Just how healthy is the environment in your home? At the risk of sounding alarmist, most traditional home furnishings are made with unsustainable (and toxic) materials that may pose a risk to you, your family, and the environment.
We’re tackling this area of sustainable living by encouraging everyone to kit out their eco-cribs with ethical and sustainable furniture.
Shopping for eco-friendly furniture can feel overwhelming, not least because there are a ton of materials and finishes to consider—all with different environmental, social, and health-related impacts.
It’s our goal to lighten the load by compiling this list of the best sustainable furniture companies for low-impact lounging and sustainable snoozing.
As we refresh our articles in the coming months, we’ll be employing our new Brand Rating System to extend what we look for to 22 criteria including material sourcing, waste management and product performance. To learn more about this new system, take a peek at our explainer 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.
Sustainable Furniture Manufacturers For A Healthy Home
Burrow’s clever, flexible, durable, and safe furniture designs are made with sustainably-sourced wood and non-toxic finishes.
For the sheer variety of products and some of the most clever repurposing around, Etsy Reclaimed has arguably the best eco-friendly furniture made from recycled materials.
Medley makes for a welcome house guest with their sustainable furniture made in the USA. All of their materials are responsibly sourced and pieces are designed to last.
Index: Eco-Friendly Furniture Companies
- Burrow Jump to brand
- Medley Jump to brand
- Etsy Reclaimed Furniture Jump to brand
- Made Trade Jump to brand
- Maiden Home Jump to brand
- MasayaCo Jump to brand
- What WE Make Jump to brand
- Urban Wood Goods Jump to brand
- Emeco Jump to brand
Burrow
About Burrow
Price Range: $195–$7,090
We love burrowing into anything by Burrow. They offer a full range of modern eco-friendly living room furniture, including sectionals, sofas, accent chairs, and loveseats.
Take a peek at the Pika Chair, whose stylishly compact design makes it the perfect versatile piece for small spaces. You’ll also find bed frames, dressers, nightstands, benches, shelves, coffee tables, and outdoor furniture.
Burrow’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Burrows seating combines a Baltic birch frame with steel hardware and a choice of steel or sustainably sourced wooden legs. For upholstery, they use upcycled olefin, polyester, Italian leather and velvet.
While a type of polypropylene, olefin is processed without chemical additives and PFCs. It’s also stain and scratch-resistant. Cushions are CertiPUR-US certified foam (read: no chemical flame retardants, formaldehyde, heavy metals, ozone depleters, or phthalates).
Some of Burrow’s coffee tables and stools are made of local and sustainably-sourced solid ash, others are made with veneered plywood with solid wood legs. Bed frames are made from hardwood with non-toxic finishes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Burrow offers eco-friendly furniture made in the USA, Vietnam, India, Poland, and Mexico. Burrow cuts out the middleman by selling directly to customers.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Durability is a top priority for Burrow, and they’ve conducted tests to prove it. The modular design of their seating means you can configure and reconfigure your furniture however you like—ideal for moving house or room makeovers without needing to buy new. You can also extend pieces when you need to size up.
Medley
About Medley
Price Range: $995–$6,438
Founded by two brothers, Medley is on a mission to give the furniture industry a sustainability overhaul. They offer timeless and durable furniture for every room in the house: sectionals, accent chairs, sleeper sofas, beds, ottomans, benches, accent tables, dining tables, and storage pieces.
With its sustainable modular design and spacious pull-out bed for guests, the Blumen Sofa Bed has us feeling anything but blue.
Medley’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
To Medley, sustainably sourced furniture means domestically sourced and FSC-certified wood like kiln-dried alder, solid walnut and maple, and low VOC plywood (used only for backs and drawer bottoms).
The wood is finished with USDA organic natural furniture polish made with beeswax, carnauba wax, and olive oil. For cushions, choose between CertiPUR-US®-certified synthetic foam and GOLS-certified organic latex.
Other eco materials include OEKO-TEX cruelty-free Eco Wool (in their mattresses), natural jute webbing, GOTS-certified organic cotton upholstery lining, and either recycled or Greenguard Gold-certified synthetics.
All the pieces are free of VOC adhesives, fire retardants, fluorocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides, preservatives, phthalates, formaldehyde, and azo dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Everything is ethically handcrafted in Portland, Los Angeles, or Chicago.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Medley’s furniture is built to last. Their alder hardwood frames are backed by a lifetime warranty and mattresses with a twenty-year warranty.
Community & charitable giving:
For every tree used in their sustainable home furniture, Medley plants three more via the National Forest Foundation.
Etsy Reclaimed Furniture
About Etsy Reclaimed Sustainable Furniture
Price Range: Various
Etsy is also one of the best places to shop for affordable sustainable furniture. With a near-constant influx of new designs and shops, there are plenty of unique pieces, from reclaimed barrel wine holders to coffee tables made of salvaged driftwood.
Our favorite Etsy eco-friendly furniture stores include Reclaimed Wood USA and Urban Billy, both of which specialize in using reclaimed materials to make rustic, farmhouse-inspired furniture.
