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Meet the Americans who refuse to give up a very retro 'sexy' '70s piece of furniture
The waterbed, a trend from the 1970s that coincided with the era's sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll lifestyle, has since faded from the mainstream. But some Americans still have theirs and aren't giving them up anytime soon.
Today, waterbeds make up only 2 percent of mattress sales, according to data from Specialty Sleep Association (formerly the Waterbed Manufacturers Association), but the retailers that still carry them are bombarded by die-hard waterbed fans looking for replacement mattresses, heaters, and water treatment systems.
Nancy Gerrish, 78, a financial planner, told the Los Angeles Times she's had a waterbed, or a 'dead bed' as they were called back in the day, for 28 years after her friend let her try hers out.
'I couldn't believe how comfortable it was,' she said. 'It's very soft on all your joints, and if you like to cuddle, your arm sinks into the bed so there's no pressure on it.'
She loved it to much that she took the mattress cross country when she moved from New York to her current residence Los Angeles residence 21 years ago.
The waterbed, a trend from the 1970s that coincided with the era's sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll lifestyle, has since faded from the mainstream. But some Americans still have theirs and aren't giving them up anytime soon.
Retailers that still carry waterbeds are bombarded by die-hard waterbed fans look for replacement mattresses, heaters and water treatment systems
'I tell people I have a waterbed, and everyone laughs. But it's a very comfortable bed to sleep in, and I personally don't know why the world doesn't have this.'
'I feel so cozy. It's hard to get out of it, and anyone visiting me loves it. I think the [traditional] mattress companies don't want this information getting out.'
Donna Martin, 77, whose owned a waterbed for 50 years, told the LA Times she's been a proud owner of a waterbed since she was gifted one as a hand-me-down.
'I've had five mattresses since the first time I set one up. I love it,' she said.
She recently tried out her sister's memory foam mattress, but said it bothered the already-damaged discs in her back and was not easy on the hips.
The waterbed has also become a signifier of a different time. Here it is pictured in the ABC show The Conners
In this day and age, the waterbed has become a '90's nostalgia items for those old enough to remember the tail end of the trend
'At first it was OK, but then the same thing happened, too much pressure,' she said. 'I would rather not sleep in something else.'
Martin even said she's worried that nursing homes won't let her bring her waterbed when the time comes.
'I think to myself if I ever have to go into a home, they won't give me no waterbed,' she said.
Steve Hertzmann, 62, from San Pedro has owned a waterbed for the last 40 years, and told the LA Times he can't understand why the waterbed has ceased in popularity.
'The best part is in the wintertime when you're freezing cold,' he said. 'The waterbed has a heater, and you hop in and you're all warm.'
Larry Johnson, an accountant from Mar Vista who owned a waterbed for 50 years, switched to a standard mattress after his wife convinced him that it would be easier to maneuver out of bed as they grow older.
He told the LA Times he misses being rocked to sleep by the bed's wave-like motion.
'It's going to take some getting used to,' he said.
Pictured: Michael Marcus stands next to a waterbed that is part of a bedroom set named "Roselane Rose", that is for sale at the Waterbed Gallery, in the South Shore Mall in Bay Shore, New York, on August 12, 1992
Today, waterbeds make up only 2 percent of mattress sales despite their widespread popularity decades ago
How The Waterbed Got Its Start
The waterbed was conceptualized in 1968 by Charles Hall, a graduate student at San Francisco State, who set out to create the world's most comfortable chair for his thesis in design.
After trial and error with gelatin and cornstarch, Hall's winning formula of an eight-foot water filled vinyl matters became a sensation. While originally designed as a bed-chair hybrid, the bed started getting media attention across the country.
Denny Boyd, the former president of the Specialty Sleep Association, who once owned 35 waterbed stores throughout Texas, Missouri and Louisiana told the LA Times the uniqueness of the bed was the main selling point.
'It was new, it was exciting, it was different, it was sexy, it was fun,' Boyd said. 'It was our generation's bed.'
The waterbed was conceptualized in 1968 by Charles Hall, a graduate student at San Francisco State, who set out to create the world's most comfortable chair for his thesis in design
About one in every five mattresses sold between 1971 and 1986 in America were waterbeds, according to the Washington Post
Between 1971 and 1986, waterbed sales soared from an estimated $13 million to $1.9 billion, per the New York Times.
The mattresses themselves were cheap, but the bulk of the cost came from the heavy wood frames that kept the mattresses in place as well as the water heaters and conditioners,
About one in every five mattresses sold in America were waterbeds, according to the Washington Post. While Hall patented his invention, he didn't enforce it, and the waterbed business boomed.
And the beds were often associated with 'more than R-rated' activities as ads declared that the two things better on a waterbed were sleep and sex.
But the waterbed became a fad of the past by the mid-1990s as more cost-effective 'softside' mattresses that didn't require as much maintenance went into circulation.
Between 1971 and 1986, waterbed sales soared from an estimated $13 million to $1.9 billion, per the New York Times. The mattresses themselves were cheap, but the bulk of the cost came from the heavy wood frames that kept the mattresses in place as well as the water heaters and conditioners
Marty Pojar, the store owner of the Waterbed Doctor in Westminter, said he thinks the waterbed is well overdue for an upgrade, and that the beds have actually adapted to modern day technology
A Chance for a Comeback?
Marty Pojar, the store owner of the Waterbed Doctor in Westminster, told the LA Times he thinks the waterbed is well overdue for an upgrade.
'The word "waterbed" creates a stigma,' he said. 'When people hear it, they are thinking of the big, old wood-frame waterbeds with lots of wave action.'
But waterbeds have kept up with the technology revolution. Customers can customize how much motion they want from their waterbeds.
Other waterbeds meant for couples have two separate water mattresses so one does not disturb the other when getting out of bed.
Pojar said he thinks by renaming the waterbed to 'flotation sleep systems with temperature control,' waterbeds could make a comeback.
'Reeducating the public is a big challenge, but there is a big opportunity there, I believe,' Pojar said.
How Younger Generations View the Waterbed
In this day and age, the waterbed has become a '90's nostalgia items for those old enough to remember the tail end of the trend.
Videos on social media show users popping waterbeds, talking about their hatred for the impractical invention, and their fascination with the water-filled sacs as children.
In a clip from the podcast 'The Mexcellence,' the co-hosts talked about their different experiences with waterbeds.
While the co-hosts were enthralled with the novelty, bee-lining to the waterbed sections of furniture stores while their parents did their errands, they concurred that they experienced back pain when they actually slept on one over night.
'I laid on it, but I immediately felt like sweaty [from] the plastic and there's no breathability so you're just getting moist,' said co-host Sammy Gonzalez.
'And I was a little chubby kid, so I couldn't get up.'
The waterbed has a clear cult-following, but the comeback remains to be seen.