INTERVIEW: US mattress market is recovering from H1 lull

Al Greenwood

07-Oct-2025

ST LOUIS (ICIS)–US production and sales of mattresses have started recovering during the second half of 2025, the CEO of Carpenter said on Tuesday.

The recovery started during the Fourth of July holiday, and it has persisted through Labor Day in September, said Brad Beauchamp, CEO of Carpenter, a US producer of polyurethane foams and polyols as well as mattresses under its Casper Sleep business.

Beauchamp made his comments in an interview with ICIS on the sidelines of the Polyurethanes Technical Conference, hosted by the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI).

Part of the rebound reflects the surge in imports that took place prior to the imposition of tariffs from the US, he said. The market has since worked down those imports.

Tariffs could also be boosting domestic market, given the cessation of the de minimis exemption.

The recovery in demand for mattresses is happening from a low base, Beauchamp said. Earlier in the decade, demand had fallen following the surge of buying that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The slowdown in housing sales further depressed demand. Consumers tend to buy bedding when they move, and fewer home sales mean that consumers are moving less.

US house construction remains slow, and economists do not expect a recovery until the end of 2026.

Furniture demand is still struggling, Beauchamp said. Imports had not increased to the same extent as those for furniture, so order patterns were less volatile than those for mattresses.

At times, domestic furniture plants are operating under shortened work week, Beauchamp said.

Together, furniture and mattresses make up 35% of demand for polyurethanes, making them the largest single market, according to ICIS.

CARPENTER SEES EARLY SIGNS OF FUTURE FURNITURE RESHORING
Furniture producers have started making inquiries that could lead to some companies’ reshoring their production to the US, Beauchamp said. While furniture is labor intensive, its bulk and shape make it difficult to ship overseas.

Reshoring interest started before the recent US tariffs because of a series of logistical disruptions caused by bad weather, the COVID-19 pandemic and low water levels at the Panama Canal.

Ashley Furniture is expanding capacity in Lee County, Mississippi, state, according to a mid-2024 announcement by the Mississippi Development Authority.

Recent US tariffs have strengthened this larger trend.

There have been fewer inquiries to reshore mattresses because they are easier to ship, Beauchamp said.

TARIFFS DISRUPTIONS DUE MOSTLY TO UNCERTAINTY
The effects that tariffs have had on Carpenter are mostly due to the uncertainty they have created among businesses and consumers, Beauchamp said.

Like many companies, Carpenter has seen few direct effects outside of isolated ones such as textiles for mattress covers.

The Polyurethanes Technical Conference runs through Wednesday.

Interview article by Al Greenwood

https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2025/10/07/11143750/interview-us-mattress-market-is-recovering-from-h1-lull