Recently I was invited to partner with Serta and they hosted me at their headquarters in the Chicago area. They were incredibly gracious and provided flight, transportation, accommodations, meals, a Serta iComfort Directions bed, and compensation. It was a fascinating trip where I learned a lot about how mattresses are made and was able to test out a new incredible mattress line complete with an impressive adjustable base. I thought I’d share a few photos here complete with cameos of the adorable Serta Sheep.
One of the first areas we visited was the R&D department. It was filled with all kinds of machines and testing equipment.
I was interested in this quilting machine. It works quickly and large enough for a technician to walk underneath.
Then we got a look at what a spring mattress looks like on the inside.
After this we were able to see how Serta puts their mattresses through rigorous testing.
The roller test was my favorite. It runs 100,000 cycles and simulates rolling over in bed. This drum goes up to 240 lbs but they do have one that can go up to 330 lbs.
Here’s a video of the roller drum in action:
This next machine tests gives a firmness reading as well as measures air flow. Many people have trouble with foam mattresses because of heat build up. The Serta mattresses with gel help transfer heat away from the body which assists in regulating body temperature as you sleep.
Next up was the body impression test. It also runs 100,000 cycles and goes from a 3 lb load to a 230 lb load and then stops to take a reading. It reveals whether the firmness of the mattress changes in the spot it is continually compressing to simulate getting up out of bed every day.
We also had the chance to see coil testing in progress.
There was an interesting test with a dummy suspended over a bed. It’s a pressure point test that measures the average pressure as well as peak pressures. This is important because if you have too much pressure on one area of your body your limbs fall asleep and you wake up often throughout the night and don’t get a good sleep.
They also have an environment controlled room where they can see how the various temperatures affect the memory foam. I was interested to learn about the friction test as well. It makes sure the two surfaces have enough friction so the mattress doesn’t slide off the bed.
As we headed out of R&D I saw a giant Serta Sheep lounging in a corner. Isn’t he adorable? I know Kora & Logan would have loved to see this! He was bigger than either of them!
Next up we headed to the Serta Showroom. There were mattresses as far as I could see.
We took a peek inside a memory foam mattress. I was interested to learn that the more money you spend the thicker the quilt is and the better the upholstery is. The insulator pad then makes sure that springs don’t wreck the mattress. There is also an edge support that helps you from feeling like you are going to fall out of bed.
The Serta Sheep showed up again. See the baby 1/16th with the pacifier? So cute!
Then it was on to Serta iComfort Directions Series.
I was excited to learn as much as I could about this series because we will be receiving one for review! It’s an incredible mattress that has two types of gel in the foam. One is for support and the other helps with temperature regulation. I love that the material the mattress is made with is a performance fabric that wicks away moisture and is super soft. What a great idea!
I was also excited to learn about the Serta Motion Custom Adjustable Base. It has 9 features and can be raised at the head and the feet or both. There is also a lumbar support.
I was impressed to learn that you don’t have to return to flat when adjusting and it’s all adjusted through an easy to use remote control.
I also love that it has a magnet on the side so you always know where the remote is. And see the USB ports next to the remote? How brilliant is that? No need to run extension cords any more. It makes it easy to charge a variety of devices.
There are many other incredible features of the Serta iComfort Directions Epic Mattress and Motion Custom Adjustable Base. I can’t wait to reveal more of them in a series of upcoming posts and videos. I had a chance to lay on the mattress and play with the controls and I honestly couldn’t stop smiling!
Stay tuned to check out the upcoming posts. I may even write them from the comfort of our new Serta bed!
