It's no coincidence that the world's best-selling bed is also the most technologically advanced bed in the world.

In Trinity, North Carolina in the United States exists the world's largest facility dedicated to a good night's sleep. Sealy's Research and Development Centre is responsible for a number of revolutionary development techniques. Each test puts Sealy mattresses through rigorous torture tests, so that no matter what you do to your bed during normal usage, your Sealy Posturepedic will keep on bouncing back. Simply put, Sealy invests nearly three times more resources in R&D than its competitors. Essentially, this approach translates to more efficient new product development.

Digital Motion Capture
The process begins with extensive testing, beginning with the Sealy digital motion capture system. It measures skeletal positions and movement during natural sleep to provide an accurate measurement of spinal support and alignment. This is the same technology that is used in the training of Olympic athletes as it allows them to track the movement of their bodies during performance. Ultimately, the goal is to create a mattress that optimizes the level of support the spine receives during the night.

Pressure Mapping
Sealy also employs pressure mapping techniques. A mat embedded with 16,000 pressure sensors is placed on top of a mattress to determine what areas of the body require more support to achieve the optimal spinal position. The sensors capture data with every ‘toss and turn’ a person experiences during a night’s sleep. Sealy R&D aims to create surfaces soft enough to distribute weight over as large an area as possible because it is difficult to receive quality sleep when the body’s muscles are working all night to relieve pressure points.

Dataman®
A human dummy with strategically placed electronic sensors, Dataman can simulate the weight, movement and response of an average person on a sleep surface. The test reflects what parts of his body sink into the mattress and how far. A computer is then able to determine the support required for each part of the body to prevent the onset of back pain or stress resulting from incorrect body alignment.

Load Deflection Analyser
The load deflection analyser is another one of Sealy's test machines, in which a plate is driven into different areas on a mattress and foundation measuring their resistance to weight applied and determining how deeply that weight penetrates into the product. This is useful for ensuring that every Sealy Posturepedic provides the right level of support for each part of your body, for many, many years.

Cornell Test
A smooth sleeping surface is critical to correct posture as well as a good night's rest. This test involves the impact of a 105kg weight onto a Sealy Posturepedic mattress for a period of 100 000 cycles. This test determines the bed's resistance to deformation over a long period of use.

The Rollator
The sounds a mattress makes can really mess up a good night's sleep. The Rollator is a huge drum weighting 123kg, which is rolled backwards and forwards over the mattress for 100 000 cycles, simulating many years of a person rolling on a bed. We even simulate the effect of children jumping up and down on a mattress, to find out how much abuse of this sort a Sealy Posturepedic can take.

Universal Test Machine and Burst Tester
Even the individual components such as the springs and fabric are thoroughly tested to ensure the highest levels of quality and durability. The Universal Test Machine applies different loads to bedding components to determine at what point springs might break, frames split, and fabric tears at the seams.

The Burst Tester is used to confirm the strength of insulator pads. A pad is placed over a rubber diaphragm that is expanded until it bursts. This confirms the bridging strength to spread a load evenly and consistently over an innerspring unit.

These tests, and a whole lot more, are carried out to ensure that when you buy a Sealy Posturepedic you're sleeping on the world's most advanced mattress. Although designed to give your body maximum rest and support, knowing how much goes into a Sealy Posturepedic is sure to put your mind at rest too.