How Worried Should I Be About Fiberglass in My Mattress?
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Social-media chatter aboutmattressesfull of off-gassing polyurethane foam, hormone-disrupting chemicals, and fire retardants has made buying a bed confusing at best and anxiety-producing at worst. And many mattress brands have jumped at the chance to capitalize on consumer fears, touting their use of “nontoxic” and organic materials at every opportunity.
But the concept of a nontoxic mattress implies that there are actively toxic mattresses out there, and I’m always wary of the suggestion that something benign is harmful — especially if it comes with a recommendation to buy a more expensive “safe” alternative. So I called up experts in toxicology, environmental science, and public health to ask whether the most commonly cited fears about mattresses are founded — the answer, as you might expect, is not a simple “yes” or “no” — and what to actually look for when you’re shopping for one.
If you’re buying foam, look for industry certifications that ensure minimal VOC exposure
Many consumer products, including mattresses made withpolyurethane foam, emit volatile organic compounds. The main concern with VOCs is that they essentially “pollute” our indoor air. But mattresses are not the only culprit; nearly everything in our homes, from thecouchto thepaint on the walls, emits some VOCs, a process also known as off-gassing. Our bodies can handle brief exposures, saysDr. Judit Marsillachfrom the University of Washington School of Public Health, but there are some potential health risks to longterm exposures. Still, Marsillach was quick to point out that not all VOCs are necessarily harmful — they are simply chemicals that vaporize at room temperature. She also emphasized a key tenet in toxicology: The dose makes the poison. So while some lower-quality mattresses may continue to off-gas for months or even years, choosing one with foam that is explicitlyCertiPUR-US certifiedwill ensure that it’s made without harmful ingredients like phthalates and that it is low-VOC.
Greenguard Goldis another certification to look for; it mandates an even lower level of VOCs and meets testing requirements for VOC emissions set by the more-stringent-than-average California Department of Public Health, according toUL Solutions, the issuer of all Greenguard certifications. (Greenguard also rules out other harmful compounds, like formaldehyde.)
Of course, if you want to avoid polyurethane foam altogether, there are plenty of mattresses on the market that uselatex foam(made from rubber-tree sap), as well asinnerspringmattresses that may not contain any foam at all. And to lower your VOC exposure in general, Marsillach advises washing your bedding frequently to prevent VOCs from all over your home from accumulating in yoursheets, opening windows to let in fresh air, and using anair purifierwith a HEPA filter.
Youwantyour mattress to have a fire barrier — but your best bet is to avoid one with fiberglass
Every mattress sold in the United States is required to passtwo flammability tests— the “cigarette test” (16 C.F.R. part 1632) and the “open flame test” (16 C.F.R. part 1633). These consumer-protection regulations are intended to prevent mattresses from being engulfed in the event of a fire, giving people time to escape and helping prevent flames from spreading to other rooms. Crucially, meeting these requirements doesnotmean there are dangerous chemical fire retardants in your mattress.
Dr. Arlene Blum, executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute and research associate in chemistry at UC Berkeley, assured me that manufacturers don’t use chemical fire retardants in foam produced for mattresses because it’s not an effective way to meet flammability standards — the foam would have to be 50 percent fire retardant, which would not be very comfortable to sleep on. (Additionally, since 2015, chemical fire retardants have been more widely phased out of other foam production in the U.S. owing toimproved flammability regulations for upholstered furnitureand bans on particularly dangerous fire retardants.)
Instead, the industry standard is to use fire-resistant materials in the mattress cover or in a fire barrier underneath the cover. Mattress brands use a variety of materials in their fire barriers, from boric-acid-treated fiber to silica-embedded fiber to animal fibers like wool, alpaca, and horsehair,according to the International Sleep Association. While the majority are synthetic, Blum says none of them are concerning for use in mattresses, with fiberglass as one exception. Up until a few years ago, fiberglass was commonly used as a fire retardant in mattresses (and always fully contained within them), but many companies have phased it out owing to safety concerns in the event ofaccidental exposure, which can be quite dangerous.
