The Olympic Cardboard Beds Are Back — And Athletes Still Don't Like Them

The Summer Olympic Games held in Tokyo included a lot of inside looks at what life is like in the Olympic Village — and plenty of videos went viral showcasing the cardboard beds provided to all of the athletes to sleep on. For understandable reasons, this led to a lot of discussion online about the cardboard beds, with many wondering why the athletes weren't given better beds to rest in in between their matches.

Why are the beds at the Olympic Games made of cardboard? There are a few rumors floating around as to the reasoning, but it's actually for a good cause.

When the cardboard beds first started circulating around the internet, many people believed they were done as a way to discourage the athletes from having sex with each other. Apparently, the Olympic village is rife with athletes getting it on, and some speculated that the cardboard beds were to deter that from happening within the village.

Though this was a funny and pretty popular answer for many social media users to believe, it's actually a move made with the environment in mind.

As the Olympic Village is only active for the duration of the games, and then dismantled, these cardboard bed frames are meant to give the athletes a bed to sleep in that can be deconstructed and recycled. Once the games are over, ever cardboard bed will be recycled as the Olympic Village is shut down, making it an environmentally friendly option for lodging during the games.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as though the beds are particularly comfortable to sleep in. Each bed is fitted with a mattress provided by Airweave, and the company claims that they can be adjusted for each athlete's needs. But some TikToks posted online dispute that.

"It's actually rock solid," said Tilly Kerns, who is competing for Team Australia. Even her roommate commented, "My back is about to fall off" as she picked herself up from the bed, which seemed to have no give.

Though Airweave's mattresses are supposed to have different firmnesses on each side, so players can customize them based on their individual sleeping needs, it seems like these ones miss the mark for a lot of players.

The company has a location in the Athletes Village, where it boasts an opportunity for a "personalized consultation."

The consultation reportedly uses Airweave's "AI-based MattressFit app to analyze and recommend the best configuration for their body type/needs."

"The choice of these beds for the Olympic and Paralympic Village is primarily linked to our ambition to ensure minimal environmental impact and a second life for all equipment used during the short period of the Games," a rep for the games said to Today. "The quality of the furniture has been rigorously tested to ensure it is robust, comfortable, and appropriate for all the athletes who will use it, and who span a very broad range of body types."