Flame-Retardant Furniture Foam

Older upholstered sofas and chairs with FR foam.

44Moderate burden · out of 100

Cleaner swapFurniture labelled free of added flame retardants (TB117-2013)

How this score is built

100Start
77Chemical hazard 5 × 4.6−23
60Everyday exposure 5 × 3.4−17
44Persistence 6 × 2.6−15.6, then rounded to 44
ModerateThe band44 sits in 40–59.

What each input rests on

The three ratings behind the score, and the studies each rests on
Input	Rating	Evidence
Chemical hazard	5/10	unsourced input
Everyday exposure	5/10	Chemical flame retardants were detected in 85% of 102 polyurethane foam samples from US couches bought between 1985 and 2010; in couches bought from 2005 on, TDCPP, a suspected human carcinogen, was the most common (52%). Novel and high volume use flame retardants in US couches reflective of the 2005 PentaBDE phase out · Environ Sci Technol 2012 DOI 10.1021/es303471d · PMID 23186002 · Abstract · read 2026-10-12
Persistence	6/10	unsourced input

Ratings are editorial. A study listed here supports the rating; it did not compute it. How the index is built

What this means for you

Older upholstered foam often contains persistent flame retardants that migrate into house dust. Newer 'no added flame retardants' labelling avoids them.

Evidence strength: strong

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Lower-exposure choices

Vinegar & Baking Soda CleaningMinimal · Home

All 36 home entries, highest burden first →