Do Amazon Mattresses Have Fiberglass?

Fiberglass inside mattresses is becoming more and more of a consumer concern, with sleepers having to deal with seemingly mysterious ailments until they figure out the problem is their mattress. Even once they realize the issue is fiberglass leaking through their mattress, clean-up can be a hassle, as the fiberglass particles can spread and taint their bedroom and even the rest of their home.

With fiberglass and its hazards becoming a prominent concern, many are asking themselves if they can trust a mattress that is sold by popular web retailer Amazon, which sells a number of home goods along with other products.

About Amazon

Amazon.com, Inc. is an American e-commerce company and has become one of the more recognizable brands today. Amazon is considered one of the Big Five technology companies in America, along with Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., Microsoft Corporation, and Meta Platforms, Inc.

Amazon sells a number of physical goods, from books to home goods to personal care products, along with more miscellaneous hobby items like sports equipment and craft supplies. They also offer digital goods and services, such as downloadable songs, TV shows and movies, ebooks, and digital gift cards.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses on Amazon

About Fiberglass

Fiberglass is a bit more complicated than what its name suggests. Instead of being wholly glass fibers, the material is made with plastic that’s reinforced with glass. It’s excellent for insulation, which is why it’s often used in home construction.

Fiberglass became a common mattress ingredient when it was discovered that the chemical retardantsVerified Source Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Works to control/prevent natural and manmade disasters.View source used to provide fire protection could have harmful effects on the body. Many manufacturers chose to switch to a safer material, and fiberglass became one of the more popular alternatives.

Where is fiberglass inside the mattress? Often it’s right underneath the mattress’s cover fabric or otherwise close to the surface.

The Hazards of Fiberglass

While fiberglass isn’t dangerous in the same way that the chemical flame retardants previously used in mattresses were, it’s not a material without its drawbacks. Since fiberglass is typically just right underneath the mattress, it’s possible for fiberglass to slip through holes in the cover as the fabric wears out with use.

This does more than create a difficult-to-clean-up mess, as fiberglass can cause skin irritation and eye irritation if it comes in contact with the body. If a sleeper breathes in loose fiberglass particles, it can cause breathing problems and stomach issues.

And as we mentioned, loose fiberglass particles are difficult to clean up. If you have to clean up fiberglass on a mattress and in the bedroom, it’s going to take a vacuum with a HEPA filter and a lint roller to try and get all the tiny pieces in the bedroom.

However, the particles are small enough that they can be swept up by your home air conditioning system. Should the fiberglass spread, it will be all but impossible to relax anywhere in your home. And it can be too tricky for many to fully clean up on their own, which will mean paying the fee for a professional home cleaning service.

This is why many shoppers seek a mattress without fiberglass. The potential consequences for their health and wallet mean that an affordable bed may still come with a too-steep price tag.

So does buying a mattress without fiberglass mean buying a mattress without flame protection? Not if it’s manufactured in the U.S., where mattresses have to meet flammability standards and resist an open flame for a specific length of time.

Do Amazon Mattresses Have Fiberglass?

The problem is that this isn’t a simple “yes-or-no” question due to the sheer range of mattresses that Amazon offers. Yes, Amazon does carry mattresses that have come under consumer fire for containing fiberglass, such as:

• Zinus mattresses
• Nectar mattresses
• Lucid mattresses
• Ashley Furniture mattresses
• Lull mattresses
• Vibe mattresses
• Olee Sleep mattresses
• Linenspa mattresses
• Layla mattresses
• Leesa mattresses

The Amazon Basics mattress has also contained glass fibers in its construction. However, there are other mattress brands on Amazon that have focused on safer materials to replace fiberglass, such as silica, wool, and plant fibers.

Our best mattresses without fiberglass buyer’s guide focuses on some of the top brands that have chosen safer alternatives for a flame barrier.

Choosing a Mattress Without Fiberglass

Are you concerned about whether or not a mattress you’re considering on Amazon has fiberglass inside it? Some mattresses have a clear-cut statement on their Amazon product page that they are fiberglass-free, but not all do. If the manufacturer does not openly disclose what they use for flame protection, how can you safely determine if a mattress is right for you?

