What was your inspi­ra­tion for FreshBed?

I have worked in the bed sector for 25 years and I was getting bored – there were simply no genuine inno­va­tions. Then I ran across some studies asking Euro­peans about the major causes of inter­rupted sleep. They were stress and personal prob­lems, followed by noise and the wrong bed climate. We have climate control in our cars but in bed we still freeze and sweat. This is why we started to develop a bed that simply elim­i­nates these disturbing factors.

Were there any other require­ments?

Yes, we also wanted to help people with health prob­lems: 80 percent of all people with aller­gies are allergic to dust mites. With FreshBed, the bed, cover and pillow all stay dry as a result of constant venti­lation. It reduces the rela­tive humidity by 50 percent and prevents dust mites from nesting in the bed. We worked closely with univer­si­ties during the devel­op­ment phase to find out more about optimal sleeping and skin temper­a­tures.

Exactly how does FreshBed work?

Using sensors, we measure the temper­a­ture and humidity and auto­mat­i­cally opti­mize them. Our patented system consists of modern climate control tech­nology. We posi­tioned it under­neath the mattress and use a HEPA filter to protect them against dust. The most impor­tant task is to keep the temper­a­ture constant. We generate a thermo-neutral zone between 27 °C and 29°C under the covers. That is the perfect temper­a­ture for falling asleep quickly and staying asleep during the indi­vidual REM sleep phases. The proper temper­a­ture can improve deep sleep by 50 percent.

Sensors and modern climate control tech­nology generate a thermo-neutral zone between 27 °C and 29°C under the covers. (Photo | FreshBed)

You use a fan from ebm-papst – why?

Our selec­tion process was not easy. We tested a total of 50 fans from different manu­fac­turers. And the one from ebm-papst is simply durable. Quality was key for us: after all, the fan would have to run around the clock for the next 10 years. Of course its high energy effi­ciency and low noise emis­sion also played impor­tant roles. It took us a long time to perfect the insu­la­tion around the fan – five years! Now it is actu­ally a bit too quiet, because it is more pleasant to have a little noise in the room. Of course when we tell customers that a fan is installed in the bed, they are afraid that it will be too loud. So we achieved a solu­tion that func­tions entirely without noise.

What is the outlook for FreshBed’s future?

Our main goal is to improve sleep in order to improve health. This is so essen­tial! That’s why we primarily supply luxury hotels around the globe, but also sell our beds to private customers. Right now we’re looking for the best partner for the German market. Also, hotels are looking for solu­tions to improve air quality in their rooms.

With FreshBed we create a space of clean air. That’s why I would maybe like to work with dedi­cated suppliers of high quality venti­lation and climate control tech­nology for hotels. Climate control even in luxury suites is still some­what outdated most of the time. And we know all about airflow and temper­a­ture, and above all, how people perceive them in a room and change them. Working together we could improve air quality and reduce air pollu­tion in the rooms by 50 to 60 percent.