Highlights from Cologne 2025 » BedTimes Journal

Elements and equipment suppliers introduced their finest and brightest concepts for adapting to a altering world, together with the newest Interzum Bedding Improvements.

In its second post-pandemic exhibition, roughly 60,000 commerce guests from 157 nations flocked to the Koelnmesse Exhibit Complicated for Interzum Cologne 2025, Could 20-23, in Cologne, Germany.

 The central theme of the world’s main commerce truthful for furnishings merchandise and inside design was “Rethinking Sources: Round and Bio-based Options.” Contained in the complicated’s 11 halls, 1,600 exhibitors from 57 nations displayed their newest merchandise, techniques and processes — all designed to enhance productiveness, streamline effectivity and stimulate enterprise whereas lowering environmental impression.

 Over three days of the present, BedTimes’ editors strode the cavernous halls of Koelnmesse, visiting as most of the 80 bedding-industry-related firms as doable in between enterprise offers.

 On the next pages, we’ll take a better take a look at the newest finds from the forefront of the worldwide bedding {industry}, reveal this yr’s Interzum Award winners and see whose introductions may transfer the needle on innovation, effectivity and sustainability.

Ticking: Traits in Textiles

If there’s one factor that feels constant within the bedding {industry} in the present day, it’s that shopper preferences appear to be cut up. The luxurious and high-end classes proceed to carry out properly, however so does the worth class. 

One throughline is that customers are trying to find a way of serenity, embodied by Pantone’s decide for the 2025 Colour of the Yr, Mocha Mousse 17-1230. In response to the Carlstadt, New Jersey-based firm, Mocha Mousse “captures a world temper of connection, consolation and concord.” That theme and the sense of duality defining in the present day’s market was maybe finest captured at Interzum Cologne by BekaertDeslee. The Waregem, Belgium-based firm debuted its latest material assortment, Stability, which in line with a information launch, invitations producers “to discover distinction, consolation and creativity.” 

To develop the gathering, BekaertDeslee labored with world forecasting firm WGSN, noting a number of present tendencies together with wellness, psychological and bodily well-being, expertise, sustainability and synthetic intelligence. “These key areas have been rising in tendencies but additionally in bedding,” stated Melike Karadayi, group design supervisor for BekaertDeslee. “However ultimately, we all know that the truth is that funds are tough. The economic system is tough for people and for firms, too, and we see that the actual pattern is discovering the proper stability between all of those. How a lot of this and the way a lot of which can be you placing collectively to make the proper product?” 

Making up the Stability assortment have been roughly 300 patterns in knits and wovens and merchandise together with textiles, mattress covers, pillowcases and toppers throughout 4 smaller collections: Fusion, Basic, Nuance and Pure. 

The Fusion assortment, outlined by daring geometric patterns, featured Fusion Nonetheless and Fusion Gold covers, which included carbon yarn to soak up damaging ions. Pure, BekaertDeslee’s tackle quiet luxurious, featured minimalist patterns with high-end particulars, whereas Basic balanced daring patterns in trendy colours with white variations. Nuance – impressed by the deep sea – showcased an “concept of find out how to be waste-friendly,” Karadayi stated. Scrap from the border and canopy was used to make a pillow. 

BekaertDeslee additionally debuted its Infinity cowl, which received an Interzum Award for Excessive Product High quality. The quilt is created from 100% polyester, together with 91% recycled content material from sources corresponding to PET bottles, BekaertDeslee’s post-production waste and chemically recycled textile-to-textile sources. The corporate additionally received a German Innovation Award in Excellence within the business-to-business class for supplies and surfaces for Dream+, a textile with bio-based microcapsules and Australian tea tree extract to spice up sleep high quality.

Whereas BekaertDeslee obtained artistic by showcasing completely different variations of stability, Lava put a high-fashion spin on its textiles. The Wielsbeke, Belgium-based producer enlisted Belgian designer Tessa Borrenberghs to create a garment assortment created from mattress ticking to rejoice its one hundredth anniversary in enterprise. Earlier than Interzum, Lava hosted a proper catwalk vogue present that includes 9 silhouettes created by Borrenberghs. On the commerce present, a number of of the seems have been displayed on mannequins, catching guests’ consideration with the stylish exhibit.

Contained in the sales space, different stars have been discovered within the particulars. Lava received an Interzum Award for Iceberg. “It’s a cooling polyamide yarn, so in the event you contact it, it feels chilly, however it has inherent PCM particles. Contained in the yarn, that’s PCM, it’s not a end that we add in the course of the ending course of so it can’t be washed out,” stated Lucas Vanwelden, co-owner of Lava. Lava additionally launched coloured cooling yarns, now provided in three shades: Noir (black), Pool (blue) and Armour (grey).

