Half of the mattresses sold in Beijing are substandard, the city's consumer watchdog said on Sunday.

Of the 50 products tested at the National Center for Quality Supervision and Inspection of Furniture and Indoor Environment, 25 failed for such things as color fading, fabric use, toxic substances and durability.

Samples were taken from 50 manufacturers in Beijing and Tianjin, as well as Hebei, Shandong, Guangdong, Guizhou and Zhejiang provinces. Thirteen were palm fiber mattresses and the others were spring mattresses.