There's been a lot of coverage of the cardboard beds used by athletes at the Paris Olympics, but that's not the only material swap going on at the athlete village. The mattresses made of a polyethylene filament also have been a hot topic on social media, not all of it complimentary.
The Airweave mattress uses different configurations of filament in blocks that can be rearranged to provide more support for different areas of the body. Athletes that want a firmer mattress under their hips can reconfigure the mattress to meet that need.
"By mixing and matching the parts and turning them over as necessary, a single mattress could be configured into multiple patterns," the Japan-based mattress maker says on its website.
At least that's the concept. Some competitors have taken to comparing the mattress' material to a Scrub Daddy-brand sponge — its creator drew inspiration from coils of fishing line — while entire teams have purchased thick mattress toppers to improve sleep quality.
Despite the social media complaints, Airweave boasts it has partnered with athletes to create bedding for optimal performance. The company has supplied mattresses to athletes since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when it provided bedding for Japan's athletes. At the Tokyo games in 2021, Airweave was used throughout athlete housing.
