OEKO-TEX Standard 100
An independent textile certification verifying that fabrics are free from harmful substances. Common on premium mattress covers, sheets, and pillow fabrics.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is an independent international certification testing textiles (fabrics, threads, dyes, prints, accessories) for over 100 harmful substances — including formaldehyde, heavy metals, pesticide residues, and azo dyes.
Unlike CertiPUR-US (which covers foam), OEKO-TEX certifies the textile components of a mattress: cover fabric, quilting threads, and any fiber-based comfort layers (cotton, wool, bamboo). Both certifications together cover the full mattress build.
Standard 100 has multiple product classes — Class I (most stringent, infant-grade) is required for baby and crib mattresses; Class II covers products with skin contact (mattress covers, pillows, sheets); Class III and IV cover items with limited or no skin contact.
OEKO-TEX is independently tested and audited (vs CertiPUR-US's industry-administered structure), making it slightly more rigorous in process. The certifications are complementary rather than competing — the most thorough mattresses carry both.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 tests finished textiles for hundreds of regulated and unregulated harmful substances, with stricter limits for products intended for babies. It certifies the item you actually touch — cover fabric, sheets, quilting — rather than the supply chain behind it.
That focus is its strength and its limit. OEKO-TEX makes no claim about organic farming, fair labor or environmental impact, so a fully synthetic cover can carry it legitimately. For material sourcing claims you need GOTS for cotton and wool or GOLS for latex; OEKO-TEX answers only 'is this safe against skin'.
What This Means for Shoppers
Look for OEKO-TEX on cover fabrics and bedding accessories you'll have direct skin contact with. For mattresses, OEKO-TEX is a meaningful add-on to CertiPUR-US foam certification but not a complete substitute for it.