Some of the most important work the International Sleep Products Association does for this industry happens quietly, but its impact is significant. The Sleep Products Safety Council is a strong example.
Since 1986, SPSC has helped advise consumers about sleep product safety, support fire safety research, and provide practical tools that manufacturers can use. Nearly 40 years later, that work still matters.
One of the clearest examples is the Safety Hangtag program. More than 220 million hangtags have been sold through the program, reaching consumers across the country with important information about mattress fire safety. That number shows the reach and staying power of a program designed to inform consumers and support responsible industry practices.
But safety communication cannot stand still. The marketplace has changed. So have product designs, materials, and consumers. The hangtag has served the industry well, but it needs to reflect today’s sleep products, current hazards, and the way people receive and understand information now.
That is why updating the Safety Hangtag is one of SPSC’s priorities this year. The goal is straightforward: Keep the hangtag useful, clear, and relevant, not something treated as a routine informational item. The language, format, and content all need to speak to today’s environment while staying grounded in the fire-safety issues that led to its creation.
SPSC also discussed fiberglass and other fire barriers, which remain one of the more complex product safety conversations facing the industry. ISPA’s role is to help members understand the issue, separate facts from misinformation and confusion, and respond in a thoughtful, responsible way.
The broader regulatory environment is active as well. In June, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission published a formal request for comments related to information-collection requirements for federal mattress flammability standards 16 CFR Part 1632 and 16 CFR Part 1633. Confirmation hearings were held in July to seat commissioners as the normally five-panel body has been down to just one official since 2025. Meanwhile, revisions to 16 CFR 1632 and 1633 are ongoing.
ISPA’s goal is to give the commission informed, practical input from the companies that design, manufacture, import, supply, and sell these mattresses every day. When regulators ask questions about testing relevance, compliance burdens, clarity, recordkeeping, or the usefulness of required information, the mattress industry has a strong, credible voice in the conversation.
Looking ahead, SPSC is also considering an update to the Voluntary Dimensional Guidelines for Bedding in 2027. These guidelines help create consistency around standard mattress sizes. It is the kind of foundational work that may not feel urgent until a lack of clarity creates confusion in the marketplace.
That is the value of this council. It brings together experienced product safety, technical, and regulatory leaders who help ISPA look ahead, shape our positions, and guide our work, which in turn informs regulators and policymakers—before problems become larger. SPSC’s expertise makes ISPA’s engagement stronger because it is grounded in real-world industry knowledge.
If your company is part of ISPA, this is part of the value you receive. SPSC is working on issues that affect your products, your customers, and your ability to operate in a changing regulatory environment.
And if your company is not yet part of ISPA, I would welcome a conversation. When we speak to regulators, our voice is stronger when it reflects the full breadth of the industry: manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and the many companies that support them.
Safety does not stand still. Neither does the marketplace. Through SPSC, ISPA is helping the industry move forward with clarity, credibility, and purpose.
