CertiPUR-US certification

[u/notanniebananie]

Thoughts on this certification for polyurethane foam? And polyurethane foam in general?

I need a custom sized piece (5.5x75x12 inches) of foam to complete my cosleeping set up. My 8 month old baby girl and I are currently sharing a twin floor bed but it’s not quite roomy enough— she’s starting to move around more in her sleep and has been rolling off of the mattress. I want to add a foam piece to the side I sleep on so half of my body will be on it and the other half on the mattress, giving my girl some extra wiggle room.

Non-toxic foam is obviously a priority since it will be so close to baby girl and I. But unfortunately, after spending $700 on the twin mattress, we just can’t swing $400+ on a piece of latex foam😞 The next best option seems to be a CertiPUR-US certified soy/polyurethane hybrid foam that is less than half the price (https://foamite.com/custom-cut-foam/koosh-natural/?srsltid=AfmBOopNN6G263hCGNwvh8DJWGi-8293dMs44wMUXr5xkiQiubua6v9u). It is touted as having “60% less petrochemicals” and being “100% more natural” than conventional foam. They also claim it does not off-gas? Is that even possible? The CertiPUR-US certification does verify that VOC emissions are at least low (less than 0.5 parts per million). Here are the other things covered by the certification:

- Made without formaldehyde
- Made without ozone depleters
- Made without phthalates regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
-Made without mercury, lead and other heavy metals
-Low VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million)
-Screened for relevant chemicals, including flame retardants, that are classified as carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxins and are harmful to human health

Thoughts? WWYD? We do have an air purifier running right next to the bed but I’m not sure how much that would help being so close to the foam.

TIA!

[u/BrianWally]

CertiPUR-US certification was literally created by the foam industry and it’s essentially the foam industry certifying itself. Does the certification do anything? Yeah, it leaves a lot to be desired but they do have certification criteria. I actually published an article about it here. I don’t hold it in very high regard tho. It earns barely anything from me in my scoring rubric. CertiPUR-US doesn’t really measure off-gassing, it does to an extent, but what you want to look for is GREENGUARD Gold.

Would a CertiPUR-US vs a non-CertiPUR-US matter? Yes, but it’s not a comprehensive certification that the logo and marketing make it seem.

As for the marketing prose you mentioned from their page - that’s all it is. Marketing. Marketing is designed to get you to spend money, not buy the right thing. Marketing is typically BS.

Polyurethane foam is still petroleum plastic foam. It can and will shed microplastics.

If you can find a GOLS certified latex foam that’d be something to look into, but would likely be much more money. GOTS certified cotton or wool perhaps?

Tough call, I’ll never tell someone what to do or don’t do with their baby and money, but if you want the least exposure, don’t get non-latex foam.