You’ve heard about fiberglass in mattresses being a problem and you want your new bed to be as safe as possible. You’re feeling confused because some brands have been shady about whether or not they use fiberglass, and getting a definitive answer has left you exhausted and disillusioned with the research process.
To answer your question and give you all the information to make an informed decision, here’s what I did. I talked with Tempurpedic on two occasions, and got feedback from readers, just like you. I also went to my local Tempur stockist and pulled apart some Tempur mattresses to have a really good look inside current Tempur stock.
So, let’s get it all out in the open about fiberglass and Tempurpedic mattresses, and what it means for you.
Investigating the Fiberglass Question in Tempurpedic Mattresses
Yes. The short answer is Tempurpedic does have fiberglass. I first asked them about this issue in 2021, then updated my answer based on new information a reader gave me in 2023.
When I first investigated this issue in 2021, Tempurpedic informed me there was no fiberglass inside their mattress, as you can see from the chat below.
You can see they’ve referred to silica in their 2021 answer. Silica is made from glass fiber, but is crushed up like sand (it won’t make shards that are the fiberglass particles everyone worries about), so I was happy to accept their answer at that time.
Fast forward to 2023 and a reader contacts me to state their Tempurpedic mattress does, in fact, have fiberglass. It’s time to do more investigating to get to the bottom of the issue.
The reader who contacted me has a Tempur mattress that pre-dates this chat, and the label clearly states it has glass fibers in it. Here’s their picture:
You can see that glass fiber is clearly stated as being 23% of the netting.
So, I messaged Tempur to ask what exactly was going on. At first, their chat-bot spat out a line that “Tempur has never used fiberglass” so at that point I asked to speak to a real human.
Here’s a copy/paste of the exact answer I got once an actual person was involved:
The glass fibers in our mattress products are comprised of a core-spun techonolgy that encases the glass in a flexible protective sheath housed within the internal mattress design and is completely safe and inaccessible in normal use, even if the cover is removed.
To ensure saftety and quality for our customers, Tempur Sealy only uses this core-spun glass fiber technology and regularly conducts indepent testing to esnure continued safety and that the mateirals within all Tempur Sealu products meet or exceed all regulatory compliance
Taylor, Tempur-Pedic Customer Services Representative
When I pressed Tempur on the issue of previously being told there was no fiberglass, or what even is the difference between fiberglass and glass fiber, they just kept spitting this line back at me.
Clearly this is an issue they’ve been told to speak very carefully to customers about as they won’t actually say much.
Where Exactly Is Fiberglass Found in Tempurpedic Mattresses?
The glass fiber is not in the cover, and it’s not in the foam. Where is it then, you ask? It’s part of the netting.
The netting is the fire sock and is between the cover and the foams. It’s the stretchy layer you see when you unzip the removable cover.
Here’s the netting, it’s number 2 in the picture from Tempurpedic below:
Tempur netting is typically a blue color, as shown above. As the glass fibers are woven inside you won’t see any when you take your Tempur mattress cover off.
Here’s what that actually looks like in the real world compared to the supplied image from Tempurpedic. You can see that I’ve unzipped the washable cover, exposing layer 1. The fibreglass containing layer, layer 2, is enclosed under layer 1. This means the fiberglass is not only knitted into this layer in a way it shouldn’t escape, but also that you will never unzip the cover through to it.
Understanding the Role and Safety of Fiberglass in Mattresses
So, what’s the deal with fiberglass, is it unsafe? Unhealthy? A problem?
The Role Of Fiberglass In Mattresses
Fiberglass is there as a federally required fire barrier. Memory foam mattresses like Tempurpedic are made from highly flammable foams, that ignite extremely quickly given the chance.
When a mattress with a fiberglass fire barrier catches on fire, the fiberglass melts, and deprives the fire of oxygen. A fire can’t burn without oxygen, so it either snuffs it out or slows it down significantly.
In fact, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that fire barriers inside mattresses, like the fiberglass we are talking about, saves around 270 lives and prevents 1330 injuries per year.
Safety Of Fiberglass
As long as the fiberglass inside the mattress cannot escape, there will be no problem. However, there have been instances where in cheaper brands, fiberglass has come out of a mattress, causing contamination to the area and also health problems.
Health problems can arise if the fibers become airborne and are inhaled or come into contact with the skin. Here are some potential health implications:
- Respiratory Irritation: Inhaling airborne fiberglass particles can irritate the respiratory system, leading to symptoms such as coughing, throat irritation, and difficulty breathing. Individuals with respiratory conditions such as asthma may be more sensitive to these effects.
- Skin Irritation: Contact with fiberglass can cause skin irritation, redness, itching, and discomfort. The tiny glass fibers can embed themselves in the skin, leading to irritation that may persist until the fibers are removed.
- Eye Irritation: Fiberglass particles can cause irritation to the eyes, resulting in redness, tearing, and discomfort. It is essential to avoid rubbing the eyes if fiberglass particles come into contact with them.
- Allergic Reactions: Some individuals may be allergic to fiberglass, and exposure can trigger allergic reactions such as hives, itching, or a rash.
Does This Mean I Shouldn’t Buy A Tempurpedic Mattress?
I think you’re safer with Tempur than other brands that use fiberglass.
The fibers in Tempur won’t be able to get out of the mattress and contaminate your house like other cheaper brands.
Why? The woven glass that Tempur use works quite differently to the fibers that have caused problems with cheaper brands. Here’s how that works:
- Tempur’s core-spun glass fibers are encased in a sheath and are inside the mattress.
- Basically, this means that you can use the mattress safely without any particles escaping, even when you remove the cover. I showed you above that you can quite safely take the cover off, I’ve done it myself.
- Cheaper brands like Zinus use brittle and crumbly fiberglass (not protected in any sheath.
- Cheaper brands where problems have emerged do not weave the fibers into the mattress, rather it is a layer of fibers.
Do keep in mind that Tempur is a very specific feeling mattress: it has a very contouring and sinking type of slow-response foam which some people love. If this is you, I’d still buy Tempur as other brands don’t really replicate that feeling. Otherwise, I’d buy something else.
Best Tempur Alternatives With NO Glass Fibers
The best mattresses that you can rest assured have no fiberglass are natural latex mattresses. These mattresses focus on natural or organic materials and use wool or cotton in the fire barrier.
I’ve written a detailed article covering three of the top natural latex mattress options.
Alternatively, if you’d really like a memory foam mattress without fiberglass, these six are the best I could find and verify for you:
Final Words
So yes, Tempurpedic does have fiberglass. But, it’s woven into the mattress in such a way that I don’t feel will ever be a problem.
Fiberglass is a highly effective fire barrier as long as it’s contained. The flip of that is it does cause major problems if it is not contained.
My personal preference would be to choose a fiberglass free mattress so your mind can totally be at ease. You can see there are many great fiberglass free options available so why risk it?
