Finding a chemical free mattress with no fire retardant treatment can be easy if you know what you are looking for, but don’t be fooled.

You might think that actually a fire retardant free mattress is not what you want. Fire is a danger, and the last thing you want is for your mattress not to repel flames or – even worse than that – encourage them.

But what if we told you your mattress could be naturally fire retardant and made from natural materials, because lots of natural materials have fire retardant properties? Well, that’s the best of both worlds.

You’ll spend eight hours a day on your mattress, and the last thing you want is to be so close to chemicals for such a long time. But man-made fire retardants are chemicals, and that’s where the problem lies.

Are man-made fire retardants safe?

The main chemical group that causes mattress concern in the UK is fire retardants. Those used are broken down into two main types:

• Brominated
• Chlorinated and organophosphates.

Used on cover fabrics, these are then blended with antimony trioxide.

So, what does this mean?

Well, many flame retardants are endocrine disrupting chemicals, and have the ability to enter your body, usually when they’re contained in dust, then ingested or inhaled. It doesn’t matter how much dusting you do, because it is formed when the back coating of a surface is broken down, causing it to separate. It happens when items get older, and is something we all have to deal with. Still, it’s harmless, except when that dust contains potentially harmful chemicals.

UK homes have a larger percentage of fire retardants contained in dust than any other nation. There is no law in the UK that these chemical additives have to be listed on the mattress.

There’s also no policing, which means anyone can advertise their mattress as chemical and fire retardant free, even when it isn’t.

The best way of spotting these is to know what you are looking for. For example, mattresses that claim to be natural and yet contain foam cannot be chemical free, because they need to be treated to pass a CRIB 5. These mattresses are unsafe, either because they haven’t actually been treated, or because they contain dangerous chemicals.

A CRIB 5 is also known as an ignition source 5, and relates to mattresses and furniture tested to pass UK fire regulations. The test itself does not dem the product fireproof, but does reduce the ignition risk, potentially saving lives.

Ely has your back, side and front

Here at Ely, we have you covered. You can be sure that our mattresses are not only free from harmful, man made fire retardants, but are also fully fire safe, meaning you’re not replacing one evil with another.

Handmade in Yorkshire, Ely mattresses are made from naturally fire retardant materials like wool, horse hair and cotton. When was the last time you saw a sheep on fire? Exactly.

(Please do not try to set fire to a sheep).

In fact, our mattresses are free from all chemicals and toxic materials. They’re 100% natural and biodegradable, which means they’re not only safe for you to use, they’re safe for the environment, too. We want to keep you healthy, while protecting the planet we live on.

We believe mother nature knows best. We’re returning to a more traditional method of natural making, rolling back to the days before thousands of cheap, man made materials overtook common sense, and manufacturers started looking to make a quick buck.

Our mattresses are also hypoallergenic, and they’re breathable, so they’ll regulate your body temperature whatever the weather. Our products pass British fire standards without additional treatment, and can be purchased on finance, so there’s no damage to your wallet, either.

Mattresses at Ely

Ely sells three products, the Ely mattress, the Ely cot mattress, and the mattress protector. They were all produced with the consumer in mind, and are:

• cost effective
• long lasting
• comfortable
• biodegradable
• fire resistant.

Our mattresses come with a ten year warranty. We can offer that because we’re sure they’ll outlive the average seven year lifespan of ordinary mattresses, which means you’ll have to change it less frequently.

To help you pay for them, we also offer 0% finance, so you can split the cost in a way that makes buying a little easier on your wallet. And our two-man team will deliver your mattress to a room of your choice. Because there’s no foam, there’s no off-gassing, which means you can sleep on it right away, with no awful smells.

We’ll even take your old mattress away for you. Where we can, we’ll recycle.

Ely sells mattresses that are better for your health, better for your wallet, and better for this world. What are you waiting for?

Shop here.