Consider a common scenario: a container of faux fur throws arrives at a European port. Customs pulls a box. The importer gets a letter: provide proof that the dyes and finishes meet EU chemical requirements. No certificate on file, no test report — and now the shipment sits while the importer scrambles. This happens more often than it should, and it is almost always avoidable.
If you buy home textiles in China and sell them in the EU, OEKO-TEX and REACH are the two compliance frameworks you will meet first. They do different jobs, they use different paperwork, and confusing them is where most buyers trip up. This guide explains what each one covers, how to verify it, and what to ask your supplier before production starts.
Key takeaways
- OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is a voluntary product certification: an independent lab tests every component of the textile against a restricted-substance list.
- REACH is mandatory EU law: it restricts hazardous chemicals in articles sold in the EU, and the importer is legally responsible for compliance.
- Verify an OEKO-TEX certificate by checking its number and validity on the issuing institute’s public database — never accept a PDF at face value.
- Textile compliance testing commonly takes 1–3 weeks depending on the parameter list; build it into your production timeline before shipment and confirm timing with your lab.
- Confirm your product’s exact requirements with a compliance lab or your freight forwarder’s customs broker, because product class and market both change the answer.
What is OEKO-TEX Standard 100?
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is an independent, voluntary certification for textile products at every processing stage: raw fiber, yarn, fabric, and finished goods. A certified testing institute tests every component — including sewing thread, buttons, zippers, and print pastes — against the OEKO-TEX restricted-substance list, which covers substances such as azo dyes, formaldehyde, heavy metals, and pesticides. If everything passes, the product receives a certificate valid for one year, renewable on re-testing.
The standard sorts products into four product classes based on skin contact: Class I covers baby articles (up to 36 months), Class II covers textiles with direct skin contact, Class III covers textiles without direct skin contact, and Class IV covers decoration and furnishing materials such as curtains, tablecloths, and upholstery fabrics. The stricter the skin contact, the stricter the limit values — which is why the product class on a certificate matters as much as the certificate itself. Throws, blankets, rugs, and bedding sets typically fall into Class II or IV depending on their intended use.
For importers, the certificate matters because it is product-specific and scope-specific. A factory holding a Standard 100 certificate for cotton yarn cannot automatically claim certified status for a finished faux fur throw — the certificate must cover the actual article, in the actual fiber composition, from the certified scope. Always match the certificate’s product description to what you are buying.
What is REACH?
REACH is the EU regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (EC 1907/2006). Unlike OEKO-TEX, it is mandatory law, not a voluntary label. It applies to “articles” — including textiles — placed on the EU market, and it restricts or requires authorization for substances of very high concern (SVHCs) above defined thresholds.
The practical bite for textile importers comes through Annex XVII (restrictions on specific substances such as certain azo colorants) and the SVHC candidate list, which ECHA updates regularly — it stood at 253 entries as of early 2026 and keeps growing. If an article contains an SVHC above 0.1% by weight, the supplier must inform the recipient — and under the Waste Framework Directive, importers must also submit a SCIP notification to ECHA’s database. The legal responsibility sits with the importer of record, not the factory.
REACH and OEKO-TEX compliance work is often conflated because a Standard 100 certificate covers many of the same substances REACH restricts. A certificate helps as evidence of due diligence, but it is not a legal substitute for REACH compliance: REACH is law, OEKO-TEX is a label. You can sell REACH-compliant textiles without any certificate, and a certificate alone does not cover every REACH obligation (such as SCIP notification).
How do importers verify OEKO-TEX and REACH compliance?
Verification starts with paperwork, and it happens before production — not at the port. Ask your supplier for the OEKO-TEX certificate number, then check it yourself on the public database of the issuing institute (the certificate always names the institute, e.g. Hohenstein or TESTEX, and its website hosts a label/certificate check). Confirm three things: the certificate is current (they expire annually), the product class and article description match your product, and the holder is the party you are buying from.
For REACH, ask for a current test report from an accredited third-party lab (SGS, TÜV, Bureau Veritas, and similar labs are the names EU buyers recognize). The report should list the parameters tested, the method, and the result against the restriction limits. Then do the unglamorous part: confirm the report covers the exact article and colorways you are ordering, and that the test date is recent — dye formulations and finish recipes change, and a two-year-old report for a different color is not evidence of anything.
Build verification into your purchase order. A single line — “Goods must comply with REACH Annex XVII; supplier to provide third-party test report before shipment” — turns compliance from a hope into a contractual condition. Serious factories expect this language; if a supplier resists it, treat that as information. For private-label programs, compliance checkpoints belong in the spec from day one — see how OEM and private label programs work, and start from our faux fur throw sourcing guide for the product-side basics.
