The waterbed was invented by a San Francisco State University graduate student in 1969 and quickly captured the American imagination. It soon became a symbol of the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll lifestyle for which the 1970s were famous. It reached the peak of its popularity in 1987, when one in five mattresses sold in the United States was a vinyl bag that could be filled with up to 250 gallons of water. But even though waterbed design has evolved in modern times (more stability, less sloshing), these once-popular mattresses have seen a significant decline.
Are you a holdout still sleeping on a waterbed in Southern California? We want to hear your story.
