OEKO-TEX Certified Bedding – What the Label Means

Short answer: OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is a label meaning the textile has been tested for a long list of harmful substances and does not contain them above the set limits. It says something about what is in the fabric, and nothing about how good it is.

What the label covers

Standard 100 tests the finished product for substances that may be harmful to health, including residues from dyeing and finishing. The test applies to every part of the product, including thread, buttons and zip, and not only the fabric in the middle.

What it does not say

The label says nothing about quality, about how long a set lasts, or about how it feels. A thin set and a densely woven set can both be certified. It is a safety label rather than a quality label, and that is worth keeping apart.

Why it matters for bedding

You lie with your skin against bedding for six to eight hours every night. That is longer than any other textile is in contact with the body, which is exactly why a test for production residues makes most sense here.

The classes

The standard has four classes depending on how much skin contact the product has. Bedding falls into the class with direct skin contact, where the limits are stricter than for a curtain or an upholstery fabric that rarely touches anyone for long.

How to check it

A genuine certificate carries a number and a testing institute printed on the label, and the number can be looked up. If it says only the word OEKO-TEX with no number, that is not proof of anything, and it is worth asking what lies behind it.

What we carry

The certified items in the range sit together under OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified items. The bedding is under bamboo bedding, where qualities and colours stand side by side.

What else to look at

Besides the certificate, it is fabric density, the closure at the end and the stitching in the corners that decide whether a set is worth buying. Those three things determine whether the set lasts five years or fifteen.

Other labels you will meet

There are several labels on textiles, and they cover different things. Some concern the growing of the raw material, others the working conditions in the factory, and others again the chemistry in the finished fabric. They cannot be compared directly with each other.

Wash it before use anyway

Wash a new set before using it. That removes dust and residues from transport and makes the fabric softer from the first night. That applies to a certified set too, where the test does not replace an ordinary first wash. See also bamboo clothing for sensitive skin and bamboo viscose and the environment.