OEKO-TEX Standard 100: The Global Gold Standard for Textile Chemical Safety

June 16th, 2025

The OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is probably the world’s most recognised textile certification. It sets a benchmark for chemical safety within the textiles industry, all the way from yarn to finished fabric. Every item bearing the STANDARD 100 label is certified as having passed safety tests for the presence of harmful substances.

It’s a certification that’s often even stricter than national and international standards. The more intensive the skin contact, the stricter the human ecology requirements and laboratory tests. As a result it complies with global regulations, including the annexes XVII and XIV of the REACH directive, CPSIA and the ECHA-SVHC candidate list.

Welcome to everything you ever needed to know about the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and FibreGuard’s place within it. Our unique STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® number is 0611045, and it’s easily checked on the online label checker.

Who provides an OEKO-TEX® certification?

There are various standards set by the OEKO-TEX® International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology. As that’s quite a mouthful people generally just say OEKO-TEX®!

Established in 1992, it’s a network of 17 independent textile and leather testing institutes in Europe and Japan, with offices in more than 70 countries. Since then, it’s expanded massively, with impressive stats to back them up:

over 50,000 certificates issued annually
covering 35,000+ companies globally with a comprehensive approach that
tests for more than 1,000 harmful substances.

Textile science: advanced textiles testing methodologies

The technical foundation of OEKO-TEX Standard 100 relies on state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation, operated by the 17 independent research institutes we mentioned earlier.

Let’s get into the testing methodology: get ready for stats, facts, and our good friend… the bullet point.

Here’s a quick overview of where the tests happen, and what they are.

Global Testing Infrastructure

17 independent research institutes, all of which maintain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for international quality standards
Quality assurance ensured through ‘round robin’ testing programs between institutes

Advanced Analytical Technology

Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) as primary analytical method
Capable of quantifying 34+ restricted dyes simultaneously
Detection limits as low as 0.25 µg/kg for exceptional sensitivity

Wide-ranging Testing Parameters

100+ individual test parameters across all product categories
4 distinct product classes with varying stringency levels based on skin contact intensity

Product Class Standards

Product Class I (babies and toddlers): Strictest standards
Formaldehyde completely prohibited
Lead content limited to ≤100 ppm
Other classes: Controlled limits ranging from 75-300 mg/kg for formaldehyde depending on intended use

Chemical Restriction Categories

Carcinogenic azo dyes
Allergenic substances
Heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium VI)
Pesticide residues
Volatile organic compounds
Flame retardants
Endocrine disruptors

Recent Updates and Emerging Contaminants

Total fluorine testing for PFAS substances
100 mg/kg limit across all product classes

Measurement Accuracy and Precision

Recovery rates: 84.5-106.9% ensuring accurate results
Relative standard deviations: 0.59-10.61% for consistent measurements
Correlation coefficients: 0.991-0.999 for linearity

The journey towards an OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certification

With applying for it: and it’s really recommended to be extremely prepared in advance, as review efficiency depends how prepared the application is.

So what does the application entail?

First of all: documentation.

We’re talking:

Detailed product specifications for every item seeking certification
Complete material documentation including composition and sourcing details.
Representative samples of all components requiring testing. Pre-certified components don't require re-testing in finished products
Supply chain information and manufacturing process details

Secondly: Every component matters

Every part that makes up a finished product is tested for integrity before anything can be certified under any OEKO-TEX standard.

What does this translate to, exactly?

Fabrics and base materials
Threads and stitching materials
Hardware components (buttons, zippers, snaps)
Decorative elements (prints, embroidery, appliqués)
Coatings and finishes
Packaging materials in direct contact with products

Thirdly: Complete Product Lifecycle Testing

OEKO-TEX Standard 100's strength lies in its scope.

They’re not only in testing every component: they also test products at every stage of the manufacturing process. All to safeguard that no harmful substances are introduced at any point in a textile collection, from fibre to finished product.

There are three parts to this: raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished products.

Let’s get into the nitty gritty, shall we?

The manufacturing process: testing textiles at every stage of production

Why Test at Every Stage?

We love how this certification process begins at the very beginning of a product's lifecycle. Chemical changes can occur throughout manufacturing, meaning that what's safe as raw material might become harmful after processing.

Starting at the very beginning effectively prevents cross-contamination from spreading throughout the supply chain.

