Hästens

Hästens Sängar AB, doing business as simply Hastens[2] (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhɛ̌sːtɛns], Swedish for "The horse's" as in "the horse's beds"), is a Swedish manufacturer established in 1852, today specializing in beds, bedlinen, pillows and lifestyle accessories.[3]

Hästens Sängar AB
TypePrivately held company
IndustryFurnitures / Luxury goods
GenreFamily Business
Founded1852 (1852)
FounderPehr Adolf Janson
Headquarters
Köping
,
Sweden
Area served
Global locations
Key people
Jan Ryde (Executive Chairman & Owner), Robert Carlén (CFO).[1]
ProductsHigh-end Mattress/beds, bedding, accessories
SubsidiariesHästens Beds Ab
Websitehttp://www.hastens.com/

Hästens manufacture beds and mattresses by hand using natural materials like cotton, horse hair, wool and flax. Hästens retail stores also sell branded premium bedlinen, pillows, duvets and accessories. The company was founded by Pehr Adolf Janson in 1852 as a master saddler business and is still a family-owned company.[4] David Janson shifted their focus in the early 1900s from making saddles to making beds. By 1952, a century after its foundation, they had become the official bedding supplier of Sweden's royal court,[1] a title they share with IKEA since 1984.[5] The company continues to manufacture all beds in its factory in Sweden.[6]

History
Pehr Adolf Janson, founder of Hästens.
David Janson (to the left) and master craftsmen photographed by David in front of the Hästens factory in Köping in the beginning of the 1900s

Pehr Adolf Janson (1830-1885) was awarded his master certificate in 1852 by King Oscar I of Sweden. Master saddlers were also makers of mattresses, since horsetail hair was an essential material for the pads that went into the carriage.[7] At that time, becoming a master saddler in Sweden required the certificate to be issued by the King himself.

In the late 1800s, the family moved to Hed and Pehr Adolf's son Per Thure Janson decided to follow his father's path in becoming a master saddler. Per Thure started a company together with his son David Janson. The business of making beds took off and they were soon making more beds than saddles.[8]

In 1939, British architect Ralph Erskine (1914–2005) travelled by bicycle to Sweden, where he later met David Janson who commissioned him to build the Hästens Factory, which was one of the first buildings that he designed in Sweden.[9] It was designed by Erskine in 1948 and he also designed the further expansion of the factory in 1998, in Köping where the company is still located as of 2019.[10]

In 1978, Jack Ryde designed Hästens' blue check pattern that was presented for a furniture trade fair. The blue check pattern is a registered trademark for Hästens beds and is protected.[11][12]

Hästens today

Markets

In 2006, Hästens was awarded the Swedish Trade Council's annual export award. At the time the brand was marketed in 22 countries, the largest markets being Netherlands, Finland, and the US.[13]

Hästens currently operates multiple retail stores and approximately 200 Hästens Stores around the world in locations such as New York, London, Stockholm, Madrid, México City, Chicago, Taipei and Brussels.[14][15][16]

Awards

In 2000, a Swedish court ruled that Hästens was not allowed to advertise with phrases such as "The finest beds in the world" and "due to [our unique manufacturing process in Köping], we can offer 25 years' warranty on springs and frames". The latter was, among other reasons, because the springs and frames were actually manufactured by a subcontractor.[26] Many companies have tried to copy the check patterns and Hästens has successfully undertaken legal procedures in several countries against infringements and counterfeits.[27] As of 2011, the phrase "At Hästens we set out to make the best beds in the world." is used.[28]

References
  1. "PURVEYOR TO THE SWEDISH ROYAL COURT SINCE 1952". Hästens.com. 30 May 2018.
  2. "Hästens Sängar AB: Private Company Information". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  3. "Our Story - Perfect sleep tailored for you since 1852 | Hästens". Hästens. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  4. "The World of Hästens (company brochure)". Hästens.
  5. "Ikea Catalogues 1984/85". Archived from the original on May 16, 2014. Retrieved October 2009. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. Dagens Industri March 25th, 2014 "Slut med sömnlösa nätter"
  7. "Heritage". Archived from the original on January 11, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  8. "Hästens Heritage". Hastens.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2015.
  9. "Stockholm University". Stockholm University. Archived from the original on 2015-02-13. Retrieved 2015-02-13.
  10. "Köpings hemsida".
  11. "Marknadsdomstolen - Domar". Archived from the original on 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  12. "Marknadsdomstolen - Domar". Archived from the original on 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  13. Horsehair beds 'Sweden's export of the year'. The Local (2006)
  14. Dagens Industri March 24th, 2014 "Slut med sömnlösa nätter" page 28-29
  15. "Inauguración de la tienda Hästens en Madrid". Cámara de Comercio Hispano Sueca.
  16. "Glow Digital BlogTout sur la Brussels Japan Night ! - Glow Digital Blog". Glow Digital Blog. Archived from the original on 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  17. "List of Royal Warrant Holders of the Swedish court". Kungliga Hovleverantörer. Archived from the original on 2015-02-14.
  18. "Horsehair beds 'Sweden's export of the year". The local. 24 April 2006.
  19. "Hästens wins the export prize". Dagens Industri.
  20. "Wallpaper* Design Awards 2010: The Interior Design Winners". Inventor Spot.
  21. "Hästens Bed makers". Wallpaper Magazine.
  22. Groupe Decoration Francaise Paris
  23. "Signumpriset" (PDF). PRESS RELEASE 24.01.2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-17. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
  24. "Brand Eye - Vi mäter varumärkets styrka" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-10. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  25. "Hurun Report". Hurun Report. Archived from the original on 2015-02-17. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
  26. Court ruling Dux v. Hästens Archived 2015-02-13 at the Wayback Machine. Marknadsdomstolen (2000). (In Swedish)
  27. Sveriges Radio. "Blå-vita rutor gav seger till Köpingsföretag".
  28. Best bed. Hastens.com. (2011) Archived March 31, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
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