The best nontoxic furniture is sustainably made and will be free of MDF, formaldehyde, VOCs, BPA, flame retardants, PFAS, acrylics, chemical dyes and heavy metals.

After switching to every bedroom in my house to organic mattresses, my next goal was to be more mindful with my furniture purchases. I now have a handful of 100% non-toxic furniture pieces, some DIY furniture, and tons of amazing secondhand finds (the most sustainable option!). This post is not about achieving a perfectly nontoxic home, but empowering oneself with the knowledge to make healthier choices.

What to Look For

• The easiest way to shop is to look for certifications as this means the furniture has been vetted by a third party. The most common ones are: Greenguard, Cradle to Cradle, GOTS, OEKO-TEX, MADE SAFE, and Certi-PUR.
• Look for natural fabrics like Organic Cotton, Linen (Flax), Organic Wool, Hemp, Organic Bamboo, Natural Latex, Jute, Plant-based Upholstery Finishes, Sustainable Wood (FSC-certified), and Natural Fillings.
• Look for Greenguard Gold Certified furniture at big stores like West Elm or Pottery Barn (massive collection!). This means it’s free of VOCs and tested for 10,000 harmful chemicals.
• To be super sustainable and easy on the wallet, look for secondhand furniture that ISN’T upholstered. Or organic furniture company Medley’s Re-Lounge section offers canceled or returned orders at MAJOR discounts (plus OBL stacks ).
• Don’t sleep on Ikea! I’ve found that IKEA is doing a great job at offering options that are as low-tox as possible while remaining affordable. All their furniture is free of PFAS, certain heavy metals, BPA, Polyvinylchloride, PAH, certain phthalates and recycled plastic that contains brominated flame retardants. It’s not perfect, but not everyone can afford 100% non-toxic.
• No MDF or particle board
• No forever chemicals
• No PFAS, PFC or Teflon treatments
• No formaldehyde or solvent finishes
• Natural, odor free materials

I Tried Medley Rio Grand Sofa

Medley is probably THE company to go to for organic sofas. They make hands down the most beautiful, non-toxic couches that are eco-certified and USA made. I have their Rio Plush Sofa and I’m super impressed by their commitment to using the safest, highest quality materials possible in every part of production. Medley uses FSC-certified solid wood, low-VOC CARB 2 compliant plywood, natural fabrics that are GREENGUARD Gold, Certi-PUR US or OEKO-TEX 100 certified, and plant-based finishes made of beeswax, carnauba wax, and olive oil. All their sofas are made-to-order and fully customizable with tons of non toxic fabrics, colors, filling type and wood to choose from. For instance, if you want higher back cushions than what’s on their site, the Medley team will help you to create your dream sofa. My Rio Plush sofa has Stonecrop Linen Flax, which is this gorgeous hefty Belgian linen with a big beautiful weave that feels breathable yet sturdy, and solid maple wood legs. I can’t emphasize enough how comfortable this couch is!

Medley’s Re-Lounge section is a great way to snag their organic furniture at huge savings, but I’ve noticed items get snapped up super fast (within hours of posting sometimes) and new items are constantly added so you need to be on top of it. I was bummed the original Blumen sofa I wanted from their Re-Lounge page disappeared within a day of it being posted, but I’m very happy with my Rio Plush.

Price range: Sofa $2,400-$8,000 | Chair $1,505-$2,195
Product types offered: Sofa, sectional, chairs, storage, bed frame, mattress, dresser, nightstand, dining table, accent table, bench, pouf, storage, dining chair

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use OBL for 5% off

Birch Ludlow Bed Frame

I’ve enjoyed my Birch mattress so much that I tried their Ludlow Bed Frame. I really liked that it already comes with a built-in headboard for a very reasonable price that’s way more affordable than other nontoxic furniture companies. Shipping was so fast and was sent out to me the very next day. I love that their furniture is Greenguard Gold certified, which means it’s independently tested for low chemical emissions, has a low VOC finish, uses water-based glue and the wood is sustainably-sourced New Zealand pine. This is a relatively new addition to my home, so I will update this post will how well it holds up over time. Each furniture item is made to order and comes with a 30 night sleep trial and free shipping.

Price range: $799 for Queen size Ludlow bed frame
Product types offered: Bed frame

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20% off

I tried Avocado Zero Waste Accent Table

I have Avocado’s Accent Table and LOVE how beautifully and thoughtfully crafted it is. It’s made of upcycled wood from their FSC-certified workshop in Los Angeles, an ECOS WoodShield stain, and Titebond wood glues, which are safe and produce no harmful fumes. Shipping was super fast and the setup was a cinch. I find it modern, well-built and sturdy. The design is elegant, modern and simple, yet it still feels like a statement piece in my living room. I also give it bonus points for being zero waste! Avocado’s also a one stop shop, so you can get everything you need like organic mattresses and bedding in one place.

I tried Avocado City Bed Frame in Blonde

Avocado’s City Bed Frame is a beautiful wooden platform bed frame handcrafted in Avocado’s own woodshops from solid, FSC-certified North American timber. This is a low-profile bed milled from long, continuous boards of solid hardwood with no veneers, glues or particle board. I love the rounded edges and its warm tone IRL. It looks like a pale beige on the Avocado website, so I was a tad worried it might look too washed out, but it ended up being a much warmer shade in person.

Set up is super easy with no tools required and the slats feel very sturdy and even have organic cotton ribbing to minimize wood squeaks. Overall, a thoughtfully designed and handcrafted sustainable bed frame that adds natural elegance to my room. Avocado is also one of the few truly non toxic furniture brands that offers matching nightstands and dressers to go with your bed frame. They also make non toxic nursery cribs in collaboration with Babyletto.

