Tokyo's 'Anti-Sex Beds' Return for 2024 Paris Olympics, Proving Comfort and Sustainability

The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature the return of the so-called 'anti-sex beds' from the 2020 Tokyo Games, designed by Japanese company Airweave. Despite initial speculation about their purpose, these beds are safe for sex and provide comfortable sleep for athletes.

The beds are made from recyclable cardboard with mattresses formed of polyethylene materials. Each bed is designed for one person, and the rooms are relatively small, with singles measuring 9 square meters and doubles 12 square meters. Athletes initially joked about the beds on social media, calling them 'anti-sex' and suggesting placing the mattress on the floor as a workaround.

Airweave's Chief Operating Officer Brett Thornton confirmed that the cardboard frames are 'designed far sturdier than typical wooden bed frames,' making them suitable for sex. Airweave CEO Motokuni Takaoka emphasized that the company's focus is on sleep quality, stating, 'Sex is sex, whether it's on our mattress or somebody else's... We're only focused on sleep; we're not concerned with anything else that happens on the bed.'

Each mattress is comprised of three separate blocks that come in varying grades of firmness—firm, moderate, and soft—to be customized for different body types. Athletes will be scanned by an artificial intelligence-powered app to have a mattress made to match their needs. The polyethylene material promotes deeper, quality sleep by allowing better distribution of weight, effortless turning, and optimal spinal alignment.

The mattress blocks are entirely washable, hypoallergenic, and 100% recyclable, aligning with the Paris 2024 organizing committee's emphasis on sustainability. The committee aims to reduce the environmental impact of the Games, with the recyclable mattresses being a key aspect of their efforts.

Athlete feedback on the beds has been positive. American fencer Katharine Holmes defended the Airweave products, stating, 'I don't wake up in the middle of the night in screaming agony,' compared to other beds she had slept on while traveling for competitions.

In preparation for the Games, organizers have ordered 300,000 condoms to be delivered to the Olympic Village alongside the Airweave beds. This move anticipates that athletes will engage in sexual activity, a common occurrence at past Olympic Games.

Airweave has been working with Olympic athletes since the 2008 Games in Beijing and became an official partner for the Tokyo Games in 2020. The 'intimacy ban' during the 2020 Tokyo Games, implemented amid the COVID pandemic, led to the mattresses being dubbed 'anti-sex'.

With the 2024 Paris Olympics approaching, the focus remains on providing athletes with comfortable and sustainable sleeping arrangements. The recyclable Airweave beds are set to play a significant role in achieving this goal.

Key Takeaways

• The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature "anti-sex beds" from Airweave, designed for comfort and sustainability.
• The beds are made from recyclable cardboard and polyethylene materials, suitable for sex and comfortable sleep.
• Each mattress has three blocks of varying firmness, customizable for different body types using AI-powered scanning.
• The beds are washable, hypoallergenic, and 100% recyclable, aligning with the Paris 2024 committee's sustainability goals.
• Athlete feedback on the beds has been positive, with 300,000 condoms also being delivered to the Olympic Village.