Etsy Reclaimed’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
There’s no end to the innovative upcycled materials individual makers use in some seriously creative ways. Common upcycled sustainable materials for furniture on Etsy include wood (from salvaged lumber, antique barn wood, fallen logs, and palettes) and metal (upcycled iron, copper and iron piping, and chicken wire).
Supply chain & labor practices:
Etsy allows you to “Stand with Small”, which supports independent artisans and craftspeople and means smaller supply chains (and less risk of human rights abuse). They’re also home to a high concentration of American-made furniture brands.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Many items are handmade-to-order, guaranteeing top-notch craftsmanship, one-of-a-kind pieces, and less waste.
Etsy is powered by 100% renewable energy and offsets 100% of carbon emissions from sellers’ shipping. To further reduce shipping emissions, you can search for local or nearby sellers, too.
Made Trade
About Made Trade
Price Range: $230–$6,185
Made Trade’s curated ethical furniture collection is an easy way to discover feel-good furniture brands for the home. You can shop by purpose or value, including BIPOC Owned, Women Owned, Fair Trade, Handcrafted, Recycled and Upcycled, Made in the USA, and more.
You’ll find fair trade furniture ranging from KAZI’s gorgeous woven grass side tables and headboards to MBare’s FSC-certified natural cane love seats. If you’re after a more futuristic, contemporary vibe, check out the all-weather recycled plastic outdoor furniture from Loll Designs.
Made Trade’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
From Mbare’s woven bamboo cane furniture to Emeco’s recycled aluminum chairs, there’s a variety of sustainable materials (either natural, recycled, or both) found across Made Trade’s curated range.
Loll Designs’ durable furniture is made mostly from plastic milk jugs, of which they repurposed hundreds of millions to date. Designed to also be recyclable furniture at end-of-life, they’re Cradle to Cradle-certified.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Responsible sourcing and transparency are top priorities for women-owned and family-run Made Trade. They ensure their brand partners have fair and equitable working practices and that all artisans and makers are paid fair wages. You can read specific details in each ethical furniture store’s bio.
For example, KAZI is a Fair Trade Federation member, MBare products are handmade by artisans in Malawi, and Loll Designs manufactures in the USA in Minnesota.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Made Trade is Carbon Neutral Certified through the support of three conservation projects including the Katingan Peatland Restoration, Conservation Project and the Envira Amazonia Project.
My Personal Review of Loll Design’s Lollygagger Lounge Chair:
“I tested the Lollygagger Lounge Chair, and I now basically live in it whenever the weather’s nice (I’m currently sitting in it as I write this review!). The high back and the gentle slope of the seat are perfect for kicking back, and the wide armrests are ideal for propping up a laptop or holding a drink. The material is tough, weatherproof, and won’t fade. It’s also super easy to assemble. It arrived in a flat-pack, and I had it set up by myself in just 30 minutes.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Maiden Home
About Maiden Home
Price Range: $500–$9,895
With minimalist timeless pieces, handcrafted using heritage techniques, Maiden Home is “slow furniture” at its best. Whether you’re looking for sustainable bedroom furniture, living room, or dining furniture, they offer plenty of different designs and eco-friendly materials.
Among the more minimalist furniture brands, Maiden’s pieces prioritize soft neutrals, clean lines, and simple, space-efficient designs.
Maiden Home’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All hardwoods (like the solid oak used in many pieces) bear sustainable forestry certifications from the SFI, and any steel is recycled. Their cushions feature CertiPUR-US®-certified soy-based foam, which we generally recommend avoiding due to the deforestation issues linked with soya farming. We’ll be reaching out to confirm sourcing policies.
They use several different upholstery materials, including 100% performance linen, a cotton and linen blend, Mohair from Angora goats, Merino wool, and leather. We’ll also ask Maiden for more details on these animal-derived fabrics to determine if they’re ethically sourced.
Some of the collections feature down and feather-filled cushions, but a down alternative (micro-denier, an ultra-fine synthetic fiber) is available on request. Low VOC, water-based glues and finishes are prioritized, and all furniture is free from flame retardants and formaldehyde.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All pieces are handcrafted to order by North Carolina artisans who use heritage techniques to slow craft the pieces.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Maiden Home works with partners who use eco-manufacturing practices like CNC routing (computer-controlled machines) to reduce wood waste. Made to last, check out their FAQs for maintenance and care tips on prolonging the life of their quality furniture.
MasayaCo
About MasayaCo
Price Range: $170–$6,220
For minimalist and multi-functional pieces that scream “sustainable style” turn to MasayaCo. Their living room furniture includes accent chairs, armchairs, couches, loveseats, rocking chairs, and sectionals in several different styles.
There’s plenty on offer for other rooms, including bed frames, dressers, nightstands, shelves, tables, and stunning office furniture like their minimalist Casares Desk, handcrafted from sustainably sourced hardwood.
MasayaCo’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Responsibly-harvested solid teak, finished in different looks with low-VOC natural oil is what you’ll come home to with environmentally friendly furniture from MasayaCo.
