Newark, New Jersey-based luxury mattress manufacturer Shifman Mattress Co. has put its products to the test in a pilot program of a new scientific mattress testing initiative developed by independent online mattress guide GoodBed in collaboration with global materials science company Dow Inc. to set a new standard for performance validation.
According to a news release, the program is the first in the industry to offer objective, third-party performance testing for mattresses. Using GoodBed’s Mattress DNA Framework, powered by Dow’s engineering expertise, the testing program aims to bring a higher level of transparency and accountability to the bedding industry to help restore consumer trust in mattress product claims.
Company officials said the initiative comes at a time when the credibility of online reviews is under scrutiny, with widespread concerns over the proliferation of bot-generated, paid and AI reviews. According to a GoodBed survey of active mattress shoppers, nearly 90% said they would value independent product testing and nearly 100% said such testing would be “very important” to their purchase decisions. Additionally, more than 65% said they would pay a premium for a product that had been independently tested.
“This is a game changer for mattress manufacturers and retailers,” said Mark Quinn, Shifman’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “If you’re willing to put your products to the test, and assuming your products will perform, the GoodBed and Dow testing mark will provide a level of consumer trust we haven’t seen to this point at retail.”
The mattress industry is increasingly challenged by retail channels that have no showroom, no salesperson, and no guidance — a trend that has a negative impact on consumers, said Mike Magnuson, founder and CEO of GoodBed. “Consumers lose when they lack the information they need to make a good decision. Worse yet, today’s shoppers are often misled by low-quality products that make bold and unsubstantiated claims about their performance. The solution is to empower them with credible third-party information based on real scientific testing. This will allow them to find products that truly deliver on the features they care most about, and to purchase those products with confidence,” Magnuson said. “Ultimately, that means they will have higher satisfaction with their purchases.”
Magnuson said that the Shifman was an ideal choice that met all of GoodBed’s criteria for the pilot program. “When we considered manufacturers to pilot this testing program, we knew we had to find one that embraced transparency and an openness to authentic results. And that was Shifman,” Magnuson said. “Shifman’s commitment to quality goes
back more than 100 years, which means they’re as invested as we are in establishing a testing program that fosters trust and confidence with the consumer.”
In the program, products undergo an extensive battery of tests ranking performance in key areas of concern to consumers. Shifman rated best-in-class in multiple categories, including moisture wicking and temperature regulation, due to its all-natural materials. The brand also ranked best-in-class in edge support based on its foam-encased innerspring design, the news release said.
“We knew going in that between the extensive consumer insights from GoodBed and the pure science of measurement and performance from Dow that we were going to go through the wringer,” said Andi Jones, Shifman’s head of product development. “But the truest measure of trust is the transparency and legitimacy of the standards. You could say we’re obsessive about the design and manufacturing of our products, so it was a challenge we were eager to meet.”
Mattresses evaluated through the GoodBed-Dow program receive verified performance data that brands can use to support marketing claims. Shifman also plans to incorporate QR codes into point-of-sale materials, providing consumers with direct links to testing documentation, videos and results. “We believe that this program has the potential to be the difference between a purchase and a lost sale,” Quinn said. “The difference between Shifman and a purchase made solely on price.”
