---
title: "OEKO-TEX Standard 100 — what it means"
description: "Every component of the textile was tested for harmful substances and passed. What the symbol looks like, what happens if you ignore it, and where its meaning differs"
url: https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-oeko-tex/
site: "At One Place"
---

# OEKO-TEX Standard 100

**OEKO-TEX Standard 100: Every component of the textile was tested for harmful substances and passed.**

## What it looks like

A rectangular label with the words OEKO-TEX and STANDARD 100, a test number and the issuing institute.

## What it means

A chemical safety mark and nothing else. It tests the finished article — thread, buttons, prints, coatings — against limits for hundreds of substances including formaldehyde, azo dyes, heavy metals and pesticide residues, with stricter limits for products intended for babies. It is not an organic certification, not an indication of durability, and says nothing about the working conditions or the environmental impact of production. OEKO-TEX runs separate schemes for those, and their marks are different.

> Defined by OEKO-TEX Standard 100. Where a symbol differs between standards, the difference is described above rather than resolved — both versions are in circulation on real labels.

## Other certification marks symbols

| Symbol | Means |
| --- | --- |
| Energy Star | The product meets US Environmental Protection Agency efficiency criteria for its category. |
| Fairtrade Mark | The certified ingredients were bought on Fairtrade terms, including a minimum price and a premium paid to the producer organisation. |
| Woolmark | The product is made from pure new wool and meets the Woolmark performance specifications. |
| NSF certification | Tested and certified by NSF against a public health or food equipment standard. |
| BSI Kitemark | BSI has tested the product and audits the factory that makes it. |
| GS mark (Geprüfte Sicherheit) | Tested safety — a German voluntary mark requiring independent testing and factory surveillance. |
| Kosher certification (OU and others) | A certifying agency attests that the product is kosher, often with a letter alongside for the category. |
| Halal certification | A certifying body attests that the product complies with Islamic dietary rules. |
| USDA Organic seal | At least 95% of the ingredients are certified organic under the US National Organic Program. |
| EU organic leaf | At least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic under EU rules. |
| Crossed grain (certified gluten free) | Independently certified to contain no more than 20 parts per million of gluten. |
| Vegan Society sunflower | Registered with the Vegan Society: no animal ingredients and no animal testing at any stage. |
| Leaping Bunny | Certified cruelty free: no animal testing by the company, its suppliers or third parties after a fixed cut-off date. |

## Common questions

### What does the oeko-tex standard 100 symbol mean?

Every component of the textile was tested for harmful substances and passed.

### What does it look like?

A rectangular label with the words OEKO-TEX and STANDARD 100, a test number and the issuing institute.

## Related pages

- [Woolmark](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-woolmark/)
- [USDA Organic seal](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-usda-organic/)
- [Energy Star](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-energy-star/)
- [Fairtrade Mark](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-fairtrade/)
- [Woolmark](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-woolmark/)
- [NSF certification](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-nsf/)
- [BSI Kitemark](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-kitemark/)
- [GS mark (Geprüfte Sicherheit)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-gs/)
- [Kosher certification (OU and others)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-kosher-ou/)
- [Halal certification](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-halal/)
- [USDA Organic seal](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-usda-organic/)
- [EU organic leaf](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cert-eu-organic/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)