The handmade furniture cushions feature Sunbrella® fabric. While unfortunately acrylic, it is durable, resistant to water and stains, and produced in a low-impact way. Some styles feature seats, backrests, and headboards handwoven from a durable polyester cord.
Supply chain & labor practices:
MasayaCo was originally founded as a reforestation project but grew into a furniture company thanks to the talent of the artisans in the area. Their furniture is handcrafted in Nicaragua, helping to support 150 craftspeople and designers in the region.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
FSC-certified, their locally sourced hardwoods are dried in solar-powered kilns. Their Seed to Seat business model is helping to reforest land depleted by cattle farming.
Community & charitable giving:
MasayaCo has always been about planting trees, whether it’s through their own tree farms or donating some to be planted by local communities in need.
My Personal Review of MasayaCo’s Zapatera Shower Stool & Izel Hobby Box:
“I personally love the versatility of our Zapatera Stool and Izel Hobby Box. Living in a tiny house, I’m super limited on how much and what kind of furniture I can have, so things that have multiple uses like these are so appreciated. I use the stool as guest seating, a portable coffee table, a storage surface, and more, just depending on the season and need. Plus, the quality of the wood is truly top-notch, and the natural finish gives a smooth and shiny surface that goes so well with almost any type of home aesthetic.
“MasayaCo’s Izel Hobby box is perfect for any home office or craft studio. I personally use mine to keep all of the supplies for my current WIPs (work-in-progress in artist terms) organized and easily on hand. But there are virtually endless applications and uses for this easily toteable and gorgeous wooden toolbox with a spacious upper and lower drawer.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
What WE Make
About What WE Make
Price Range: $215–$4,145
Chicago’s What WE Make is a master in handcrafted, customizable, reclaimed wood furniture. With sleek, contemporary lines and minimalist silhouettes, the timeless pieces will suit any modern home.
Choose between tables, seating, eco-friendly bedroom furniture, bathroom furniture, storage items, media stands, home office pieces, and more.
What WE Make’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Reclaimed old-growth hardwoods (at least a century old) and sustainably sourced hardwoods finished with no or low VOC finishes are used across WWMake’s collection of sustainable coffee tables and more. They also use hand-welded metal and durable, special-blend concrete.
Supply chain & labor practices:
This family-owned and operated brand hand-makes the furniture in Algonquin, IL.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Each durable furniture piece is made-to-order with quality craftsmanship, and any scrap wood and sawdust is donated locally to be used for fires and agriculture.
Urban Wood Goods
Price Range: $225–$6,095
Urban Wood Goods began with one bench that female founder and CEO Erin True made for herself (following inspiration from a DIY salvage magazine article). Today, the furniture company specializes in reclaimed wood tables of all sorts and sizes, from desks to conference tables to quaint two-seaters for your breakfast nook.
If you can’t get enough of the dichotomous metal and wood aesthetic, upgrade your home storage with reclaimed pipe shelving units and commission custom pieces.
Urban Woods Goods’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Unless otherwise noted, all lumber is reclaimed barn wood and centuries-old “Old Growth” lumber complete with original warps, nail holes, textures, and other character elements.
Using this lumber helps reduce the 30 million tons of demolition wood waste going to landfills every year. The wooden table tops are combined with salvaged metal pipe accents and American-made steel structures.
Supply chain & labor practices:
This company has a team of 20 craftsmen working in their very own Chicago woodshop. All reclaimed lumber is salvaged from local sites, and other materials come from nearby USA suppliers.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
They only ship to the US and Canada to minimize cost and shipping emissions.
Emeco
About Emeco
Price Range: $330–$4,785
Emeco was initially commissioned to make non-corrosive, fire-resistant, and torpedo-proof chairs for the US Navy almost a century ago. Today, they are still challenging the unsustainable furniture industry by creating chairs, stools, benches, tables, and shelves, all made out of recycled materials and built to last 150+ years.
Their first eco-friendly chair, the classic 1006 Navy Chair, is still available today. Each piece is understated enough to use indoors and durable enough to act as outdoor furniture.
Emeco’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
90% of Emeco’s line uses recycled furniture materials. Recycled aluminum and a VOC-free anodizing finish is their golden (er… metallic) boy. They also use cork, locally reclaimed or sustainably harvested wood, and recycled PET.
Emeco is also pioneering its own sustainable materials, including Reclaimed Wood-filled Polypropylene (made from leftover plastic from the factory floor mixed with sawdust) and Eco Concrete (made from recycled glass bottles and calcium sulfoaluminate cement).
Supply chain & labor practices:
Emeco hand makes their recycled material furniture in a LEED-certified family factory in Hanover, Pennsylvania, using an intensive 77-step process. Because their expertise is metal, they rely on nearby Amish woodworkers to craft their sustainable wooden furniture.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Emeco’s eco-furniture manufacturing processes include using energy-efficient lights, buying renewable electricity, and saving water by using welding machines with an internal cooling system. Any minimal scrap produced is reused, and they offer a chair-to-chair recycling program for their plastic or aluminum pieces.
Thank you so much for sharing this! As a mom, I want to support brands that have green business practices. Happy to learn about these brands.