Price: $2,099 for Queen
Product types offered: Bed frame, foundation, dresser, nightstand, table, desk, bench, chair, pouf, rug, stool, dog bed

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Best Non Toxic Bunk Bed for Kids

• Plank+Beam: makes GREENGUARD Gold certified kids’ beds, bunk beds and loft beds that are independently tested for low chemical emissions (VOCs), making them a great safer choice for children’s bedrooms.
• Maxtrix: has a lot of great loft bed options that are made from solid hardwood and certified non toxic. They stand out from the crowd with beds that can be customized with add-ons like staircases, trundles, slides, and L-shaped layouts, making it a popular pick for maximizing space in shared kids’ rooms

I tried Savvy Rest Afton Platform Bed

Savvy Rest is another favorite of mine and a vetted, trusted non-toxic furniture brand. All their organic nontoxic sofas, bed frames, loveseat, coffee tables and armchair are customizable and made to order using certified sustainable solid hardwood, GOTS-certified organic fabrics, Cradle-to-Cradle certified Natural Talalay latex foam, Certified organic wool batting, natural jute webbing, natural coir and zero-VOC finishes. Overall, I’m so pleased with Savvy Rest’s Aston Platform Bed. It was super easy to set up, the wood and finish is so high quality and it has held up well over the past year. I went with the Walnut finish which is gooorgeous AND zero VOC. They never use lacquers or varnishes. I’ve found the bed to be extremely sturdy with zero wobbliness, hooray! The bed has closely-spaced poplar slats, solid steel, mortised-in corner brackets, and three tenons in each corner to make it super strong. It looks timeless and elegant, and I know this is going to last forever.

Price range: Organic Sofa $3,799-$4,099 | Coffee Table $679-$854
Product types offered: Sofa, coffee table, bench, bed frame, ottoman

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use OBL for -20%

I tried Room In A Box Bett 2.0

I have Room In A Box’s Bett 2.0 and find it to be the most affordable, hassle-free and eco-friendly bed foundation on the market. The small size fits my twin organic mattress perfectly. It’s made of highly sturdy corrugated cardboard and requires zero set up (took me barely a minute!). The cardboard is made of 70% post consumer recycled material while the rest are virgin fibers that are sustainably and ethically sourced. And instead of toxic adhesives, RIAB uses vegan starch glue made from potato, corn or wheat starch and the dyed options use environmentally friendly water-based printing inks. 

The downside is it only has a life expectancy of 10 years, but that’s actually still really ecent. I find that it doesn’t budge AT ALL – it actually stays put and feels supportive (mattress must be at least 6 inches tall)! Currently they ship only the bed in the US (from Virginia) while they offer their full range in the EU (from Berlin).

Price: $169 for twin (currently on sale for $101)
Product types offered: Bed frame (US), table, bench, stool, shelf, headboard

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I Tried Saatva Santorini Bed in Natural Linen

Saatva’s bed frame is made with sustainably sourced hardwood including extra durable kiln-dried rubberwood or acacia wood and natural flax that’s free from harmful chemicals or dyes. I love that the linen has a finely textured finish that’s highly durable, metal legs with a chrome finish and rounded edges for a designer look. This bed frame looks way nicer in person than on their website and the Natural Linen color actually looks more greige IRL than the cream color it shows up as on the Saatva site. I actually prefer a greige to a cream linen so this was a pleasant surprise. The frame and slats are very durable and the linen upholstery has a premium look and feel.

The downside is Saatva doesn’t use third party tested fabrics. I did need tools to set up this bed frame.

Price: $1,595 for Queen

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Runner Up: Sabai Design

Sabai is another great non toxic sofa company that’s focused on sustainability, circularity and affordability. They use recycled, upcycled and natural fabrics that are OEKO-Tex and Greenguard Gold certified, FSC Certified Wood and Certipur-US Certified Foam, all shipped plastic free from their North Carolina workshop. Their sofa starts at $1,545, comes in 22 different colors and you can choose from Upcycled Poly, Recycled Velvet, Hemp or Cactus Leather (PETA friendly). They’re 100% made to order, always, and have a 30 day return policy (except decor). There’s a decent (but not the best) selection to choose from including sectionals, loveseats and chairs.

What’s in Your Furniture

Cheap furniture is made with harmful materials including chemical stain repellants, solvent-based finishes and more.

• Formaldehyde: commonly used in particleboard and MDF and a known carcinogen
• Flame retardants: used to make materials fire-resistant but can disrupt hormones and affect the nervous system
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs):found in paints, adhesives, and finishes. These can cause headaches, dizziness, and liver and kidney damage.
• Heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic): can be found in some paints, finishes, and treated wood. They can cause poisoning, developmental issues, and organ damage.
• Pthalates: used in vinyl and plastic furniture and are linked to reproductive issues & hormone disruption.
• BPA: a known hormone disruptor 
• PFAS: used to prevent staining and known as “forever chemicals” that can accumulate in the human body
• Carcinogenic dyes: can release harmful chemicals

Furniture is not made with our health in mind. Typical furniture emits harmful chemicals in the home through paints, varnishes, upholstery, glues, adhesives and other parts. It’s so frustrating that making healthy products is the exception and not the norm.

Is Nontoxic Furniture Better?

Non-toxic furniture provides a number of benefits over conventional:

• Less chemical exposure: a lot of time is spent in our bed, chairs and sofas, which means exposure to harmful chemicals over time
• Better for the environment: nontoxic furniture is ethically, responsibly and sustainably made with the environment in mind
• Higher quality and made to last: usually made with solid wood and high quality finishes and glues that are durable and longer lasting than MDF and cheaply made furniture