Cool Hunting

Few of us can boast that we sleep in the bed of Scandinavian royalty but a new offering from Hästens—supplier of beds to the King and Queen of Sweden—gives you some idea. The 157-year-old company's state-of-the-art layered mattress take luxurious slumbering to a whole new level. I recently had the opportunity to try a couple of these palatial beds at the Peninsula Chicago courtesy of Hästens.

The image above really says it all—the complex layering system conforms to your body's shape to keep your back well aligned. At first contact the bed feels soft but as soon as you're settled in to place there's a more firm feeling of support. Of course, as you move throughout the night the bed continues to conform to your shape. I was concerned that all this hugging would overheat me but the airflow within the mattress actually kept me quite cool. Sleeping on a Hästens was a truly delightful experience, so much so that when I got back to my own bed in New York I was genuinely remorseful.

At the higher end of the line the 2000T II model actually consists of three interlocking independent parts that compliment each other in a unique layering system. The sturdy pine box spring base uses the company's Bonelle system with alternating layers of cotton/wool, flax and horsehair. Stacked on top of the base, a secondary mattress of a dozen layers alternates between a cotton/wool blend, horsehair and flax for support. Topping the bed, the primary luxury mattress with seven alternating layers of cotton/wool and horsehair, leaves out the flax to ensure that the mattress doesn't lose its shape or form over time. Not that you need worry, as these beds come under a 25-year warranty.

A step down in price but not quality, the Excelsior II uses the same layering system, though with a slightly less beefy spring system in the middle layer and a more modest pine box spring base.

The most affordable of the new models, the Luxuria, introduces a relatively radical design for a company that prides itself on tried-and-true techniques. Eschewing the layering technique of its opulent cousins, the Luxuria builds upon a similar patented spring system but Hästens tops it with four layers of cotton/wool blend and two layers of horsehair, alternating to build up the level of support and padded comfort that would make Morpheus proud.

All three of the models (retailing between $8,450 to more than $23,000) use the same non-toxic flame retardant material and are certified chemical free and thus suitable for the most sensitive.

For those who want to experience the pinnacle in sleeping but don't have the deep pockets to match (like us), you can try a Hästens at some of the finest boutique hotels, including The Peninsula Chicago and Qbic Amsterdam Hotel, feature Hästens brand beds. For an exhaustive list, there's an online guide to point you to the nearest check-in, as well as the nearest retailer. Another option is to consider just using one of their Top Mattresses on your current bed. While these accessories are meant to be paired with the full mattress set-up, you'll get a glimpse at the comfort you're missing