What is OEKO-TEX?
The STANDARD 100, and what the label actually guarantees
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 is the best known harmful substance testing scheme for textiles. It promises exactly one thing: that the tested material stays below defined limits for certain substances. This page explains what gets tested, why the product class on a certificate matters more than the label itself, how to verify any certificate yourself in a minute.
What sits behind the label
Behind the best known textile testing mark there is no manufacturer, no public authority, but an association of independent testing institutes across Europe as well as Japan. That explains how it works, also where its boundaries lie.
OEKO-TEX explained in one sentence
A testing institute examines the textile for around **100 substances of health concern** then confirms that all of them stay below the defined limits. What is confirmed is compliance with those limits, not absolute purity. The criteria are in many places **stricter than statutory requirements**, REACH included.
What is on the list
Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, nickel; pesticides; allergenic as well as carcinogenic dyes; phenols; plasticisers; formaldehyde. On top of that the surface pH value, skin compatibility, odour. The list is revised every year.
A certificate runs for one year
After that it has to be renewed. When one lapses the material does not suddenly become unsafe, but the right to advertise with the mark ends. That is why any claim to the label belongs together with a valid test number.
STANDARD 100 is one mark among several
The OEKO-TEX association issues several labels making quite different statements. STANDARD 100 covers substances in the finished textile, nothing else. Anyone looking for a statement about how something was produced needs a different mark. More terms sit in our glossary.
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 meaning: the four product classes
This is the part most label claims leave out. The limits depend on how intensively the finished article touches skin. Class 1 is the strictest, class 4 the mildest. A material certified to class 4 therefore does **not** automatically meet class 1 requirements.
| Product class | Typical articles | Skin contact |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | articles for babies up to three years, cot bedding | very intensive, often in the mouth |
| Class 2 | clothing worn against the skin, bed linen | direct |
| Class 3 | clothing worn away from the skin, coats, jackets | indirect |
| Class 4 | furnishing materials: curtains, upholstery covers, table linen | little to none |
OEKO-TEX meaning: what the label does not say
STANDARD 100 says nothing about cultivation, manufacturing, water use, working conditions. It measures what ends up in the material, not how it got there. Separate labels exist for statements about production. The similarity between "OEKO" as well as "eco" misleads people here regularly.
How long a material lasts belongs elsewhere: that is Martindale plus lightfastness. A certified material can still fade quickly, an uncertified one can last decades.
Testing runs against limits for known substances, not against individual reactions. Anyone who reacts strongly should test a fabric sample despite the label. It costs nothing, answers the question more reliably than any paperwork.
Which components a certificate covers is written on the certificate. In a made-up cushion the cover material, the zip, the filling can each be certified separately. If in doubt, ask for the test number covering the part you care about.
How to check a certificate in a minute
Every valid certificate carries a test number plus an institute. Both can be looked up on the association's own site, without registering.
Find the test number, note the institute
A label or data sheet shows a number such as A96-0071 along with a testing institute, Hohenstein for instance. Those two entries are what the Label Check needs. A mark without a number cannot be verified, which makes it worthless.
Enter it in the Label Check
Type the number into the official Label Check. The result shows whether the certificate is valid, who holds it, which product class applies.
Watch the expiry date
If the date shown has passed, the certificate is no longer valid. That is rarely a scandal, usually a renewal in progress, still a good reason to ask the supplier.
Just ask us
For our materials, request the test number from the customer service. One example from our range: the screen weave for shading is certified to STANDARD 100 in product class 4, test number A96-0071, institute Hohenstein.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, the official account of the testing scheme with its substance list, product classes, certification process
- OEKO-TEX Label Check, free verification of any test number for validity, certificate holder, product class
- What is Martindale? The measure of abrasion resistance
- What is lightfastness? The measure of colour stability in sunlight
- All Germes fabrics with their technical figures
Last reviewed: 24.08.2026 · Reviewer: Germes-Team
Do you need a particular product class?
Tell us what the material is meant for. We will name the qualities that fit, with their test number as well as product class, then send samples on request.