Seeking memory foam without fiberglass

Talk To The Experts MFC Canada
1

Hello all,

I just recently began the search for a new mattress. My wife and I are currently sleeping on a king sized innerspring we got for about $450 four years ago.

I’ve been exceedingly confused by the mattress industry, mattress review companies, and personal blogs online. One will say no, of course x mattress doesn’t have fiberglass. We actually use a silica sock. Then another will say x company does contain fiberglass. I’m learning that silica sock typically means fiberglass. Or that’s what a few online resources state anyway. It feels like it’s all technicalities.

I’ve seen only a handful of horror stories surrounding fiberglass in mattresses becoming exposed, but it sounds so horrible that I’d like to avoid it altogether. But I still want to comfort of a memory foam like bed.

I usually sleep on my side, am about 180 pounds, and 6 foot 3. My wife has a different build and for that reason, I think we would do well with a split king bed. I started looking a few weeks ago and decided a split king with an adjustable base would be amazing. I’m tired of waking up with a sore shoulder and aches muscles.

As I mentioned before, I have been researching beds leaning on multiple mattress review websites. This led me to select the nectar premier, based solely on the fact that the claim is you get a quality mattress for about half the cost of the other guys. I was really narrowed down to purple, nectar, and ghostbed as brands to choose from.

I bought two twin xl nectar premier mattresses the other day for about $1800. For that kind of money, I’m thinking I could get something that doesn’t contain fiberglass.

My issue is, the deeper I research into each mattress brand, the more I find people talking about fiberglass being in the construction somewhere. I found articles stating that nectar, purple, and ghostbed contain fiberglass. I know Ghostbed is a TMU member, so I thought maybe asking about it here would help me with my situation.

I’m thinking about canceling/returning my order from nectar, but if I do, I don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars more to get a bed that STILL CONTAINS FIBERGLASS.

Unless, of course, throwing a mattress cover over the top will suffice. If I’m told by experts that adding a mattress cover should protect my home from fiberglass, I will just keep the nectar. If that’s the case, suggestions on mattress covers would be appreciated (knowing I’m going to get an adjustable bed in the near future).

3 companies I’m finding nothing about fiberglass in their construction online are:

-Nolah
-DLX
-Bear

If anyone has suggestions on what mattresses don’t contain fiberglass, but are similar to nectar premier, I would love to have some help figuring this out. It feels like everywhere I look it’s some sponsored individual paid to sing the praises of one mattress over another. Or multiple people arguing about whether fiberglass is there or not.

Most of the stories I see online are anecdotal and I suppose in fairness they could be constructed by the competition. I just don’t know who or what resources to trust anymore. I just want a good night’s sleep and to keep my family safe. Is that really too much to ask?

2

Hi justwannafindmymattress,

Certi-PUR-US polyurethane foam states that
There would not be fiberglass in the certified foam used for mattresses, pillows, or upholstered furniture. However, some mattress manufacturers surround a mattress’s foam core with barrier fabrics made from fiberglass to help meet government standards for mattress flammability. A mattress zipper is usually there for easy assembly at the factory and not for the customer to use. For that reason, never remove the cover of your mattress, even if it has a zipper, unless the mattress cover is specifically intended to be removed for laundering. Consult the manufacturer’s website or call their customer service department before you zip off your mattress cover. The best way to protect your mattress from getting soiled is to use a mattress pad or mattress protector on top of the mattress. These products will not diminish the feel or comfort of your mattress but will help keep it clean. Many of these products have waterproof features, and some protectors that cover all sides of your product have the added benefit of deterring bedbugs.

Here’s more information about fiberglass in the mattress covers
Reading this blog could save you a ton of time and aggravation. In just the past year or two, consumers have been asking us a question that has also received increased media attention. It has to do with fiberglass. To be absolutely clear, foam manufacturers do not use fiberglass to make the types of foam we certify through the CertiPUR-US® program.

But sometimes there may be fiberglass in your mattress cover or in a fabric “sock” that is pulled over the foam core before the cover is put on — in what is referred to as a barrier fabric. These barrier fabrics are designed to meet government flammability standards. This is a perfectly legitimate practice. But it is important the fiberglass stays safely contained inside the mattress.

For that reason, do not remove the cover of a mattress without first reading product care instructions carefully, consulting the manufacturer’s website or calling their customer service department. Do not take any chances.

Of course, some mattresses are designed with a cover that can be removed without creating a problem, but just because you see a zipper, do not assume the cover is removable.

Sometimes the zipper is there only for easy assembly at the factory and not for the consumer to use. In these cases, unzipping the cover could be like opening Pandora’s Box. You could release glass fibers into the air or onto you, which is not going to be fun (or even possible) to clean up or put back.

That’s why it’s a good idea to purchase a separate mattress pad or protector to keep on top of your mattress to protect the surface from spills and stains. Many mattress protectors have waterproof features, and some protectors that cover all sides of your product have the added benefit of deterring bedbugs (a topic for another day!). These bedding accessories can be easily removed for washing.

OK, enough said. I will zip it right here!

I hope this helps you find the mattress that’s right for you and your family.

All the best!

3

I was aware that the foam itself is free of fiberglass. My worry was regarding the barrier. If that’s relatively normal and safe if contained within a mattress protector, I may give the nectar premier a fair shot.

I just wish they were more transparent about the fact that you shouldn’t unzip the cover of the mattress. When I looked on their site last week, it seemed to be indicating that you could unzip it and wash the cover of the mattress ever experienced a spill.

What attracted me to nectar was the 365 night trial and the “lifetime” warranty. I find that a lot of people that seem to know what they’re talking about when it comes to mattresses say to avoid nectar. I wish I saw that before making my purchase.

I did find some peace of mind with the fact that the sock contains fiberglass elements thanks to your reply. I kept thinking if this is really such an issue, why do they keep using it? Then I also started wondering if it’s such a problem, why are only a handful of the hundreds of thousands of people that buy these mattresses having an issue with it?

The issue must be contained relatively well with the cover in place and not ripped. That now leads me to doing research on mattress protectors. I want a cover that would be waterproof and envelop the entire mattress. I ordered two twin xls to make a split king.

Any suggestions for mattress protectors for a twin xl?

Thank you so much for putting my mind more at ease about the fiberglass issue!

4

Hi justwannafindmymattress,

[quote]
I kept thinking if this is really such an issue, why do they keep using it?
[/quote] These barrier fabrics are designed to meet government flammability standards. This is a perfectly legitimate practice. If not, the foam has to be sprayed with a chemical flamme retardant that in some cases can be more toxic than the fabric barrier. Furthermore some manufacturers don’t want to set up a spray both and have to deal with all the regulations and safety issues of such a process.

As stated above, it’s a cover issue and it should not be removed. It’s best to buy a mattress protector than encloses the entire mattress and can be removed for cleaning purposes

We suggest looking on Amazon, they have hundreds of models at affordable prices

All the best