It also creates ‘process accountability’ where each touchpoint is responsible for their contribution.

All of which goes into building genuine consumer confidence that the final product is truly safe.

The Foundation Stage: Raw Materials Testing

Why does this matter? Maybe there are contamination sources that could spread throughout the whole production process.

It also ensures that base materials meet safety standards at the most fundamental level, before value is added. It’s also the part that screens for issues from agricultural practices: tiny pesticide residues in natural fibres, for example.

What Gets Tested

Textile fibres (cotton, polyester, wool, silk, etc.) before any processing
Yarn and thread before weaving, knitting, or dyeing
Chemical inputs like dyes, auxiliaries, and finishing agents
Accessory components (zippers, buttons, labels) before attachment

Stage Two: Semi-Finished Products Testing

We’re at the second step of the process. Pausing and testing again at this stage verifies that harmful substances haven’t been introduced during processing, or from machinery, treatments, or facilities.

This second round of testing also gives manufacturers the chance to correct any issues before final assembly and packaging. Thanks, OEKO-TEX!

What Gets Tested

Dyed fabrics after colouring but before cutting
Printed materials after design application
Treated textiles after chemical finishing (water-repellent, anti-wrinkle, etc.)
Cut pieces before assembly
Partially assembled products during manufacturing

Stage three: testing the finished goods in a final safety check

Finally, the finished product: the testing process is nearly complete! This is really the wrap up stage before market release, the final confirmation that harmful substances are nowhere to be found.

So, what happens at this stage?

This is where fabrics are checked for contamination during final assembly. The components are tested again too, to ensure that there have been no interactions that might create new chemical compounds. It also evaluates the fabric in the real world for the first time, verifying performance under real life, actual use conditions.

What Gets Tested

Complete assembled products exactly as sold to consumers
All components together to check for interactions between materials
Final chemical composition after all manufacturing processes
Actual consumer exposure levels through realistic use scenarios

The OEKO-TEX Standard 100 has achieved unprecedented industry recognition, with acceptance by major regulatory bodies including the European Union (REACH Directive compliance), and the United States (CPSIA alignment).

The result is that it’s been integrated into restricted substance lists of major retailers worldwide, even being included in Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly program, where it’s featured on 40,000+ products across Europe.

Why get certified under any OEKO-TEX Standard?

OEKO-TEX Standard 100 also occupies a unique strategic position as the "chemical safety foundation" that enables broader sustainability initiatives. Its universal applicability to any fibre type provides flexibility that organic-only certifications cannot match.

Quantifiable health outcomes

For humans, this means that products bearing the STANDARD 100 label are free from substances that could cause skin irritation, allergies, or other health issues.

Its knock-off effect is wide reaching. It includes protection for over 620,000 workers employed in certified facilities and measurable reduction in exposure to carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and allergens.

It also addresses specific health risks head on, from developmental issues to cancer risks, and hormonal disruption.

While the primary focus is on human health, the reduction of harmful chemicals in textiles also benefits the environment, ultimately protecting animal health. By limiting the use of toxic substances, the STANDARD 100 helps reduce pollution and chemical runoff that can affect wildlife and ecosystems.

Continuous innovation and future-focused standards

Oeko-Tex as a standards regulator prides itself on its future-focused commitment to emerging health and environmental challenges. The PFAS ban implementation (January 2024) with total fluorine testing required at 100 mg/kg, for example, is just one demonstration of proactive regulatory anticipation.

They also embrace digital integration, giving consumers an easier way of checking the claims of their products with full traceability.

Digital initiatives include blockchain technology for product tracking, CertLink platform connections between certificates and products, and integration with supply chain management tools. The Impact Calculator provides quantified environmental metrics, measuring carbon and water footprints across 100+ production activities to enable targeted improvement efforts.

Integration into a broader sustainability framework

In the textiles industry, there are numerous eco-labels that focus on various aspects of sustainability, such as organic certification, fair trade certification, recycled content certification, and water and energy efficiency labels.

The certification's integration capabilities with these other sustainability frameworks make it indispensable for comprehensive programs. Brands can layer OEKO-TEX with other standards, such as the Global Recycled Standard or the Organic Content Standard. A diverse certification across eco labels demonstrates a commitment to a broader range of sustainable practices.

Keep reading: Expanding Sustainability: The Power of Diverse Eco-Label Certifications