What Is Oeko-Tex 100 Certification?

The OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 (Oeko-Tex 100) is a globally uniform, independent testing and certification system for textile raw materials, intermediate and end products at all stages of processing. Oeko-Tex 100 certification shows that a textile product has been tested for substances harmful to human health. The criteria are updated every year in line with scientific findings and new legal requirements.

The tests for harmful substances comprise substances which are prohibited or regulated by law, chemicals which are known to be harmful to health, and parameters which are included as a precautionary measure to safeguard health.

A tested textile product is allocated to one of the four Oeko-Tex® product classes based on its intended use. The more intensively a product comes into contact with the skin, the stricter the human ecological requirements it must fulfil.

Manufacturers are entitled to mark successfully tested products or article groups with the Oeko-Tex® label and to advertise in other forms as long as it has been proven within the extensive laboratory tests that all components, including accessories, comply with the specified test criteria without exception. A certificate which is issued applies for one year and can be renewed as often as required.

OEKO-TEX® Product Classes

Product Class I: Textiles and toys for babies and toddlers up to 3 years of age
Product Class II: Articles used with a large part of their surface in direct contact with the skin (underwear, shirts, bed linen, etc.)
Product Class III: Articles used with little or no skin contact (jackets, filling materials, etc.)
Product Class IV: Decoration materials (curtains, upholstery fabrics, etc.)

What Is Tested?

For Oeko-Tex 100 certification, products are tested against limit values defined for each product class. The main parameters include:

Banned azo dyes and allergenic disperse dyes
Formaldehyde and extractable heavy metals
Phthalates, pesticides, chlorinated phenols and organotin compounds
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)
Relevant substances on the REACH SVHC Candidate List
Health-related parameters such as pH value and colour fastness

Certification Process

Application: An application is made to an authorised OEKO-TEX® institute with information on the product, its components and the supply chain.
Samples: Representative samples and information on the chemicals used are sent to the institute.
Laboratory testing: Samples are tested against the criteria for the relevant product class.
Certificate and label: A certificate is issued for products that pass; they may then carry the OEKO-TEX® label with the certificate number.
Renewal: The certificate is valid for one year and is renewed through testing against the current criteria.

For the current criteria and label verification, see the official OEKO-TEX® website.

Advantages of Oeko-Tex 100 Certification

Certification according to Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 offers companies in the textile and clothing industry who wish to offer their customers products which are safe to their health a range of advantages:

The modular principle of the standard ensures that textile products at all stages of the processing chain can be tested and certified. By using certificates for the preliminary sector, duplicate tests can be avoided.

Responsibility for the human ecological quality of the products always remains with the party who has made qualitative or chemical changes to the product in the manufacturing process. This means that manufacturers of ready-made clothing, as the final link in the production chain, are also able to have their collections certified at a manageable cost.

The Oeko-Tex® criteria catalogue which is uniform throughout the world, offers a standardised requirements profile for terms of purchase and delivery which simplifies and accelerates the flow of information.

This added transparency provides significantly improved product security and time savings, in particular for companies with extremely short production cycles and complex internal quality assurance systems.

Who Is Oeko-Tex 100 For?

Every link in the supply chain can apply for Oeko-Tex 100 certification, from yarn, fabric and accessory manufacturers to dyehouses and finishing plants, garment manufacturers, home textile and baby product brands. For textile companies exporting to Europe in particular, the certificate is a common way of showing compliance with buyers’ harmful substance requirements. However, Oeko-Tex 100 is a voluntary certification and does not replace the obligation to comply with legislation such as REACH.

How Doruksistem Helps

Doruksistem supports textile manufacturers and brands throughout the Oeko-Tex 100 certification process:

Preliminary review of dyes and auxiliary chemicals based on their Safety Data Sheets
Determining the product class and preparing the application file
Planning pre-tests for high-risk parameters before certification
Evaluating test results and defining corrective actions

To learn more about our other textile tests and analyses, visit our Test Analysis page or fill in the service form.