Understanding OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 Label and Its Classes
he OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is a globally recognized independent testing and certification system for textile products. Its primary purpose is to ensure that every component of an article, including threads, buttons, and linings, is free from harmful levels of over one thousand regulated and nonregulated substances.
To make testing more relevant, OEKO-TEX divides textile products into four classes. Each class is based on how the product is used and how much it comes into contact with the skin. The closer the contact, the stricter the safety requirements.
Product Class I: Items for Babies and Infants
This category represents the strictest level of certification within the Standard 100 framework. It covers all textile articles, basic materials, and accessories intended for infants and toddlers up to 36 months of age. Because the skin of a baby is significantly thinner and more permeable than that of an adult, the limit values for harmful substances are set at their most conservative levels. This class includes items such as rompers, bedding, cloth diapers, and soft toys. Manufacturers must meet the highest human ecological requirements here to account for the frequent oral contact infants have with textile materials. At Aeptom, all our products meet OEKO-TEX Product Class I certification, ensuring they meet the most rigorous safety requirements for textiles.
Product Class II: Items with Direct Skin Contact
Product Class II applies to textiles that come into direct contact with a large portion of the human skin during use. This includes items such as underwear, shirts, socks, and bed linens. These products are tested to ensure that factors like sweat or body heat do not cause the release of harmful chemicals. Although the requirements are slightly less strict than those for infant products, they are still very high to prevent irritation and long-term health risks.
Product Class III: Items without Direct Skin Contact
Product Class III is assigned to textile products that have little or no direct contact with the skin. Typical examples include outerwear such as jackets, coats, and vests, as well as certain internal components like linings or interlinings. Since these items are usually worn over other clothing, the risk of direct exposure is reduced. As a result, the permissible limits for certain substances are slightly more relaxed compared to Classes I and II. However, these products must still undergo thorough testing to ensure they do not pose any safety risks.
Product Class IV: Furnishing Materials
Product Class IV focuses on furnishing and decorative textiles used in indoor environments. This includes items such as curtains, upholstery fabrics, carpets, and tablecloths. While these products do not typically have prolonged direct contact with the skin, they can still affect human health through indirect exposure, such as the release of chemicals into the air. Therefore, testing in this class places greater emphasis on factors like emissions, odor, and the presence of harmful substances that could impact indoor air quality. Although the limits are less strict than those for wearable textiles, they still ensure a meaningful level of safety.
Significance
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 provides a clear and reliable way for consumers to identify textiles that have been tested for harmful substances. It supports safer purchasing decisions, reduces exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals, and promotes greater accountability within the textile industry.
