Description
The Design Classic That Redefined What a Bed Can Be
The Auping Essential High Bed is one of the most awarded and recognised bed designs in the world — a Scandinavian minimalist aluminium bed frame that represents a landmark in both design history and sustainable manufacturing. It is the world’s first fully recyclable bed, the first bed to receive Cradle to Cradle certification, a Red Dot Design Award winner, and an iF Product Design Award winner — achievements that reflect a product designed with genuine intent at every level. It represents the essence of a bed: providing security, comfort, and ensuring you wake up rested.
Pair with one of our adjustable bed bases → Adjustable bed bases
The World’s First Fully Recyclable Bed
The Auping Essential holds a distinction that no other bed in Sleep Gallery’s range can claim: it is the world’s first fully recyclable bed, and the first bed in the world to receive Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Bronze certification.
Cradle to Cradle is one of the most rigorous sustainability certifications in product manufacturing — it evaluates not just whether a product can be recycled, but whether every material in it is safe for humans and ecosystems, whether the materials can be genuinely recovered and reused at end of life, and whether the manufacturing process meets strict standards for energy, water, and social responsibility.
For the Essential, this certification means the bed consists of more than 50% reused materials or materials that are fully recyclable — and that every component has been selected and designed with end-of-life recovery in mind. The aluminium frame can be fully reclaimed and re-smelted. No toxic coatings, no composite materials that cannot be separated. The Essential is not sustainable in the sense of “better than average” — it is sustainable in the engineering sense of a closed material cycle.
Auping manufactures the Essential partially by hand and partially by machine in their own 100% sustainable factory in Deventer, the Netherlands — a B Corp certified operation since 2020, committing to the highest standards of social and ecological performance.
Award-Winning Scandinavian Design — Refined, Minimalist, Timeless
The Essential was designed by Dutch design firm Köhler & Wilms — a design that earned the Red Dot Product Design Award in 2012 and the iF Product Design Award in 2013, two of the most respected design competitions in the world with thousands of entries annually.
Its appeal is immediately apparent in the image: refined, sleek horizontal lines, softly rounded corners, and tapered legs that carry the Scandinavian minimalist design philosophy throughout — right down to the smallest detail. The modern design allows the Essential to fit subtly into any bedroom aesthetic — you rest just by looking at it.
The High version gives the bed a more elevated, substantial presence than the standard height — visually commanding while remaining elegant. The aluminium frame is available in multiple colours — Sleep Gallery holds Auping’s full catalogue, and the Essential can be configured in your preferred colour, headboard style, and accessories.
Fully Configurable — Your Colours, Your Materials, Your Bed
The Essential is not a take-it-or-leave-it product. Auping’s configuration philosophy means that virtually every element can be personalised. The frame is available in a wide range of colours. The headboard can be painted to match the frame or upholstered in a fabric of your choice. Floating bed side tables, coloured leg risers, and other accessories can be added.
Sleep Gallery holds Auping’s full catalogue — visit our showroom in central Tbilisi to explore the available colours and configurations, or speak to our sleep experts at 596 14 9977 to build your exact specification.
Free Delivery and Professional Assembly in Tbilisi
The Auping Essential High Bed is delivered and assembled in your home free of charge in Tbilisi by Sleep Gallery’s professional team.
Product Details
- Frame material: aluminium — fully recyclable
- Height: High (two height options available — this is the taller version)
- Design: Scandinavian minimalist — Köhler & Wilms design studio
- Sustainability: Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Bronze certified — world’s first fully recyclable bed
- Awards: Red Dot Design Award 2012, iF Product Design Award 2013
- Headboard: painted or upholstered (configurable)
- Accessories: floating bed tables, coloured risers (optional)
- Colours: multiple — full Auping catalogue available at Sleep Gallery
- Compatible with: Auping flat and adjustable mesh bases
- Made in Netherlands (B Corp certified factory, Deventer)
- Brand: Auping (Netherlands, founded 1888)
- Delivery and assembly: free in Tbilisi
FAQ:
Q: What does Cradle to Cradle certification mean — and why is the Essential the first bed to have it?
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) is a certification framework that evaluates products not just on whether they can be recycled, but on the full cycle of their materials — from sourcing through manufacturing to end-of-life recovery.
To receive C2C Bronze certification, a product must meet strict criteria across five categories: material health (every ingredient must be safe for humans and ecosystems), material reutilisation (every component must be recoverable for reuse or recycling), renewable energy use, water stewardship, and social fairness. The process involves a review of every material in the product and every aspect of the manufacturing operation.
