According to the EPA, building materials and furnishings are one of the major causes of indoor air pollution—which is why buying from non-toxic furniture brands is a thing; and a much safer way to spruce up your home.
Before replacing your furniture though, let’s pause for a sec and consider how we navigate this.
Toxin-free furniture typically includes no flame retardants, formaldehyde, stain guards, toxic water repellents, PVC/vinyl, off-gassing polyurethane foam, toxic paint, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Ideally this will be backed up with relevant certifications and important sustainability credentials like responsible raw material sourcing, fair and transparent supply chains, green business practices and charitable giving. This is what we’ve aimed to achieve in pulling together this list.
Additionally our Brand Rating System takes this a step further for brands that have opted in to be rated. We use this system to go deeper into brand’s sustainability credentials and assess across 22 different criteria, including things like climate impact, customer safety and chemical use. Look out for the rated furniture brands on the list below who have taken that extra step and find other rated brands here.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
Non-Toxic Furniture Ideas That Have Us (Off)Gassed
MasayaCo offers beautiful living room furniture designs made mostly from solid FSC Certified teak grown predominantly in their own regenerated forests. Their teak furniture is finished with a low-VOC, GREENGUARD Gold-certified, water-based acrylic. MasayaCo has been comprehensively rated by us on their sustainability credentials – find the full rating here.
For high quality wooden furniture ideas, Medley produces a range that’s made-to-last. Each piece is built in the US and made with a list of better, more sustainable materials including kiln-dried alder, solid walnut and maple, CertiPUR-US®-certified foam, natural Dunlop latex, GOTS/OEKO-TEX certified natural fibers, and plant-based finishes.
Sabai’s made-to-order sofa’s are assembled with VOC water-based glue and can be filled with CertiPUR-US®-certified foam. Fabrics are either OEKO-TEX certified or Greenguard Gold certified and include hemp and GRS-certified recycled velvet. Sabai also make tables and décor with similar attention to healthier materials and sustainability.
Index: Furniture Ideas
- MasayaCo Jump to brand
- Sabai Design Jump to brand
- Medley Jump to brand
- Burrow Jump to brand
- Avocado Jump to brand
- The Futon Shop Jump to brand
MasayaCo
Ethical Sourcing
Raw materials have been sourced ethically with people and planet in mind.
Handcrafted
Products have been made by hand, typically by an artisan or group of artisans.
Locally Made
Products are made local to the brand's headquarters.
Made To Order
Products can be made to order, thus limiting unnecessary production
Non-toxic
All products are made with ingredients or materials that are currently considered non-toxic
Sustainable Materials
Either all or most products are made with sustainable materials
Traceable Supply Chain
Brand is able to fully trace their entire supply chain from end to end.
Woman Owned
This brand is owned by a woman or a group of women.
FSC®-certified
MasayaCo handcrafts beautiful wood furniture using sustainably sourced materials and responsible production methods. Their range includes chairs, rockers, stools, benches, tables, shelves, consoles, desks, bedroom furniture and outdoor furuniture.
Their designs are predominantly made from solid teak grown through their own regenerative reforestation efforts, as well as other FSC certified sources in Nicaragua. The indoor furniture is finished with Sher-Wood® EA Hydroplus™—a low-VOC, GREENGUARD Gold-certified, water-based acrylic. While some designs incorporate handwoven polyester cords, their all-wood options are ideal for those avoiding synthetic materials.
There are some products kept in stock, but most pieces are crafted to order in Nicaragua, with full transparency across the supply chain thanks to their vertically integrated “Seed to Seat” model.
MasayaCo’s FSC®-certified teak is processed in solar-powered kilns, and the brand minimizes emissions by limiting shipping to the U.S. and Central America.
MasayaCo has been rated by Sustainable Jungle. Find the full rating here.
Sabai Design
Sabai Design has not been rated.
Price range: $195–$5,795
Sabai has a mission to design affordable furniture including sofas, coffee tables and décor. All products are made-to-order and fully customizable over a two-week creation period that’s worth the wait.
