About Us
The Berlin mattress rebel
Offering a high-quality mattress at a fair price. That was the vision of bett1 founder Adam Szpyt. In 2004, the Berlin-based online retailer established itself in the bed market and took a firm stand against the price fixing of the mattress cartel at the time. The BODYGUARD® Anti-Cartel-Mattress has already been purchased over 5 million times and has won over experts and enthusiastic customers alike. The accompanying ‘No, no, no - yes!’ TV advert has cult status.
More than just mattress
In addition to mattresses for adults and children, we also offer pillows, slatted frames, mattress toppers and bed linen. Rooted in Berlin, we operate our own online shops for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Poland and Spain.
Regional production and short transport routes
BODYGUARD® mattresses are almost completely Made in Germany. The mattress core is foamed in Germany and the covers are manufactured in Germany and Europe. Both are assembled in Germany and prepared for despatch. This saves transport routes and emissions compared to mattresses that have to be transported by ship from abroad to Germany.
Mattress donations for refugees
In collaboration with the aid network GAiN, we have been donating some of our stock and refurbished, returned mattresses to refugees since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. In total, we have already collected more than 30,000 mattresses for people in need, giving them a place to rest.
Sports sponsorship for young and old
As a sponsor of sports teams and sporting events, bett1 has been supporting selected clubs for many years. These include established clubs as well as those that are passionately trying to fight their way to the top. We support children and young people with the Tennis macht Schule initiative. We provide Berlin schools with tennis equipment and the necessary expertise to bring together children with different abilities and social backgrounds and give them access to sporting activities.
Behind the Scenes: the Anti-Cartel-Story
Price Rebel vs. the Mattress Cartel
In the beginning, the apartment was empty. Adam Szpyt had finished his studies. It was time to get some proper furniture. First up was a new mattress. Brand-name goods. Expensive was fine. And definitely comfortable. That sounded doable. But Adam Szpyt ended up in a jungle of pocket spring cores and foam developed by NASA. Every salesperson gave him a different story. The prices: erratic, confused, impossible to explain based on the materials and production used. In test magazines, brand-name mattresses failed one after the other. Adam Szpyt felt abandoned. He decides to clean up the mattress market. And thoroughly too.
bett1.de – Online Versus the Mattress Cartel
The path leads Adam Szpyt into the web. In 2004 he founded bett1.de, a bed retailer with direct sales over the Internet. And he was successful right out of the gate! Manufacturers accepted the distribution channel, while consumers accepted the low-priced range of products. But after a short time, problems arose. The first mattress manufacturers knocked on Adam Szpyt’s door, unsolicited. Their request: Adam Szpyt should increase the sales price. The young founder refused, and subsequently began receiving his goods in a soiled condition, late or not at all.
Welcome to the Mattress-Quagmire
Adam Szpyt began to see through the dubious mechanisms of the mattress market – a market with virtually no competition, governed by the unwritten laws of the cartels. Laws that Adam Szpyt violated the moment he offered mattresses at a fair price. Despite this, he continued to do so. Or, admittedly: specifically because of this. This placed Adam Szpyt in competition with purchasing associations and retailers. They threatened the obstructionists with the exclusion from the supply chain.
Illegal Price Agreements: The Antitrust Authorities Leaped to Adam’s Aid
Adam Szpyt refused to capitulate, however. He founded one company after another in order to continue to ensure his supply. Adam Szpyt never abandoned the principle of free market trade. When the dealers completely halted their deliveries, he complained to the antitrust authorities – with success. The antitrust authorities imposed penalties of over 27 million euros on a number of mattress manufacturers for illegal price agreements.
Honestly good: BODYGUARD® Anti-Cartel-Mattress
For bett1.de, penalty notices with a signal effect. Adam Szpyt decided to offer only one single mattress in the future: the BODYGUARD®, which he developed by himself. Due to the complete absence of any price agreements, the smallest Anti-Cartel-Mattress is available for €199.00. However, the BODYGUARD® Anti-Cartel-Mattress is not only affordable, but also good. With over 5 million mattresses sold, it is not without reason that it has become Germany's best-selling mattress. Adam Szpyt has thus established an offer without alternative in a market without competition.
