Why Do Mattresses Have Tags — And Can You Remove Them?

After you've followed all the advice on how to choose the best mattress and finally purchase the one you want, you may notice a tag on it that lists the actual contents of the unit. You'll also see that the tag states: "Under penalty of law this tag not to be removed." Now this might have you scratching your head, firstly because you're not sure why it should not be removed, and secondly, how is anyone going to know if you do rip it off? Thankfully, you can sleep easy even if you do decide to remove the offending tag because under the above statement is a clause that says "except by the consumer," which is you.

But why is the tag there in the first place and why does it have that specific statement? If you notice this tag on a mattress you want to buy in a store, it lets you know that the unit is brand new and has never been used. Since a mattress is one of those things you should never buy used, the tag offers some peace of mind before you bring it home. It also lists the contents of the mattress. While that may be less of a concern today due to high manufacturing standards, the information can still be useful if there are certain materials you want to avoid, and it was especially important a few decades ago.

Back in the early 20th century, manufacturing standards weren't under as much scrutiny as they are now. In fact, factory workers reported that mattresses were often filled with things like newspapers, old rags, and even food crumbs, which were just swept into the pile of stuffing. For consumer safety, the government responded by creating the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act in 1958, which meant that all mattresses needed to have a tag attached that listed the contents, and that misbranding was unlawful. But why was it made illegal to remove the tag?

To boost sales, unscrupulous sellers would simply remove the tags, so it was, once again, impossible to know what had been stuffed inside the mattresses. This then prompted the Federal Trade Commission to impose the law that the tags could not be removed by manufacturers or retailers. Unfortunately, this may have caused some concern to people who purchased these mattresses, so eventually, the words "except by the consumer" were added as clarification. So, you can rest assured that you're not breaking the law if you remove that tag, but you might want to check your documentation first because the tag's removal may void the warranty. These are just some tips to keep in mind when buying a mattress, which should help ensure you know exactly what you're sleeping on and how to protect your purchase.