The flammability of textiles ranges from easily ignitable cotton or polyester materials to virtually non-flammable high performance textiles based on aramides (e.g. Nomex®). The ignitability depends not only on the material itself, but also on the density/thickness of the fabric and adjacent materials, e.g. when used as a upholstered furniture cover. Flame retardants can be used to limit the flammability of textiles by reacting co-monomers into synthetic polymer materials, treating the surface of the fibres or coating the finished textile with a flame retardant formulation. The desired or required durability against wear and washing is a key criterion for choosing the appropriate textile and flame retardant combination.