Can I sell a second-hand mattress?

Can I sell a second-hand mattress?

Sometimes, but do not treat it like a cushion. RoSPA’s second-hand goods page groups mattresses with sofas: flammability is the risk, and filling in furniture made after 1950 has to meet specified ignition tests in the UK. RoSPA says all furniture needs a label under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.

Those sentences are RoSPA’s. They are not a private legal opinion written for this page. If you are in a dispute about a particular mattress, read Citizens Advice.

The rules below were checked on 17 October 2026.

What if the fire label has been cut off?

RoSPA says people often cut the label off, and that without it you cannot easily tell whether the product meets the regulation. Its wording is that if it does not have a label, it may not comply with the fire safety regulations.

Photograph the label if it is still there. If it is gone, say so in the listing. Do not invent a standard, a year or a fill type you cannot see.

A buyer who is collecting should be able to look at the label before they accept the item. Read collection-only items and selling locally without cash.

RoSPA’s second-hand goods page says all furniture needs to be labelled under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. It says flammability, from sofas to mattresses, is a risk, and that any filling material, foam or not, in furniture made after 1950 must meet specified ignition tests in the UK. It says the fire label is often missing because people cut it off. Without a label, it says, it is difficult to know whether the product meets the regulation, and if it does not have a label it may not comply with the fire safety regulations. Source

Do the fire regulations mention second-hand furniture?

The explanatory note says it is not part of the Regulations. It says some of the requirements apply to second-hand furniture. It says the Regulations do not apply to goods for export, or to the supply of goods made before 1st January 1950, or to the supply of materials intended for re-upholstering furniture made before that date.

Regulation 4 says the requirements do not apply to the supply of any goods manufactured before 1 January 1950. They also do not apply to materials when the supplier knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, that the materials will be used for re-covering or re-upholstering furniture manufactured before 1st January 1950. A further case is where the supplier knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, that the goods will not be used in the United Kingdom. That is the regulation’s wording. It is not the note’s shorter “goods for export” line.

These two pages do not set out a label layout or a private-seller exemption. Do not add either. RoSPA’s “after 1950” line and regulation 4’s “before 1 January 1950” line point the same way. A mattress you cannot date is not one to guess about.

The explanatory note to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 says: “(This note is not part of the Regulations)”. It says some of the requirements apply to second-hand furniture. It says the Regulations do not apply to goods for export or to the supply of goods made before 1st January 1950 or to the supply of materials intended for re-upholstering furniture made before that date. Source

Regulation 4 is headed “Exclusion of goods made before 1950 and of supply of materials for re-upholstery of furniture made before that date and of goods for export”. It says the requirements of these Regulations do not apply in relation to the supply of any goods manufactured before 1 January 1950. They do not apply to the supply of materials when the person supplying them knows or has reasonable cause to believe that they will be used for re-covering or re-upholstering furniture manufactured before 1st January 1950. They do not apply where the person supplying the goods knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the goods will not be used in the United Kingdom. Source

Which marketplaces mention mattresses?

Vinted’s catalogue rules list furniture such as beds as an allowed category. They do not name mattresses. Do not treat “beds” as permission to list a mattress.

This page does not state a Depop, Facebook, Gumtree or eBay mattress rule. Those pages were not opened for this item. Use what you can’t sell for the categories that were checked, and Gumtree compared or Facebook Marketplace compared if you are choosing a local classified site.

SilentSale®’s Terms require an accurate description and disclosure of defects. They do not, in the prohibited list, name mattresses as a banned category. The fire-label point from RoSPA still applies to how you describe it. Counterfeit or unsafe goods are prohibited in any category.

Counterfeits are banned. Describe authenticity accurately and retain supporting evidence; SilentSale® does not authenticate items.

Vinted’s catalogue rules, which the page says are part of its terms, allow new cosmetics from non-professional sellers. They prohibit used, opened or unsealed cosmetics, including perfume, makeup, creams, lotions, hair-care and accessories, even if tried once, and they prohibit expired cosmetics. They prohibit tobacco, including e-cigarettes, vapes, vaporizing instruments and accessories, and food and drinks of any kind. They prohibit prescription and over-the-counter medicinal products, medications, professional medical supplies, vitamins, food supplements and health-related products. Electronics are listed as an allowed category, and the page says to make sure the electronics you list are safe to be used. Furniture such as beds is listed as allowed. The page does not name mattresses. Knives and sharp instruments, including kitchen knives, are prohibited. Source

How do I hand a mattress over?

It is bulky. Agree the size, the access and who will carry it before the day. On SilentSale®, PIN Pickup is the in-person route: the buyer pays in the app, looks at the item, including the label, and then shares a 6-digit PIN. Stripe holds the funds until the order completes.

Buyer and seller each contribute £0.30 + 3% of the item price to SilentCover® (£0.60 each on a £10 item), a discretionary protection service. Tracked Shipping is a poor fit for most mattresses. If you do post something smaller, the problem window is 72 hours after delivery.

Do not arrange a cash handover on the doorstep because the item is large. Read can I sell without meeting only if you truly mean a parcel.

Stripe processes payments and holds funds until the order completes.

PIN Pickup is an in-person handover. The buyer inspects the item before sharing their six-digit PIN; the seller enters it in the app to complete the order. The PIN is acceptance. There is no shipping, tracking or post-handover dispute window.

For Shipping, report problems within 72 hours after confirmed delivery, or the collection scan for a locker or parcel-shop order. Confirming receipt closes the window early, so inspect first.

SilentSale® is a UK marketplace for private individuals aged 18+ buying and selling personal goods in GBP.