One other noticeable theme at Interzum was optical illusions, with a number of firms, together with Lava, presenting textiles designed to appear like one factor whereas providing the advantages of one other. “It seems like a woven high quality, however it’s knitted,” Vanwelden stated of the corporate’s damask-knit Winston, which debuted on the present. “It has all the benefits of a knit: It’s versatile, it’s ergonomic however it seems like a high-end woven.” Beforehand solely out there in a 100% polyester model, Lava now additionally gives it in 100% cotton.

Maes Mattress Ticking additionally highlighted a dual-function textile inside its Lausanne and Zurich collections. “It seems like a woven damask however it has the stretch capacities of a stretch knit,” stated Bart Desmet, gross sales director for Maes Mattress Ticking, which is headquartered in Zwevegem, Belgium. “It’s exhausting to inform other than a woven, and it is a high quality which may be completely tufted or quilted,” added Camilla Franklin, vice chairman of gross sales at Maes Mattress Ticking USA. “It might be used on borders as a result of there’s a stretchability. It gives loads of distinctive potentialities for the mattress producer to create a brand new look.” 

Alamance, North Carolina-based CT Nassau additionally launched a luxurious woven stretch damask, made doable by new looms in its North American plant. Additionally within the vein of issues that aren’t what they seem — at the very least in title — CT Nassau debuted its Miraggio assortment, from the Italian phrase for a mirage. The gathering — which spans 250 designs — consists of viscose-linen blends, International Natural Textile Customary-certified 100% natural materials, materials made with Tencel lyocell fibers and recycled materials, together with polyester, polypropylene and combined yarn. Though the textiles take cues from the colour of the sand, the soil and the sky, the inspiration behind the gathering is a shocking supply. 

“We blended our concept of the temper for 2025 to 2026 primarily based on coloration tendencies of make-up,” stated Andrea Lazzaroni, government vice chairman and chief working officer of CT Nassau. “Make-up is likely one of the first industries to anticipate tendencies, even earlier than vogue.” A number of the textiles within the Miraggio assortment include the corporate’s Pillfree expertise launched towards the tip of 2024, which creates a excessive resistance to pilling and is 100% recyclable. 

CT Nassau additionally launched a line of mattress tape and handles created from chenille and infused with Lurex in addition to two heavy-duty handles, Beveled and Reverse Beveled, with added foam for additional sturdiness.

For its Astra assortment of material, CT Nassau seemed to the longer term, taking inspiration from synthetic intelligence and the metaverse for its geometric designs out there in jacquard materials, knitted materials; a mix of cotton, wool and lyocell; and a cooling material model. 

Talking of cooling, arguably one of many greatest tendencies in bedding of the previous few years, it continued to prevail. 

“This yr, we centered quite a bit on the cooler materials, each for pillows, for instance, however they may be made for covers,” stated Susanne Thygesen Nors, designer at Midtjylland, Denmark-based Sunds. In response to Nors, the corporate introduced 150 new designs to Interzum. To focus on the North American market, designs have been darker with louder patterns whereas these supposed for the European market have been noticeably extra subdued. Sunds additionally emphasised its sustainable choices with 100% recyclable yarns and a viscose bamboo cowl, which served as a focus on the entrance of its sales space.

Cooling was additionally noticed at Innofa. Innofa’s latest expertise, Snö Graphene received a Better of the Finest Interzum Award. The newest cooling idea from the textile producer, headquartered in Tilburg, Netherlands, makes use of bio-based, phase-change supplies, polyethylene yarns and graphene in a set that features the Cool Flip reminiscence foam pillow, waterproof mattress protector and the Excellent pillow protector. 

Whereas Innofa turned to nature for the title of its newest cooling expertise, different producers used it as inspiration within the design course of. Boyteks’ Texture assortment drew inspiration from tiny particulars — from veins on leaves to the feel of rocks. Its different collections have been Tactile, Pinktopia and Cottage Core, every comprising 40 new patterns.  

The Kayseri, Turkey-based firm additionally received an Interzum Excessive Product High quality Award for its Pineapple mattress material, a 100% plant-based materials created from recycled pineapple leaf fibers which can be a byproduct of agricultural waste. In response to Boyteks, it’s biodegradable, fully round and gives a breathable sleeping answer. 

Between the improvements offered in cooling, design and sustainability, the ticking offered at Interzum 2025 was actually well-balanced.

