Certifications
OEKO-TEX explained, and what it does not tell you
It is one of the most common labels on clothing, and one of the most commonly misread. It is a chemical safety test, not a fibre claim.
Last checked July 2026.
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 means every component of the article, including the thread, the buttons and the print, has been tested against a list of regulated and suspect substances, with stricter limits for things babies will chew. That is genuinely worth something. If a brand has bothered, it usually tells you something about how they run the rest of the operation too.
What it does not cover
It does not tell you what the fibre is. A fully polyester fleece can pass. It does not tell you the cotton was grown without synthetic pesticides, it does not cover farming, and it does not cover how the fabric performs in the wash or where it ends up afterwards.
Where the confusion starts
Product pages often place an OEKO-TEX mark beside words like natural and conscious, and the eye joins them up. Two separate claims sit next to each other and read as one. Read the composition line first, then the certification, and the picture usually clears.
How I use it
For me OEKO-TEX only counts once the composition already stands up. A mostly natural fabric with OEKO-TEX behind it is a solid, honest buy. OEKO-TEX on a synthetic tells me the chemistry was checked, and nothing more than that. If you want to see where that sits in my grading, the tiers page spells it out.
Checking a claim
Every OEKO-TEX certificate has a number and an issuing institute. Both can be searched in the public label check register. A logo without a number is a picture, not a certificate.
Where this comes from
- OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, standard and test criteria
- OEKO-TEX label check register
- Global Organic Textile Standard version 7.0, section 3.1.1
I check labels like this one product at a time. If you want me to do it while you shop, the Chrome extension reads the page you are on and tells you what is actually in it.