If you’re buying a mattress, sofa or pillow from someone who tells you it’s chemical-free, please laugh and take your hard-earned money elsewhere. The truth is, there are few things on this planet that are chemical-free — including you and me. Yes, everything is made with or contains chemicals. Anyone who tells you differently is greenwashing — which is against U.S. Federal Trade Commission guidelines yet still rampant.
Chemical-free, made without chemicals and no chemicals are all unsupportable marketing terms meant to tap into consumer chemophobia. Don’t fall for it.
Chemophobia has been around a long time, often stoked by media outlets that aim to sensationalize and don’t bother to get the facts. Back in 2014, Simon Oxenham featured a graphic from Sense about Science on the Big Think blog that compares the chemical ingredients of apples to candy hearts.
The list of chemicals in apples is much longer and, on the surface, more frightening! Apples are made of water (also known as the chemical H2O), vegetable oils, sugars, starch, carotene, tocopherol (E306), riboflavin (E101), nicotinamide, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, ascorbic acid (E300), palmitic acid, stearic acid (E570), oleic acid, linoleic acid, malic acid (E296), salicylic acid, purines, sodium, potassium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, phosphorous, chloride, colors and antioxidants. But most people would agree that apples are more natural (not to mention healthier) than ultra-processed candy hearts.
A foam that has been certified through the CertiPUR-US® program is not chemical-free. No such thing! But certified foams have been screened for relevant chemicals (chemicals that could potentially be used in the manufacture of flexible polyurethane foam) that are classified as carcinogenic (may cause cancer), mutagenic (may cause genetic defects) and harmful to human health (reprotoxic) by the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). GHS is an internationally agreed-upon standard managed by the United Nations that was set up to replace the assortment of hazardous material classification and labeling systems previously used around the world.
To become CertiPUR-US® certified, foam samples are taken at the manufacturing stage and sent to one of the approved independent, accredited testing laboratories to be analyzed for content and emissions. Foams must be certified twice in the first year and annually thereafter to remain certified. Certified foams are:
- Made without formaldehyde
- Made without ozone depleters
- Made without phthalates regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Made without mercury, lead and other heavy metals
- Low VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million)
- Screened for relevant chemicals, including flame retardants, that are classified as carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxins and are harmful to human health
Our criteria for certification are a living standard, and during the past 16 years since we were established as a nonprofit foam certification program, we have updated the criteria numerous times to accommodate new findings and regulations and to keep our standard current.
Speaking of truth in advertising, if you see the CertiPUR-US® logo on a company’s packaging, web page or ads, it’s critical to check our directory of participating companies to be sure the company or brand is listed. If the company is not listed, they are using our logo without permission, and we can’t vouch for their use of certified foam.
The CertiPUR-US® program is based on good, evidence-based science. We’re proud of that — we don’t need to stretch the truth, use false claims or spread misinformation. You can count on us for transparency too: You can read our complete technical guidelines (the criteria a foam has to meet to earn certification) right here on our website.