Changes to Furniture & Furnishings Regulations
On 30 October 2025 the changes made to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 come into force .
This statutory instrument changes the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 to:
remove certain baby and young children’s products from scope of the regulations
remove the requirement for manufacturers to affix a display label to new products
extend the time frame for instituting legal proceedings from 6 – 12 months
Legislative background
The Regulations set out flammability requirements for domestic upholstered furniture supplied anywhere in the United Kingdom and were created using powers in the Consumer Protection Act 1987.
Complying with the amended Regulations
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 bring about several key changes from 30 October 2025. Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers must understand and adapt to these amended provisions to ensure continued compliance.
Removal of certain baby and children’s products
The Regulations set out a list of baby and children’s products to be excluded from scope of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.
This will reduce the risk of exposure to chemical flame retardants of babies and young children at a significant stage in their development where the fire risk is lower than the chemical exposure risk. The fire risk of these products is much reduced compared to other upholstered furniture as they are not exposed to the same risks of accidental ignition, by cigarettes or similar ignition sources.
The products newly excluded are:
Mattresses intended for use by babies and children, if the length is less than 170 cm and the width is less than 75 cm.
Modular mattresses intended for use by babies and children, if the largest component has a length of less than 170 cm and a width of less than 75 cm – This means mattresses that can be extended with additional components, which are specifically designed to be used by babies and young children in conjunction with a children’s extendable bedframe.
Upholstery designed to be used with baby furniture – This means upholstery products designed to be used alongside baby furniture. For example, pram sacks which are used within prams, car seat inserts, and products advertised as ‘snuzzlers’ which are designed to be used with baby seating.
Play pens
Children’s car seats
Play mats
Baby changing mats
Prams, pushchairs, buggies and strollers
Cots, cribs and cradles, including carry cots, bassinets, Moses baskets, travel cots and bedside sleepers.
Cot bumpers
Upholstered bed side barriers intended to be used to prevent a child falling out of bed.
Baby rockers and bouncers – This includes products sold as ‘reclined cradles’.
Baby nests
Baby’s highchairs and lowchairs
Chair-mounted and table-mounted children’s booster seats
Baby walkers
Labelling requirements
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 remove all requirements relating to a display label, also commonly known as a swing label, from the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. This includes removing the requirement for manufacturers to attach a relevant display label to new products, as it is considered that the permanent label carries all relevant compliance information.
These changes do not impact obligations relating to the permanent label, a durable label attached to furniture as required by regulation 11 of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 and set out in Schedule 7 to the Regulations.
Second-hand supply of furniture will also still require a permanent label and suppliers of second-hand furniture should familiarise themselves with requirements of regulation 14 of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, as amended.