Most reputable brands now clearly state whether they use fiberglass in their mattresses. NapLab also maintains a fairly comprehensive list of which brandsdo and don’t use fiberglass, though I’d always recommend double-checking. It’s pretty easy to avoid if you (very reasonably) want to. And while plenty of synthetic fire barriers are considered perfectly safe, if you’d prefer a natural fire barrier, there are lots of mattresses with fire barriers made of naturally fire-resistant animal fibers, like wool.
Fiberglass-free mattresses we like
A note about waterproofing in kids’ mattresses
Some children’s mattresses have waterproofing in their covers for obvious reasons. This is particularly common inbaby and toddler mattresses, where there’s a lot of reason to want it for both hygiene and convenience purposes. But some waterproof mattresses may contain harmful plasticizers, such asphthalates, which are typically used to make rigid plastics more flexible. Phthalates are knownendocrine disruptorsthat mimic the naturally occurring hormones in our bodies; exposure can negatively affect growth, reproduction, and digestion.
Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is a cheap and common waterproofing material that’s made with plasticizers and one that Dr. Miriam Diamond, author of aUniversity of Toronto studyon potential hazards in children’s mattresses, advises parents make a point to avoid. Her team’sworkhas also indicated that plasticizers may lead to asthma in children.
There are other waterproofing materials you can look for, including thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which is generally considered safer than PVC because it is more flexible and doesn’t usually require plasticizers. TPU is also frequently used in waterproofmattress protectors. But if you are considering a kids’ mattress with waterproofing and the brand does not specify what material it’s using for that purpose, steer clear.
Notably, according to Arin Schultz, chief growth officer at Naturepedic, an organic-mattress brand, it is extremely challenging to make something waterproof without using any synthetic materials. (Though Naturepedic primarily uses natural materials in its mattresses, the company relies on a synthetic bioplastic derived from sugar cane to waterproof its baby mattresses.) That’s why most brands that make “natural” kids’ mattresses don’t include waterproofing at all and instead suggest using a mattress protector. You can look for a protector that isOEKO-Tex Standard 100 certifiedorGlobal Organic Textile Standard certifiedfor additional assurance that no harmful materials are present.
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Avocado’s crib mattress protector sandwiches waterproof polyurethane between layers of certified-organic cotton. It isGreenguard Gold certifiedandMade Safe certifiedto be free of toxic materials …
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… but all of the brand’s mattress protectors are made with the same materials and have the same certifications.
The TL;DR is to not get too hung up on marketing that promises a mattress is “natural” or “nontoxic”
While many mattresses are marketed as natural, organic, or nontoxic, Marsillach says your best approach is to make sure you understand what kinds of materials are used in any mattress you may be considering (polyurethane foam, latex foam, and so on) and to buy one with strong certifications surrounding the manufacture of those materials.
Additionally, just because a mattress brand has a row of certification logos on its website doesn’t mean those certifications will address your specific concerns. Some only cover certain materials or components of a mattress — includingCertiPUR-US, which is specific to foam. Good ones to look for includeGreenguard Gold(which covers VOC emissions and formaldehyde, as discussed above), OEKO-Tex (which covers harmful substances in textiles), andGlobal Organic Textile Standardor GOTS (which certifies that textiles are organic but also tests for a range of harmful substances). Note that some other certifications may only account for a brand’senvironmental or social impact, which is great but not always related to consumer health and safety. So you should learn what each one means and buy accordingly.
Marsillach also offered a final guiding principle she personally follows for mattresses and everything else: Avoid buying any consumer products that are banned in California, because the state typically has stronger regulations than the rest of the U.S.
More From Sleep Better Week
- Welcome to Sleep Better Week
- What’s the Least You Can Spend on a Good Bed? (Frame and Mattress Included.)
- If You Don’t Know What Kind of Mattress You Want, Try a Medium-Firm Hybrid
- Unisom Was the Only Thing That Helped My Pregnancy Insomnia
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