California Bans Textile Fiberglass in Certain Products

SG 134/23

The law will ban textile fiberglass in mattresses, juvenile products and upholstered furniture starting January 2027.

On October 8, 2023, California signed into law AB 1059, which will restrict the use of textile fiberglass in mattresses, juvenile products and upholstered furniture. The ban will come into effect on January 1, 2027. The law is expanding on Article 5.5 to Chapter 3, Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code that restricts flame retardants in the above-mentioned product types.

The law defines textile fiberglass as a textile yarn whose composition includes one or more continuous glass filaments in a form suitable for knitting, weaving or otherwise intertwining to form a textile fabric.

Apart from the restriction on textile fiberglass, the law also extends the existing flame retardant ban to all mattress components, not just mattress foam. Components of adult mattresses other than foam will be still exempted until January 1, 2027. It also requires the International Sleep Products Association to submit to the bureau a quantitative health risk assessment of modacrylic fiber without antimony trioxide by October 1, 2025.

California Business and Professions Code, Division 8, Chapter 3, Article 5.5

1 The restrictions do not apply to the following:

• Electronic components of juvenile products, mattresses, reupholstered furniture, upholstered furniture or any associated casing for those electronic components
• Upholstered or reupholstered furniture components other than those identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 19094
• Threads or fibers when used for stitching mattress components together
• Aramid fibers when used in fabric in the interior of a mattress or in fabric that covers the bottom (non-sleep surface) of a mattress that has a sleeping surface on only one side of the mattress
• Modacrylic fibers without antimony trioxide or other covered flame retardant chemicals
• Until January 1, 2027, components of adult mattresses other than foam

2 The restrictions do not apply to the following:

• Threads or fibers when used for stitching mattress components together
• Yarns in which the glass filaments are corespun or sheathed by another fiber

SGS adds value from concept to finished product. With a full range of services, including product design analysis, component and product testing, auditing, inspection and retail store checks, we help businesses deliver safe, well-designed, functional and durable products to their customers. We have the furniture industry, regulatory and technical expertise required to ensure compliance against relevant standards and/or a manufacturer’s own specifications. Discover more on our website. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested.

​California proposes to ban both flame retardants and fiberglass in adult mattresses and fiberglass in both juvenile products and upholstered furniture from 2027.

The bill AB 1059 would amend the Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation Act, adding flame retardant and/or fiberglass requirement for adult mattresses, juvenile products and upholstered furniture.​ The existing Act does exempt adult mattress from the flame retardant requirement (1000 ppm) and this bill would probably make that exemption inoperative on January 1, 2027.

Moreover, the bill would also add a new section by introducing a total ban of fiberglass in mattresses, juvenile products and upholstered furniture, effective on January 1, 2027.

Fiberglass means textile yarn whose composition includes one or more continuous glass filaments in a form suitable for knitting, weaving, or otherwise intertwining to form a textile fabric, excluding thread or fiber when used for stitching mattress components together and yarns in which the glass filaments are corespun or sheathed by another fiber.