Consumer Council defends mattress testing after receiving Sea Horse's legal threats

Hong Kong's consumer watchdog has defended its mattress test after receiving legal threats from bedding company Sea Horse over low mattress score. 

According to its latest statement, Consumer Council emphasised its commitment to maintaining consistency among the samples, according to local reports such as HK01. It said that all samples were tested using the same European standard tests.

The Consumer Council referenced the manufacturer's website advertisement, which claimed the mattress sample had varying hardness levels on each side, with one side designated as "hard" and the other as "extra hard." However, no labelling of "hard" or "extra hard" was found during laboratory testing. The test was conducted using the side that featured a soft layer labelled as "hard," instead of the side without the layer labelled as "extra hard."

The Consumer Council added that the test results, including hardness, support performance and comfort, were shared with the manufacturers for examination and feedback prior to the report's release.

This comes after the Consumer Council released its findings on Monday (17 March), following the testing of 14 mattress brands priced between HK$2,299 to HK$9,328. The test, which was conducted in Europe, involved the use of test dummies designed to simulate the proportions of medium-sized Asian men and women. It compared the support, comfort, and durability of double mattresses from these brands.

Among them, Sea Horse's mattress "海馬牌 我們的床褥(OUR)" priced at HK$2655 was labelled as "very hard". It received the lowest rating of three stars with a durability score of 4.5 points. However, its performance in pressure distribution was rated at only 2 points, suggesting inadequate support for distributing the weight of different body parts uniformly. It also scored just 1.5 points in point elasticity, showing insufficient support for the waist area.

In response to the test results, Sea Horse said its extremely firm mattress design caters primarily to specific demographics such as the elderly, recently postpartum women, and individuals with back issues, according to HK01 and am730. The company has criticised the Consumer Council for its non-selective testing approach and has warned that they will reserve the right to take legal action in case of any misunderstandings.

"Meanwhile, there are no existing standards for extremely firm mattresses in the market. Therefore, the Consumer Council should not apply medium-softness testing standards to its extremely firm mattresses," Sea Horse added. Sea Horse believes this approach is unreasonable and emphasises that it also offers mattresses with medium-softness.

Sea Horse added that its founder and research and development team had carefully developed ultra-firm mattresses through thorough research and practical testing, according to SCMP.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Sea Horse and Consumer Council for a statement respectively. 

Don’t miss: Nongfu Spring demands apology over 'misleading' Consumer Council report

It is not the first time that the Consumer Council has faced legal threats from brands. Back in July last year, Nongfu Spring demanded an apology from the Consumer Council over its recent report claiming Nongfu's water contained an exceeding amount of bromate, which could lead to side effects when overconsumed. 

This came after the Consumer Council announced the testing results of 30 water samples yesterday, stating that Nongfu's water had reached the maximum limit of bromate, a byproduct of water disinfection that could lead to side effects when overconsumed, as raised in the EU regulations. 

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