Horsehair

What it is

It is hair from the horse's tail. According to Hästens, like almost all the natural materials in the bed, it is a byproduct of other processes: it is not harvested specifically for the beds, and no horse is harmed for it.

Each curled hair works like a small spring. Hästens compares it to the steel springs below: it gives, springs back, and lets air through.

How it is processed

The hair is first washed in boiling water and rinsed thoroughly. It is then heated to 140 degrees, at four times normal atmospheric pressure and high humidity. According to Hästens, no chemicals are involved. It then cools slowly, over about six hours.

Next it is spun into thick braids, which is where it curls and gains its tensile strength. A machine pulls the braids apart again into loose, curly stuffing that has increased many times in volume. That stuffing is laid into the mattress layers by hand and worked loose.

Two kinds, two feels

Hästens sorts the hair by its properties and uses two kinds. For a firmer bed, only the strongest and longest strands; for a softer bed, a more pliable, springy mix.

That is one reason two beds with the same firmness still feel different. Hästens says so itself: a soft Vividus feels different from a soft 2000T.

What the manufacturer says, and what we know

Hästens writes that horsehair is a hollow fibre that carries away heat and moisture, and that independent research institutes have confirmed its hypoallergenic properties: dust mites supposedly stand no chance in a Hästens.

We have not seen that research ourselves. We therefore pass it on as the manufacturer's claim, not as established fact. If you have a dust-mite allergy, discuss it with your doctor before choosing a bed on that promise.

Sources

1. Hästens (2026). Catalog (EN), p. 81, 85–88, 106.

Frequently asked questions