A new EU limit for furniture: what to ask before you buy

It is easy to decide whether a new cabinet suits a living room. It is much harder to judge how it may affect indoor air. EU rules have now changed that conversation: after 6 August 2026, new furniture and wood-based articles may not be placed on the EU market if they release more than 0.062 mg/m³ of formaldehyde under the chamber-test conditions set by the regulation. The limit for other articles is 0.080 mg/m³.

The number alone is not a buying guide. It is not a measurement you are expected to perform in your home, nor is it a new mandatory sticker on every item of furniture. The obligation concerns the product being placed on the market and the responsible manufacturer, importer or distributor; compliance is assessed under defined laboratory reference conditions.

Why does furniture have the stricter value?

The European Commission explains that wood-based panels, products made from them and furniture manufactured with formaldehyde-containing binders can be major sources of formaldehyde in indoor air, particularly in new homes. Under the EU's hazard classification, formaldehyde is a category 1B carcinogen.

This does not mean that every particleboard product is bad, or that solid wood is automatically risk-free. Adhesives, coatings, edge sealing and the complete construction all matter. The restriction therefore applies a limit to the finished complex product, not simply to the name of a material.

1. Ask for the precise material composition

“Wooden furniture” is far too broad. Ask which parts are solid timber, plywood, MDF or particleboard, and which components are veneered, laminated or painted. A large wardrobe, wall panel or fitted unit creates far more surface area in a room than a small chest, so scale and room size also matter.

A material list does not replace an emission test, but it prevents vague answers built around words such as “natural”, “eco” or “wood effect”.

2. Ask about compliance of the finished product

The useful question is not “is it formaldehyde-free?” but: does the manufacturer or retailer have documentation showing that the finished product complies with Entry 77 of Annex XVII to REACH?

Also ask whether the test or declaration applies to the whole item or only to one board used inside it. The regulation's reference conditions include a temperature of 23 °C, relative humidity of 45 per cent and a defined air-exchange rate; the steady-state chamber concentration is used for compliance. An old data sheet for a raw panel may therefore not describe the glued, coated and assembled cabinet.

3. Do not confuse smell with a test result

A strong “new furniture” smell can indicate the release of volatile compounds, but your nose is not a laboratory. Lack of smell does not prove compliance, and an unpleasant odour cannot reveal an exact formaldehyde concentration.

Ventilation still matters. Ask for installation, commissioning and airing guidance, particularly for large fitted units, newly lined wardrobes and children's rooms. Airing a room, however, is not a substitute for the product meeting the market requirement in the first place.

4. Understand the exemptions

The restriction does not apply, among other cases, to second-hand articles, items intended exclusively for outdoor use, or articles in which formaldehyde is present exclusively as a natural constituent of the source materials. The second-hand exemption is a legal category, not a quality seal: a vintage piece can be an excellent choice, but its condition, previous finishes and provenance still deserve attention.

Likewise, “solid wood” or “natural” is not an automatic guarantee. A complete product may still contain adhesives, backing panels, drawer bottoms, upholstery and coatings.

5. Look for a claim you can verify

The EU Ecolabel is voluntary, so its absence does not mean that furniture is non-compliant. When a product legitimately carries the EU Ecolabel for furniture, however, the Commission says the criteria include restricted use of hazardous substances and low formaldehyde emissions. The current furniture criteria remain valid until 31 December 2029.

For any “low emission”, “eco” or house label, ask who issued it, which exact product variant it covers, and whether the certificate or test report can be opened. A specific document is more useful than a green icon on a product page.

A five-minute showroom checklist

• Record the exact article number and variant; the compliance document should match it.
• Ask for the material composition rather than accepting the word “wood”.
• Ask whether compliance with Entry 77 of Annex XVII to REACH is documented.
• Check whether the evidence covers the finished item or only one raw material.
• For a large or fitted piece, request commissioning and airing guidance.
• In a child's room, bedroom or home with a sensitive occupant, favour products with clear low-emission documentation.
• Keep the product page, article number, invoice and any document supplied.

The main message of the new limit is not that shoppers must become chemists. Quite the opposite: the seller should be able to give a clear, product-level answer. The best question is therefore not “is this healthy furniture?” but “which test proves compliance for this exact product?”