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Types of Tests for Furniture Products

Tests for furniture – Clients who use Goodada’s inspection services for Furniture products often inquire as to what types of laboratory tests are available for furniture.

While the vast majority of orders will not require specific tests as the buyer will have used Goodada’s Factory Audits to inspect and verify that the Manufacturer already hold the necessary certifications.

There are instances where the Buyer wants separate testing to be carried out after inspectors have conducted their visual inspections. The purpose for this may be to confirm that that product achieves a certain grade or specification required by a customer of the buyer.

The testing standards that can apply to furniture are:

E N12520 – This standard focuses on

  • Chair Seat and Back Load ( For domestic seating)
  • Seat front edge fatigue
  • Chair Leg load

EN12521 – This standard focuses on

  • Vertical Static Load of a chair
  • Horizontal fatigue of furniture

 BIFMA – The American Standards for Office furniture is also applicable.

ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 – is intended to provide manufacturers and users with a common basis for evaluating the safety, durability, and structural adequacy of general-purpose office chairs. General-purpose office chairs are normally used in an office environment and may include, but are not limited to those seating styles typically referred to as: executive/management, task/secretarial, side/guest chairs, stacking chairs, tablet arm chairs and stools.

ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 includes the following tests:

5              Back Strength Test – Static – Type I

6              Back Strength Test – Static – Type II & III

7              Base Test – Static

8              Drop Test – Dynamic

9              Swivel Test – Cyclic

10           Tilt Mechanism Test – Cyclic

11           Seating Durability Tests – Cyclic

12           Stability Tests

13           Arm Strength – Vertical – Static

14           Arm Strength – Horizontal – Static

15           Back Durability Test – Cyclic – Type I

16           Back Durability Test – Cyclic – Type II and III

17           Caster/Chair Base Durability Test – Cyclic

18           Leg Strength – Front and Side Application

19           Footrest Static Load Test – Vertical

20           Footrest Durability Test – Vertical – Cyclic

21           Arm Durability Test – Cyclic

22           Out Stop Tests for Chairs with Manually Adjustable Seat Depth

23           Tablet Arm Static Load Test

24           Tablet Arm Load Ease Test – Cyclic

The fabric of the furniture should also need to be tested after an inspection,  areas include:

  • Performance of the Fabric Coverings
  • Flammability tests for upholstered furniture Products

For Children’s furniture tests for toxicity and heavy metals such as Lead will need to be considered.

Packing tests can also apply. Information for inspection and testing of packaging is available on another Goodada blog.

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