Foam & Latex: Sustainable Advances

The froth and latex class absolutely embraced the present’s theme of rethinking sources, responding with a formidable line-up of round and bio-based options.

The Vita Group’s Better of the Finest Interzum Award-winning Vita Superior mattress incorporates Vita Subsequent, a foam made with 65% recycled content material — a recycled polyol derived from foam waste and bio-circular mass stability TDI produced by Covestro — that reduces the carbon footprint by 70%. The Manchester, England-based firm received a Excessive Product High quality Award for Orbis Extremely foam, which recycles TDA into TDI, producing a foam made with 95% recycled content material.” Mike Murray, chief innovation officer, stated Orbis Extremely proves that foam “may be absolutely round.” He famous that the corporate’s formulation chemists “can’t inform the distinction between (Orbis Extremely and) standard polyol,” and that sustainable manufacturing is possible and sensible at scale. 

Vita Group additionally clenched Excessive Product High quality Awards for 2 different product introductions: FRee+ and its Guayule Talalay latex pillow. FRee+ is a bio-based, Crib-5-compliant fire-retardant foam produced with out fossil uncooked supplies, TCPP or melamine, or lack of elasticity, breathability or sturdiness. The corporate’s hypoallergenic, pressure-relieving, breathable Guayule Talalay latex pillow is created from pure Talalay latex from guayule, a plant, that grows pesticide-free with little water.

Novaya, a division of Weilsbeke, Belgium-based Love House Materials, received a Better of the Finest Award for its Moreganic-certified pure latex used within the manufacturing of mattresses, toppers and pillows. Olivier Harvey, Novaya’s Moreganic program supervisor, stated, “Moreganic is greater than a label — it’s a brand new customary for sustainable sourcing rooted in ecological integrity, moral accountability and financial viability.” It’s an unbiased sustainability certification that promotes sustainable, biodiversity-positive agroforestry and full chain-of-custody transparency. At Interzum Cologne, Novaya featured an immersive multisensory sales space exhibit showcasing how biodiversity motion plans, incentives for farmers and provide chain transparency come collectively by way of the Moreganic program.

Earthfoam showcased a number of new sustainable product introductions. Its seven-zone latex foam makes use of completely different pinhole sizes to ship various assist ranges and improve breathability in mattresses and toppers. A brand new graphite foam from the corporate is designed to satisfy the UK’s strict flammability rules, which requires testing every part reasonably than the whole mattress. The Poruwadanda, Sri Lanka-based firm additionally promoted a Rebond latex mattress, shaped from manufacturing scrap reprocessed into high-density foam blocks. Earthfoam President Karl Shevick stated that whereas rebond is usually thought of a “cheaper product,” he thinks the agency, springy really feel and sustainability of latex provides it “the potential to be a premium product.” 

Welivita, Sri Lanka-based Lalan Eco Latex introduced its new Field-Sew topper to Cologne. The handmade topper employs a “pillow-box” design encased in licensed natural cotton that CEO Justin Kumar referred to as “a consolation enhancement in your present mattress.” Every pillow-box channel helps keep loft and cut back materials and is stuffed with a proprietary mix of pure latex and authorized natural wool to offer naturally resilient, moisture-wicking consolation. Manufactured in Lalan’s licensed natural facility, Kumar stated, “Our plan is to combine all these pure supplies collectively and create a pure line” that may be bought to private-label companions and retailers searching for sustainable bedding options. 

 Selangor, Malaysia-based LSK Napure Latex, which is already licensed as the biggest pure mattress producer in Malaysia, continued to earn its bona fides for its aniline-free latex mattresses and pillows. The corporate has met the necessities of the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation, which ensures that its latex provide chains are clear, traceable and don’t contribute to deforestation or forest degradation. It’s the newest related environmental, social and governance certification the corporate earned, together with the Forest Stewardship Council, the International Natural Latex Customary and the Eco-Institut, demonstrating the corporate’s dedication to sustainability and moral practices within the sourcing, manufacturing and dealing with of latex, the corporate stated.

Equipment & Tools: Advancing Manufacturing

Tools producers introduced improvements to Interzum Cologne that took automation even additional with updates to present machines. Amelco up to date its Rollpack RL2000PRE machine, unveiling a brand new model referred to as RL2000PRE/VS, the extra letters denoting the vertical stacker now out there on the machine. Whereas the primary iteration was appropriate for roll packing pocketed spring items as much as 22 centimeters excessive, the brand new machine can course of pocketed springs as much as 25 centimeters excessive and Bonnell spring items as much as 16 centimeters excessive. “Individuals who purchase this machine can roll, pack and ship it — and save loads of freight prices due to the amount discount and the elevated loading capability of the container,” stated Andreas Georgallis, monetary director, at Cyprus-based Amelco. Amelco additionally gives a horizontal stacker, though it didn’t showcase it at Interzum resulting from area restrictions.

