The Best of the British: 7 of the Best Local Bed Brands Out There

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The Best of Yorkshire Bed Companies

Bed Brands

Yorkshire’s industry has seen good times and some bad ones. The county has had a powerful steel and coal industry, and during the Industrial Revolution, the local textile industry really took off. Bedstar is honoured to be part of such an industrious region of the UK, especially as a beds retailer based in a county with several bed manufacturers, all grafting hard and producing quality mattresses and other bed products.

Naturally, the Yorkshire beds companies enjoy a special place in our hearts, so we thought we’d take a little time to introduce you to them. This post looks at Yorkshire’s industrial heritage and some of the fine bed companies operating in the region. We also offer a nod to some of the companies doing just as fabulous a job in Lancashire.

The industrial heritage of Yorkshire

Seeing so many fantastic sleep industry product manufacturers operating in Yorkshire is hardly surprising. The National Coal Mining Museum for England, the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, and the Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills all testify to the county’s industries.

Yorkshire’s textile industry

Yorkshire was particularly renowned for its textile industry, the expansion of which helped to drive the Industrial Revolution forward. Sadly, the industry declined, but several mills still survived as art centres. Salts Mill, in Saltaire near Bradford, is one of the most famous. The textile baron Titus Salt built the village of Saltaire to house his workers. Dean Clough, in Halifax, is another main mill/arts centre.

Different parts of Yorkshire became known for specialising in different textiles. Halifax became famous for making carpets, whereas Huddersfield forged a reputation for heavy woolens – especially blankets – and fine suiting cloth. Leeds became the go-to place for flax-based linen, and Batley and Dewsbury enjoyed specialising in rag pulling and fibre recycling.

Despite the industry’s decline, which some believed started after the First World War and with the emergence of synthetic textiles, some companies battle on and sell materials to high-brow companies such as Dolce and Gabbana, Burberry, and Paul Smith. Some have survived by niching down. In the 21st century, there is hope that the county’s whole textile industry could enjoy a revival.

And now we come to some of Yorkshire’s finest bed manufacturers. Do you see any you recognise?

Giltedge Beds

Phase 2,
Warneford Avenue,
Osset,
Wakefield,
West Yorkshire,
WF5 9NJ

Giltedge Beds operates in West Yorkshire, and, like several other manufacturers in the region, they’re a family business. They have a real passion for beds and produce ottoman beds, divan beds, mattresses, and headboards. They cater to the mid-lower to mid-upper bedding market. The business operates on three main values: quality, value, and comfort. They have around 125 employees and a fleet of 25 vehicles, so they can distribute widely.

The Giltedge brand really reaches the high end of the market. Giltedge Beds offer a five-year warranty on the brand and is confident you’ll get a good night’s sleep. Take a look at the headboards and mattresses on our Giltedge page, and you’ll see why. The headboard colours are vibrant, and the materials are elegant, making for a stylish headboard. Meanwhile, you can choose from memory foam/gel, latex foam, pocket sprung, open coil, or innerspring mattresses, so you have plenty of choices.

Bed Brands, Giltedge based in West Yorkshire.
Giltedge Beds Lyon Floor Standing 3FT Single Headboard

Aspire

Cadet House,
40A Racecommon Road,
Barnsley,
S70 6AF
https://aspirestore.co.uk

Aspire to operate from out of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, and are immensely proud of their Yorkshire roots. Aspire likes to hire and train local craftspeople, creating a brand that is not just British but also one that’s Yorkshire through and through. The training sets these craftspeople up for a lifelong career in the trade. The company uses both modern and traditional methods and produces beds by hand. As they say, “Quality has no shortcuts.” They want their owners to be as proud of their bed as the business is.

Aspire specialise in beds, headboards, and mattresses. They’ve been selling their products to the public since 2013. The company selects fabrics and finishes with trends in mind so that no matter the design or style of your bedroom, the bed fits into your bedroom like a hand in a glove. Trend forecasting is a major part of the company’s design process. A quick look at the bedframes on our Aspire Beds page and the quality and sleekness of the design will leap out at you. We wouldn’t blame you if you felt tempted to buy a new bed there and then!

Shire Beds

Unit 3-8 Branch Mills,
Netherfield Road,
Dewsbury,
West Yorkshire,
WF13 3JY
http://shirebeds.co.uk

The brand has several different collections: the Shire bed company, the Contract Shire, the Active Response, the Active Shire, and the Eco Shire. This last collection is trendy. The manufacturer treats the fabrics and fibres in the mattresses with EcoShield® technology to banish bedbugs, dust mites, moths, and mosquitos. This is due to the eucalyptus oil, which is part of the technology in mattresses. The oil has antibacterial and anti-microbial properties, which help relieve colds, allergies, flu, bronchitis, sinus problems, and other respiratory issues.

Shire Beds are another truly Yorkshire brand. You’ll find them in Dewsbury, the borough of Kirklees, and West Yorkshire. They’re a family business and base their manufacture on the British principle of “If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” Best of all, the consumer believes that luxury and major expense don’t have to go hand in hand, leading to highly comfortable beds at affordable prices.

The microcapsules in the mattresses make the EcoShield®-treated materials wash-resistant. When the owner goes to sleep on the mattress, they break the capsules, which triggers the EcoShield® technology. Over time, this releases the active ingredient. 

