a better bed

I have been thinking about beds lately. My bed is alright; I got it secondhand and have had it about five years. So, it will be time before long to replace it. I decided I would start thinking about it now, and perhaps when it comes time to get one, I'll be prepared.

I started with some research on natural latex mattresses. My friends have a latex mattress that they absolutely love and, coincidentally, they got Freecycle in Santa Cruz. I was interested so I did a little research. Basically, a latex mattress has a latex foam core instead of the metal coils inside. The latex foam is much like memory foam in feel, but bounces back from being squished more quickly. It is also from a natural source, is hypo-allergenic, anti-microbial, and doesn't get as hot as the memory foam can in the summer. Oh, and it lasts longer and is more resilient for longer than memory foam. Latex mattresses are widely popular in Europe, but are starting to be more popular in the States as well.

I wanted to find out more, so I did a little Google search for latex mattresses in Fresno. And what did I find? A little store called A Better Bed, that listed latex mattresses in their products. I headed over to check out what all they had.

I missed the shop on the first drive by, but caught it the second time by. It is on Blackstone Ave. south of Shaw. It is an unassuming looking place, not like the giant box stores. Inside, I met Bill Nilsson, owner of the shop. I explained that I was looking for something in the next few years, and was just window shopping for the day. He gave me the full tour of the shop, had me lay down on all the beds, and explained to me his philosophies on business, life, and playing trombone.

What I learned was this: Bill is not just a local distributor, he makes the beds he sells. You heard that right, he constructs the mattresses and foundations that he sells in the shop. He uses local labor and American parts (the exception being the natural latex foam, which he imports from Germany).

All this to let you know that, just in case you're in the market for a bed and want something really, really awesome, go see Bill. He'll hook you up. Not for cheap, but a good price for a locally made high quality bed. And when you see him, tell him that Leah the Mennonite sent you. He'll know who I am.