From The Ethical Mattress Company:
The California state senate has passed a state-wide ban on the sale of mattresses containing fiberglass and other flame-retardant chemicals. The ban, which passed the senate by a vote of 35-3, also applies to upholstered furniture and is tentatively scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027. The measure must now be passed by the state assembly and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom before becoming law.
Bryan Umiker, a Maplewood resident and owner of the Ethical Mattress Company in Millburn, NJ, applauded the move. “California has long taken a leading role in regulating mattresses to protect both consumers and our natural environment,” Umiker said. “There is no reason for manufacturers to use toxic chemicals and fiberglass in their mattresses to meet federal flammability standards when natural solutions exist. They use fiberglass because it’s cheap and easy, and they do it despite being fully aware that there can be a detrimental impact to the health of their customers.”
Umiker, a twenty-year veteran of the mattress business and former vice president for both Casper and Bloomingdale’s, said alternatives to fiberglass and chemicals are well-known within the industry and widely available. “We sell the Natural Dreams brand in our store specifically for these reasons. The mattresses are made right here in New Jersey from sustainably sourced materials, and they use a layer of organic wool as the thermal barrier. Wool fibers have a unique cellular structure that makes it resistant to flames, and it’s natural and toxin-free. The only reason the national brands don’t use it is to keep their costs down.”
For the last twenty years, fiberglass has been the predominant method used by mattress manufacturers to meet fire retardancy standards. According to Poison.org, when exposed to the air fiberglass can be irritating to the eyes, skin and lungs, and short-term exposure may cause lung inflammation and bronchiolitis, while long-term exposure is associated with lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis. Mattress companies claim the fiberglass in their products is covered and not exposed to air, but consumer complaints of thin strands of fiberglass coming out of their new mattresses are becoming more common.
According to Umiker, California was the first state to impose a flammability standard on mattresses, a standard that was eventually adopted at the federal level, and California was also the first state to require the recycling of old mattresses. “The rest of the country has been slow to introduce recycling. Only a small number of states have followed suit, and unfortunately New Jersey isn’t one of them.”
“The good news,” Umiker added, “is you don’t have to go to California to buy a toxin-free mattress or to make sure your old mattress gets recycled. You can get all of those things when you visit our store in Millburn.”