Like any good manufacturer, Shire Beds strives to improve its products and offers. They’ve previously worked with local sports teams such as the Leeds Rhinos and Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Players have trialed mattresses or pillows and then fed back to the company. The plan was to make beds that give customers a night’s sleep that would fit top sports stars.

Bed Brands, Shire Beds based in West Yorkshire.
Shire Beds Richmond 2000 2FT 6 Small Single Divan Bed

Harmony Beds

Rock Bank,
Lister Lane,
Bradford,
West Yorkshire,
BD2 4LL

If you’re looking for Harmony Beds, you’ll find them in Batley, Kirklees, West Yorkshire. Batley has built its reputation on producing textiles, but as the industry has declined, it’s become part of Yorkshire’s thriving bed manufacturing industry. Did you know the town is also famous for making Fox’s biscuits? You do now!

Harmony Beds offers a collection of modern and traditional bed frames. You can find them in various leather, wood, and metal materials. Although the company specialises in double beds, they also have an excellent range of children’s beds. The frames are vibrant and colourful, adding extra style and verve to your kids’ bedrooms. Visit our Harmony Beds page, and you’ll find large beds in gorgeous oak, bold brass, smooth velvet, and more. If you’re looking for beds with storage options, the ottoman beds could be right up your street.

Harmony Beds Elizabeth 4FT 6 Double Brass Bed Frame.
Pictured: Harmony Beds Elizabeth 4FT 6 Double Brass Bed Frame

Flair Furnishings

Old Delivery Office,
Oldfield Lane,
Heckmondwike,
West Yorkshire,
WF16 0JD
https://www.flairbeds.co.uk

Flair Furnishings sells beds and other furnishings. They have their showroom in the somewhat exotically named town of Heckmondwike, in Kirklees, West Yorkshire. Historically, the town was part of West Ridings of Yorkshire and became famous for making blankets in the early 19th century.

Flair Furnishings itself is relatively new to the bed industry but still manages to hold its own amongst the county’s other fine bed industry businesses. It’s an excellent brand to try if you’re looking for cheap beds. The company has a terrific line of children’s beds, including cabin beds, triple sleepers, bunk beds, and more. Some of its beds come in unique designs, such as teepees or tree beds, which create an underlying sense of adventure for children as they climb into bed for their night’s rest.

That being said… Flair Furnishing doesn’t just excel at children’s beds. You’ll also find some suave ottoman beds from which to choose if you’re considering storage beds.

Bed Brands, Flair based in West Yorkshire.
Flair 3FT Single Junior Tree Bed

Honourable mentions

Of course, it would be remiss of us to talk about Yorkshire but not give a little nod to some of our bed-making counterparts in Lancashire. It’d be like talking about Muhammad Ali but not George Foreman or Serena Williams but not Venus! Below, we look quickly at several bed industry companies doing a stellar job in Lancashire.

Silentnight Beds

Silentnight Group Limited,
Long Ing Business Park,
Long Ing Lane,
Barnoldswick,
Lancashire,
BB18 6BJ
https://www.silentnight.co.uk

We love Silentnight. We really do. They’ve become a real bed industry heavyweight and operate in Barnoldswick. They’ve been doing so since they moved there from dear old Skipton, North Yorkshire, in 1961. It all started in 1946 when the company was Clarke’s Mattresses Limited. You can learn more about Silentnight’s evolution in our blog post on the history of Silentnight.

If there’s one thing you can be sure of, Silentnight knows how to make mattresses. They’ve been crafting mattresses and divan sets for decades and have developed a cast-iron reputation as the UK’s most trusted bed brand. They’re constantly innovating and have won awards by the bucket load.

Silentnight handcrafted mattresses so that customers will always get the best quality. The brand has strong ethics and strives for sustainability, which they display in their Eco range. Silentnight uses recycled plastic bottles in this range to make part(s) of the bed. They also offset every gram per kilometre of carbon dioxide by saving carbon through energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

Silentnight London Divan Bed

Sweet Dreams

Primrose Mill,
Martin St,
Burnley
BB10 1SH
http://sweetdreamsuk.com

Sweet Dreams Beds is based in Burnley and began making beds and headboards about 30 years ago. The core part of their business is in manufacturing beds and mattresses there in Lancashire. The brand caters to a wide consumer base, offering affordable divan beds at the lower scale and luxurious ones at the top end. They also offer headboards and adjustable beds.

Sweet Dreams has constantly sought to innovate and expand its offering. On their website, they inform visitors they were one of the first companies to introduce side-opening ottoman beds to the market. Other innovations they refer to have been health-promoting mattress covers, the Pocket Air system in spring mattresses, and fabric-upholstered TV beds, the latter being one of their biggest successes and still a bestseller today.

Bed Brands, Sweet Dreams based in Burnley, Lancashire.
Sweet Dreams Jasmine 4FT 6 Double TV Bed

The cream of the crop in Yorkshire

Yorkshire is an industrial powerhouse, with a textile industry that really drove it forward during the Industrial Revolution and will, hopefully, return to something approaching its former glory. Today, the county has a strong bed-making industry, with quintessential Yorkshire brands such as Shire Beds, Aspire, and others putting the region’s bed-manufacturing industry on the map. You can buy beds from them, the manufacture of which they’ve based on principles such as quality, values and good honest hard work. 

Whether you choose a brand from Lancashire or from here in Yorkshire for your bed, you’ll find a product that gives you a quality night’s sleep.

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