Navigate the confusing world of mattress shopping with expert insights. This article debunks common fears about mattress materials, including VOCs, fire retardants, and potential health risks. Learn what to look for and what to avoid to make an informed decision for a healthier sleep environment.
Welcome to Sleep Better Week, where we are helping you find everything you need to get your best rest from testing the most comfortable mattresses to asking nosy questions about other people’s sleep routines. The market is full of off-gassing polyurethane foam, hormone-disrupting chemicals, and fire retardants which has made buying a bed confusing at best and anxiety-producing at worst.
Many mattress brands have jumped at the chance to capitalize on consumer fears, touting their use of nontoxic and organic materials at every opportunity. 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. I called up experts in toxicology, environmental science, and public health to ask whether the most commonly cited fears about mattresses are founded, and what to actually look for when you’re shopping for one.\Mattresses emit volatile organic compounds. The main concern with VOCs is that they essentially pollute our indoor air. Nearly everything in our homes, from the University of Washington School of Public Health, points out 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. Choosing one with foam that is explicitly certified by CertiPUR-US is another certification to look for; it mandates an even lower level of VOCs and meets testing requirements for VOC emissions set by the California Department of Public Health. Greenguard also rules out other harmful compounds, like formaldehyde. If you want to avoid polyurethane foam altogether, there are plenty of mattresses on the market that use other materials, including mattresses that may not contain any foam at all. To lower your VOC exposure in general, washing your bedding frequently to prevent VOCs from all over your home from accumulating in your bed is helpful.\The consumer-protection regulations are intended to prevent mattresses from being engulfed in the event of a fire. Meeting these requirements does not mean that mattresses are loaded with harmful chemical flame retardants. Manufacturers don’t use chemical flame 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 flame retardant, which would not be very comfortable to sleep on. 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. None of these are concerning for use in mattresses, with fiberglass as one exception. Many companies have phased out fiberglass owing to safety concerns. Most reputable brands now clearly state whether they use fiberglass in their mattresses. 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. Some waterproof mattresses may contain harmful plasticizers, such as phthalates, that mimic the naturally occurring hormones in our bodies, exposure can negatively affect growth, reproduction, and digestion
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