Standard for the Flammability (Open Flame) of Mattress Sets: 16 CFR Part 1633
Issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Federal Safety Rule · Code of Federal Regulations, Title 16, Part 1633 · Final rule: 71 FR 13472 (March 15, 2006)
Key Takeaway
Every New U.S. Mattress Must Pass an Open Flame Test
What was tested: This is a federal rule, not a study. A mattress set is lit with a pair of propane burners, one on the top and one on the side, and the heat it gives off is measured for 30 minutes (16 CFR 1633.3).
What the numbers showed: To pass, peak heat release must stay at or below 200 kW for the whole 30 minutes, and total heat released must stay at or below 15 MJ in the first 10 minutes. All three test specimens of a prototype must pass.
What this means for you: The rule sets a fire size limit. It does not require any particular fire barrier material or chemical, so a pass tells you the mattress met the limit, not how it did it.
Key Numbers
How the Test Works
The top burner runs for 70 seconds and the side burner for 50 seconds. The mattress then burns freely, and its heat output is measured from how much oxygen the fire uses, a method called oxygen consumption calorimetry (16 CFR Part 1633).
Makers test prototypes. A prototype qualifies only if all three of its test specimens pass; if any one fails, it does not qualify. Specimens must be at least twin size, unless the maker makes nothing that large.
Each mattress set must carry a permanent label with the maker's name and address, the month and year it was made, the model and prototype numbers, and a statement that it meets the standard.
How a Specimen Passes or Fails
Passes the Test
Peak heat release stays at or below 200 kW for 30 minutes, and total heat stays at or below 15 MJ in the first 10 minutes.
Fails the Test
Either limit is exceeded, or the fire grows so large that it has to be put out.
Why the Rule Exists
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the rule in March 2006, and it took effect on July 1, 2007. Its limits are based on research by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The CPSC said mattresses that comply make smaller, slower-growing fires, which lowers the chance of flashover, the point when a whole room bursts into flames (Federal Register, 2006).
At the time, the CPSC estimated the rule could prevent 240 to 270 deaths and 1,150 to 1,330 injuries each year. These are the agency's 2006 forecasts, not measured results.
The CPSC also weighed stricter limits. It found that a 60-minute test or a 150 kW limit would raise costs a lot without much added benefit (16 CFR 1633.8). A separate rule, 16 CFR Part 1632, covers mattresses lit by a cigarette (CPSC business guidance).
An earlier version of this page listed a sample size, a named CPSC office as author, escape-time claims and brand claims that the rule does not support. Those have been removed.
How to Use This Rule When Choosing a Mattress
What it tells you: A U.S. mattress label that says it meets 16 CFR 1633 means that model's prototype passed this burn test.
The rule does not say what the fire barrier must be made of (CPSC). If you want to know whether a barrier uses fiberglass, wool or treated fibers, ask the maker or read the materials label.
Scope and Limitations
This page summarizes a federal rule, not a study. The rule measures how big a fire gets in a lab test. It does not measure smoke, chemical exposure during normal use, or comfort. The death and injury figures are the CPSC's 2006 estimates.
Primary Citation
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Standard for the Flammability (Open Flame) of Mattress Sets, 16 C.F.R. Part 1633. Final rule, 71 Fed. Reg. 13472 (March 15, 2006). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/part-1633