See what the Tempur-Choice collection holds.

Tempurpedic surprised the mattress industry by introducing its newest line, Tempur-Choice to its list of bed options at the 2013 Las Vegas Market furniture show. The move proved surprising because this particular model strays away from the brand’s typical memory foam mattress. Tempur-Choice is in fact, an adjustable air mattress. While Tempurpedic is understood to be trying to remain innovative, the industry and consumers alike are unsure of how well the mattress will go over in the market.  This mattress is such a huge step back from what they usually offer that it may prove to be too much of a change for consumers. Here, we will examine why Tempurpedic chose to introduce such a different bed and what is expected to come from this introduction in the future.

Tempur-Choice Air Beds Overview

Tempur-Choice is different than any other mattress that has been offered thus far by Tempurpedic, but similar to those offered by other air mattress retailers.  The bed features a six-chamber design offering three chambers for each sleeper in queen and king sizes. The mattress has adjustable settings for the head, lumbar, and foot which allows each sleeper to create the most comfortable position.  Sleepers can access the adjustments with the remote offering over 100 settings. This speaks to consumers because it means that they have the opportunity to make the bed their own. In fact, Tempurpedic’s tag line for this mattress line is “Your bed. Your way”.

While the bed is by and large an air mattress, Tempurpedic is including its signature memory foam material as the topper.  Though memory foam and air bed mattresses are not a new combination, the company is taking innovative measures to offer features that rival other brands. The two mattress types that will be offered in this line of beds are the Supreme at $3,499 and the Luxe at $3,999.

Why Now?

More than being excited about a new bed on the market, many people just want to know why Tempurpedic would take such a big leap into the unknown. The brand is known for its high-end memory foam mattresses, so many consumers may be curious as to why they have shifted gears to a model such as Tempur-Choice. Profit is likely the main drive, as the brand has seen declines over the past year.  Ultimately, the new line is expected to bring in over $1 billion dollars in retail value. The mattress industry is always in competition so it is vital that manufacturers stay ones step ahead of its competitors.  Tempurpedic is trying to diversify the brand so that it may offer a variety of mattresses rather than only memory foam.  In short, profit and competition are the two leading reasons why they seek to introduce airbeds, which represents a significant proportion of the specialty mattress market.

 Potential Problems

Tempurpedic is known for offering luxury mattresses. Memory foam is said to be one of the absolute best types of mattresses, and is typically the highest rated of all mattress types. Perhaps the most curious thing about Tempurpedic introducing air to their line is that air mattresses, while higher than innersprings, tend to have lower customer satisfaction than memory foam.

Another potential issue is the cost. At $3500 and up, this line will be out of reach for many shoppers. Comparable beds like the 8 and 10 Series from SimplyRest.com offer similar features and sell for far less, so consumers may not see the advantage. It is certainly going to be interesting to see how well the attempt to diversify goes over in the market as consumers offer Tempur Choice mattress reviews in the coming months.

Tempur-Choice vs SimplyRest vs Sleep Number

Essentially, Tempur-Choice is an attempt by Tempurpedic to stay abreast of competition and keep its shares above water. The collection attempts to take the best of air and memory foam and mesh it all together. While the brand recognition may pique curiosity initially, the company will have to prove that the comfort matches the pricetag.  Still, many people know Tempurpedic for their memory foam and may be hesitant to try something different, especially a mattress type long regarded by the brand itself as inferior. While the market nods at Tempurpedic for attempting to diversify its brand, only time will tell if Tempur-Choice air mattresses will be a hit with consumers.