Textile certification is unusually useful, because unlike most of the wellness industry these labels have specific published criteria and an outside body checking against them. The difficulty is that the two most common ones measure different things, and brands are not always careful about which they imply.
Learn what each covers and you can evaluate almost any garment in about ten seconds.
The short answer
OEKO-TEX tests the finished fabric for harmful substances. GOTS requires organic fibre and restricts how it was processed, with social criteria attached.
If your concern is what touches your skin, OEKO-TEX answers it directly. If your concern is the whole production chain, GOTS is broader. GOTS also includes substance testing, so it is the stronger of the two — it is simply only available for natural fibres.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
The most widely seen textile certification, and the most commonly misunderstood.
It tests the finished product against a long restricted-substance list — formaldehyde, certain azo dyes that can release aromatic amines, heavy metals, phthalates, chlorinated phenols, and more. Every component is tested, including thread, buttons, zips, and prints.
What it does not mean: it says nothing about organic content, environmental impact of production, or labour conditions. A fully polyester garment can be OEKO-TEX certified, and that is not a loophole — it is the standard doing exactly its job, which is answering “is anything harmful present in this fabric?”
The product classes
Limits are stricter the more skin contact a product has, which is a sensible design and worth knowing.
- Class I — babies and toddlers up to three. The strictest limits by a considerable margin.
- Class II — direct skin contact, such as shirts and underwear.
- Class III — limited skin contact, such as jackets.
- Class IV — furnishings and decoration.
For baby clothing, Class I is meaningfully stricter than a general certification, and it is worth looking for specifically.
The related OEKO-TEX marks
- MADE IN GREEN — Standard 100 testing plus verification that the item was made in environmentally responsible and socially fair facilities. A traceable product ID lets you check where it was made.
- STeP — certifies the facility rather than the product.
- LEATHER STANDARD — the equivalent for leather goods.
GOTS
The Global Organic Textile Standard is the more comprehensive of the two, covering fibre through to finished garment.
It requires certified organic fibre content, restricts the chemistry permitted in processing — ruling out formaldehyde finishes, chlorine bleaching, and many synthetic dyes and auxiliaries — requires wastewater treatment, and includes social criteria based on core ILO labour conventions.
The two grades, and the trap
- “Organic” — at least 95% certified organic fibre.
- “Made with organic” — at least 70%.
The trap worth knowing: “GOTS certified cotton” is not the same as “GOTS certified garment.” A brand can buy certified fibre and then process, dye, or finish it in ways that would not meet the standard. Certification of the finished product is what carries the processing and labour criteria with it.
Genuine GOTS certification comes with a licence number identifying the certifying body. Reputable brands display it. If a company says “GOTS certified” but cannot produce a number, that is worth noticing.
Other marks you will encounter
- GOLS — Global Organic Latex Standard. Relevant for mattresses and pillows.
- bluesign — focuses on chemical input management at the manufacturing stage, common in outdoor and performance brands. Strong on process, quieter on organic content.
- Responsible Wool Standard and ZQ — animal welfare, including non-mulesed merino.
- Responsible Down Standard — addresses live-plucking and force-feeding.
- Cradle to Cradle — broad, multi-criteria, tiered from Bronze to Platinum. Check the tier, since Bronze is a considerably lower bar than Platinum.
- Fair Trade Certified — labour and pricing conditions, not chemistry.
Claims with no certification behind them
- “Organic” with no named certifier. Unlike food, textile organic claims are not consistently regulated. The word alone is not evidence.
- “Eco-friendly,” “sustainable,” “conscious,” “green.” Entirely undefined. Frequently a brand’s own internal programme.
- “Chemical-free.” Meaningless.
- “Natural.” Says nothing about processing, which is where most treatment happens.
- Brand-invented seals. Logos designed to resemble certifications, backed by no external verification. If you cannot find who audits it, nobody does.
Using this in practice
A workable hierarchy for most purchases:
- Baby and toddler clothing — GOTS, or OEKO-TEX Class I.
- Underwear, base layers, sleepwear — GOTS if available, OEKO-TEX otherwise.
- Everyday clothing — OEKO-TEX is a solid floor.
- Outerwear and performance gear — bluesign, and check separately for PFAS-free water repellency.
Certification costs money, which means small ethical makers sometimes lack it despite good practice. A brand that openly names its mills and processes is providing real information too. Absence of a logo is not proof of a problem — but presence of one is verifiable, and that asymmetry is what makes certifications useful.
Frequently asked questions
If something is GOTS certified, do I still need OEKO-TEX?
No. GOTS includes substance testing alongside its organic and social criteria, so it covers the same ground and more. The two are not additive.
Does OEKO-TEX mean a garment is organic?
No, and this is the single most common misunderstanding. It means the finished fabric was tested for harmful substances. Organic content is a separate question that OEKO-TEX does not address.
Do certifications expire?
Yes — both are typically renewed annually with re-testing and inspection. A certification from several years ago does not necessarily apply to a product made today.
Is certified clothing always more expensive?
Often, though less than it once was. OEKO-TEX in particular now appears on a lot of mainstream and mid-market clothing, including from large high-street retailers.
Keep going
This is one section of the Non-Toxic Clothing Guide, which also covers fabrics and the finishes worth avoiding.