Is My Mattress Fiberglass-Free? A Tag-Reading Guide 

When you're examining a mattress tag and are concerned about the presence of fiberglass, you'll want to look for terms that are often used to represent fiberglass or are associated with materials that might contain it. Here's a breakdown of what to look for:

Direct Terms:

• Fiberglass: This is the most straightforward term. If it's listed, fiberglass is present.

• Glass Fiber: Another direct way of saying fiberglass.

• Glass Wool: This also indicates the presence of fiberglass.

Indirect or Veiled Terms:

• Silica Fiberglass is made from fine strands of silica. Sometimes, manufacturers may use the term "silica" or "amorphous silica" to make it sound less alarming.

• Glass-Reinforced Plastic: While this term is more common in other industries, it does imply the presence of fiberglass.

• "Continuous filament glass fiber" This is a technical term that could be used on a tag.

• Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP): This term is less common on mattress tags but could still be used.

• GRP: similar to the previous one, GRP is short for glass-reinforced plastic.

• "Modacrylic" : Modacrylic fiber is frequently used as a flame-resistant material, and while it doesn't inherently indicate the presence of fiberglass, it's often used in conjunction with a fiberglass core.

Other Terms That May (But Not Always) Indicate Fiberglass:

• "Inner Cover," "Inner Lining," "Sleeve," or "Sock": These terms often refer to a layer designed to protect the inner components of the mattress and may contain fiberglass as a fire barrier. However, these materials can be made of other fire-resistant materials as well, so you'll need to look for the above terms.

• "Fire Barrier" or "Fire-Resistant Barrier": While not a direct indicator of fiberglass, this term can be a clue. The barrier material will need to be further specified to determine if it's fiberglass. However, seeing this term should prompt you to investigate more closely.

• Blended Fibers: This general term might be followed by more specific names. It's important to be sure exactly what these fibers are.

Things to Keep in Mind:

• Absence of Information Doesn't Guarantee Absence of Fiberglass: Manufacturers are not always required to disclose every single material used in a product. The absence of the term "fiberglass" doesn't always guarantee that it's not present.

• Look for "Do Not Remove" or "spot clean only" Warnings: Mattresses with fiberglass often have warnings not to remove the outer cover. This is usually because removing the cover could disturb the fiberglass layer and release fibers. Although, this does not always mean that it has fiberglass, as there are other flame retardant materials that the warning may apply to.

• Contact the Manufacturer: If you're unsure about the materials listed or have any concerns, the best course of action is to contact the manufacturer directly for clarification.

 Mattress companies have used fiberglass in some of their mattresses and in some they have not. You must check your mattress tag for the most accurate information on this. Most will disclose if they have fiberglass but may use a different term for this, usually including the word "fibers". Also, if the cleaning instructions on the tag instruct to not remove the cover or say to "spot clean only", this is also sometimes a sign that there is fiberglass somewhere in the mattress. BEWARE many companies are not upfront about this and will even deny it's use when contacting. They are not required to disclose the contents of other components of the mattress, such as the cover. This is sometimes where the fibers are stored and they won't be listed in this case. CHECK TAGS      CALL OR CHAT WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE        READ ONLINE REVIEWS AND GOOGLE SEARCH Do not rely on one source, as there is a lot of conflicting information on certain brands that contain fiberglass. Also, some companies used fiberglass in the past and changed this later, so certain models during periods of time contain fiberglass, but you might find recent information that says they do not contain it.  If the company tells you that they do not contain fiberglass, ask what they use as a fire retardant instead because all mattresses have to pass CPSC regulations and have some sort of fire retardant, which is what the fiberglass is used for and considered an effective method still by the CPSC. 

You can also join our online community and ask questions. Members are very helpful and you'll most likely find others who have had the same brand as you. We are the MATTRESS FIBERGLASS SUPPORT & AWARENESS GROUP on Facebook. See you soon.