The Story of the Waterbed

Since its invention, the waterbed has continuously been associated with licentiousness and excitement. This could be attributed to the unique comfort that this bed brings. While it seemed to fade at the onset of the 21st century, various waterbed manufacturers have taken the initiative to bring this unique product back to the market. They are using innovation to ensure that they create value for the consumers which is, in turn, bringing back the waterbed into the market. This article is a story of the waterbed. Ensure you browse this site to its entirety.

The modern waterbed has its roots in California where it was launched by Charlie Hall, a design student at the San Francisco State University. It is, however, ideal to note that Hall was not the pioneer. Back in the 1800s, Dr. Neil Arnott had established such an idea whereby he created a hydrostatic bed that was meant to be used by the invalids. Its purpose was to reduce bed sores. This waterbed was made up of a warm bath which had been filled up with water and then sealed with a rubber layer. However, advancements in technology led to Hall creating the first modern waterbed that consisted of hard vinyl. This meant that this mattress would reliably hold water and reduce the rates of leaks. 

By 1987, the waterbed had reached its peak with 1 out of every 5 Americans owning one. This meant that the comfortable sleep and flexibility achieved in the waterbed was getting mainstream. However, by 1990, the market share of the waterbeds was declining fast. For instance, in the United States only, the market fell to approximately 5%. Their popularity declined mainly due to the fact that the waterbeds required extensive maintenance practices. For instance, in the installation, a hose had to be run into the consumer’s bedroom. The user had, therefore, to risk getting a flood like conditions. Besides, the waterbed could not be moved quickly. Once filled with water, they became bulky making it hard for transportation. Another thing was that to empty the bed; an electric pump had to be used. There was also the possibility of algae growing in the beds if Clorox was not added. As a result, numerous apartments and complexes banned these beds.

In the last few years, the waterbed has been making its way back into the market. It is a different product in terms of the maintenance costs but holds the same comfortability aspect. Manufacturers are producing soft-sided and hard sided waterbeds. They also have coils that are surrounded by foam sides. Besides, some producers are separating water into different compartments which helps reduce the wave action. On the maintenance aspect, producers are using the vinyl repair kit which helps deal with leaks efficiently. Some manufacturers are offering this kit, umps and even the conditioner as one package which is ideal for the consumer. Further, the waterbed is finding its way into numerous other industries. For instance, in 2012, Time reported the trend of buying waterbeds for cows. While this is an alternative accommodation, it helps reduce sores, and even that is bound to increase with the traditional materials. It is therefore clear that as you browse this site, you can get the story of the waterbed and how it's making a great comeback in the industry.