The Essential was the first bed in the world to achieve this certification — because Auping was the first bed manufacturer to design a bed frame with end-of-life material recovery as a core design parameter rather than an afterthought. The aluminium frame is fully recyclable — aluminium can be re-smelted indefinitely without quality loss. The components are designed to be separable rather than bonded into composites that cannot be recovered. Auping’s Deventer factory, which received B Corp certification in 2020, operates under the energy and water standards C2C requires.
For the customer, C2C Bronze means: every material in this bed is verified safe, and at the end of its lifespan, it can be fully recovered rather than landfilled.
Q: What is the difference between the Essential High and the standard Essential height?
The Essential is available in two heights — standard and High — and the choice is primarily one of bedroom aesthetic and personal preference rather than functional sleep performance.
The standard height gives the bed a lower, closer-to-the-floor profile — more Scandinavian and minimalist in its visual weight, suited to rooms where a lower bed height creates a more spacious or meditative atmosphere.
The High version elevates the frame — giving the bed a more substantial, furniture-like presence. It is taller to sit on and stand up from, which some sleepers find more comfortable for daily use, and visually it creates more prominence in the bedroom. The tapered legs of the High version are longer, amplifying the furniture quality of the design.
The sleep surface height also affects practical considerations — under-bed storage access, ease of entry and exit for those with mobility concerns, and the visual proportion relative to headboard and room dimensions. Our sleep experts are happy to advise on which height suits your room and preference at 596 14 9977.
Q: Can I pair the Essential with any mattress and bed base or does it require Auping-specific products?
The Essential frame is designed to work with Auping’s own mesh bases — flat (Mesh Base Flat) or adjustable (Mesh Base Hive) — which drop into the frame as insert bases. Auping’s mesh bases are available separately at Sleep Gallery and are the recommended pairing for the Essential.
For mattress choice, the Essential with an Auping mesh base is compatible with any mattress of the correct dimensions. Sleep Gallery carries a full range of premium mattresses — TEMPUR®, Dorelan, Technogel, Schramm, and others — and our sleep experts can help you identify the right mattress for your sleeping profile and preferences.
For those wanting the complete Auping sleep system, pairing the Essential High Bed with the Auping Mesh Base Hive (adjustable) and a premium mattress creates a full system where the frame, base, and mattress work together as designed.
Q: How do I configure the Essential — what choices are available?
The Essential is one of the most configurable beds in Sleep Gallery’s range. The key choices are:
Frame colour: the aluminium frame is available in a wide range of colours — from neutrals like Pure White, Warm Grey, and Deep Black to accent colours like Pine Green. Sleep Gallery holds Auping’s full colour catalogue — visit our showroom or speak to our team at 596 14 99 77 to view all available options.
Headboard: the Essential can be specified with a painted headboard (matching the frame colour, with a characteristic curved edge design) or an upholstered headboard (in a choice of fabrics and colours from Auping’s upholstery catalogue). The headboard is optional — the Essential can also be used without.
Accessories: floating bed side tables can be added in matching or contrasting colours. Coloured leg risers allow the frame height to be adjusted further.
Bed base: choose between the Auping Mesh Base Flat or the Auping Mesh Base Hive (electric adjustable with Smart Base app control) — both drop into the Essential frame.
Sleep Gallery holds Auping’s full catalogue and can configure any combination to order.
Q: The Auping Essential costs more than standard bed frames — what justifies the price?
The price reflects four specific distinctions from a standard bed frame.
First, the material: a fully recyclable aluminium frame manufactured to Cradle to Cradle Bronze certification standards — every component selected for material safety, recyclability, and end-of-life recovery — is a more demanding and more expensive material specification than the powder-coated steel or wood-composite frames used in standard beds.
Second, the design: the Essential was designed by Köhler & Wilms and has won the Red Dot Design Award and iF Product Design Award — two of the world’s most respected product design competitions. Award-winning design of this calibre, applied at every detail level from frame proportions to tapered leg profile, represents a design investment that mass-market bed frames do not reflect.
Third, manufacturing: the Essential is made partially by hand in Auping’s own 100% sustainable B Corp certified factory in Deventer, Netherlands — a factory that has operated since 1888 and applies craftsmanship and quality standards that volume manufacturers in low-cost production countries do not meet.
Fourth, sustainability credentials: the world’s first C2C certified bed represents a genuine engineering and certification investment that no other bed frame in its category matches.
Free delivery and professional assembly in Tbilisi, and the full Auping colour and configuration catalogue available through Sleep Gallery — included.
