Back to product guide
Product Library · Last updated 2026-05-21

Furniture

New wooden furniture in a well-ventilated room

Every piece of advice below comes from official tests, consumer test reports, or publicly available data from international food-safety bodies. Click the links to check the original sources.

How to tell if this affects your family

  • New furniture — especially pieces made from engineered wood — often has a "new furniture smell." That's actually formaldehyde off-gassing.[1]
  • If family members, especially children, experience itchy eyes, a scratchy throat, or respiratory irritation near new furniture, it may be a sign of elevated formaldehyde levels.[2][3]
  • Particleboard, MDF (medium-density fibreboard), and plywood are more likely to emit formaldehyde because formaldehyde-based adhesives are used in their production.[4][5]

What you can do today

  • After new furniture arrives, open windows and run fans to keep the air circulating so formaldehyde can dissipate.[6][7]
  • Ideally, leave new furniture in a well-ventilated area for a while to let it off-gas before moving it into a bedroom — especially a child's room.[3][7]
  • Some air purifiers claim to help remove formaldehyde — worth considering.[8][9]
  • The Consumer Council has noted that the effectiveness of commercially available "formaldehyde removal" products is not guaranteed — choose carefully.[10]

What to look for next time you shop

  • Choose solid wood furniture — it typically doesn't use formaldehyde-based adhesives, so emissions are much lower.[5][11]
  • When shopping, look for internationally recognised low-formaldehyde emission standards such as the EU E1/E0 rating or the US CARB Phase 2 standard.[12][13][14]
  • Look for eco-certifications such as OEKO-TEX Standard 100 — these have strict limits on harmful substance content.[15][16]
  • Consider buying second-hand furniture — it has usually off-gassed for a long time already, so formaldehyde emissions are significantly reduced.[7]

Reference standards

  • Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department indoor air quality guidelines (formaldehyde) — The Hong Kong EPD recommends that indoor formaldehyde levels should not exceed 0.08 ppm (24-hour average). Official source
  • China GB 18580 formaldehyde limits for wood-based panels — Mainland China's standard for wood-based panels sets three grades — E0, E1, and E2 — with E0 being the strictest. Aim for E0 when buying furniture. Official source
  • US California CARB Phase 2 formaldehyde standard — California CARB places strict limits on formaldehyde emissions from wood products. CARB Phase 2 is an internationally recognised low-formaldehyde label for furniture. Official source

Sources

Every piece of advice above corresponds to one or more of the sources below. Any parent can click through to check the original.

  1. [1] Stiftung Warentest (test.de) · test.de/Wohngifte-Der-Nase-nach-1240789-0/
  2. [2] EU Safety Gate · ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/en/indoor-air-pollution/l-3/6-harmful-chemicals.htm
  3. [3] U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls · cpsc.gov/content/An-Update-On-Formaldehyde-2016
  4. [4] Consumer Council · consumer.org.hk/tc/article/306-2270
  5. [5] U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls · cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/2.pdf
  6. [6] Consumer Council · consumer.org.hk/tc/press-release/p-564-post-renovation-cleaning-and-formaldehyde-removal-service
  7. [7] Consumer Reports (consumerreports.org) · consumerreports.org/babies-kids/how-to-create-a-healthy-nursery-for-your-baby-a6578664095/
  8. [8] Which? (which.co.uk) · which.co.uk/news/article/could-the-airthings-wave-mini-help-improve-air-quality-in-your-home-aEWZo0b4RYXU
  9. [9] Choice (choice.com.au) · choice.com.au/home-and-living/cooling/air-purifiers/articles/are-air-purifiers-worth-it
  10. [10] Consumer Council · consumer.org.hk/en/press-release/20080215
  11. [11] Which? (which.co.uk) · which.co.uk/reviews/shopping-sustainably/article/how-to-buy-sustainable-furniture-a6fVE2z0JFu9
  12. [12] State Administration for Market Regulation · openstd.samr.gov.cn/bzgk/std/newGbInfo
  13. [13] U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls · cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/04.12.2016%20Guide%20to%20US%20Furniture%20Requirements.pdf
  14. [14] EU Safety Gate · single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/news/chemicals-eu-restricts-exposure-carcinogenic-substance-formaldehyde-consumer-products-2023-07-14_en
  15. [15] OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Certified Products · oeko-tex.com/importedmedia/downloadfiles/OEKO-TEX_STANDARD100_Limit_Values_and_Individual_Substances_According_to_Appendices_4_5_EN_ZH-HANT.pdf
  16. [16] Which? (which.co.uk) · which.co.uk/news/article/sustainable-furniture-the-shops-with-the-most-certified-wood-a7Ght6l4CiCg

Want to see the full test results?

This month's feature article breaks down the complete brand list from the Consumer Council's 2020 test of 77 crunchy snacks.

Read the full test article Subscribe to the newsletter