At its stand, Bursa, Turkey-based Electroteks launched enhancements to a number of of its present techniques below the theme “Residing Innovation.” Now, along with creating, inserting mattresses in, closing and stacking packing containers, its RoBOX-100 automated roll-pack-mattress-boxing robotic consists of an non-obligatory autopilot feeding function, which makes pallet exchanges seamless — robotically eradicating and changing completed pallets with new ones, streamlining the manufacturing course of. The corporate additionally offered a brand new machine ergonomically designed to reinforce conventional mattress-tufting strategies. The Onyx permits operators to assist and compress the mattress, eliminating the bodily pressure and repetitive movement of flipping or repositioning the mattress manually whereas nonetheless hand-threading the buttons.

One may say at Interzum, issues heated up on the planet of adhesive equipment. C³ showcased its newest hot-melt system that includes a imaginative and prescient system. “I believe sizzling soften actually is changing into the longer term for bedding manufacturing,” stated Joshua Holmstadt, vice chairman of gross sales and advertising at C³, primarily based in Appleton, Wisconsin. Historically, when constructing beds, a “recipe” must be enter on a human-machine interface to indicate the mattress measurement which then adjusts the nozzles or heads used. C³’s newest machine eliminates the necessity for that step. Customers can put any measurement mattress on, and the machine robotically detects the perimeters and activates the suitable heads. One other bonus: C³’s new adhesive machine can glue as much as 200 toes per minute. 

“A pleasant factor about utilizing sizzling soften is you get a really fast bond,” Holmstadt stated. “We now have loads of clients that can do water-based adhesives, then the beds have to sit down for a time frame attempting to keep away from mildew or different points. As an alternative, this permits you, inside two minutes, to have it fully completed, so you will get beds out faster.” For prime-production environments, which means quite a bit much less cleanup for producers. 

Kayseri, Turkey-based United Mert Makina demonstrated its new UltraLam hybrid lamination machine that mixes water-based and hot-melt adhesive software with out curler modifications. Its five-position, high-speed robotic dual-material-handling arm can alternate between loading and unloading stations and completely different foam and core varieties. An air-activated pickup head outfitted with advantageous needles gently penetrates and picks up porous foam with out tearing it. Magnets within the head decide up and launch non-porous supplies with the push of a mechanical plunger. This versatile machine gives producers substantial financial savings, with some producers estimating a 25-30% discount in adhesive prices resulting from optimized software and materials effectivity, much less want for guide labor and improved manufacturing effectivity. “Between glue financial savings and deskilling, relying on the applying and the product line, we’re seeing like a 12- to 18-month ROI,” stated Tim Watson, vice chairman of North American gross sales.

Within the enviornment of stitching, Hengchang, primarily based in Dongguang, China, featured the HC3600 and HC3300 machines. Each are excessive pace, computerized multi-needle chain sew quilting machines with non-obligatory reducing gadgets. The HC3600 has an automated lubrication system for retainer plates and an automated up-down lifting material feeding curler system to assist producers save on prices. In response to the corporate, it additionally has an enhanced needle row design for extra correct positioning. The HC3300 has a shortened physique to cut back the sq. footage it occupies on manufacturing unit flooring and is bolstered for much less vibration when working at excessive speeds. 

Albrecht Bäumer GmbH & Co. debuted its Contour V-Blade vertical contour-cutting machine, which is designed for exact, two-dimensional contour reducing with high-speed acceleration of the circulating knife. The system received a 2024 German Design Award within the Glorious Product Design Trade class and is able to reducing 12 mattress toppers in simply 16 seconds. The Contour V-Blade is a part of a broader platform redesign aimed toward unifying the look and performance of all the corporate’s vertical and horizontal reducing machines. Sascha Otten, director of gross sales and repair, stated the Freudenberg, Germany-based firm is within the technique of switching to the same design to be included into its horizontal management reducing machines.

