Member Article

Manchester start-up set to “revolutionise” UK’s sleep market

A start-up business from Manchester which has invented a new type of foam technology for pillows and mattresses has revealed its ambition to “revolutionise” the UK’s domestic and medical sleep market.

Levitex®, based at Manchester Science Park, has created a unique range of sleep products that are said to offer a ‘gravity-defying’ night’s sleep for users, following a series of independent clinical trials with the University of Salford.

During the trials, Levitex® foam was tested against 11 other sleeping surfaces including memory foam, sprung mattresses and air-alternating mattresses often found in hospitals. The results showed that Levitex® foam offered the best combination of comfort, support and pressure relief, delivering life-improving results for users.

The company is the brainchild of posture expert, James Leinhardt, who already works with NHS trusts and social care organisations throughout the UK to help improve the lives of patients with debilitating illnesses.

His experience around the importance of sleep for patient recovery and rehabilitation, alongside the need for a high-quality sleeping surface, led him to create Levitex® and the patent-pending foam technology in all of its products.

With a Kickstarter campaign set to launch later this year, James is hoping to take his products into the UK’s sleep market and establish Levitex® as a household name.

He said: “I’m thrilled to officially launch Levitex® and bring an authentic new product to the marketplace that combines expertise in postural management, pain medicine management and medical device engineering.

“The UK Sleep Council has stated that the number one reason for poor sleep is being uncomfortable in bed and when it comes to lying surfaces, essentially there are three common problems – posture, pressure and proprioception.

“Through the trials we’ve conducted with the University of Salford, we’ve investigated all of them to help us understand the impact that different types of lying surfaces have on people and how it impacts their quality of sleep.

“Our research produced robust data and evidence to work from and allowed us to create an innovation in polyurethane foam technology that addresses all three issues, offering the right conditions for rest, recuperation and a better night’s sleep.

“I know it may sound ambitious, but I genuinely believe we have a range of products in Levitex® that can revolutionise the way people think about what they sleep on, helping them to understand the importance of choosing a good mattress and pillows and the direct impact it can have on their health and wellbeing.

“From those with complex medical conditions to elite sports stars, our products have been proven to offer the optimum surface for sleep and now we want to share our story and our products with everyone in the UK.”

The Levitex® foam technology has undergone a rigorous clinical trial at the University of Salford and is backed by Dr Ilan Lieberman, a pain medicine consultant at the University of South Manchester Hospitals (UHSM.)

He said: “It’s rare to see a product like a mattress or a pillow developed using such comprehensive medical research and then put to the test through clinical trials and live studies.

“Our research found that the Levitex® polyurethane foam scored higher than any other surface and participants in the trials with medical conditions such as chronic neck pain had an improved quality of sleep when using these products.

“The technology in Levitex® provides a surface that is soft and comfortable whilst offering the right level of firmness, and the unique properties of the foam are not affected by temperature. All of this combined is important because getting the balance right improves posture and spinal alignment during sleep, which is incredibly beneficial for everyday wellbeing.

“The way that people sleep ultimately affects the way they live and that’s especially important when you consider that we spend a third of our lives in bed. It’s fantastic to be involved in a project that aims to tackle the gap in knowledge and make people’s everyday lives better.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emily Craig .