How to Read a Mattress Law Label in Canada

Reading Time: 7 minutes

What Is the Law Label and Why Does It Exist?

Every mattress sold in Canada has a white tag sewn onto it, typically on the side or bottom of the mattress. This is the law label, and it is illegal to remove it before the point of sale. Once the mattress belongs to you, you are legally free to remove it, but there is rarely any reason to.

The law label exists because the fill materials inside a mattress are hidden. Without a disclosure requirement, there would be no way for a consumer to know whether a mattress contained 80% polyurethane foam or 80% recycled polyester from used clothing without asking someone who might not know either. The label makes the hidden contents transparent.

Canadian mattress labelling requirements come from two overlapping sources. The Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1551) under the Textile Labelling Act require disclosure of fibre content in textile articles. The Mattresses Regulations (SOR/2016-183) under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act impose additional requirements specifically for mattresses, including flammability compliance. The practical effect of both is that the law label on your mattress must be bilingual (English and French), must disclose fill materials, and must identify the manufacturer or importer.

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Reading the Fill Materials List

The fill materials section is the most useful part of the law label for a consumer. Fill materials are listed in descending order by weight, expressed as percentages. The heaviest material in the mattress is listed first.

A typical fill material list might read:

• Polyurethane foam: 72%
• Polyester fibre: 18%
• Cotton: 6%
• Steel: 4%

That example is a pocket coil mattress with polyurethane foam comfort layers and a cotton comfort layer, using polyester as a padding material somewhere in the construction. The steel accounts for the coil springs.

Common materials you will see on Canadian mattress law labels:

• Polyurethane foam: The most common mattress material. Can range from basic support foam to high-resilience foam or memory foam. The label does not distinguish between types, so "polyurethane foam" covers a wide range.
• Latex: Can be natural (from rubber trees), synthetic, or blended. The label should specify; if it just says "latex" without qualification, ask for clarification.
• Polyester: Usually used as a fiberfill in quilted top layers or as a padding layer. Less durable than foam over time.
• Cotton: Used in comfort layers and sometimes in fire barrier applications. Generally a positive sign on a label.
• Wool: Natural fibre used in comfort layers and often as a fire barrier. If you see wool on the label, the mattress likely uses a natural fire barrier rather than chemical retardants.
• Steel: Indicates spring coils of some type. Does not distinguish between pocket coils, Bonnell coils, continuous coils, or offset coils.
• Viscose / Rayon: A processed plant-based fibre. May appear in comfort layers or as a fire barrier material (FR Rayon).

New vs. Recycled Material Declaration

The law label must state whether the fill materials are new or recycled. This declaration protects consumers from unknowingly purchasing mattresses filled with second-hand or recovered materials without being aware of it.

In practice, virtually all mattresses sold new in Canada use new fill materials. You will almost always see "all new materials" or equivalent language on a law label for a new mattress purchased from a licensed retailer.

Recycled or reclaimed fill materials are more common in lower-cost bedding products and some specialty eco-mattresses that use certified recycled content intentionally. In the latter case, "recycled" is typically a selling point rather than a quality concern. What matters is that the label tells you honestly which category applies.

Provinces historically regulated stuffed article labelling at the provincial level, with Ontario, Manitoba, and Quebec each having their own requirements. All three provinces repealed their provincial stuffing regulations between 2019 and 2021, harmonising with federal requirements. Federal labelling rules now apply consistently across Canada.

The CA Number and Manufacturer Identity

Every mattress law label in Canada must include either the name and postal address of the manufacturer or importer, or a CA number. The CA number is a registration code assigned by the Competition Bureau of Canada to companies involved in the textile and apparel industry.

If the label shows a CA number rather than a company name, you can look that number up on the Competition Bureau's public registry to find the associated company. This is useful if you are trying to verify who actually made a mattress or contact the manufacturer about a warranty claim.

In our experience at Mattress Miracle, mattresses from established manufacturers like Restonic display clear manufacturer information on their labels. The CA number lookup is more relevant when you are evaluating an unfamiliar brand.

What the Law Label Does Not Tell You

The law label provides important but limited information. Knowing its limits is as useful as knowing what it contains.

This is why the law label is a starting point, not the end of your research. To get a fuller picture, ask the retailer or manufacturer for CertiPUR-US certification, foam density specifications, the specific fire barrier material, and any GOTS or OEKO-TEX certifications on the cover fabric.

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