1. The History of the Bed Mattress
As long as there have been humans there has been a need for a comfortable nights rest. In
fact, the very first (although be it crude) mattresses were thought to have been invented
during the Neolithic period. They were made out of a simple mix of leaves, grass and
possibly straw and had animal skins thrown over it. This simple style of bed mattress
remained the main type of sleeping accessory until almost 4000 years before Christ. It was
then that the first goatskin mattress filled with water was used in Persia. However, there were
many more changes to come over the next 6000 years.
The Development of the Mattress, a Timeline
Archeologists from around the world have found ample evidence showing the development of
the bed mattress.
3400 B.C.: The ancient Egyptians slept on heaped palm boughs that were placed in the
corners of their households. It is speculated that even pharos used palm boughs, although be
it on raised sleeping areas.
200 B.C.: The next big mattress development took place in Ancient Rome where mattresses
were made out of cloth that was stuffed with reeds, straw, or wool. The wealthier citizens of
the Roman Empire tended to use feathers as mattress stuffing however.
15th century: It was during the European Renaissance that the entire approach to mattress
manufacturing occurred and the raw materials used to make them included coarse fabrics
that were covered in velvets and brocades and mattress fillings such as pea shucks, straw
and feathers.
16th and 17th centuries: The biggest advancement in mattress technology to date occurred
during this time and included the first "true bed mattress" stuffed with straw or down that sat
atop a bed consisting of a timber frame.
18th century: Mattress's of this time were covered with high quality linen or cotton. Mattress
fillings included natural fibers such as coconut fibers, cotton, wool, and even horsehair.
Late 19th century: The first box-springs were invented during this time and allowed for the
even distribution of weight across a mattress. They also acted like a shock absorber and
lengthened the life of a mattress.
1926: Between World War 1 and World War 2 Dunlop developed a manufacturing technology
that turned vulcanized rubber sap into latex foam. This is still used to this day to manufacture
latex mattresses and latex pillows.

2. 1930s: Just before World War 2 innerspring mattresses and upholstered foundations become
widely used both in Europe and North America. At this time artificial mattress fillers also
became the norm.
1960s: Modern waterbeds were first introduced during this decade and adjustable beds
gained popularity around the globe
1992: Tempur-Pedic introduces a mattress made from the memory foam created by NASA
for the American Space program.
1992: Fibrelux introduced a revolutionary new bed mattress made from rubberized coir.
2000: The latest big development in the history of mattresses in clear lake was made when
the Simmons Bedding Co. invented the "no-flip" mattress. This one-sided construction style
has since been adopted by almost all mattress and bed manufacturers around the world.