Sabai’s sofa and chair frames are made using FSC-certified wood and assembled using VOC-free water-based glue. You have a choice of upholstery fabric, including OEKO-TEX and GRS-certified recycled velvet made from 100% recycled water bottles, 100% upcycled Greenguard Gold-certified olefin polyester, cactus leather or hemp. Their fabrics are stain-resistant, scratch-proof, and filled with recycled materials or CertiPUR-US®-certified non-toxic foam cushions.
Coffee tables are made with some combination of recycled steel, carbon smart (fallen tree) solid ashwood from baltimore, cherry carbon smart wood, FSC certified white oak, and VOC free oil stain.
Sabai products have no Proposition 65 warnings and they are a Certified B Corp. Furniture is made in a family-owned factory in High Point, North Carolina that’s committed to safety, quality, and living wages.
Sabai offers carbon-neutral shipping and customers are encouraged to repair rather than replace, and individual replacement parts are available.
There is also a buyback program called Sabai Revive where refurbished sofas can be bought for up to 50% off.
Medley
Medley has not been rated.
Price range: $995–$7,135
Medley founders, Travis and Ryan got into the furniture business by aptly selling furniture from their living room. Their focus is to push the furniture industry forward and they offer a whole medley of affordable chemical-free furniture including sofas, sectionals, accent chairs, storage, dining room furniture, beds, and more. Everything features clean lines, simple functionality, and minimalist vibes.
Medley offers kiln-dried alder solid wood furniture frames and solid walnut and maple for tables and other hard goods. Component parts of storage pieces are crafted with FSC-certified, low-VOC CARB 2-compliant plywood.
Two kinds of cushions are used: CertiPUR-US®-certified foam and natural Dunlop latex, both of which meet updated emissions and durability standards without added flame retardants and formaldehyde.
The latex is made from the sap of rubber trees and is naturally mold-resistant, and antimicrobial. Natural fibers used are Greenguard Gold, GOTS, and or OEKO-TEX certified, such as their OEKO-TEX wool that’s free of APEO, NPEO, pesticides, carcinogenic colorants, and heavy metals. Synthetic fibers are used in some pieces, several of which incorporate plant-based water repellents. All are certified free of harmful chemicals.
They use plant-based finishes, like non-toxic furniture polish made of natural beeswax, carnauba wax, and olive oil. It’s odorless, zero VOC, and water- and heat-resistant.
All furnishings are built in the US.
Burrow
Burrow has not been rated.
Price range: $195–$7,090
Burrow is a furniture brand with a focus on setting new standards in terms of providing a modular platform, providing function and style, and investing in community and experience.
It’s managed to separate luxury sofas into modules, which allow customers to expand their furniture to suit changing needs. Simply add a seat to a loveseat to make a sofa. Or add shelving units that let your furniture grow with you.
Sofas aside, Burrow offers a complete range of bedroom furniture (bed frames, dressers, nightstands), shelving units, coffee and end tables, and outdoor furniture.
Burrow use steel hardware and Baltic Birch frames, and the brand’s sofas feature a choice of wooden legs sourced from responsibly managed US forests or recyclable plated steel legs. Other furniture contains sustainably-sourced solid hardwoods and veneered plywood.
In the upholstery department, materials used include eco-leather, velvet, contract-grade polyester, and upcycled olefin. Olefin is polypropylene, but its sustainability credentials are upgraded because it’s created from upcycled polymers. The processing uses no PFCs or chemical additives.
CertiPUR-US certified foam cushions add comfort and are made with no ozone depleters, heavy metals, phthalates, formaldehyde, or flame retardants. There are minimal VOCs.
Burrow furniture is made either domestically in a workshop in North Carolina, or by one of their partners in Poland, Vietnam, India, and Mexico. Wood is sourced from suppliers bearing sustainable forestry certifications by the American Tree Farm System, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Avocado
Avocado has not been rated.