Research Reviews

Many mattress brands also delve into deeper detail about their mattresses’ construction on their official websites, providing more information than what you would find on an Amazon product page. There are also third-party web reviews that may examine whether or not a mattress model contains fiberglass, or customer reviewers that gain attention after discovering fiberglass in their mattress.

Unclear Materials

Some manufacturers may try to get clever with how they describe their materials and use “glass fibers” or “glass wool” in place of fiberglass. Before you purchase a mattress, there should be no doubt as to the materials it contains. Reach out to customer service if you have any questions, and consider it a red flag if they do not give a direct answer.

There are also certain types of mattresses that are more likely to use fiberglass in their construction. Latex mattresses are the go-to bed if you want a natural and non-toxic mattress, as manufacturers tend to strive for an eco-friendly construction that matches the sustainable nature of latex foam. However, memory foam, hybrid, and innerspring mattresses can all be made without fiberglass.

Non-Removable Mattress Cover

One warning sign that a mattress contains fiberglass is having a non-removable mattress cover. Now, that doesn’t mean you need to immediately dismiss any mattresses with a “Do Not Remove Cover” tag. The cover, after all, serves the valuable purpose of protecting the mattress’s insides, and many manufacturers simply don’t want to compromise that protection.

Many mattress owners would also find it quite tricky to get the mattress cover back on, having to wrestle with their mattress’s interior materials to slip the cover over them. So that’s another practical reason for brands to advise against removing it.

But the presence of a non-removable mattress cover is a good reason to dig deeper. If you cannot find a straightforward explanation for what material the mattress relies on for its flame barrier, either on the mattress’s product page or after reaching out to customer service, then it’s best to move on to other potential mattress purchases.

Origin of a Mattress

You may also want to consider where the mattress is manufactured. Mattresses made in the U.S. have to comply with certain manufacturing standards, and researching their construction is usually simple enough. Meanwhile, mattresses made outside of the U.S. may have a manufacturing process with difficult-to-verify details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a fiberglass mattress make you sick?

The fiberglass inside a mattress won’t make you sick as long as the cover fabric provides a barrier between your body and the fiberglass particles. However, if those particles slip through a worn-out mattress cover, they can irritate your skin and cause respiratory and digestive issues if you breathe in the particles.

Loose fiberglass can even be sucked up by your home air conditioning system and spread throughout the home. If this happens, it may take a deep cleaning by a professional to make your home comfortable and safe again.

Are mattresses still made with fiberglass?

Yes, fiberglass is still a material found inside mattresses. The material may be used less and less in beds as customers’ concerns become more and more prominent, but it’s unlikely to ever completely disappear from mattresses’ production. This is why it’s important to do your homework when you’re looking for a new mattress.

How do you protect yourself from fiberglass in a mattress?

If you have a mattress with fiberglass that still’s safely underneath the cover fabric, you can take the precaution of encasing it with a mattress protector. This will add a non-permeable barrier to prevent any fiberglass leaks from spreading and causing discomfort. However, if fiberglass has already begun to escape, it’s best to bag the mattress up and get it out of your home.

Do cheap mattresses have fiberglass?

A cheap mattress is more likely to have fiberglass than a more upscale mattress, yes. Fiberglass is an affordable way to establish a flame-resistant sleep surface, so manufacturers focused on offering the lowest prices will forgo more expensive materials like wool. This is why it’s important to consider more than just price as you browse through potential mattresses.

Should I throw away a mattress with fiberglass?

If you can afford to replace your mattress with one that’s fiberglass-free, it’s probably best to get rid of the mattress even if it’s still in usable condition. As long as the fiberglass is still contained by the cover fabric, the bed is all right to sleep on until you can purchase and set up a new mattress.

And if your old mattress is still in good condition, you can look into donating it to a charity. Otherwise, see if it’s possible to have it picked up for recycling or the landfill.

Conclusion

Amazon is many shoppers’ preferred one-stop online shopping center, but there are concerns about the quality of some of its cheaper mattresses. We strongly recommend that you find out what a manufacturer uses as a flame guard if you want to successfully pick a mattress without fiberglass.

And that may mean looking beyond Amazon for the best mattress and a brand that prioritizes the customer and offers peace of mind with your purchase.