Mattress Safety

Fire

• Though smoking in bed is the most obvious fire threat, there are as many different ways to catch a mattress on fire as there are people who lay down on them. It's for this reason that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is in charge of overseeing federal standards when it comes to mattress combustibility. These newer standards can't eliminate the danger completely, but they do insure that if one catches fire it will burn more slowly, hopefully providing a chance for house occupants to either put out the fire or escape the dwelling. Look for a tag that provides compliance information.

Chemicals

• One unfortunate side effect of slower burning mattresses could be that the flame resistant chemicals cause sickness in children, pregnant women and the elderly. At least that is the claim by Doris Rapp, M.D., pediatrician and allergy specialist. The CPSC rebuts her contention, saying that no materials that can cause illness to mattress users have ever been approved for inclusion. Whether or not Rapp's claim has any basis in fact is left to the consumer to decide. Mattress producers assert that any rashes or sicknesses found in assembly line workers could easily be traced to detergents or soaps.

Children

• Mattresses intended for use by children must meet even stricter safety standards that include a reduction of lead and phthalates content and contain no dangers in design that might provide a choking or poking hazard. Considering that newborn babies spend up to 18 hours daily sleeping in their cribs, mattress choice is critical. Parents should take care that it fits snugly within the crib to avoid the infant being trapped in a crack and suffocating. Another consideration is that foam might be preferable to spring design -- wear and tear can cause a steel barb to poke through a weak point.

Shopping Tips

• A good mattress can be moderately expensive. Take your time when shopping to make sure you get your money's worth. Firmness and heaviness are good. Be suspicious of a store that doesn't have display models out to test or that is vague about exactly what materials are used in the construction of each layer.