Is There Flame Retardant in Furniture?
It can be, and in California the rules changed. California’s household goods bureau says its flammability standard TB 117-2013 is a performance standard that does not require or ban any material, that the bureau does not regulate flame retardant chemicals, and that manufacturers are no longer compelled to make products resist an open flame, only to pass cigarette smoldering tests.
California’s SB 1019, in effect since January 1, 2015, requires manufacturers of covered upholstered furniture and foam to state on the label whether or not the product contains added flame retardant chemicals, and the label says California has determined the fire safety requirements can be met without adding them. TB 117-2013 itself took effect on January 1, 2014 and was fully in force from January 1, 2015.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences says flame retardants can leach from products into the air and attach to dust, food and water that people ingest. It says PBDEs, a class of flame retardants, do not chemically bind to furniture and are easily released into air and dust, and that although production was phased out beginning in 2004, products containing them remain in use.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Regulatory filingCalifornia’s household goods bureau says TB 117-2013 is a performance standard that does not prescribe or prohibit materials, that it does not regulate flame retardant chemicals, and that products no longer have to resist an open flame, only cigarette smoldering. California Bureau of Household Goods and Services ↗
- Regulatory filingCalifornia’s SB 1019 requires manufacturers of covered products to indicate on the label whether or not the product contains added flame retardant chemicals, with a statement that the fire safety requirements can be met without adding them. California Legislature ↗
- Regulatory filingCalifornia’s household goods bureau says SB 1019 became effective on January 1, 2015. California Bureau of Household Goods and Services ↗
- Government sourceNIEHS says flame retardants are various chemicals applied to materials to prevent burning or slow the spread of fire, a term that describes their function rather than a specific composition. NIEHS, National Institutes of Health ↗
- Government sourceNIEHS says flame retardant chemicals can leach from products into the air and attach to dust, food and water, which can be ingested. NIEHS, National Institutes of Health ↗
- Government sourceNIEHS says PBDEs do not chemically bind to products such as furniture and are easily released into air and dust, and that production was phased out beginning in 2004 while products containing them remain in use. NIEHS, National Institutes of Health ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.