Fortune 500 diversified manufacturer Leggett & Platt announced the introduction of the latest in their line of innovative innerspring products – the Softech coil sleep system. At 2½ inches tall, Softech is a resilient, plush innerspring designed to top mattresses. The product’s tough, tiny build comfortably cushions a sleeping body while individually maintaining its original feel longer than traditional foam or fiber toppers.
Engineers at Leggett & Platt’s IDEA (Innovation, Design, Engineering, and Acceleration) Center designed the diminutive Softech coil from a thin-gauge wire made from recycled steel. They discovered that the tiny pocketed innersprings react like a pillow at a high coil count in that they conform, support and respond to a sleeper’s body. In addition, the unique construction of the small, individually pocketed Softech coils minimize disturbances by reducing motion transfer from partner to partner.
“Softech takes advantage of the comfort-inducing effects of coiled steel as a compressible, responsive element,” explained Tom Wells, Jr., director of engineering strategy and technical support for Leggett & Platt. “The coils have a smaller diameter and a lighter gauge than standard innerspring wires. Using approximately 5 ½ turns per coil, we’re able to increase material efficiency in a vertical, flexible dimension.”
Durability and longevity in bed toppers is an increasingly important issue to mattress shoppers. Some foam and upholstery toppers compress or lose their comfort layer within a short span of time. By contrast, the average lifespan of a Softech topper provides years of comfort without body impressions.
Softech’s ergonomic efficacy is also less costly than the high-density cushioning of some visco or latex solutions. Because upholstery comfort layers are so tightly packed, they require substantially more raw materials to achieve the same result of an innerspring comfort layer.
The emergence of the 2½-inch Softech coil comes on the heels of L&P’s Superlastic PRO, one of the tallest coils used in modern bedding manufacturing. Standing at seven inches tall, PRO’s three-turn, alternating continuous coil system increased mattress profile height at a reduced cost to manufacturers and retailers.
“We see an emerging trend of customizing a sleep set’s vertical profile by using a variety of innerspring heights,” said Wells. “Mattress shoppers want it all; the plush look of a pillow top, the comforting feel of Active Support technology, and all at an affordable price. Softech offers each of these.”
From product to purchase, Leggett & Platt will provide point-of-sale materials for bedding manufacturers and retailers to use in their marketing efforts. The program comes complete with brochures, banners and posters, a short video and a RSA pocket reference card. L&P has also developed a small POP display to demonstrate Softech’s active support features.
“Leggett & Platt understands that the end consumer wants bedding that delivers a WOW moment in the way of comfort,” said Mark Quinn, group executive vice president of marketing for Leggett & Platt’s bedding division. “We also realize that many of those same consumers don’t care for upholstered pillow tops. The goal of our bedding group is to offer manufacturers and retailers high-quality products and unique selling stories that can deliver healthier and more restful sleep to their customers.”
About Leggett & Platt: Leggett & Platt (NYSE: LEG) is a FORTUNE 500 diversified manufacturer that conceives, designs and produces a broad variety of engineered components and products that can be found in virtually every home, office, retail store and automobile. The company serves a broad suite of customers that comprise a "Who's Who" of U.S. manufacturers and retailers. The 126-year-old firm's continuing operations are composed of 20 business units, 20,000 employee-partners, and more than 160 manufacturing facilities located in 18 countries.
Leggett & Platt is North America's leading independent manufacturer of: a) components for residential furniture and bedding; b) components for office furniture; c) drawn steel wire; d) automotive seat support and lumbar systems; e) carpet underlay; f) adjustable beds; and g) bedding industry machinery.