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Published on August 13, 2007

Imagine relaxing in outer space, relieving stress in zero gravity. This is unlikely to become a reality unless you are an astronaut.

But, you can go to sleep on a mattress developed from Nasa (the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration) technology.

A departure from the traditional bed and mattress, Tempur-Pedic International launched its Tempur product in the early 1990s, using technology to make a quality mattress for the health conscious.

Suphat Pantisoontorn, managing director of Aero Bedding, the sole distributor of Tempur in Thailand, said people today faced more and more stress and health problems.

A good sleep is the best way to re-energise for the new day, he said.

Tempur is a hi-tech product made from a material called visco-elastic. It is composed of small cells that allow air ventilation and no accumulation of moisture, keeping the body's temperature normal.

It was developed by Nasa for the US space programme in the 1970s to provide anti-shock cushions for astronauts.

The unique mattress and bed accessories are proven to relieve back and neck problems and reduce tossing and turning during sleep. It can relax muscles and nervous systems. Tempur mattresses protect against bedbugs and do not irritate the skin.

Aero Bedding, which also manufactures and distributes Swiss bed brand Synda, introduced Tempur here in early July. Despite the high price of the product, the market has responded well thanks to the health-consciousness trend, Suphat said.

He said Tempur was the No-1 mattress and bed, with a combined global market value of about US$1 billion (Bt34 billion). It is successful in Europe, the United States and Asia and currently the market leader on every continent.

Suphat conducted market research before taking on Tempur. In spite of slowing consumption this year, the survey found most respondents in the high-end segment want quality premium mattresses to relieve health problems.

People spend more time at work and less time in bed. This is why they pay more for the right bed to make sleeping more pleasant in the limited hours available.

First-year sales are tipped at Bt100 million. The company hopes it will become the leading brand in the next three to five years.

According to an ACNielsen survey, the total value of bed products in Thailand was Bt4.5 billion last year. Of that 38 per cent is "premium" products.

Suphat said the company had no market-share figure in mind at present but believed it would be a major premium player within a few years.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation