Mattress maker targets 'clean' niche

For nearly two years, Jeffersonville, Ind., mattress maker Mark Strobel fought a federal proposal for tougher fire standards for his industry. The new rules, he argued, would lead companies to lace bedding with toxic fire-retardant chemicals such as boric acid and antimony. But since the final approval of the Consumer Product Safety Commission regulation, which takes effect next July, Strobel has changed tactics. His 32-year-old business, Strobel Technologies, will focus on producing "clean" mattresses that will be exempt from the new rules if prescribed by a physician or chiropractor.

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Don't lose sleep over plan to buy mattress

MORE MATTRESSES are sold in August than in any other month of the year, according to the International Sleep Products Association. That's because August is a transitional month, when people marry, move to new homes or post-graduation/off-campus apartments, and need new places to sleep. Surveys show that many of us keep our mattresses longer than their intended shelf life of five to seven years. With some help from Robert Klein, president of Dial-A-Mattress, which sells mattresses from a variety of manufacturers, we offer some food for thought before you purchase: Need to know: You need a mattress that allows plenty of room for movement -- cramped quarters can mean a nightly wrestling match. A healthy sleeper moves 40 to 60 times a night, including some full body turns.

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Perfect sleeper? Here's how to find the right mattress

Whether you're settling down on a decades-old mattress or dozing on a custom-made, dual control, heated bed, there are things you'll want to know before choosing your next one. According to Consumer Reports, some consider a mattress the most important piece of "furniture" at home. So how do you pick one? Jeff Hanna, co-owner of Today's Bedroom One, an Indiana-based chain, says a consumer needs to know what they're made of, how to test one and more. "A consumer should have reasons why they're changing their bed," Hanna says. In other words, there is no timetable for when to buy a new one. Is it comfort? Does their bed not feel right to them anymore? Is there pain involved? Hanna says shoppers looking for a new mattress should try several and position themselves as they would sleep at home.

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