Atlantic Automation Co. launched a Discovery Middle. Eugenio Fonts, vice chairman of worldwide gross sales, demonstrated the expertise, which has a big touchscreen interface. “It is a new Discovery Middle the place clients can come and navigate all of the tools that we have now. It helps us quite a bit.” Though the standalone heart was offered on the present, the Lawrenceville, Georgia-based firm additionally plans to replace its webpage in the same model, permitting potential clients to slim down which machines finest go well with their manufacturing wants. The Discovery Middle was additionally a space-saving measure. Slightly than delivery numerous machines to the present, the equipment provider highlighted a choose few inside its sales space, then directed guests to make use of its innovation to discover the complete vary of its choices. 

Coils: Evolving Designs & Efficiency

Springs makers turned their focus towards combining coil varieties to ship extra consolation and efficiency advantages, creating new line extensions designed for particular markets and rising uncooked materials effectivity to cut back prices.

Agro Worldwide raised the bar on pocketed springs with Jumboflex SB, which has a 25 centimeter coil peak that’s among the many tallest within the {industry}, in line with the corporate. Tightly bonded aspect springs ship enhanced consolation and assist, making it perfect for large-format mattress designs like edge-to-edge or full-perimeter fashions. Elevated spring materials and bonding strain guarantee distinctive dimensional stability and cut back processing steps, whereas a patented edge reinforcement provides additional structural integrity. Marco Castelo, gross sales supervisor of the Unhealthy Essen, Germany-based firm, stated, “We developed this product for the North American and South American markets — the individuals in these nations affiliate huge mattresses with huge high quality.”

Boycelik additionally took its coil recreation to new heights. With a coil peak of 27 centimeters, the Kayseri, Turkey-based firm’s new Prime pocketed spring unit has a larger coil peak than the corporate’s customary 22 centimeters pocketed spring unit. Chief Gross sales and Advertising Govt Serhat Duru stated the Prime pocketed spring unit is primarily aimed on the U.S. market, which has a rising demand for larger coil and mattress heights. Duru additionally stated that Boycelik is at present specializing in attaining larger efficiency from lower-cost supplies — like its LiteFit pocketed spring mannequin, which has fewer coil turns to cut back prices whereas sustaining firmness. Boycelik’s concentrate on cost-efficiency is being pushed by delicate demand all through the US and Europe.

Starsprings, primarily based in Herrljunga, Sweden, confirmed quite a lot of mattress elements and applied sciences, together with three new introductions. Ventitex is a perforated nonwoven polypropylene that will increase airflow and lateral air flow by as much as 54%, in line with the corporate. It may be built-in into mattress covers, cores and toppers to cut back warmth and moisture buildup. Samson Edge is a patent-pending spring edge system that types built-in assist beams fabricated from bolstered, compressed outer rows wrapped in a nonwoven textile. It eliminates foam encasement and gluing stations, whereas bettering sturdiness and edge assist — particularly in mattresses saved or transported upright. All Starsprings pocketed spring items now incorporate ReTex, a technical nonwoven created from 95% recycled polypropylene that matches the efficiency of standard nonwoven supplies, however with a greener footprint. It may be utilized in pocketed coils or in floor or base layers in mattresses. 

Spinks received three Interzum Awards, together with a Better of the Finest Award for its patent-pending Microlution microcoil, which mixes two springs to offer preliminary consolation with secondary assist in a single layer. “We (have) a responsive coil and an energetic coil,” stated Gary Melder, director of gross sales for Spink’s manufacturing accomplice, Hickory Springs, primarily based in Hickory, North Carolina. “This helps not solely with airflow and assist, however it helps you progress extra freely within the mattress.” Its Excessive Product High quality Award-winning Micro Copper microcoil is the primary to function a hydrophilic nonwoven utilized in medical purposes, infused with copper to assist forestall bacterial and fungal progress, cut back odors and prolong mattress life. One other Excessive Product High quality Award winner, Spinks’ patented Quadrolution glue-free pocketed spring system positions response coils between teams of Spinks’ recyclable QuadCore springs, making a secondary assist system that gives zoning, phased zoning or a agency edge.

Burma, Turkey-based Durak Tekstil showcased a number of new technical threads with potential mattress {industry} purposes. Durak Bug Protected is handled with plant-based extracts that emit a pure scent that stops pest copy and habitation. The thread acts as a barrier when utilized in stitching and tape edges, a typical entry level for bedbugs. Egemen Demirtaş, export gross sales consultant, urged utilizing ticking handled with the identical formulation for optimum safety. The corporate’s new Durak Excessive-Conductive silver-coated embroidery thread can be utilized with electrical contacts and in sensible textile purposes, corresponding to these present in mattresses with technical enhancements together with haptic expertise, immersive sound and Bluetooth connectivity.