Banks Sleeper Sofa Foam vs Josie Upholstered Sofa 81.5" Polyester Wrapped Cushions: which is safer?
Banks Sleeper Sofa Foam is the clear pick. Pottery Barn Josie Upholstered Sofa 81.5" Polyester Wrapped Cushions carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
Joybird
Banks Sleeper Sofa Foam
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyVolatile Organic Compound (VOC) Off-Gassing
PossibleFlame Retardant Chemical Content
PossibleFormaldehyde in Adhesives and Binders
Pottery Barn
Josie Upholstered Sofa 81.5" Polyester Wrapped Cushions
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyFlame retardant chemicals (non-PFAS)
PossibleFormaldehyde and VOC off-gassing
ReportedStain-resistant coating degradation over time
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Off-Gassing, Flame Retardant Chemical Content, Formaldehyde in Adhesives and Binders and Foam Degradation Over Time on the Joybird and not on the Pottery Barn.
- We flag Flame retardant chemicals (non-PFAS), Formaldehyde and VOC off-gassing, Stain-resistant coating degradation over time and Microplastic shedding from polyester on the Pottery Barn and not on the Joybird.
- The Joybird is polyurethane foam where the Pottery Barn is polyester wrapped cushions with stain-resistant treatment, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Joybird is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Pottery Barn grade, at 40% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More upholstered furniture, see the full ranking