The GARAN label on furniture or appliances: what the producer is really promising

Since 27 September 2026, shoppers in the EU may see a new mark in stores and online: the GARAN label shows that the producer offers, free of charge, a durability guarantee covering the whole product for more than two years. It is more meaningful than a vague “up to ten years’ warranty”, but it does not replace your statutory rights when goods are faulty.

The label can be useful when comparing higher-value furniture, mattresses, lighting, small kitchen appliances or major household appliances. What matters is not the word GARAN alone, but the number of years, the brand, the exact model identifier and the producer’s accompanying guarantee statement.

Three conditions must all be met

Under the European Commission’s practical guidance, the producer’s voluntary commercial guarantee of durability must:

• cost the consumer nothing extra;
• cover the entire product, not just one component;
• last for more than two years.

When all three conditions are met and the producer supplies the information to the seller, the GARAN label must be displayed prominently next to the relevant product. It shows the duration in years together with the brand and model ID.

A five-year motor warranty, a ten-year compressor promise or a 25-year frame warranty does not by itself qualify if only one component is covered. It may still be a useful commercial offer, but it must not be confused with the EU label for durability of the whole product.

What is the producer actually promising?

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960 describes a durability guarantee as a producer’s commitment that, under normal use, the good will maintain its required functions and performance for the stated period. If it does not, the producer must repair or replace it free of charge.

That does not mean every scratch, wear issue or misuse is automatically covered. The commercial guarantee statement sets out the exact terms. Do not merely photograph the label: ask for or download the complete statement before purchase.

The statement must include the producer’s name and address, the steps for making a claim, the products covered and the applicable conditions. You must receive it in a durable form that you can keep, such as paper or email, no later than delivery.

Statutory protection remains separate

GARAN is a voluntary commercial commitment from the producer. Separately, consumers have statutory remedies against the seller for faulty goods. The harmonised EU notice reminds shoppers that consumer goods sold in the EU carry at least two years of legal guarantee protection; exact national rules and deadlines should always be checked under current local law.

The two routes are not interchangeable. The GARAN statement must make clear that it does not affect your statutory rights. If customer service dismisses a complaint as “a manufacturer warranty issue”, ask in writing which legal route applies and who is responsible.

What should you check in a store?

Start by identifying the exact model. Within one sofa family, the frame, upholstery, mechanism and guarantee can differ; with appliances, a single letter or digit may identify a different specification.

Check these five points:

1. Does the brand and model on the label match the price tag and order form?
2. How many years are promised, and when does the period start?
3. Does it truly cover the whole product, or do detailed conditions narrow the scope?
4. Will you receive the guarantee statement in a form you can keep?
5. Are the claim route, required proof and repair-or-replacement process clear?

Keep the invoice, order, exact model, serial number and guarantee statement. If the label appears online, save a dated screenshot of the product page because webpages can change.

How can you recognise the official label?

GARAN has a fixed design: a tick, a calendar symbol, a visual reminder of statutory protection and a QR code leading to multilingual information. In print it must be at least 95 × 100 mm; online it must be shown in colour, although e-commerce may use an expandable nested format.

Open the QR code with your own phone and check that it leads to official EU information. The brand and model should not look like an unreadable afterthought. If in doubt, ask the producer whether it issued a whole-product durability guarantee for that exact model.

The label is not a quality ranking, an energy class or an independent product test. A longer promise is valuable comparison data, but repairability, spare-parts availability, service coverage, materials and maintenance requirements still matter.

Furniture and appliances need different questions

For furniture, ask what “whole product” means in practice: frame, fittings, mechanisms, filling, upholstery and finish? What counts as normal wear? Are specific care products or periodic maintenance required?

For appliances, ask how accessories, batteries, hoses, filters, seals and other wear items are handled in the terms. GARAN may only be used for a durability guarantee covering the whole good, but the statement can still define normal use and required maintenance in detail.

One-minute buying checklist

• Is it an actual GARAN label or only a generic “long warranty” claim?
• Is the promise longer than two years and free of charge?
• Does it cover the whole product?
• Do the brand, model and number of years match?
• Do you have the full producer statement?
• Is the repair-or-replacement process written down?
• Have you saved the invoice, model and serial number?
• Have you also compared repairability and service support?

GARAN is most useful when treated as a verification tool rather than decoration. The label defines the promise; the full statement, exact product identity and realistic claim route make the buying decision safer.