5 reasons furniture products fail compliance testing and/or certification

Furniture design and production requires precise calculations and rigorous monitoring to ensure quality and performance. To protect consumer safety, there are also stringent regulations worldwide to govern furniture products.

Failing furniture compliance testing or certification could cause financial loss to manufacturers and retailers and pose risks to consumers. Our furniture testing experts have summarised five frequent reasons that furniture might fail compliance testing and/or certification.

Reasons that furniture products fail compliance testing and/or certification

Poor quality of raw materials

Raw materials, such as wood, brick, and metal, are commonly used to produce furniture. The quality of such raw materials is especially important because they act as a key factor in determining the quality of finished products.

Using poor quality raw materials or not having good material control during production may result in transferring hazardous chemicals to products. As a result, furniture manufacturers will fail to comply with chemical testing in accordance with regulations, for example, exceeding the limit of lead and phthalate content.

Using unqualified flame resistance materials

The flammability of upholstered furniture is of utmost importance as, in the case of a house fire, it is frequently the first thing to catch fire and presents a significant source of fuel for fires. Due to this, there are stringent regulations and testing requirements towards the flammability of upholstered furniture such as ASTME1537-16, BS 5852:2006.

To comply with such regulations, furniture manufacturers must select appropriate materials with good flame resistance properties to pass the flammability testing requirements.

Construction failure

A common reason that furniture fails compliance testing is insufficient material strength of the legs and components such as screws and bolts. This kind of failure will make furniture weaker, less able to safely handle weight, and prone to tipping or breaking.

Stability failure

Tip-over danger is a rising concern when we talk about furniture safety because any such incident could bring fatal consequences to a child. The main reason for failing stability requirement is inappropriate design with the centre of gravity in a high position.

A recent legislative change related to this area is that the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth Act (“STURDY Act”) has recently passed through the US Congress in December as part of the 2023 omnibus spending bill. The STURDY Act will now supersede the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) final rule on the Safety Standard for Clothing Storage Units (CSUs) that was set to go into effect on 24 May 2023.

The STURDY Act will require the CPSC to adopt a new rule to protect children from tip-over-related death or injury with several requirements. For more details, please click here.

Wood cracking

Wood can be influenced by its surrounding environment including moisture, temperature, and exposure to sunlight (in a form of thermal expansion). From time to time, wood cracking occurs when the grain of timber reacts to the moisture level in the air.

How the Eurofins Toys & Hardlines network of laboratories can help

Our furniture testing and regulatory services are designed to ensure the performance, safety, and quality of your products. They also help ensure their compliance with applicable standards and regulations before they reach key consumer markets, including the EU and the United States.

We offer a comprehensive portfolio of services ranging from testing, regulatory and compliance, to sustainability, inspection, and factory audit.

For more details, please visit https://www.eurofins.com/toys-hardlines/industry-and-products/furniture-d%C3%A9cor/