Textile certifications: a quick and easy summary!

Textile certifications: a quick and easy summary!

Posted by Emmanuelle Humblet on

Choosing safe, ethical, and environment-friendly clothing for your children can feel like navigating a maze. With so many brands making claims about being "green," "natural," or "fair," how do you know who to trust? That’s where certifications come in. These third-party verifications help parents see past the marketing and identify products that truly meet high standards for health, ethics, and environmental care.

Not All Certifications Are Created Equal

While all certifications provide some level of assurance, they vary greatly in scope and stringency:

  • Some certifications only test the finished product (like OEKO-TEX Standard 100), without looking at how the item was made or who made it.
  • Others take a holistic approach (like GOTS or IVN BEST), ensuring that the entire supply chain—from raw fiber to finished garment—is environmentally and socially responsible.
  • Certain certifications are chemical-focused (like Bluesign and OEKO-TEX Standard 100), while others emphasize labor conditions (like Fair Trade) or animal welfare (like RWS).
  • Some certifications, such as B Corp, evaluate the entire business, not just specific products

Also a note of caution: be skeptical! I’ve been fooled by brands before, and I've been working in sustainability for over 20 years. It’s sometimes very hard to tell truth from fiction. Eco-labels help a lot, as does the level of transparency the brand offers on its website. Also, be weary of brand-developed labels (e.g. Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly) as they are generally highly biased and lack third party verification.

One of the reasons we started Bigelow Lane, was to created a trusted marketplace where you can shop for clothes for your little ones, without worry about their social, environmental, or health impacts. But for when you’re not shopping with us, we hope this cheat sheet can help guide you.  

Chart comparing certifications

This chart  is designed for families looking to make thoughtful, informed choices. Use it as a quick reference while shopping online or in store. If a brand is certified by IVN BEST or GOTS, that’s an excellent sign. If it's only OEKO-TEX Standard 100, look a little deeper into how and where the item was made.

When in doubt, choose brands that clearly communicate their values and certification standards—transparency is a responsible brand’s best friend!

A little more detail about each certification 

  • GOTS, or the Global Organic Textile Standard, is one of the most trusted certifications for organic textiles. It covers the entire supply chain, from the farm where the fiber is grown to the finished garment. GOTS sets strong requirements to protect the environment by banning harmful chemicals and ensuring social criteria like fair wages and safe working conditions are met. While it is a gold standard for organic and ethical production, certification can be costly, which means not every brand pursues it. Many of the brands we sell on Bigelow Lane are certified with either GOTS or the even more stringent certification, IVN BEST.
  • IVN BEST takes things a step further and is considered one of the strictest textile certifications in the world. It demands 100% organic fibers and completely bans synthetic materials, requiring brands to uphold the highest environmental and social standards, including paying living wages. Because of these rigorous rules, very few companies achieve this certification, but it’s a wonderful marker of exceptional sustainability.
  • On the other hand, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 focuses primarily on the safety of the finished textile product. It tests for harmful substances like azo dyes and heavy metals to ensure fabrics are safe against skin contact, which is especially important for children. However, it does not address labor practices or the environmental impact of the production process.
  • Building on that, OEKO-TEX Made in Green adds layers of traceability and guarantees that the product was made in facilities following environmentally friendly and socially responsible practices. Though it offers more transparency, it still allows treatments like superwash and doesn’t require the materials to be organic.
  • Bluesign is known for its rigorous chemical management. It focuses on reducing the use of harmful substances, conserving resources like water and energy, and ensuring safe conditions for workers throughout the production process. This certification is popular in outdoor and technical textiles but doesn’t cover animal welfare or require organic fibers.
  • Fair Trade Textile Standard shines in its dedication to social justice. It ensures that workers receive fair wages, work in safe conditions, and have a voice in their communities. While it excels at supporting people, its environmental criteria are more basic, and it is less commonly applied to wool products.
  • GRS, or Global Recycled Standard, is designed to verify recycled content in products and ensure basic environmental and social responsibility. It promotes a circular economy by tracking recycled materials but focuses only on products with recycled fibers and doesn’t guarantee comprehensive sustainability.
  • When it comes to wool specifically, the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is vital. It ensures wool is sourced from farms that prioritize animal welfare, such as banning mulesing, and practice responsible land management. While it addresses farm-level practices well, it doesn’t cover the entire supply chain’s ethics or environmental impact.
  • Cradle to Cradle certification offers a broad sustainability framework focusing on making products safe, reusable, and regenerative. It evaluates materials, energy use, water stewardship, and social fairness. While powerful in concept, its textile-specific criteria can vary, and the certification levels range widely.
  • EU Ecolabel (EU Flower): This official European Union environmental label applies to a wide range of products, including textiles. It sets strict limits on the use of harmful chemicals, encourages energy-efficient production, and promotes long-lasting quality. While it promotes good labor practices and some animal welfare standards, it doesn't require organic inputs or ban superwash wool. Its strength lies in environmental safety throughout the life cycle of a product.
  • Finally, B Corp certification evaluates a company’s overall social and environmental performance. It’s not specific to textiles or individual products but signals a brand’s commitment to ethical business practices, transparency, and positive impact across sourcing, labor, and community.

 

Which certifications do you prioritize? Are any missing here for which you'd like more information? 

Leave us a comment! 👇

 

Sources & links to certifications

 

← Older Post Newer Post →

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published