (pictured) emphasizes wellness and spinal support with a combination of reactive foam technology, copper-infused memory foam, a patented wedge support system and Air Grid layer for breathability. Sofinity foam “represents a major advancement by addressing traditional foam mattress challenges, such as overheating and inadequate support,” CEO Toby Konetzny said. EcoCore offers an environmentally friendly, yet price-conscious, line for retailers. And, finally, AllureLuxe includes temperature-regulating Lumi graphite bands and bamboo charcoal memory foam, as well as supportive foam-encased pocketed coils.
High Point Welcome: Therapedic Returns with New Collections
After a multiyear hiatus from High Point, Therapedic International was back and featured its Tommy Bahama line. The collection includes a variety of luxury hybrid models including, but not limited to, one hand tufted with organic wool and another crafted with organic latex — both built on a wrapped coil support core. The line also includes a foam series with a new boxed bed model. Retail prices start at $999 and top out at $2,499. “Tommy Bahama is a powerful brand that resonates with customers,” said Kyle Borreggine, vice president of specialty sales for the Princeton, New Jersey-based manufacturer and licensing group. “When you combine Therapedic quality with the Tommy Bahama brand, we have a unique story to tell.”
Innovations from Diamond Mattress: Black Diamond, Technogel & Ethos
Rancho Dominguez, California-based manufacturer Diamond Mattress returned to its shared showroom space with Fashion Bed Group, bringing its Black Diamond collection, new quilted Technogel models, Ethos Avani hybrid and the remerchandised Dreamstage 2.0 line. The Black Diamond split-head hybrid is the newest addition to the lineup ($3,299 in king size). Diamond also showcased the Avani hybrid, the latest addition to its Ethos line. Formerly only made with latex, the Avani hybrid combines a foam-encased coil unit, microcoils, and 3 inches of natural latex. Suggested retail price is $2,499.
Kuka Home Debuts CloudPod Mattress Line with Advanced Pressure Relief
At the grand opening of its new 2,000-square-foot dedicated sleep space, Hangzhou, China-based Kuka Home showed the latest version of its CloudPod mattress line, produced in the company’s Dallas facility. The 11-, 13- and 15-inch collection ($799–$1,199) is constructed with a support layer containing CloudPods — proprietary, pressure-relieving structures made from combinations of polyurethane and gel memory foam in breathable channels strategically placed for four escalating levels of pressure relief, support and comfort. “There’s a lot of emphasis on the comfort and support layers in the industry. But we focused on the transition layer for this collection,” said Michael Carter, executive vice president of the sleep division. “We let the pressure map be the guide when developing this collection.”
Purecare Unveils New Weightless Sheets & Cooling Protectors
Phoenix-based Purecare introduced its Weightless cotton sheets ($149) made with lightweight, ultra-soft 100% micro cotton and also features Precision-Fit corners, an extra wide 1-inch elastic band and antimicrobial silver product protection. “This was a price point that we were missing,” said Anthony Petrucci, senior vice president of domestic sales. “It’s going to be our No. 1 selling sheet because of the price point and its amazing feel.” Also new is the top-of-the-line, 5-Sided Cooling Quilted protector ($225), that blends Purecare’s rapid-chill Frío fibers with Tencel and Precision-Fit construction features, making it ideal for adjustable bases.
Mlily USA Unveils Tri-Zone Adjustable Base & Expanded Accessories
Knoxville, Tennessee-based Mlily USA took another step toward becoming a “one-stop shop when it comes to bedding products,” said National Sales Director Derek Leishman. The company introduced its latest adjustable base, the MS600 ($2,299), which has a “tri-zone massage feature” in the head, foot and lumbar areas, with three massage modes and three intensity levels. Mlily USA also extended its accessories lineup with a series of mattress protectors: single-sided polyester knit ($49), five-sided rayon bamboo ($109), five-sided super-cooling ($199) and 360-degree, fully encased ($109).
Paramount Sleep Expands Natural Offerings with Hypnos & A.H. Beard
Luxury in the Norfolk, Virginia-based Paramount Sleep Co. showroom means handcrafted mattresses with high quality components. A.H. Beard’s Sleepsmith by Paramount, priced at $6,000, takes three days to make with handcut fabric, hand-layered components and handstitched sides. In addition to the A.H. Beard collection, Paramount showcased a full Hypnos line, Paramount Special Edition anniversary beds and a rejuvenated HD Super Duty collection with the Seal of Cotton trademark. Paramount recently received the exclusive rights to use the trademark. “It’s a big focus of ours, not only because it makes a bed feel better by giving support and breathability to a product that you can’t get with polyurethane foams. But also because of the sustainability story, the natural story, the local story,” said Richard Fleck, president.
Shifman Mattress Co. Unveils Luxury 1893 & Timeless Collections
With its 1893 and Timeless collections, Newark, New Jersey-based Shifman Mattress Co. ties creativity to luxury. The 1893 line features three vintage patterns on the border with three color choices — gold, pink or teal. Bill Hammer, president of Shifman, described the feels as plush, plusher and plushest with retail prices ranging from $11,999 to $23,999. The 10-model Timeless collection offers luxury to a broader audience with a retail price range of $2,000 to $7,000. The beds in both lines carry monikers that evoke emotion, such as Snow Day or Sunday Morning.
Silentnight Collection: Streamlined Options for Mattress Retailers
A.W. Industries, headquartered in Landover, Maryland, had retailers in mind when it revamped its Silentnight brand. “As geopolitical environments have changed over the last year, we wanted to make it easier for retailers,” said Adrian Wertz, vice president of sales. The 18-bed line includes nine single-sided and nine double-sided mattresses. All have the same border and foundations, but the covers denote the step-ups, starting with white and adding gray and then black to the pattern. Ranging in price from $599 to $1,499, the collection includes common sense labels. GTO means Gel Tech one-sided and GTS stands for Gel Tech two-sided. Numbers on the label relate to innerspring counts – 588, 792 and 1,073.
Creating Interactive Retail: Customatic Sleep Technologies’ New Solutions
The recently renamed Customatic Sleep Technologies introduced a $200 platform kit that enables its $1,000 Hi-Lo accessory to be used without an adjustable base. The Natick, Massachusetts-based company also showed its Synergy adjustable base in a preprogrammed demo mode that can be customized to any mattress or base. “It’s all interactive — we customize the experience based upon the product you want,” said Bill Bush, chief commercial officer. “Our goal is to partner with retailers to create an in-store experience that goes beyond just great products and pricing. We empower sales associates to have the customer lie down, press a button and let the experience speak for itself.”
Saatva Celebrates 15 Years of the Classic Mattress at High Point
Direct-to-consumer luxury brand Saatva made its fifth appearance at High Point Market with an eye toward engaging interior designers with its offerings beyond the mattress, such as nightstands, table lamps, accent chairs and storage bed additions. But mattresses were still the star of the show. The bed that started it all — the Saatva Classic innerspring mattress — is celebrating its 15th year. The New York-based brand’s newer mattresses, Contour5 and Saatva Rx, also held primary spots. The Contour5, which retails for $1,899, is the brand’s latest memory foam model. Saatva Rx ($1,999) is designed to provide pressure relief for back pain.
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