OK, so it's been a couple of weeks since the market in Las Vegas and I've had some time to digest everything I saw there.  As you can imagine, introductions were limited due to the state of the economy, but there were still some exciting things to come out of this winter market in Las Vegas that merit some glass raising to the manufacturers. 

Since so many companies are jumping on the organic, natural and "green" bandwagons, I'm going to limit my market reviews to what I term the "Top Tier" manufacturers - those that control their own destiny as far as raw materials and most of the production process is concerned.  Then, there is "The Best of the Rest" section.

For the purposes of clarity, my "Top Tier" are the following 4 companies - Sleeptek (manufacturers of Green Sleep for North America), Natura, OMI/Lifekind, and Vivetique.

Vivetique:  MIA - 2nd market in a row they've skipped, so you have to start wondering.  Most of their dealer base is intensly frustrated with them, but whatever conclusions that can be drawn from this are up to you.  Needless to say, it's tough to write a review on your products when you don't come to the show!

OMI/Lifekind:  Like the other 3 in the top tier, it's "marketing, marketing, marketing."  The product is largely the same as it has been, sticking to what works for them in a more traditional way - not a whole lot of the "dressing up" that you might get from the other 2 top tiers.  Since the products are almost direct clones of those from Vivetique and, to a much smaller extent, Sleeptek, there isn't much to get excited about product wise.  What was exciting was the window dressing - having hired New York marketers to give the line a fresh look and feel.  Since Natura debuted a much higher end look at the market last summer, the rest have scrambled to catch up.  OMI's entry can be termed a hit in this department, and will likely garner some consumer attention - even if their products haven't changed all that much.

Natura:  The catagory leader - and by far - rolled out some subtle changes at the market to their core lines.  First, the use of bamboo blend covers makes the "Green" and "Ultra Green" collections a little more "greener".  One wonders why the "Blended Elements" collection was left out of this treatment...

For the rest of the collections, Natural saw the only polyurethane componant removed (Quiltflex) and they are now quilting latex under the wool - a noticable improvement not just in making the beds more natural, but in feel as well.  Cosmetic changes to all the collections increase the eye appeal of the products, more to justify the pricing (see my last market review on how most organic beds don't look "perfect") than anything else.

The true innovations from Natura came in the top-of-bed products catagory - smart move, since 2009 offers little room for expansion in the mattress side.  A new line of mattress and pillow protectors, looking similar to other varieties on the market - except these come from a far more eco-friendly company - are soon to become available from a Natura dealer near you (or on your computer if you don't have a showroom in your area).  Of particular note, and likely the most exciting single product I saw at the show, was a new model of the very popular Fitted Washable Wool Mattress Pad that featured the fluid protective barrier on the underside of the pad - making it essentially waterproof.  This is going to be huge!  Expect to pay $30 to $40 more for this over the regular model, which will continue to be offered.

In addition, a variety of new pillows including a new Organic Dream Mate pillow as well as a pillow filled with granulated plastic water bottles will soon be available.

Sleeptek (Green Sleep):  Moving up to their own showroom and debuting their new marketing materials, Sleeptek has done more in this one market to enhance the Green Sleep brand then probably at any other time since its introduction.  No flash, no banners or the usual swag you might find from others, just a muted classy elegance befitting this king of organics.  I was probably more impressed by this showroom than any other - if anything just for the shear gravity of the change it presented.

First, there is a new line of Green Sleep innerspring mattresses that are slated to dethrone Royal-Pedic's organic collection as the best innerspring mattresses made in North America.  The wool tufting straps and classic European tufting method that is being used is far and away superior and more aesthetically pleasing then the classic tufting straps found in models from the other manufacturers (except Natura, which doesn't make innerspring models).  Although firmer than a latex mattress, these are designed to resist body depressions while offering a unique and industry leading edge support method that will deliver years of quality sleep.  Carrying the Green Sleep label (and price tag), these are now the new "gold standard" of innerspring mattress in the organic arena.  Look for availability sometime in late spring.

The best of the rest:  A huge organic advertiser at the market was Englander, a major brand that had really entered the natural and organic market with a fourish.  One thing to know about Englander is that various factories around the country license the Englander name, giving them access to model specifications and a specific supply chain.  However, there are variations on these models depending upon where you live, so not all Englanders are the same - just be aware.  Their organic models, which were new at last summer's market, are essentially unchanged.  Again, the marketing is the key here and that includes a booklet on both organic and natural models that show their certificates - including listing their suppliers of the materials.  For the consumer, this is great and builds confidence in the product.  For the manufacturer?  The devil is the details when it comes to organic and natural beds and your supply chain is everything (Englander, are you listening?) - this gives the competition the keys to the candy store and you might consider being a little more ambiguous as to who supplies all of your materials.  That certificate number is enough - if someone truly wants to check it out, they've got that reference.

So that's my review of what happened at the Las Vegas Market.

Those of you in Juneau, Alaska and come and see me at the Juneau Home Show this weekend - stop by the Southeast Furniture Warehouse space and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have about organics!