Furniture Testing
Relax with Confidence

BUSINESS CHALLENGE
When consumers purchase a new piece of furniture they’re primarily concerned with performance and aesthetics. They want a piece of furniture to function properly, be comfortable, and they want it to be visually appealing. Safety, structural integrity, and durability are simply taken for granted. Furniture is intended to hold people or things so there’s a greater risk involved than with other consumer products. Think of an office chair at work that’s used nine hours a day, a heavy duty metal rack in your garage with a load capacity of 2,000 pounds per shelf, or a plastic chair left on an outside patio exposed to the elements. Consumers rely on furniture to be safe for themselves, coworkers, and their family. 

Testing requirements continually evolve in the world of consumer products, and the furniture industry is no exception. Federal and state regulations and industry standards are constantly changing and it can be difficult to manage what testing is necessary for your particular product. In this changing environment, how can companies keep up-to-date and meet the latest industry requirements for all of their furniture?  

OUR SOLUTION
Companies involved in the furniture industry need an experienced service provider who is actively involved in the industry and can provide comprehensive capabilities for a full range of furniture. At Bureau Veritas, our technical professionals actively participate in technical subcommittees allowing us to provide the latest industry information and testing methods. Whether you have existing product on store shelves, are looking to approve a new design or design modification, or just have not tested your product in over a year, our experienced and knowledgeable staff can find a cost efficient solution for you and help you gain the competitive advantage of meeting the latest industry standards. 

What are the key benefits? 
• Decreased potential of recalls and returns through compliant products
• Enhanced brand protection with reduced risk 
• Increased customer confidence and satisfaction

OUR APPROACH
At Bureau Veritas, we offer customized and comprehensive services to evaluate the safety, durability, and structural adequacy of general-purpose furniture. With testing facilities worldwide, we can procure samples directly from store shelves for such testing as retail audits and comparison testing. 

To best meet your needs, you can select from a number of specific evaluations and testing packages to assess your furniture.

• Comprehensive test packages: Provides complete testing to applicable regulations, industry standards and internal methodology designed to provide you with analysis on all aspects of your product.
• Industry focused test packages: Concentrates on industry requirements for your product.
• Customized tests and test packages: We will design a testing package to focus on a particular component or area of concern with your product. Use this as a cost effective way to verify a component change.
• Comparison testing: Evaluate your product to a competitor’s or a national brand, and see how your product performs in a side-by-side comparison.
• Failure analysis, design evaluations, specification creation: Bureau Veritas can provide the additional technical knowledge and information necessary to obtain the answers and solutions for your unique situation. These evaluations provide in-depth analysis of your product for features that are of potential risk.

PRODUCTS COVERED

DID YOU KNOW?

• If your furniture includes brass keys it may be subject to California Proposition 65 lead requirements based on previous litigation.
• BIFMA has released a large occupant office chair standard which addresses the need of the growing “Big & Tall” chair industry and continues to make updates based on the increasing size/weight of consumers.  Learn more about the BIFMA Compliant Program.
• Furniture falls under the CPSIA regulation and may require a GCC if made outside of the USA.