Image by Kaiyo
When our editor-in-chief shared a video of a home with synthetic furniture filling up with oily smoke, flames spreading more than twice as fast as in the home with natural furniture, I was horrified. Then, I was angry.
The video makes the facts plain. Though this was a controlled experiment, a family in a home with natural wood furniture may have (at least) twenty more minutes to escape than a family with synthetic furniture.
But wait, there’s more. Even if you never have a fire in your home, you’re likely still exposed to hazardous chemicals every day from synthetic furnishings. A 2017 study suggests that low-income households in particular are at a higher risk to exposure to chemicals in their home, in part because of inexpensive furniture.
The problem is, completely natural furniture that’s free of polyester, polyurethane foam, and particle board isn’t always accessible to the average family. I would love to recommend our guide to natural furniture to my friends and family, but the truth is, I don’t know a single person who can afford brand new natural furniture.
But as we demonstrated in our guide to non-toxic box store shopping, chemical-free shopping is possible without going beyond your means. You just have to know what to look for. And then, find it in the secondhand version.
Natural Wood: Synthetic wood, commonly referred to as fiberboard, often contains hazardous substances including formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Exposure to VOCs has been linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and headaches. Not only does fiberboard off-gas VOCs, it just isn’t as sturdy and durable as real wood furniture.
Non-Toxic Textiles, Stuffing, & Finishes: Most modern upholstered furniture pieces are made with polyurethane foam and coated with flame retardants (though California requires all furniture treated with fire retardants to be clearly labeled as of 2014). As polyurethane cushions break down over time, they release more flame retardants. For these reasons, we recommend looking for natural fiber upholstery stuffed with natural materials (such as feathers, cotton, or real latex.) Avoid stain-free or water-resistant finishes, as these are most often accomplished with PFAS. It’s hard to tell from a glance whether a couch or chair is coated with those finishes, but there are methods of removing Scotchgard at home. Faux-leather sofas aren’t a good buy either, as some people have experienced rashes due to the chemical treatments used.
Glue-Free: Another major source of VOCs in furniture are adhesives. Instead, look for furniture with stitching or grommets, which can be used to attach upholstery without glue. Some classic furniture is also made with dovetail techniques, in which the pieces are designed to fit and hold together themselves. These tend to be rarer finds, though many modern carpenters still use some variation of glue-free joinery. Traditional Japanese carpentry also uses no adhesives or nails in its joinery.
Certifications: While finding affordable furniture often means shopping secondhand, you can sometimes find a label with the manufacturer’s name, which may also include any relevant certifications. If there aren’t any certifications on the tag, you can try looking up the brand or company to see if it carries any, and potentially even learn more about their manufacturing process.
We’re determined to help you find affordable furniture that won’t harm your health. Here are a few strategies to get started:
Second-Hand Shopping
This is going to be a bit tricky for a couple of reasons. The first is because of the prevalence of furniture from the late 70s to the 2000s, which can contain chemicals like flame retardants or even lead finishes. Here’s a quick breakdown:
The Flammable Fabrics Act, which was first introduced after deaths due to rayon-clothing related fires, was amended in 1967 to include upholstered furniture. States, such as California and Maine, didn’t start prohibiting flame retardants in furniture until the mid 2010s.
Lead content in furniture, particularly children’s, was limited in the late 2010s by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Avoid painted furniture made before 1978, when lead paint was banned, and consider bringing a lead test kit with you.
Between the 70s and the mid-80s, furniture imports to the U.S. increased majorly. That isn’t just a problem for domestic furniture manufacturers, it impacts consumers as well. With cheaper products often comes laxer regulations in both labor and chemical use, which means it’s more likely that they’re using cheap VOC-filled adhesives.
Don’t assume that just because something is a bit older that it’s solid wood. Particle board was first used for furniture as far back as the 1950s, and was regulated for formaldehyde not long after. But it became increasingly prevalent in the following decades, and the market is expected to continue to grow. If it has a natural varied wood grain, it’s real. If it has a veneer or laminate, or an identically repeating wood grain pattern, it’s fake. Veneer on used furniture especially can get torn up or peel off, so check the corners for peeling edges.
So, look for real wood furniture (but stay away from painted pieces made before the ‘80s), and upholstered furniture with stitching or grommets instead of glue. Often, you can find tags left on upholstered furniture that will give you a break-down of the materials used, and can tell you if flame retardants were used (or at the very least, what certification it was made under.) You can also do a bit of research on the brand itself to learn more about where it was manufactured.
Between lead, flame retardants, and fiberboard, there’s a pretty small window to find non-toxic furniture in thrift shops. But they do exist! In addition to regularly checking your local thrift spots, try Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore locations and estate sales.
You can also try online secondhand furniture retailers Kaiyo and AptDeco.
Ikea IKEA (Kind of)
I was initially put off from IKEA by the prevalence of fiberboard in its stock. But as a Swedish brand, IKEA has at least some idea of chemical management, including maintaining a restricted substances list and phasing out formaldehyde and PFAS. We can’t guarantee there are no VOCs in its adhesives, as the brand determines its own requirements for acceptable levels, but you can actually find real wood furniture and natural fiber cushion options. Just make sure to check the material details for each product–even filtering the website for natural wood can still turn up products with partial fiberboard.
Renting
There are rent-to-own options for natural wood furniture that can make furnishing your home with natural materials a bit more affordable. ZZ Driggs(available to rent in New York and parts of Connecticut and New Jersey) is one option.
Just approach renting with the same due diligence as you would when shopping–don’t be conned into leasing the same cheap fiberboard pieces you could buy on Amazon.
Where not to Shop
Avoid shopping for furniture on sites like Amazon and Wayfair—especially the brands with nonsensical names that don’t appear anywhere else. Untraceable brands that operate outside of market regulations tend to have less accountability for chemical management, and can push out products at the lowest cost to them.
Furniture shopping on a budget is tough on its own without non-toxic considerations, but it’s better to spend your money on pieces that will serve you instead of harm you. With some knowledge, determination, and a little bit of luck, you can furnish your home on a budget without bringing hazardous substances into your home.
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