memory foam pillows/mattresses dangerous?!?
I just read an article that memory foam mattresses/pillows give off a certain chemical and they promote allergies and all this harmful effects on the nervous system. I am wondering if there has been any laws or regulations against the companies to fix their products, and if the products in the stores currently are safe now? I want to go buy a memory foam pillow but I am scared after reading about this.
New bedding laws that went into effect in 2010, change the Cal-117 Bulletin for FR testing.[5] There is concern that high levels of the fire retardant PBDE, commonly used in memory foam, could cause health problems for users. [6] PBDE’s are no longer used in most bedding foams, especially in the European Union.
I sleep on a memory foam pillow and i haven’t heard anything, i am in Australia, it has me a little worried now, i wish i knew where to find the article so i could read it
I work in a bed factory and deal with memory foam all day long.
I have never heard anything about these supposed problems although the only chemical i can think of would be the glue used to stick the layers together which is most likely cfc free and non toxic.
If this was a problem i would have known about it as we have been selling both mattresses and pillows for a good few years. I will however follow this up with our suppliers and report back should i find out anything more.
They are a synthetic blend and are petroleum based. They are known to off gas and the smell usually dissipates quickly. There are cases where people are chemical sensitive or get headaches from the smell but they are fairly rare. Polyurethane foams have been used now for approx 40 years and that is essentially what memory foam is.
There are versions which are more eco friendly and do not off gas nearly as much. You may also want to look into all natural latex rubber.