National Bed Federation

Beds that are what they say they are

The mattresses and divans we sell are made by National Bed Federation Approved Members: British manufacturers independently audited for fire safety, clean fillings and honest descriptions. It is the closest thing the bed industry has to a guarantee that you are getting what you paid for.

NBF: made by an approved memberLook for this mark

It means the maker has been audited by an independent body against the NBF Code of Practice, and passed. Every mattress and divan we sell carries it.

What it means

Three things an NBF Approved bed has to be

The National Bed Federation has represented British bed makers since 1912. Its members are audited by SATRA, an independent testing body, against a Code of Practice that checks three things.

1

Safe

Every mattress and base meets the British fire safety standard (BS 7177) and the Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations. Not claimed; audited.

2

Clean

The fillings are new and clean. No reclaimed springs, no second-hand fibre, nothing that has been in somebody else's bed. Suppliers are checked, not just the factory.

3

Honest

What is on the label is what is inside. A mattress described as 1000 pocket springs has 1000 pocket springs. Trade descriptions are checked as part of the audit.

Why it matters

The mattress in the back of the van

Every few months someone comes into the showroom having bought a “£1,200 mattress for £250” from a man with a van, and it has collapsed, or it smells, or it turned out to be a thin foam pad on an old spring unit. The NBF and Trading Standards have been warning about this for years: the vans tour housing estates with mattresses that may not meet UK fire regulations and may contain reclaimed springs and dirty fillings.

The same applies to a lot of what is sold on marketplaces at 70% off a made-up price. There is no audit behind it and no way to know what is inside.

Buying from an NBF Approved Member, through a shop you can walk back into, is how you avoid that. It is not a luxury; it is the baseline.

Before you buy any bed, ask
  • Who made it, and are they an NBF member? You can check at bedadvice.co.uk.
  • Does the label show the fire-safety mark and the fillings?
  • Can you lie on it before you pay?
  • Who do you ring if something goes wrong in year three?
  • Is the “was” price real, or invented to make the sale price look good?

Clydebank showroom

Lie on an NBF Approved bed today

Forty-five beds and mattresses on the floor above the Co-op on Sylvania Way, all from audited British makers. Monday to Saturday 9 to 5, no appointment. 0% finance over up to 12 months.