What OEKO-TEX Actually Certifies (And What It Doesn't)

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certifies that every component of a textile - thread, button, dye, and accessory - has been tested against more than 1,000 harmful substances. It is a chemical safety label: it says nothing about organic farming, fibre origin, water use, or, on its own, labour conditions.

Veröffentlicht am 8. September 2026

A garment made entirely of polyester can carry it and pass. This is the most misread certification in the sustainable clothing market, and understanding it properly makes you much harder to mislead.

Key facts

STANDARD 100 tests the finished product for residues, not the process that made it.
Four product classes. Class 1, for babies and children up to three years, has the strictest limits.
Certificates are valid for one year, and the limit values are reviewed at least annually.
OEKO-TEX is a family of seven certifications, not one label.
It is not an organic certification and does not claim to be.

What STANDARD 100 actually tests

Every element that makes up the article is tested: the fabric, the sewing thread, prints, coatings, buttons, zips, and labels. The tests look for residues that could transfer to skin - things like formaldehyde, azo dyes that release carcinogenic amines, heavy metals, chlorinated phenols, phthalates, PFAS, and pesticide residues.

The list runs past a thousand parameters and is revised at least once a year, which matters more than it sounds. Chemical regulation moves, and a standard that updates annually catches substances that were legal when a factory's process was designed.

The four product classes

The principle is simple: the more skin contact, and the more sensitive the skin, the stricter the limits.

Class 1 - babies and children up to 3 years. Bodysuits, bedding, nappies, soft toys.
Class 2 - direct skin contact. Underwear, shirts, bed linen.
Class 3 - no direct skin contact. Jackets, outer layers, linings.
Class 4 - furnishing materials. Curtains, upholstery, tablecloths.

For baby clothing, Class 1 is the one worth looking for. A Class 2 certificate on an item marketed for newborns is not wrong, but it was tested to a looser threshold than the one designed for that age group.

What it does not tell you

This is where the confusion sits, so it is worth being blunt.

STANDARD 100 does not tell you:

What the fibre is. Polyester, acrylic, conventional cotton, and organic cotton all pass on the same terms.
How it was farmed. No pesticide rules, no GMO rules, no soil or animal welfare requirements.
How much water or energy went into it.
Who made it, or under what conditions. STANDARD 100 alone carries no labour criteria.
Whether the chemistry was environmentally sound at the factory. It tests what remains in the fabric, not what was discharged into a river.

None of that is a criticism of the standard. It does one job and does it rigorously. The problem is only that shoppers read it as a general "eco" badge, and some brands are content to let them.

The clean way to hold both ideas: GOTS asks how it was grown and made. OEKO-TEX asks what is left in it now. Both are useful questions. They are different questions.

The rest of the OEKO-TEX family

Seven certifications sit under the name, and they are not interchangeable:

STANDARD 100 - finished textiles tested for harmful substances.
MADE IN GREEN - STANDARD 100 testing plus production in facilities that are environmentally and socially audited, with a traceable product ID you can look up. This is the one that adds the dimensions STANDARD 100 lacks.
ORGANIC COTTON - verifies organic cotton from farm to product, including GMO testing, alongside harmful-substance testing.
LEATHER STANDARD - the equivalent for leather articles.
STeP - certifies production facilities rather than products.
ECO PASSPORT - certifies the chemicals, dyes, and auxiliaries themselves.
RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS - a supply chain due diligence tool for companies.

If you see MADE IN GREEN on a garment, you are looking at a meaningfully broader claim than STANDARD 100. If you see the OEKO-TEX name with no standard specified, you are looking at marketing.

So is OEKO-TEX worth looking for?

Yes, with a clear idea of what it buys you.

For anything against a newborn's skin, a Class 1 STANDARD 100 certificate is genuine reassurance about residues, and residues are the thing most likely to cause a reaction. It is also common and cheap to obtain, which is both its strength and its limit: it is a floor, not a ceiling.

For a fuller picture, look for it stacked with something that covers origin and process. A GOTS-certified organic cotton bodysuit that also carries STANDARD 100 Class 1 has answered both questions. That combination is what you should be scanning for.

Frequently asked questions

Is OEKO-TEX organic?

No. It is a harmful-substance testing standard. The separate OEKO-TEX ORGANIC COTTON certification does cover organic content, but STANDARD 100 on its own does not.

Can polyester be OEKO-TEX certified?

Yes. Fibre type is irrelevant to STANDARD 100. Any material can pass if its residue levels are below the limits.

Which OEKO-TEX class should I look for on baby clothes?

Product Class 1, which covers babies and children up to three years and carries the strictest limit values.

How long is an OEKO-TEX certificate valid?

One year. Limit values are reviewed at least annually, so a current certificate reflects current criteria.

Is OEKO-TEX better than GOTS?

Neither is better; they answer different questions. GOTS covers fibre origin, processing chemistry, and labour. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 covers what remains in the finished product. Many good garments carry both.

Sources

OEKO-TEX, Our Standards and STANDARD 100 documentation, Edition 01.2026.