Shopping for certified furniture can feel like learning a different language—especially when acronyms like GOTS, GOLS, and OEKO-TEX pop up everywhere. What do all these letters mean, and more importantly, why should you care about them when you're picking out your next sofa, coffee table, or perfect shade of blue accent chair?
Here's the thing: these acronyms aren't just fancy marketing buzzwords. They're actually your best friend when it comes to making sure your furniture is made of healthier and more sustainable materials. Independent organizations put these stamps of quality on certain materials after rigorous testing, and furniture companies that use these materials can make the claim that their choice of material has passed this test.
We know too many uppercase letters can often feel like information overload, so we're breaking down the most important certifications you'll encounter when shopping for furniture. By the end of this blog, you'll be fluent in certification-speak and ready to make choices that are better for your home, your health, and the planet.
The Big Seven: Breaking down furniture certifications
What does Greenguard Gold Certified mean?
This certification is all about the air you breathe: Greenguard Gold ensures that products have been tested for over 10,000 harmful chemicals often used in furniture making and meet some of the world's most rigorous standards for low chemical emissions.
The majority of everyday chemical exposure for people occurs through the air we breathe—whether it’s in our homes, offices, or schools—and the products that we use to build and furnish our indoor environments can have a significant impact on indoor air pollution levels. These chemicals are airborne, and are commonly referred to as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
You know that "new furniture” smell? That's actually VOCs off-gassing into your home. Greenguard Gold certified products emit minimal VOCs, which means better indoor air quality for you and your family. This certification can be especially important if you have kids, pets, or anyone with sensitivities. Materials certified by Greenguard Gold are scientifically proven to meet some of the world’s most rigorous, third-party chemical emissions standards. This all helps to reduce indoor air pollution and the risk of chemical exposure, while aiding in the creation of healthier indoor environments.
You'll find this certification on upholstery fabrics, cushion filling materials, and even adhesives or glues used in furniture construction. At Medley, all of our synthetic fabrics carry the Greenguard Gold certification, so you can breathe easy while you lounge.
What does GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) Certified Mean?
GOTS is the gold standard for organic textiles: this certification covers the entire supply chain. This standard is used to define global requirements that ensures the organic status of textiles, from the harvesting of raw materials, all the way through ensuring environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing, and up to labelling in order to provide a credible assurance to the end customer.
If you're looking for truly organic fabric options, GOTS is your best bet. A textile product carrying the GOTS label grade ‘organic’ must contain a minimum of 95% certified organic fibres, ensures that harsh chemicals aren't used in processing, and that fabric workers are treated fairly. GOTS certification applies to organically grown natural fabrics like cotton, linen, hemp, wool, silk or cashmere.
Here at Medley, our natural latex mattress has a thick quilting of organic cotton ticking that adds a comfy, breathable layer and is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard.
What does GOLS Certified (Global Organic Latex Standard) Mean?
GOLS certification ensures that natural latex products contain at least 95% organic raw materials, and meet strict criteria for environmental and social responsibility throughout the material’s supply chain.
Rubber tree plantations can be certified by GOLS, and so can final latex products all the way down to the retailer. By using certificates at every point in the supply chain, traceability from plantation to the final retailer is ensured—meaning you can rest easy knowing you’ve got the real deal.
GOLS certification ensures you're getting pure, organic latex that's sustainably harvested and processed without harmful chemicals. Manufacturers that are given approval to produce organic products with GOLS certification also have to follow mandatory social and environmental regulations—a huge win!
Natural latex is an *amazing* material for cushion filling and mattress foam. It's exceptionally durable, comfortable, and naturally resistant to mold and dust mites. GOLS-certified latex can last 20+ years while maintaining its shape and comfort—talk about a long-term investment!
Here at Medley, GOLS certified natural latex is our bread and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Certified wool is our butter. We use natural Dunlop latex as a durable, plush cushion filling on our natural latex and wool sofas, sectionals, and more. Want to know more about the difference between natural latex and poly foam? Read more here.
What does CertiPUR-US® Certified Mean?
This certification was specifically created for flexible polyurethane foam. The CertiPUR-US® certification ensures that polyurethane foam is made without harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, heavy metals, and certain flame retardants.
Not all foam is created equal, and some cheaper versions can contain chemicals you’d probably rather not curl up in for a movie marathon. The CertiPUR-US® certification means you're getting foam that's been tested for content, emissions, and durability. It's the cleanest synthetic foam option available: low VOC, and made without ozone depleters, PBDEs, TDCPP or TCEP (”Tris”) flame retardants, mercury, lead, other heavy metals, formaldehyde, and phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
At Medley, we offer CertiPUR-US® certified poly foam sofa and sectional cushions as a more economical alternative to our natural latex offerings: it's a great option for consistent comfort and cleaner indoor air quality when compared to other uncertified poly foams.
What does OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Certified mean?
OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification tests textiles for harmful substances at every stage of production: that means everything from raw materials to the final product sitting in your living room.
