Cardboard beds have returned to the Olympics. What do they do?
Cardboard beds are making a comeback at the 2024 Paris Olympics, in an effort to help make the Games more environmentally friendly — and according to some skeptical athletes, make sure the only sweat Olympians break is on the field.
The now-infamous 100% cardboard bed frames made their Olympic debut at the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021 and athletes again found the recyclable beds in their rooms when they arrived this week at the Olympic Village in Paris.
Athletes in 2021 dubbed the beds "anti-sex," playing on a long-standing rumor that the Olympic Village is a hotbed for hookups among competitors. But Olympic organizers say that the beds' true focus is sustainability at the notoriously environmentally harsh event.
"These sustainable beds are 100% made in France and will be fully recycled in France after the Games," according to a video posted to the Olympics' official YouTube channel.
The cardboard base's length can be adjusted to account for each athlete's height, and the "mattress" consists of three modules that can be flipped to change firmness according to each person's preference.
On social media, Olympians arriving in Paris tested out the beds and left various reviews about their quality.
Australian water poloist Matilda Kearns wrote on TikTok that she "already had a massage to undo the damage" of the bed, which she said was "rock solid" even on the softest setting.
Kearns said her manager rushed to get the team mattress toppers to improve team members' sleep.
British diver Tom Daley recorded himself jumping up and down on the bed, confirming the sturdiness of the structure.
The beds are just one part of the Games' efforts to reduce the mega-event's carbon footprint, in what organizers have called the "greenest-ever Games."
The athletes village is also air conditioner-free, instead being cooled by a system of water pipes beneath the floorboards.
Team USA and others balked at the concept, opting to send their competitors portable units for their rooms.
