Compliance is checked before we quote
The first step in choosing a factory is checking that it holds the test reports or certifications for that specific product in your market.
What this looks like for furniture
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. |
| California — upholstered furniture | Technical Bulletin 117-2013; Business and Professions Code §19101, §19101.5 and §19094 | Upholstered furniture sold in California must meet the flammability requirements of TB 117-2013 and carry the required flammability label. Since 1 January 2020 it must not contain covered flame retardant chemicals above 1,000 parts per million, and the label states whether the upholstery materials contain added flame-retardant chemicals. On and after 1 January 2027, section 19101.5 also prohibits manufacturing, selling, offering or distributing in commerce in California new upholstered furniture that contains, or a constituent component of which contains, textile fiberglass, as that section defines it (law book read on 20 October 2026). |
| 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). |
| United States — clothing storage units | 16 CFR Part 1261 (ASTM F2057-23) | A consumer product safety standard: free-standing furniture intended for storing clothing, “typical of bedroom furniture”, manufactured after 1 September 2023 must comply with ASTM F2057-23, the tip-over standard. Whether a unit for your project falls under it is for your specifier to decide. |
| United States — mattresses | 16 CFR Part 1632 and 16 CFR Part 1633 | Mattress flammability standards: Part 1632 covers mattresses and mattress pads (smouldering ignition), Part 1633 sets open-flame requirements that all mattress sets must meet before sale. |
| 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). |
| Australia — buildings | NCC 2025 Volume One, clause C2D11 | Sets fire hazard properties for internal linings, floor coverings and other listed materials in Class 2 to 9 buildings, including specific seating in some Class 9b buildings; “a joinery unit, cupboard, shelving, or the like” is listed among the exceptions. State variations apply, and your certifier decides what applies to your building. |
| Australia — toppling furniture | Consumer Goods (Toppling Furniture) Information Standard 2024 | Applies to toppling furniture that is a consumer good: clothes storage units and bookcases 686 mm or taller, entertainment units, and hall tables, display cabinets, sideboards and buffets 686 mm or taller. It requires warnings at the point of sale and a permanent, durable warning label on the furniture. |
| European Union — formaldehyde | REACH Annex XVII, entry 77 (Regulation (EU) 2023/1464) | After 6 August 2026, furniture and wood-based articles must not be placed on the market if the formaldehyde released under the test conditions in Appendix 14 exceeds 0.062 mg/m³. |
| European Union — wooden furniture | EU Deforestation Regulation, (EU) 2023/1115, as amended by (EU) 2024/3234 and (EU) 2025/2650 | Wooden furniture and parts (9403 30, 9403 40, 9403 50, 9403 60 and 9403 91) and wooden seats (ex 9401) are in scope. The main obligations apply from 30 December 2026; the later date of 30 June 2027 for certain micro and small operators does not cover products already under the EU Timber Regulation, (EU) No 995/2010, which is repealed with effect from 30 December 2026. |
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. Tell us where your project is and what your specification calls for, and we confirm what the factory holds before we quote. Formaldehyde limits by market for casegoods are set out on guestroom casegoods → By country: United States → · Canada → · Australia and New Zealand → · United Kingdom and European Union →
What to ask any furniture supplier for
- The test report or certificate for the specific model — not for a similar product or for the factory in general
- The name of the testing laboratory and the date of the report
- The standard and edition the product was tested to
- For upholstery: the fabric and foam specification the test was run on
- For composite wood going to the United States: the TSCA Title VI label
- For upholstered seating going to the United States: the 16 CFR Part 1640 label on the product
- For wooden furniture going to Australia or the European Union: the information about the timber that your importer’s due diligence asks for
Compliance: questions clients ask
Which flammability rule applies to upholstered furniture imported into the United States?
Federally, 16 CFR Part 1640, effective 25 June 2021: indoor seating furniture with an upholstered seat, back or arm must meet California Technical Bulletin 117-2013, and since 25 June 2022 must carry a permanent label reading “Complies with U.S. CPSC requirements for upholstered furniture flammability”. Mattresses, foundations and bedding are outside this part; mattresses have their own standards in 16 CFR Parts 1632 and 1633.
What changed for wooden furniture imported into Australia in 2025?
The Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 was amended, and the Illegal Logging Prohibition Rules 2024 commenced, on 3 March 2025. Importers of regulated timber products must meet due diligence requirements, and the Rules list wooden-frame seats (9401.61, 9401.69) and wooden furniture and parts (9403.30 to 9403.60, 9403.91).
When does the EU Deforestation Regulation apply to wooden furniture?
From 30 December 2026 for the main obligations of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, as amended by (EU) 2024/3234 and (EU) 2025/2650; wooden furniture and parts (9403 30, 9403 40, 9403 50, 9403 60, 9403 91) and wooden seats (ex 9401) are in scope. The EU Timber Regulation is repealed with effect from the same date.
What is the EU formaldehyde limit for furniture?
Entry 77 of REACH Annex XVII, added by Regulation (EU) 2023/1464: after 6 August 2026, furniture and wood-based articles must not be placed on the market if the formaldehyde released under the test conditions in Appendix 14 exceeds 0.062 mg/m³.
Do you check compliance for every product?
Yes, before we quote: the first step in choosing a factory is checking that it holds the test reports or certifications for that specific product in your market. Tell us where your project is and what your specification calls for.
Tell us where your project is
We check the standards your market requires before we quote.