What are the typical testing lead times and costs?
OEKO-TEX certification of a new article commonly takes several weeks from sample submission to certificate issue, because the lab runs the full parameter panel and the institute reviews the results. Renewal of an existing certificate is usually faster. REACH screening tests on a finished textile are typically quicker: a standard restricted-substance panel commonly returns results in 1–3 weeks depending on the lab’s queue and the number of parameters. Treat these as planning ranges, not promises — confirm timing with your lab when you book the work.
Costs vary by lab, parameter count, and article complexity, so ask for a quote against your exact product rather than budgeting from hearsay. What matters more than the fee is the calendar: testing happens on production-representative samples, which means dyeing and finishing must be finalized first. Importers who order testing after the goods ship are paying for information they can no longer act on. The rule is simple — test reports before shipment, certificate checks before the purchase order.
Compliance checklist for EU textile importers
| Step | What to do | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Define the product class (OEKO-TEX) and confirm whether the article has direct skin contact | Before sampling |
| 2 | Ask the supplier for the OEKO-TEX certificate number and verify it on the issuing institute’s database | Before the purchase order |
| 3 | Write REACH Annex XVII compliance and a pre-shipment test report into the purchase order | At order confirmation |
| 4 | Send production-representative samples to an accredited lab for the agreed parameter panel | During production |
| 5 | Review the test report: article match, date, parameters, pass/fail against limits | Before shipment release |
| 6 | Check the current ECHA SVHC candidate list and file SCIP notifications where the 0.1% threshold applies | Before placing on the EU market |
| 7 | Keep certificates and test reports on file for market-surveillance requests | Ongoing |
Two honest caveats. First, this checklist covers the standard cases for home textiles; special finishes (flame retardants, biocidal treatments) add their own regulations and should be confirmed with a compliance lab. Second, regulations move: the SVHC list grows regularly and REACH restrictions are amended, so treat any fixed substance list you find online as a starting point, not a verdict. Label proofs should also be part of your pre-shipment inspection before goods leave the factory.
Requesting a quote: specs to confirm
When you request a quotation for EU-bound home textiles, confirm these compliance items in writing alongside the usual product specs:
- Target product class (OEKO-TEX Class II vs. IV) based on the article’s intended use and skin contact.
- Certificate scope: existing OEKO-TEX certificate number, product description match, and validity dates — verified by you, not just attached as a PDF.
- REACH test panel: which Annex XVII parameters the factory routinely tests, and which accredited lab issues the report.
- SCIP readiness: who prepares the SCIP notification if an SVHC above 0.1% is present, and what data they need from you.
- Label package: fiber-content and care labels per destination market, matched to the compliance paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
Is OEKO-TEX certification mandatory for selling textiles in the EU?
No. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is voluntary; REACH is the mandatory EU law. Many EU buyers nevertheless require OEKO-TEX as a contractual condition because it provides independent, article-level evidence of chemical safety. For importers, the practical answer is: REACH compliance is required by law, OEKO-TEX certification is required by your customers.
Does an OEKO-TEX certificate guarantee REACH compliance?
Not entirely. Standard 100 testing covers many REACH-restricted substances, so a valid certificate is strong evidence of due diligence. But REACH also imposes obligations a certificate does not address — such as the SVHC communication duty and SCIP database notification above 0.1% by weight. Use the certificate as evidence, not as a replacement for a REACH review.
Who is responsible for REACH compliance, the factory or the importer?
The EU-based importer of record carries the legal responsibility for REACH compliance of articles placed on the EU market. Your factory can test, certify, and declare, but if the goods fail a market-surveillance check, the enforcement action lands on you. This is why the compliance clause belongs in your purchase order, not just in conversation.
How long does textile compliance testing typically take?
A standard REACH restricted-substance panel on a finished textile commonly takes 1–3 weeks at an accredited lab, depending on the parameter list and the lab’s queue. Full OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification of a new article typically takes several weeks. Plan testing on production-representative samples before the shipment date, not after — and confirm timing with your lab.
Should I use OEKO-TEX certified materials or test finished goods?
Do both where the budget allows. Certified yarns and fabrics reduce risk upstream, but the certificate on a component does not certify your finished article — cutting, sewing, printing, and packaging can all introduce new substances. For finished goods sold in the EU, the test report should always be on the finished article in its final colorways.
Sources & Further Reading
- Hohenstein — OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (four product classes by skin contact; all components must meet the criteria)
- ECHA — Candidate List update, February 2026 (253 SVHC entries; list grows regularly; 0.1% communication and SCIP duties)
Send your target product, fiber content, and destination market, and we will confirm which certifications and test panels apply to your order — and quote production with the right compliance paperwork built in from day one.