Where do your children spend most of their waking hours at home? Quite likely the answer is in their bed. Because when life for slightly older children today often revolves around phones, tablets and friends, a lot more space than that “hub” isn’t really needed. With VITVAL loft bed and bunk bed, we wanted to make comfortable and cosy beds for all children who prefer hanging out there. But the goal was also to considerably reduce the amount of materials to save on nature's resources.
Metal is a durable and stable material and really suited VITVAL bed frames. The question was just how much we could reduce the amount of the metal used without decreasing stability and safety. Product developer Anna Carme and her colleagues performed detailed calculations and safety tests.
"We came a long way", says Anna. "But it was not enough ― we thought the bed frames were still too heavy."
Experimenting with materials led to the team replacing the bed's edges with fabric. This meant that they managed to reduce the amount of metal by almost one third compared to similar beds.
"We found a strong polyester material that also gives the bed a nice and cozy feel ― both when the children hang out there with friends and when it’s time to sleep."
"The fabric is mounted on the frame", explains Anna. "And to ensure that the assembly is simple for all parents, we invited a number of people to test it out."
The tests then led to the team dividing the fabric into sections and making the yellow edge bands more flexible so that they are easier to pull on.
"I love playing detective, to look for and investigate what we have for different alternatives", says Anna. "Nothing beats the feeling when you finally find a good solution."
