Just when we thought we'd heard of all the handmade, luxury beds in town, along comes Charles H. Beckley, an old-time NY firm that builds mattresses, boxsprings and headboards by hand in the Bronx. And there are no fluffy, overdone 14" mattresses here. Sticking with tradition, they swear by their 7" standard.
Tom says: My wife is a designer and worked for a big upscale design firm in NYC that used these beds pretty much exclusively with their clients. She and I bought one about 2 years ago and love it! Most comfortable bed I've ever slept on and it's stuffed with real horse hair!!! The ticking is totally customizable and sometimes we just gaze at it when we change the sheets - it's that beautiful!
An added bonus for tight spaces, they can make the boxspring with up to 10" clearance underneath - ie storage!!! If one of the several cotton ticking fabrics aren't lovely enough, they can upholster the boxspring in almost any fabric of your liking - instant custom decorating without the dull bedskirt.
I'm in the market for a new mattress these days and I'm getting really intrigued by these hand-made ones (the "tufting straps" from Royal-Pedic the other day fascinated me). But I'm crazy allergic to horses. I wonder if "sterlized" horsehair in my mattress would kill me or not.
This is the mattress that Vicente Wolf uses on all his projects.
MArtha Stewart has one and as of this week,so do I.
I am looking at the Bristol...has anyone had any problems with this bed?
Yes I'm in Calif. and interested in a twin extra long horse hair mattress with shipping. Please extend the information to my e-mail for any further contact, Thankyou~Nicki
Anyone have any idea what the mattress (queen) goes for?
I just got one - Queen Size Bristol approximately $1600 without delivery. Call factory directly, not the showroom. Great beds,very firm though.
Kostia, they offer some mattresses without horse hair...
Cathy, is that queen with a boxspring? that would make it maybe, $800 a pc. really cost porhibitive for me. Anyone, purchased a full set?
I wonder how their latex mattresses compare with Englander's? (Englander's are a bit cheaper, and they're the best mattresses I've ever slept on.)
Sleeper
How do they compare -- comfort- and construction-wise -- to Hastens mattresses, which I found to be the most comfortable?
I am wondering about their lambswool mattress, which they feature on their site versus horsehair (the Bristol). My understanding of why horsehair is so great for mattresses is that it is very springy, and always springs back after being compressed for a long time, which is why horsehair mattresses last so long. We have a wool mattress cover, and find that it really makes our so-so mattress cozy and comfy. However, it *has* compressed over the years. Just wonder what effect the lambswool has.
If you're in Boston or New England, try Gardner Mattress (www.gardnermattress.com). Like Charles H. Beckley, in this area they're also the only brand that many designers will recommend. They make a similarly simple mattress, but incorporate latex tops into some of their models as well. They make all kinds of custom sizes for older/one-of-a-kind beds, and have been a family-run company since they started in 1933. The website may not be that slick, but don't let that deter you. We loooooove our Gardner mattress - I'm hooked for life. Except that our mattress will probably last that long anyhow :) And the quilting was done in a beautiful sailboat pattern that I admire every time I change the sheets.
Yes, that queen includes a divan box spring.
I own bed stores in CT that specialize in hand made, natural mattresses from Sweden and the US. From what I know about C H Beckley, they do have a good reputation, but I'm not that familiar with the construction.
I carry Hastens, Carpe Diem and several other lesser known beds from Sweden in my Sleep etc. stores. In fact, I was the first dealer in the US to sell Hastens in 2000 and I was the first to bring in Carpe Diem in 2006.
Most of our customers are from NY or CT, but we do ship nationally, so I'd be happy to send info to anyone that requests it. I'm also happy to provide information, opinions, and advice to anyone who is not purchasing a bed from one of my stores but needs help. Don't hesitate to contact me.
Jeff Klein
Svenska Beds/Sleep etc.
jklein@svenskabeds.com
www.svenskabeds.com
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I purchased two of these mattresses about a year ago. The models were both Bristols with box springs.
Here is my experience...
It took an arduous 4 months and over a dozen phone calls from the time of order to receipt.
I purchased firm and medium both are extremely hard...
A button popped off one of the mattresses...after a number of correspondences over 6 months with CB they have yet to fix it.
Concluding, I would never purchase another mattress from this company. I should have purchased a Hastens.
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I purchased a Beckley Bristol mattress in aug, 09. The mattress has a distinct barn/straw odor to it, which filled my bedroom. this odor had not disappreared after weeks. I suspect this is related to the fact that this mattress is filled with horse and hog hair. The company refused to reimburse me for the cost of the mattress.
So if you call and order one of these, you can leave off the last ´S´ for.....stable...... phew!
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