All Hail the National Bed Federation
All hail the National Bed Federation
We’re looking forward to attending this year’s Bed Show at the Telford International Centre, from 17-18 September 2019. The Bed Show is the UK’s biggest and best loved bed event, organised by the National Bed Federation (NBF), and it’s celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
The Bed Show provides retailers, like ourselves at Best Beds Direct, the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the bed industry, and to try for ourselves the latest mattresses, bases and headboards on offer from a huge number of British and Irish bed manufacturers and suppliers.
At Best Beds Direct, we pride ourselves on listing a wide range of quality NBF-approved beds and mattresses from a variety of NBF members, both on our website and also in our new showroom in Thetford, Norfolk. You may be wondering why this is so important, and what it means for you.
Let’s start with who the NBF are, and what they do…
Founded in 1912, the NBF is the recognised trade association representing UK manufacturers of beds and their suppliers. The NBF plays a major role in educating the bed trade and consumers. Amongst its numerous aims and objectives are two areas of focus that mean the most to us here at Best Beds Direct:
- The NBF aims to ensure that all NBF members fulfil relevant legal obligations and operate ethically, including when competing and dealing with customers, suppliers and employees.
- The NBF is focused on promoting consumer awareness of the myriad of benefits that quality sleep can have on health and wellbeing – enhanced by the comfort and support of a great, quality bed of course.
The NBF wants consumers to be able to buy beds with confidence – that is, in the knowledge that the product they’re buying is safe, clean and honest.
Many manufacturers are keen to obtain NBF membership. Before the NBF will even remotely entertain approving a request for membership, manufacturers must first undergo rigorous auditing by the NBF against its strict Code of Practice. The pre-membership audits are aimed at enabling the NBF to assess whether the manufacturer’s procedures are sufficiently robust to comply with UK regulations on the safety of the products, the cleanliness of the fillings used to make the products, and the trade descriptions used to help consumers understand the products before they buy them.
In the last year, the NBF has introduced an NBF Due Diligence Programme. This involves the NBF, on a yearly basis, buying up to 50 mattresses, bases and headboards from members and non-members on the open market and performing random testing – subjecting them to flammability tests, and cutting the products open to investigate fillings and specifications against the descriptions they are marketed under.
Best Beds Direct think this is fantastic – within the bed industry, it is well known that some rogue manufacturers and suppliers produce beds and mattresses as quickly and cheaply as possible – yes, their prices may be cheap, but that’s to be expected when they’re stuffing so-called “quality mattresses” with any old rubbish they can get their hands on, like offcuts of carpet!
Having built Best Beds Direct on the foundation principles of only offering quality beds and mattresses, made by experienced and well-renowned manufacturers and suppliers, the NBF’s role in auditing businesses before we place their products on offer, enables us to give our customers a confident assurance that the products you’re buying from NBF members are exactly as described.
When customers are paying good, well-earned money for beds that will be used for the next 8 years, they deserve to be buying products filled with the exact fillings described on the marketing and nothing less. They also deserve to be falling asleep at night on their new beds, without the worry that their bed may go up in flames if a fire were to begin.
Want to know more? Contact or visit us.
