Stearns & Foster mattresses, kind not given

2 reports to CPSC, the latest made Sep 13, 2011. A report isn’t a recall.

Watch it to hear when CPSC publishes new reports about it. CPSC’s own search

Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.

At a glance

From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.

2reports to CPSC
Sep 13, 2011the latest report was made
Mar 24, 2011the earliest
2with the company’s comments

Brand: Stearns & Foster
Maker: SEALY, INC.Makers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
Product: Mattresses, kind not givenCPSC’s product type: Mattresses, Not Specified (code 4010), in Furniture, Furnishings & Decorations: Bedroom, Bedding & Bath

Other ways the reports write the brand (1)

“Stearns and Foster”

By month

2 reports from October 2010 to September 2011; the most in September 2011, 1.

The numbers, as a table

Reports to CPSC by the month each was made, newest first
Month	Reports
September 2011	1
March 2011	1

How badly anyone was hurt

Hurt, care not known 1 CPSC: Injury, Level of care not known
No one hurt 1 CPSC: Incident, No Injury

As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.

The reports, as CPSC published them

Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.

Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.

CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.

Hurt, care not known
Made Sep 13, 2011, sent to the company Oct 12, 2011, published by CPSC Oct 26, 2011

The product, in the report: Mattress

The consumer says that they purchased a mattress and was delivered to their home. Their was damage done to the mattress during shipping and a replacement was sent to the consumer. The consumer says this new mattress emits a strong chemical odor that is still present after a week. The consumer says that his wife’s respiratory system cannot tolerate this because of her asthma. He says he is trying to air out the room and properly ventilate their home but it still bothers her breathing. The consumer said the retailer offered to pick up the product for a fee.

Model
56450640
Serial number
090211FK41085F01 M40
Bought from
Macy’s
Bought
Sep 6, 2011, about then
Where
Indianapolis, Indiana: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Female
The reporter’s relation to them
Unspecified
As this report names them
Brand Stearns and Foster, made or sold by SEALY, INC.
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Level of care not known

The company’s comments, in its own words

(10/14/2011) SEALY, INC.: In the past, we have received complaints regarding an odor and/or irritants from mattresses that have a polyurethane foam component. Unfortunately, it has been proven that there are naturally-occurring allergens in polyurethane foam which may cause allergic reactions in some people. We encourage our sales team to educate retailers about these allergens in order to assist consumers in choosing the right sleep set for their needs and reducing the possibility of these unfortunate allergic reactions.
Due to the severity of the reaction, we would like to investigate further and provide some assistance. If you deem it appropriate, please have the customer contact Sealy directly at wewanttohelp@sealy.com or by calling 800-697-3529.

CPSC report 20110913-B5136-1201230. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
No one hurt
Made Mar 24, 2011, published by CPSC Jun 8, 2011

The product, in the report: Fiona Lux PL EPT Mattress

Consumer wanted to report that her mattress has an odor that she believes is making her sick. She stated that the mattress gives her headaches and cause her to be nauseous. She has not endured any rashes. She had the mattress for 3 weeks. The mattress is a Stearns and Foster model. She contacted the manufacturer. The person she spoke with told her the mattresses have an odor. The odor can last several weeks to a year or more. She said the smell does not bother some people. The retailer when she called, offered to give her a partial refund for the product. She feels that the gases they emit make the mattress a health hazard. She has not gotten medical attention. She felt sick immediately after the mattress was taken out of the plastic. The mattress is a King size. after she stopped using the mattress the headaches and nausea went away.

Model
6/6SNF
Bought from
Mattress Firm, Colorado
Bought
Mar 5, 2011
Where
Littleton, Colorado: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Unspecified
The reporter’s relation to them
Unspecified
As this report names them
Brand Stearns & Foster, made or sold by SEALY, INC.
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Incident, No Injury

The company’s comments, in its own words

(5/25/2011) SEALY, INC.: In the past, we have received occasional complaints regarding an odor and/or irritants from mattresses that have a foam component. By and large, this is a natural off-gassing process that occurs with all polyurethane based products (all of Sealy’s products have polyurethane foams in them). This odor and the attendant irritation should dissipate over time, especially as we move into spring and summer months where rooms can be better ventilated to outside air. The number and frequency of claims – while few compared to the million + mattresses we sell per year – tend to rise in the winter months, and nearly disappear in the summer. These reports/complaints occur with almost all mattress manufacturers if not all of them and with the exception of one occasion earlier this decade (in which our foam supplier was the recipient of a particularly odoriferous chemical ingredient), we and the others in the industry could never find any troublesome or problematic root or source of the complaints other than sensitivities of some customers and the temperature or inability to off-gas the product.
Unfortunately, there is a very small minority of people who have a reaction to the naturally-occurring odors in polyurethane based foams as well as the ticks we use. Our products are not marketed as hypo-allergenic or allergen-free and we encourage our potential customers to ensure that they do not have one of these rare sensitivity conditions before purchasing one of our products.
As noted above, this is not a Sealy specific issue but an industry-wide phenomenon. I can assure you that Sealy takes all necessary steps to reduce these odors prior to the manufacture of all mattresses which contain foam components. Our Research and Development Department is constantly researching new methods to reduce and mitigate the affect and source of these odors.
We encourage consumers to allow an adequate length of time for the foam to degas (not putting sheets or bedclothes on the mattress and opening a window if possible). Our manufacturing, packaging and shipping processes also allow for degassing of the foam, but the consumer must also allow a “degassing period” once their foam mattress has been removed from the protective plastic packaging material. Consumers with a higher sensitivity to these allergens may continue to experience sensitivity reactions even after an extended degassing period.
Again, as we deem the odor to be a natural characteristic of our products (akin to, but nowhere near as strong as, a “new car smell” or the odor of new carpet or freshly painted room), and we have identified no change to our supply chain or product line that would indicate a problem or questionable change in our product, we do not deem this to be a defect in the product.

CPSC report 20110306-8ACAD-1172542. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov

CPSC’s disclaimer

Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.

Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.

Sources

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.

Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.

Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.

Stearns & Foster mattresses, kind not given

At a glance

By month

How badly anyone was hurt

The reports, as CPSC published them

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources

How to read a record

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A number never stands alone.

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The public record comes first.