Office Furniture
Workstations, task and meeting chairs, meeting tables and storage, from factories holding the test reports your market asks for.
For the dimensions-and-adjustment reference for a commercial computer workstation, read ANSI/BIFMA X10.1 for workstation furniture fit. It distinguishes the ergonomics reference from chair durability evidence.
Office Furniture sourced from the factories that make it
Office projects are specified against test standards, so we start with the paperwork: which factory holds the test report or certification for that specific chair, desk or storage unit in your market.
The package, part by part
- 01 · Task and meeting chairs
- 02 · Workstations and tables
- 03 · Storage, lockers and pedestals
- 04 · Reception and breakout
What to specify, part by part
01
01 · Task and meeting chairs
Task chairs, meeting chairs and visitor chairs are specified against test standards, so the model is chosen together with its test report, not only its look.
- The test standard your specification names — for example ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 or AS/NZS 4438 — and the model it applies to
- Mechanism, adjustments and arm type
- Seat and back: mesh, fabric or leather, and the foam
- Base and castors for your floor
We check the test report or certificate for the specific model before we quote.
02
02 · Workstations and tables
Workstations, bench desks, height-adjustable desks, and meeting and boardroom tables.
- Desk top: board core, surface (laminate or veneer) and edge
- Frame: fixed or height-adjustable, and its finish
- Cable management and built-in power, and the certification your market asks for
- Screens and modesty panels, where your layout has them
Composite wood in desks and storage for the United States must be TSCA Title VI compliant and labelled.
03
03 · Storage, lockers and pedestals
Storage, lockers and pedestals, in steel or in board, from the factories that make each.
- Carcass material: steel or board, and its thickness
- Locks and keying
- Drawer runners and handles, by model and finish
- Pedestals: mobile or fixed under the desk
Our own QC team checks hardware against the signed-off specification at the inspection before shipment.
04
04 · Reception and breakout
Reception desks, and sofas and lounge seating for breakout areas.
- Reception desk: made to your drawings, with surface and edge materials
- Lounge seating: frame, foam and cover
- Breakout tables: top, base and height
For custom pieces the factory prepares shop drawings and a material list, and nothing goes into production until you have signed them off.
Go deeper by product
Task, meeting and visitor chairs: the mechanism, upholstery and base to specify, and which test report to ask for by market.
Storage cabinets, filing units and lockers: define dimensions, access, hardware and the item schedule before requesting quotes.
Open-plan workstations and height-adjustable desks: layout, worksurface, lift mechanism, cable management and approvals to write down before requesting quotes.
Meeting and boardroom tables: tops, edges, bases, joints, cable management and approvals to write down before requesting quotes.
Office breakout, booth and lounge seating: frame, foam, covering, fixing and approvals to write down before requesting quotes.
What your market asks for
Our main markets are North America and Australia, where contract furniture is specified against local standards.
| Product and market | Standard or rule | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| North America — office seating | ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 | The test standard commonly specified for general-purpose office chairs. We ask the factory for the test report of the specific model. |
| United States — upholstered seating | 16 CFR Part 1640, effective 25 June 2021 (applies California TB 117-2013) | Indoor seating furniture with an upholstered seat, back or arm, manufactured, imported or reupholstered on or after 25 June 2021, must meet TB 117-2013; since 25 June 2022 each product carries a permanent label reading “Complies with U.S. CPSC requirements for upholstered furniture flammability”. Mattresses, foundations and bedding are outside this part. |
| United States — composite wood | TSCA Title VI (40 CFR Part 770) | Hardwood plywood, MDF and particleboard, and component parts and finished goods containing them, must meet the emission standards and be labelled. Since 22 March 2019, importers of articles containing regulated composite wood products must also comply with the import certification regulations (19 CFR 12.118–12.127). |
| Canada — composite wood | Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products Regulations (SOR/2021-148, as amended by SOR/2024-256) | A composite wood product that contains formaldehyde — including a component part or finished good — must not be imported, sold or offered for sale unless every panel in it meets the emission limits: 0.05 ppm for hardwood plywood, 0.09 ppm for particleboard, 0.11 ppm for MDF and 0.13 ppm for thin MDF. |
| Australia and New Zealand — office seating | AS/NZS 4438, certified by AFRDI | AS/NZS 4438 covers height-adjustable swivel chairs. AFRDI (the Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute) tests and certifies commercial furniture; we ask for the certificate of the specific model. |
| Australia — wooden furniture imports | Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 (as amended from 3 March 2025) and Illegal Logging Prohibition Rules 2024 | Importers of regulated timber products must meet due diligence requirements. The Rules list wooden-frame seats (tariff items 9401.61 and 9401.69) and wooden furniture and parts (9403.30 to 9403.60 and 9403.91). |
As of September 2026. These are examples, not a complete list. Requirements differ by product, building type and jurisdiction, and your specifier or certifier decides what applies to your project; we confirm what the factory holds before we quote. More on our compliance page →
What matters for this package
North America
Office seating is commonly specified to ANSI/BIFMA X5.1. We check the test report for the specific model before we quote.
Australia and New Zealand
Height-adjustable swivel chairs are tested to AS/NZS 4438, and certification is issued by AFRDI. We check the certificate for the specific model before we quote.
Composite wood for the United States
Desks and storage made with hardwood plywood, MDF or particleboard must be TSCA Title VI compliant and labelled.
Office furniture: questions clients ask
Which test standard do office chairs need for North America?
Office seating is commonly specified to ANSI/BIFMA X5.1. We ask the factory for the test report of the specific model — not for a similar product or for the factory in general — with the name of the testing laboratory and the date of the report.
And for Australia and New Zealand?
Height-adjustable swivel chairs are tested to AS/NZS 4438, and certification is issued by AFRDI, the Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute. We check the certificate for the specific model before we quote.
Does the US upholstered furniture flammability rule cover office chairs?
16 CFR Part 1640 covers indoor seating furniture constructed with an upholstered seat, back or arm, manufactured or imported on or after 25 June 2021, and requires the California TB 117-2013 standard and a permanent label reading “Complies with U.S. CPSC requirements for upholstered furniture flammability”. We check this with the factory before we quote.
What about desks and storage made with MDF or particleboard?
For the United States they must be TSCA Title VI compliant and labelled (40 CFR Part 770). For Canada, the Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products Regulations (SOR/2021-148) set limits of 0.05 ppm for hardwood plywood, 0.09 ppm for particleboard, 0.11 ppm for MDF and 0.13 ppm for thin MDF, and apply to component parts and finished goods too.
How do you charge?
For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. With a supplier you nominate, the supplier’s charge for delivering the goods from its premises to the loading point is added at cost; sea freight is quoted before shipment.
Who inspects the office furniture before shipment?
Our own QC team, when production is finished and before shipment: quantities, dimensions, finish, fabric and foam, hardware and packing are checked against the signed-off specification, and you receive a QC report with photos and video. Your own project team is welcome to attend the inspection with us.
To get a quotation, send us
- An FF&E schedule or product list, room by room, with quantities — plus drawings for any custom pieces
- The specification or a reference photo or link for each item: dimensions, materials, fabric and finish
- Your fabric and finish selections, or ask us to propose them; tell us if fabric is supplied by you (COM)
- Where your project is, so we check the standards your market requires
What the quotation shows. Per line: item, specification, materials, fabric and finish, dimensions, unit price, quantity, packing and lead time — like-for-like against your spec, any substitution flagged.
Planning a commercial office? See the office storage cabinets and lockers guide for item-level RFQ details.