OEKO-TEX® ensures that certified fabrics and materials are free from over 100 harmful chemicals from over 17 chemical groups, including formaldehyde, heavy metals, and pesticides. You'll see this certification on both natural and synthetic fabrics as well as some raw materials, such as wool. OEKO-TEX® testing is rigorous, and this certification is a super great baseline to look for when you want peace of mind about what you're bringing into your space.
Medley offers multiple products with the OEKO-TEX® certification. You’ll find multiple fabric options on our swatches page that carry this certification, like our beautiful Juneberry cotton-linen blend and our super-soft Stonecrop and Riverbed linens.
We also use OEKO-TEX® Standard 100-certified wool as a soft, protective barrier around our natural latex mattresses and as a filling component for our natural latex upholstered furniture. This super-soft, certified wool is gently shorn from grass-fed, crossbred sheep, and sourced from farmers who genuinely care for the environment, encourage healthy ecosystems, and follow the “five freedoms” for animal welfare. We've also specifically chosen our wool supplier for their location in New Zealand, where mulesing was banned in 2018.
What does FSC Certified mean?
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a global organization that promotes responsible forest management, and FSC certification ensures that wood comes from well-managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.
When you choose FSC-certified wood, you're supporting forest management that protects wildlife habitats, respects indigenous rights, and maintains biodiversity. Their management standards also expand protection of water quality, prohibit harvesting of rare old-growth forest, and prohibit highly hazardous chemicals. We all know that responsibly managed forests are more sustainable in the long-term, so future generations can enjoy them too.
Within the world of furniture, FSC certifications most often refer to the wood components such as frames, legs, and solid and engineered hardwood pieces. At Medley, many of our upholstered furniture frames are constructed with a blend of FSC certified solid wood and engineered hardwood for added stability. Our dining and exposed wood accent chairs feature solid wood with this great certification.
And for the cherry on top: for every single tree used to bring our pieces to life, we donate to plant three times the amount of trees in partnership with the National Forest Foundation. We care deeply about our environmental impact, and we aim to create a cycle of reforestation that will ultimately leave the forests more lush than before.
What does zero VOC mean?
VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds—carbon-containing substances that easily become vapors or gases. These substances can off-gas from certain materials and can affect indoor air quality. Zero VOC refers to products that contain no detectable levels of these compounds.
VOCs can cause headaches, respiratory issues, and other health problems, especially in enclosed spaces. Zero VOC materials can help create healthier indoor environments: this one’s especially important for people with chemical sensitivities or respiratory conditions. While there isn’t a certifying body for this credential, look for third-party VOC certification that involves testing products for the types and amounts of VOCs they emit. You’ll most often find a low-VOC or no-VOC credential on furniture adhesives, finishes, and some fabric treatments.
At Medley, we use low- or no-VOC glues and finishes: storage furniture, tables, wood beds, and wood accent chairs use a plant-based, hardwax oil wood finish that is odorless, low VOC, and water- and heat-resistant.
Exposed wood bases and legs on natural latex furniture are sealed with a low- or no-VOC bio-based finish made from beeswax, carnauba wax, and olive oil. Upholstered furniture made with poly foam uses a low VOC, GREENGUARD-certified finish on bases and legs.
How to spot certified materials in your furniture shopping
Now that you know what to look for, here's how to actually find certified materials when you're shopping:
Ask the right questions: Don't be shy about asking retailers about certifications. Any reputable furniture company should be able to tell you exactly what certifications their materials carry—and if they can't, that's a red flag.
Check product descriptions: Look for certification logos and detailed material descriptions on websites and product tags. Companies that invest in certified materials are usually proud to show them off.
Look beyond the marketing: Some companies use terms like "eco-friendly", “sustainable”, or "natural" without any certification to back it up. Real certifications should have specific names, logos, and standards—not just vague green-ish marketing language.
The Medley difference: Our commitment to certified materials
At Medley, we’ve spent 20 years proving product quality and safety with certifications. Every material we use has been carefully selected and tested to meet the highest standards for safety, sustainability, and durability.
Our GOLS-certified organic latex foam wrapped in wool offers unmatched comfort and longevity, while our CertiPUR-US certified poly foam provides a cleaner synthetic alternative. Our fabrics range from OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified options to Greenguard Gold certified picks, so you can choose what feels best to you.
We’re quite proud of our FSC-certified solid wood pieces and furniture frames, but that's just the beginning. Our natural latex furniture uses formaldehyde-free PureBond® hardwood plywood to create sturdy-forever furniture frames, because we believe every component of your sofa should meet our high standards.
We’re pretty confident your Medley furniture will last as long as you need it to, but to back ourselves up, we offer multiple warranties: a lifetime warranty on our frames, a 10-year warranty on fillings, and a 5-year warranty on fabric upholstery.
We believe that when you choose quality, certified materials, you're not just making a purchase—you're making an investment in comfort that lasts.
Making informed choices for your home
The bottom line: certifications aren't just alphabet soup. They're a great roadmap to selecting furniture that's better for your health, your home, and the planet. When you see these stamps of approval, you can trust that independent experts have done the testing so you don't have to.
Your furniture is part of your daily life for years to come, so why not make sure it's made with materials you can feel good about? Sweet dreams, deep breaths, and easy lounging—that's what certified materials can give you. And we think that’s what great furniture is all about.
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