Bed based on the principles of Joseph Pilates
Joseph H. Pilates, founder of the well known Pilates fitness technique, described a bed or couch he designed and patented in 1930 (US Patent 1,876,743). In this he describes the many benefits of sleeping on a pair of resting surfaces inclined to each other. These benefits include. Straightening of the back in sleep and better support for the arms and legs.
I have taken his original design and improved it for modern living. My bed is:-
- Flatpack – no tools or fittings are required for assembly.
- Clean design – The bed can be washed ideal for allergy sufferers, or children.
- It is virtually impossible for children to accidentally roll out of the bed.
Figure 11
Shows arms and shoulders are supported in a position which permits relaxation and better circulation.
Figure 12
Shows a position for resting & reading or writing. It will be noted from this figure that my improved bed or couch affords relaxation even in this position in as much as support is given to both legs, hips shoulders and arms in such a manner that little muscular tension is required.
Figure 13
It will be noted that a person lying partly prone and on his side has support in both these directions whereas in a flat bed all the weight must be born either by the side or the belly.
Figure 14
Shows a position in which the legs are bent at the knees and partially folded together in a position somewhat resembling the birth position which, as is recognized makes for complete relaxation of the muscles for the legs.
The original Pilates bed patent can be downloaded from here
Text and diagrams from original patent.
Scott has written an article on the bed here
If you are interested in trying out the bed I would be happy to hire it out for a week or two. Contact me pilatesbed@geoffjones.com for further details.
Do you have plan to make the plans for the bed available for download or purchase? I am interested in trying to make one of them. Thanks.
That sounds a good idea! Never really thought about selling the plans. I will see about getting them drawn up. I had the beds made up from a cardboard model I made and then liaised with a local model maker to get two made, a childs and the adult one shown.
Please contact me with the price of this bed.
Sincerely,
Eric Sill
Hello- Have you had any more thoughts about making the plans for your bed available for sale. I would be interested in purchasing the plans to make one for my own use.
What if you’re TWO sleeping on the bed?? You keep rolling into one another!
Looks to be a very interesting sleeping style. I certainly wonder, like MMQQ above, if there’s a way to create one of these to suit 2 people sleeping in the same bed. The only thing I can think of is just having 2 of these side by side. I’d also love to hear if you end up selling the plans.
Hi Geoff,
A friend just sent me a link to your page, I am a Pilates instructor and really interested in all the other aspects of health that Joseph Pilates wrote about and worked with……your bed looks really interesting. Have there been anymore developments with it? Are you selling it?
Karen – Thanks for your comment and what looks like a really good Pilates website – I did Pilates with Daphne Pena-Higgs in London for three years.
No progress on the bed front, as yet, although a friend did say he would do an autocad drawing for it. The two I had made (a childs and adults) came out at £1,000 although obviously they were one offs and we designed them as we were building them.
I would be interested to know what you and others would think is a reasonable purchase price if I was starting to make them.
Hello, I too would be very interested in purchasing a bed if were able to produce and sell them. When I first read about Joseph pilates V-beds they sounded great to me and i was dissapointed that I could not find one to try.
I would be willing to pay £300+ for a bed due to the fact I’m on a very strict budget at the mo!
Hey wow I cannot believe somebody has made a V-bed!
I would pay around £600 – £800 for one
Hope I can buy one from you soon!
Hey wow I cannot believe somebody has made a V- bed!
I would pay around £600 – £800 for one
Hope I can buy one from you soon!
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Dear Geoff,
I'm nterested in purchasing one of your V-shaped beds and wondered if I could try it out first!
I did try and leave a message the other week on your homepage, but it does'nt seem as you received it.
Regards
Rona Bennett
Do you sale these bed?
That's great that it's be washed ideal for allergy sufferers
I suffer from back pain so it might be really useful for me. Can you tell me the place where i can buy it
I really need this bed as i suffer from severe back pain. Can you tell where can i get it
I wish to wish all pregnant women of good mood, easy pregnancy and natural sorts! Good luck also are happy! Give birth easily and independently! Let not doctors give birth for you, and you! Also adjust itself on chest feeding of the kid! Read the necessary information! Be, lovely pregnant mums and expecting posterities of the daddy, are healthy and wise!
Dear Geoff, I would love to have a bed like that – are you into commercial activity? _ I live in the Netherlands – I could also try and make it myself (with some help) What's your suggestion. Great you got into the whole patent thing !!
All the Best Joshua
I originally had this bed and the child's version made as prototypes so that I could get them produced. However, so far this has not happened. Would be interested to know what you would be prepared to pay for such a bed.
I often fall asleep with pillows either side of me to support my shoulders and arms and help keep my back straight. I have never seen a bed shaped like that before but it looks comfy in a strange way. Maybe with a nice set of sheets and a blanket
i am also interested in purchasing the exact one shown above in the pic can you help?
I am really interested in this design. I think I can sell this through internet. Would you be interested in dropshipping? If yes, then what will be your price?
How much would you be willing to sell one of these V-beds for?
I want one of these beds. BIG TIME. Are you selling them yet? Are you shipping them? What's the scoop?!
This could be really handy, I always have trouble with my back. Where can I get it?
Personally I don't know that if I had one that I would sell it remotely. I mean looking at the video, it looks like two sheets of wood (say 4' by 8' by 3/4″) cut, notched and sanded with a futon mattress on top. The futon and uncut boards should be available to locally for less than the cost of three way shipping a finished product. Also if the plans were available (for a reasonable cost) one could build as many as they want. (one or two would not be unreasonable, I think)
I think this type of bed really works to provide relaxation.while reading or writing with semi lying position,usually one gets very tried,but by using this kind of bed,one will surely wont feel tried even in such position.
Love it : )
Love it : )
looks like we'll be having severe back pain while sleeping long hours straight in this v-shaped bed! and what up with that position in figure 14, looks sick already lol
This is an interesting concept for an adjustable bed. I wonder why I haven't such models for sale in the market. Maybe furniture companies need to explore a little ancient history and after that the companies will surely come with new brand ideas.
Yeah, I agree that position 14 can cause you some pain if you use this kind of bed.