Furniture Flammability Safety Standards in the United States: An Overview

Furniture imported and manufactured for sale in the United States is subject to various flammability standards. In this guide, we take a closer look at 16 CFR Part 1640, ASTM standards, fire safety standards such as NFPA 260, and state-level flammability standards for furniture.

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16 CFR Part 1640 – Standard for the Flammability of Upholstered Furniture

16 CFR Part 1640 sets requirements regarding the flammability of upholstered and reupholstered furniture such as bedding products, foundations, and mattresses, including those intended for children.

It requires upholstered furniture to comply with the requirements set out in California standard TB 117-2013. It also requires upholstered furniture to bear a certification label.

Technical Bulletin (TB) 117-2013

California Technical Bulletin (TB) 117-2013 is incorporated by reference in 16 CFR Part 1640. It applies to cover fabrics, barrier materials, and resilient filling materials used in upholstered furniture such as couches, recliners, and furniture that includes cushions.

It mandates that regulated upholstered furniture pass the following flammability tests:

• Cover fabric test – for outer cover fabrics
• Barrier materials test – for materials between the cover fabric and resilient filling material
• Resilient filling material test – for materials used in upholstered seating furniture

Certification label

According to 16 CFR Part 1640.4, upholstered furniture subject to, and that have passed, the tests in California Technical Bulletin 117-2013 should bear the following statement:

“Complies with U.S. CPSC requirements for upholstered furniture flammability”

That statement is considered to be a certification label and should be permanently attached to the product.

ASTM Furniture Flammability Safety Standards

Here we list several ASTM standards that set methods and provide guidance for assessing the fire hazard risks associated with upholstered furniture. You can find these standards and other standards that concern furniture flammability on the ASTM website.

ASTM E1537 – Standard Test Method for Fire Testing of Upholstered Furniture

This standard sets a method for testing the fire response of upholstered furniture. It can be used to assess how upholstered furniture used in public occupancies can burn when exposed to a flame in well-ventilated areas.

ASTM E1822 – Standard Test Method for Fire Testing of Stacked Chairs

This standard includes a method for testing the fire response and heat release of stacked chairs.

The ignition source used for testing closely replicates “accidental and intentional” flame sources that occur to stacked chairs in public buildings. The standard applies to facilities such as:

• College dormitories
• Health care facilities
• Hotels

ASTM E2187 – Standard Test Method for Measuring the Ignition Strength of Cigarettes

This standard covers bedding products and upholstered furniture. It sets a method that uses cigarettes with different ignition strengths to test the potential ignitability of bedding products and upholstered furniture.

The method applies to testing the heat and flame response of upholstered furniture under controlled conditions. It does not account for how the furniture might behave when they are involved in a real fire.

ASTM E2280 – Standard Guide for Fire Hazard Assessment of the Effect of Upholstered Seating Furniture Within Patient Rooms of Health Care Facilities

This standard covers upholstered seating furniture used in patient rooms in healthcare facilities.

The information within the guide is intended for people who develop fire hazard assessments but does not establish fixed test methods.

It provides modern techniques for fire safety engineering and methods to develop fire hazard assessments. These assessments can be used to determine the flammability of upholstered seating in the aforementioned occupancies.

NFPA Furniture Flammability Safety Standards

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an organization dedicated to fire safety. It produces fire safety standards that upholstered furniture manufacturers can use to ensure their products do not catch fire easily.

Here we list two examples of NFPA fire safety standards that are relevant for furniture.

NFPA 260 – Standard Methods of Tests and Classification System for Cigarette Ignition Resistance of Components of Upholstered Furniture

This standard sets methods for testing and classifying the resistance of upholstered furniture components to ignited cigarettes.

It can help upholstered furniture manufacturers select components and composites for their products that better resist cigarette ignition and are more likely to protect people and property from fires.

NFPA 261 – Standard Method of Test for Determining Resistance of Mock-Up Upholstered Furniture Material Assemblies to Ignition by Smoldering Cigarettes

This standard sets a method of testing to determine to what extent upholstered furniture mock-ups can resist being ignited by smoldering cigarettes.

State Furniture Flammability Safety Regulations

Furniture products sold in the United States are also subject to various state furniture flammability safety regulations. In this section, we list three examples of such regulations.

California Technical Bulletin 117-2013

As explained earlier, California Technical Bulletin 117-2013 covers and sets methods and requirements for testing how well materials used in upholstered furniture resist smoldering cigarettes.

It generally requires cover fabrics, barrier materials, and resilient filling materials to pass their respective resistance tests.

California Technical Bulletin 116

California’s Bureau of Household Goods and Services developed Technical Bulletin 116, which sets test methods and flame retardance requirements for upholstered furniture.

It requires an article of upholstered furniture to:

• Not experience an “obvious flaming combustion”
• Not develop a cigarette char longer that two inches
• Retain flame retardant properties under normal use conditions

The tests specified in the standard explain where the burning cigarettes should be placed (e.g. in the furniture arm) in order to measure the flame retardant properties of the product. There are different types of tests, as follows:

• Smooth surface and decking tests
• Welt test
• Quilted location test
• Tufted location test
• Crevice test
• Tops of arms and backs test

Boston BFD IX

The Boston Fire Department issued BFD IX, which is a set of 3 fire safety standards – namely BFD IX-1, BFD IX-10, and BFD IX-11. Here, we explain their relevance to furniture.

Lab Testing

Furniture products should undergo the relevant flammability tests to ensure they comply with fire safety requirements and do not catch fire easily. You cannot sell unsafe and flammable furniture products because they can cause severe injury (e.g. burns) to consumers. As a result, you can face hefty fines, product recalls, or even product bans.

Sometimes, product testing is mandatory. For instance, 16 CFR Part 1640 requires furniture to be tested according to the methods specified in Technical Bulletin 117-2013.

On the other hand, you can also use voluntary fire safety standards (e.g. NFPA standards) to test the flammability of your upholstered furniture.

When your furniture products pass flammability testing, you receive a test report proving product compliance with the regulations or standards.

Furniture testing companies

Here are several companies that claim to provide furniture flammability testing.

• Intertek
• UL Solutions
• Eurofins
• SGS

Compliance Risks

Furniture covers and filling materials are not compliant with US flammability safety standards by default. There is plenty of furniture manufactured for other countries and markets, which therefore are made using materials compliant with US flammability standards in mind.

It’s therefore critical that importers buying furniture, or materials for domestic furniture manufacturing, verify compliance before shipment to the United States. This is usually done through third-party lab testing.

Further, it’s also necessary to inform your supplier of which standards the materials must be compliant with.