Compliance · Upholstered furniture
Furniture fire safety regulations: UK, California and what to ask a Chinese factory
Furniture fire safety regulations for sofas from China: UK 1988 rules and BS 5852, California TB 117-2013 (16 CFR 1640), and 6 questions to ask factories.
- A Guangdong compliance centre lists five British Standards used for UK upholstery and bedding tests, with BS 5852 covering upholstered furniture and cover fabrics.
- It says a UK test report should show product and maker details, the standard and results, and a third-party lab’s signature or stamp.
- Posts from testing labs in the same search describe TB 117-2013 as adopted federally as 16 CFR 1640, in force since June 2021.
- China has its own new domestic flame-retardancy standard, GB 17927-2024, according to a Guangdong lab — useful context, but it is not a substitute for UK or US rules.
- Contract and hospitality furniture is usually held to stricter tests than domestic pieces.
Upholstered furniture sold in the UK generally has to meet the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, tested largely to BS 5852 and labelled; in the US, California’s TB 117-2013 smoulder standard was adopted nationally as 16 CFR 1640. Most Foshan sofas are made for the Chinese market and do not meet these rules by default, so the fabric, foam and interliner must be specified, tested and matched to the report before production. Confirm current requirements with your importer or testing lab.
What are the UK furniture fire regulations?
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 require most domestic upholstered furniture to pass ignition tests and carry labels. A Guangdong compliance centre’s summary on Xiaohongshu lists the products in scope — upholstered sofas and chairs, mattresses, bed bases and similar — and the standards commonly used in testing:
| Estándar | What the post says it covers |
|---|---|
| BS 5852 | Cover fabrics and upholstered furniture against smouldering and flaming sources |
| BS 7177 | Mattresses, mattress covers and bed bases |
| BS 6807 | Mattresses and upholstered bases |
| BS 5651 | Cleaning and wetting procedures before textiles are tested |
| BS 3379 | Polyurethane foam for load-bearing use |
In practice UK buyers ask for fire-retardant filling foam, cover fabric that passes (alone or with an interliner) and the permanent and display labels the regulations describe. The regulations have been under review for years, so confirm the current position with your importer or a UK testing lab before you order.
What is Cal 117, and does furniture need it outside California?
TB 117-2013 is California’s smoulder-resistance standard for upholstered furniture, and it has in effect become the US national rule. Testing-lab posts in our search describe its adoption by the Consumer Product Safety Commission as 16 CFR 1640, in force since June 2021, with a label on each piece and a certificate of conformity from the importer. The test looks at whether cover fabrics, barriers and fillings resist a smouldering cigarette — it is not an open-flame test.
California also requires a label stating whether flame-retardant chemicals were added. Mattresses fall under separate federal rules. Canada, Australia and the Gulf have their own positions; ask your importer. Commercial projects are different again: hotels, restaurants and offices often specify stricter contract tests, which is worth settling early on hotel y contract orders.
A fire test report is not a property of a factory; it is a property of one fabric on one foam. A supplier may show a certificate from an earlier export order and treat the question as answered. For an overseas buyer, the only report that counts names the exact materials going into your pieces — and someone has to check that those materials are the ones on the cutting table.
Do Foshan sofas meet UK or US fire rules by default?
Usually not: most are built for Chinese homes, where the domestic rules differ. A Guangdong lab’s post notes that China is bringing in its own flame-retardancy standard for furniture, GB 17927-2024 — a sign the domestic market is moving, not proof that a showroom sofa will pass a British or American test. The practical consequence is that the foam, fabric and interliner have to be chosen for your market before cutting starts.
That choice changes the product. Fire-retardant foam may feel different; some fabrics need a back-coating or an interliner to pass, which can stiffen the hand or change the colour slightly; a fabric that passed on one foam may fail on another. Approve the tested combination as a sample, not the showroom version. Our guide to judging a Foshan sofa covers the foam itself, and upholstery fabric rub counts the durability side of fabric choice.
What should you ask a Chinese factory about fire safety?
Six questions, each answered in writing before the deposit.
- Which standard will each upholstered item be tested to, and by which lab?
- Does the test report name the exact fabric (code and colour), foam and interliner we are buying?
- Is the report recent, and does the lab’s stamp or signature appear on it?
- Will the foam be fire-retardant grade throughout, including cushions and arms?
- Who supplies and sews the permanent labels, and in what wording?
- If we change fabric, will the combination be retested?
Then check it twice: the report against the order, and the materials on the line against the report. A test report for a different fabric is a common and expensive gap. The same paper-then-production check applies to board emissions — see formaldehyde, CARB and E0/ENF — and our guía de inspección de mobiliario explains where it fits in the schedule.
Cómo lo gestiona Source Foshan
We do not issue fire certificates and we do not give legal advice. What we do is write the destination market’s requirements into the specification with you and your importer, ask each factory for test reports that name the exact fabric, foam and interliner, and compare quotes on that basis. During production our QC team checks that the materials on the line match the report, and before loading every item is inspected — labels included — against the signed-off spec, with a photo and video report you approve before paying the balance.
For designers and hospitality clients who would rather start from a catalogue with specifications already confirmed, we recommend Arcaya Living’s upholstered range and its service for designers.
Preguntas frecuentes
Do sofas imported into the UK need a fire label?
Generally yes: the 1988 regulations describe permanent and display labels for upholstered furniture. Confirm current requirements with your importer or a UK testing lab.
Is TB 117-2013 required outside California?
It was adopted federally as 16 CFR 1640, so it now applies across the US. Check the labelling and certificate requirements with your importer.
Can a Chinese factory's old test report be used?
Only if it covers the exact fabric, foam and interliner in your order. A report for a different combination does not show your pieces comply.
Do hotel sofas need stricter fire tests?
Often yes. Contract and hospitality furniture is usually specified to stricter tests than domestic furniture, so agree the standard with your client before sampling.
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Fuentes
- Xiaohongshu guide source note (2025-03-13, 8 likes, 0 comments). Ver fuente
- Xiaohongshu guide source note (2025-08-08, 3 likes, 0 comments). Ver fuente
- Xiaohongshu maker/seller source note by @MonoF (2026-08-25, 0 likes, 0 comments). Ver fuente
Ordering upholstered furniture for the UK or US?
Tell us the destination and the pieces. We will put the fire requirements into the specification with your importer and ask every factory for reports that match your materials.