Key takeaways
- The 1988 Regulations still apply in full across the UK. A reform consultation closed on 23 June 2026 and no outcome had been published by 14 October 2026.
- Fillings must pass ignitability tests, upholstery must pass the cigarette test and covers must pass the match test or sit over a passing interliner.
- Upholstered furniture needs a durable permanent label that starts with “CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRE”.
- SI 2025/531 removed the display label from 30 October 2025 and took many baby and child products out of scope.
- Compliance rests on the exact cover fabric, foam and interliner tested. A swap at the factory can break it.
What the regulations cover
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (SI 1988/1324) were made under the Consumer Protection Act 1987. Regulation 15 bans the supply of any furniture or other article that does not meet them. They extend to the whole UK, including Northern Ireland.
| In scope | Out of scope |
|---|---|
| Furniture ordinarily intended for private use in a dwelling (a caravan counts as a dwelling), including beds, divans and their bases and headboards, sofa-beds, cushions, mattresses and pillows | Bedding and floor coverings, including carpets and mats |
| Outdoor furniture that is also suitable for use in a dwelling | Since 30 Oct 2025: cots, cribs, bassinets, Moses baskets, play pens, prams and strollers, baby nests, highchairs, booster seats, changing mats, cot bumpers, and children's mattresses under 170 × 75 cm (full list in regulation 3) |
| Components meant to be assembled into such furniture, and loose and stretch covers | Goods made before 1 January 1950, and goods the supplier knows will not be used in the UK |
The rules apply to upholstered sofas, armchairs, dining chairs with padded seats, ottomans, headboards, floor cushions, scatter cushions and seat pads. Second-hand furniture is also covered (regulation 14).
What is tested: the schedules
The regulations set separate tests for fillings, upholstery and covers. Most refer to BS 5852 Parts 1 and 2 as they stood when the rules were made, with changes set out in the schedules.
| Requirement | Applies to | Test |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation 6 and Schedule 1 | Polyurethane foam (slab, cushion or crumb) and latex foam fillings | BS 5852 Part 2 under a standard flame-retardant polyester cover. Slab foam uses ignition source 5 (a wooden crib); crumb and latex foam use ignition source 2 |
| Regulation 6 and Schedule 2 | Other fillings (fibre, feather, cotton and composites); pillows and cushions with their primary cover | BS 5852 Part 2, ignition source 2, singly or as a composite |
| Regulation 5 and Schedule 4 | Upholstery of all furniture except mattresses, bed-bases, pillows and cushions | Cigarette test, BS 5852 Part 1. Flame-retardant covers are water-soaked before testing |
| Regulation 8 and Schedule 5 | Permanent covers of furniture with filling (not mattresses, bed-bases, pillows or cushions) | Match test, BS 5852 Part 1 butane flame source 1. Visible parts after water-soak; invisible parts tested separately |
| Regulation 8(2) and Schedule 3 | Interliners | A cover of at least 75% cotton, flax, viscose, modal, silk or wool, not polyurethane-coated, need not pass the match test if it sits over an interliner that passes Schedule 3 |
| Regulation 9 and Schedule 5 | Loose covers and stretch covers | Match test |
A cover can meet the match test in two ways: the fabric passes on its own, often with a flame-retardant treatment or back-coating, or a qualifying natural-fibre cover sits over a passing interliner. That choice is made when the fabric is bought, not on the factory floor.
Labelling after the 2025 amendment
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/531) were made on 28 April 2025 and came into force on 30 October 2025. They removed regulation 10 and Schedules 6 and 8, which required a display label at the point of sale, including in the second-hand market. They also narrowed the scope, as shown above, and extended the time limit for prosecutions from six to twelve months.
The permanent label in Schedule 7 is unchanged. Furniture with upholstery (except mattresses and bed-bases) and loose and stretch covers must carry it.
| Schedule 7 Part II label: in this order | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1. The words “CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRE” | Required on every label |
| 2. Name and postcode of the manufacturer or importer that first supplied the article in the UK | Usually the UK importer for goods from India |
| 3. Batch or identification number (if any) | Not needed for cushions and pillows |
| 4. Date of manufacture or import | Not needed for cushions and pillows |
| 5. Description of all filling materials | Not needed for covers |
| 6. Description of all covering materials | Not needed for cushions and pillows |
| 7. Whether the article includes a Schedule 3 interliner | Not needed for cushions and pillows |
The label must be durable, securely attached on an external surface, with wording in letters of at least 10 point on a contrasting background. Each piece of a suite needs its own label.
The 2026 reform consultation
The UK government ran a consultation, “Product regulation: fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture”, from 31 March to 23 June 2026. It proposes new requirements based on a smoulder test, testing options meant to allow innovation, scope changes, and a large cut in the use of chemical flame retardants. The proposals are linked to a wider product safety reform under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025.
As of 14 October 2026 the government was still analysing feedback, and no response or new law had been published. Until a replacement is made and in force, the 1988 Regulations, as amended in 2025, are the law. Do not drop flame-retardant fabrics or match-test reports on the strength of the proposals.
What importers of Indian upholstered furniture need
- Test reports per component. Reports for each foam grade, fibre filling, cover fabric and interliner, naming the material, its supplier and the schedule tested.
- A bill of materials per model that links each sofa, chair or cushion to the tested materials.
- Approved permanent label artwork with the importer's name and postcode, fillings, covers and interliner statement.
- Change control. The factory must not switch fabric, foam or interliner without notice and new test evidence.
Indian upholstery units often buy foam from local converters and fabric from several mills. Substitution is the main risk. A flame-retardant back-coated fabric can be replaced with an untreated one of the same colour, or a combustion-modified foam with a standard grade.
What an inspection can verify, and what needs a lab
| An inspector at the factory can check | Only a lab can establish |
|---|---|
| The permanent label is present on every piece, durable, sewn or fixed, and carries the Schedule 7 items in order | Whether a filling passes the Schedule 1 or 2 ignitability test |
| Fabric article numbers, foam grade marks and interliner match the bill of materials and test reports | Whether a cover passes the cigarette or match test, including after water-soaking |
| Cushions are opened to confirm the filling and interliner layer actually used | Whether an interliner passes Schedule 3 |
| Test reports are current and name the materials in use | Whether a substituted material still passes |
How Clear To Load checks this in India
On a furniture inspection in India, the inspector checks the permanent label on every sampled piece, opens cushions to compare foam, fibre and interliner with your bill of materials, and photographs fabric and foam tags against your test reports. For new or confirmation tests, we pull and seal samples for an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab you choose through lab testing coordination.
The report arrives within 24 hours of the inspection with a verdict: Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared. An inspection does not certify fire safety; that rests on lab reports. To add these checks, book an inspection.
Sources
- Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, SI 1988/1324 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, SI 2025/531
- GOV.UK consultation: Product regulation: fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture (2026)
- Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025