Concept
A desired product direction. No performance statement is publishable.
Tool 03 / Claim Evidence Ladder
Every adjective creates an evidence obligation.
The strongest category language is not the loudest. It names the property, the method, the sample, the result, the wash state, the scope, and the limitation—then freezes the construction that produced it.
- Record
- PMS-KB-CLM-001
- Version
- 1.0
- Published
- Modified
- Reviewed
- Publisher
- ProtectMySleep Category Lab
Supplier-declared
A component document. Identify its scope; do not upgrade it to finished-product evidence.
Material measured
A named laminate or material was tested under stated conditions.
Finished product
The complete construction was tested at its likely failure paths.
Wash-aged
Relevant results were repeated after the agreed care or commercial-laundry profile.
Released & controlled
Claim wording is tied to the exact BOM, report, market, limitations, and change triggers.
Claim decoder
Seven common claims, seven different proof systems.
These cards define development requirements. They do not state that any named ProtectMySleep product has achieved the described performance.
C01Evidence stack
Waterproof
What blocks liquid, where, at what pressure, and after how many washes?
Evidence state
E0 · Concept
Claim status
Pending — not publishable
Standard or method
AATCC TM127 or applicable ASTM/ISO material method + finished-product containment protocol.
Evidence required
Test the laminate and the complete article at the center, binding, seams, corners, and closure in as-received and specified wash-aged states.
Not enough
A membrane datasheet, a face-fabric story, or one flat swatch result.
Not a guarantee
A lab result does not guarantee containment at every seam, corner, care condition, or field-use event.
Qualified wording template
Only after review: “Tested for [defined liquid property] on [identified scope] using [method/protocol] in [sample and wash state], subject to [limits].”
C02Define first
Breathable
Do you mean air flow, water-vapor transfer, liquid moisture management, or a sleep-temperature result?
Evidence state
E0 · Concept
Claim status
Pending — not publishable
Standard or method
ASTM D737 for air permeability; AATCC TM204 or ASTM E96 for water-vapor transmission.
Evidence required
Name the property, method, units, conditions, orientation, complete laminate, and wash state.
Not enough
Fiber identity, marketing adjectives, or WVTR presented as air flow.
Not a guarantee
Air-permeability or water-vapor data does not guarantee cooler sleep, comfort, or a clinical outcome.
Qualified wording template
Only after review: state the measured property, method, unit, conditions, laminate orientation, and wash state—do not collapse it into an undefined “breathable” claim.
C03Scope-sensitive
Allergen barrier
Which particle, protein, or organism passage is being evaluated—and is the construction within method scope?
Evidence state
E0 · Concept
Claim status
Pending — not publishable
Standard or method
ISO 21326 only where its material and construction scope applies, plus separate seam and closure assessment.
Evidence required
Identify the exact challenge, material or finished-product scope, result, limitations, and change-control triggers.
Not enough
Pore size alone, ISO 4333 protein-reduction data, or language implying treatment of allergy or asthma.
Not a guarantee
A penetration or protein-reduction result does not prove prevention, treatment, or relief of allergy or asthma.
Qualified wording template
Only after review: “Tested for [defined challenge] penetration under [method] on [material or finished-product scope], with [limitations].”
C04Not a barrier test
Protein-reduction activity
Does the textile reduce a named surface protein under the method—not block its passage or change a human allergic response?
Evidence state
E0 · Concept
Claim status
Pending — not publishable
Standard or method
ISO 4333:2022 for reduction activity of specified proteins on the surface of textile products.
Evidence required
Name the protein, textile scope, method edition, ELISA result, control, treatment, sample and wash state, and any permitted article wording.
Not enough
Using a protein-reduction result as allergen-penetration evidence, a particle-barrier result, or a human-allergy claim.
Not a guarantee
ISO 4333 does not evaluate barrier passage and does not evaluate allergic reaction in human beings.
Qualified wording template
Only after review: state the named protein and measured surface-reduction activity under ISO 4333:2022, without converting it into barrier, relief, treatment, or prevention language.
C05Whole system
Bed-bug containment
Can the complete encasement limit ingress and egress after washing, abrasion, installation, and zipper cycling?
Evidence state
E0 · Concept
Claim status
Pending — not publishable
Standard or method
Independent biological challenge + ASTM D2061-selected zipper tests + installation and wash aging + product-specific U.S. FIFRA device determination where sold with pesticidal intent.
Evidence required
Challenge fabric, seams, zipper chain, end stop/garage, and any penetration path in both directions. Review claims, intended use, design, function, production establishment, label directions, and state requirements before U.S. release.
Not enough
A zipper, EPA general guidance, or a fabric-only test.
Not a guarantee
An encasement result does not prove room treatment, prevention of introduction, or elimination of an infestation; it is one element of integrated pest management.
Qualified wording template
Only after review: “Complete encasement tested for [ingress/egress] under [biological protocol] in [sample state], including seams and zipper terminal.”
C06Legal review
Antimicrobial
Is the treatment protecting the article itself, or implying protection of people and public health?
Evidence state
E0 · Concept
Claim status
Pending — not publishable
Standard or method
AATCC TM100/TM147 where appropriate + U.S. FIFRA treated-article assessment and wash durability.
Evidence required
Confirm the active treatment, registered use, permitted wording, article-protection limitation, and evidence after laundering.
Not enough
A bacteria-reduction number used to imply disease prevention, cleaner air, or health protection.
Not a guarantee
Article-protection evidence does not establish protection of users, public-health benefit, disease prevention, or infection control.
Qualified wording template
Only after legal review: limit wording to protection of the treated article and the exact registered use; include the required article-protection limitation.
C07Supply-chain claim
No intentionally added PFAS
Is every relevant finish, membrane, adhesive, print, thread, and closure controlled?
Evidence state
E0 · Concept
Claim status
Pending — not publishable
Standard or method
Supplier declarations + California AB 1817 certificate + risk-based total-organic-fluorine screening.
Evidence required
Document the full BOM and retain signed, current, product-specific evidence.
Not enough
A narrow PFOA-free statement or an absolute zero/PFAS-free claim without an analytical basis.
Not a guarantee
A supplier declaration does not establish analytical zero, cover an uncontrolled BOM change, or replace jurisdiction-specific compliance review.
Qualified wording template
Only after review: “No intentionally added PFAS based on product-specific supplier certification for BOM [revision/date]”; do not convert this into an absolute nondetect claim.
Product Evidence Record
Make every released statement auditable.
A test report is useful only when it is connected to the product revision, claim wording, sample state, market, and limitation it actually supports.
Record statusTemplate / no product attached
Publication statePending — not publishable
01
Product ID + BOM revision
02
Claim ID + exact wording
03
Market + legal classification
04
Method + version
05
Laboratory + accreditation scope
06
Report ID + test date
07
Sample lot + preconditioning
08
Wash protocol + cycles
09
Result + unit + acceptance criterion
10
Scope limitation
11
Certificate number + expiry
12
Change-control trigger + last review
A blank field is not a pass. A supplier declaration is not a finished-product result. A method name is not a certification.
Evidence required
Exact wording, identified product and BOM, target market, competent evidence, report scope, sample state, result, limitations, and responsible reviewer.
Standard or method
Methods vary by property. FTC substantiation, EPA/FIFRA, FDA intended-use, CPSC, state, and market rules may also control whether wording is permissible.
Not a guarantee
A test method describes an evaluation. It does not establish that an unspecified product passes or that a laboratory result produces a health or field-use outcome.