Horsehair is critical: The hair is braided by hand, then unwound, to give it even more bounce. Every single curled strand functions like a tiny spring, providing support and pliability. And because each horsehair strand is also a hollow tube (unlike human hair), the material acts as a miniature airway to wick moisture away so there’s no sweat buildup. The cumulative effect of all these layers is that when you lie down on the bed, you feel as if your legs are slightly raised, which, as doctors will tell you, is better for circulation and overall heart health.

I get in, and I start to see what they mean. Articles such as this one typically describe luxurious mattresses as “sleeping on a cloud,” but the Vividus is not that soft. My feet are supported unlike any other mattress I’ve ever slept on. It gives and holds in unusual, but always comfortable, ways. It takes me awhile to settle in, and Cooper says that the longer I stay in it, the more it will respond to my body, depending on whether I’m a side sleeper or prefer staying on my back. Will it cure my Jimmy leg? I wonder.

The longer I’m here, even the price-tag guilt starts to melt away. The whole thing is constructed in the Swedish style, meaning dovetail joints instead of screws or nails, and the springs are connected to the mattress interior using a step-stitching process, accomplished by hand with a needle about 18 inches long.