With the average price of a bed running in the neighborhood of $1,500, people are left scratching their heads at the thought of people who would actually spend $700,000 on one. Swedish bed-sellers Hästens is marketing its handcrafted beds — which it labels as “sleep instruments” — to celebrities like Beyonce, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Angelina Jolie, and the beds are selling like hotcakes. The beds — which have a distinctive checkered pattern — start at $25,000 and can go as high as $700,000. The beds contain genuine horsetail hair and are designed to last, as evidenced by the accompanying 25-year warranty. With such a substantial investment being made, Hästens wants its customers to be certain they’re ready to make the purchase. So, before taking the plunge, customers are encouraged to really try out the beds by sleeping in them. Customers are instructed to climb into a bed, after which they're provided with a blanket and assured that no salesperson will try to talk to them while they’re taking the bed for in-store test run. The company also recommends customers come back and try out the bed for a second time. After the purchase, there’s maintenance involved. To keep the bed in the best condition, owners are advised to turn and rotate the mattress 180º over specific time intervals, so the sleeping surface is adapted to their bodies and sleeping positions. Contrary to the mattress-in-a-box revolution, Hästens beds are made of hand-placed springs instead of synthetic foam, creating a product that feels personalized for the sleeper, which is claimed to allow the body to actually relax into a natural posture and repair itself. So, if sleep is so important — and we spend a third of our lives doing it — splurging on a mattress is a smart long-term investment in your overall health, seemingly one of the more justifiable purchases we can make.