Price range: $329–$2,799
They may be best known as a sustainable mattress brand, but that’s just the skin of this Avocado.
In addition to the highest independently rated mattresses and bedding, they offer a whole range of formaldehyde-free bedroom furniture ideas, including end and accent tables, dressers, and solid wood bed frames.
Mattress bases are made from Dunlop organic latex made from their latex farm and processing factory in India. It is 100% GOLS, eco-INSTITUT®, and OEKO-TEX-certified. This is paired with either RWS and GOTS-certified Gaddi wool, GOTS kapok fiber, or organic cotton, in the case of their PETA-approved vegan mattresses.
No memory or polyurethane foams are used and there is no synthetic latex or off-gassing furniture adhesives, earning them Greenguard Gold and the MADE SAFE certification. A natural hydrated silica fire barrier replaces chemical flame retardants but still exceeds all federal flammability and CPSC standards.
The wooden furniture is made of reclaimed solid wood or FSC-certified wood, sealed with zero-VOC finishes.
The main materials used for this Certified B Corp’s range of products are sourced from India, where the company co-owns several FSC-certified organic rubber tree farms. Its wool comes from company-owned and ethically raised free-range sheep, whose herders are paid a fair, living wage following ILO standards.
Manufacturing of the mattresses takes place in Avocado’s GOTS and GOLS organic-certified factory in Los Angeles. Living wages, comprehensive medical care, paid volunteer days, remote work opportunities, and access to mental and physical health improving tools are guaranteed to all employees.
Avocado is one of several brands to be a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and is an avid supporter of industry transformation from the inside.
This certified toxin-free furniture brand became the first mattress company to become Climate Neutral Certified. Twelve months later, they became carbon negative via a partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
They have also achieved the Zero Waste to Landfill verification from UL solutions. Avocado is a member of 1% For The Planet and donates to organizations like EcoHealth Alliance and Re:wild.
The Futon Shop
The Futon Shop has not been rated.
Price range: $280–$7,990
The Futon’s Shop Natural Home collection is a safe place to start for some bedroom furniture ideas. As you might guess, their range includes some of the most natural futons, but this formaldehyde-free furniture brand is more than just a one-hit-wonder.
You’ll also find mattresses, side and coffee tables, non-toxic sectionals and couches, and platform bed frames.
USDA organic cotton and GOLS-certified organic latex makes up Natural Home’s futon cushions and mattresses, along with select GOTS-certified organic wool, OEKO-TEX-certified coconut or hemp coir, and cashmere, horsetail, and camel hair.
While all bearing OEKO-TEX certification, we’re not certain about ethical sourcing of these latter three animal sourced materials, so we recommend avoiding those.
100% FFC HARD pine is used for the futon and bed frames, and no glue and no finish ensure you’re purchasing furniture without formaldehyde or toxic chemicals. A farm-to-furniture manufacturer, materials are mostly harvested locally, instead of traveling thousands of miles. Their handmade VOC-free furniture has been crafted in a San Francisco factory since the 70s.
US material sourcing and domestic manufacturing mean transportation emissions are kept lower. Each product has a 20–30 year life expectancy.
Why Non-Toxic Furniture & What To Look For
Conventional furniture finishes (paints, stains, and polishes), adhesives, and fabrics are treated with a host of toxic chemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that lead to furniture off-gassing. This in turn causes indoor air pollution.
These carcinogens, heavy metals, and neurotoxins are doing untold damage to human health—hence the need to look for low-VOC or no-VOC furniture.
Formaldehyde from furniture is especially concerning, as it can lead to organic toxicity, reproductive problems, and cancer.
We also want furniture without fire retardants, as these have been linked to disruption of the endocrine, thyroid, immune, and reproductive systems.
For the safest living room furniture (and for all other parts of the home), look out for these Toxicity Related Certifications, Memberships and Accreditations:
where can i buy a non toxic recliner? I can’t seem to find one
NIKKI