You might have seen two different terms relating to bedding, ‘contract bedding’ and ‘retail bedding’, and are wondering what the difference is. There is a different approach required for a mattress and related bedding fabrics that are to be sold in a retail setting for personal, individual use in a domestic setting, and that of contract bedding that is manufactured to a more robust standard to be used within professional settings with heavy and consistent use, such as hotels and hospitals.
If you are responsible for acquiring mattresses and other relevant fabrics for the bedrooms of hotels or hospital wards, then you’ll want to find a manufacturer of contract bedding that has the experience of delivering mattress and other fabrics that meet strict fire regulations and other criteria that ensure they last a long time without a diminishing return on the quality and comfort of the bed and the sleep experience.
What is retail bedding?
Retail bedding is anything relating to a bed for a domestic setting. This means the manufacture of domestic mattresses, mattress toppers, bed linen, cushions, and other fabric accessories that you see in a bedroom. Retail bedding is manufactured to a high standard, with different types and quality of mattress required by stores that sell to domestic consumers with an eye on a good night’s sleep and a comfortable bed. This is led by the market trends as to what is popular and not popular at different times.
What is contract bedding?
Contract bedding is something different entirely than retail bedding. Contract bedding is designed and manufactured to a different, higher, and more robust standard. This includes materials and production techniques that are designed to meet the unique challenges that are presented in commercial and professional environments. Contract bedding includes beds and mattresses that are used in hospitals and hotels. Instead of mattresses and associated materials that are used within the domestic market, contract bedding must meet specific, strict standards to ensure fire regulations are met and also that they are made for heavy usage and remain durable, comfortable, and safe for those sleeping on them.
The biggest difference between retail bedding that is used for domestic purposes and contract bedding is that contract bedding used for hotels, hospitals, and other professional settings is required to face much stricter fire regulations. This means an emphasis on a higher standard of process when it comes to manufacturing. This is why it is so important as the person responsible for the management of contract bedding in these types of settings to have access to suppliers that can be trusted to deliver consistently to a high standard. That way, all fire and other regulations are met, and the comfort of hotel guests and patients is guaranteed in a way that retail bedding doesn’t have to match (although the highest standard of retail bedding can also provide some of the comfiest night’s sleep around).