Furniture certification

A piece of furniture that is to be used in public spaces must meet tough requirements in terms of safety, durability and stability.

We have extensive and in-depth knowledge of furniture production, experience with the target group and the technical knowledge to make a good piece of furniture. The strength tests we subject our furniture to document and reassure us and the user that the furniture is of the best quality.

We conduct the strength tests at an accredited, certified 3rd party test center and involve quality assurance according to international and national ISO standards.

We test according to these applicable standards:

• EN 16139 - Seating furniture for public use.
• A 15372 - Table.
• EN 16121 - Storage furniture.

All standards are tested for strength, durability and safety. In these tests, all parts of the product are tested, and construction and material selection are therefore important in order to meet the requirements.

The furniture life cycle

In a test lab, the full life cycle of the furniture is recreated through testing in a machine that subjects the furniture to continuous load. All movements are tested according to strength requirements given in newtons (1000 N is approximately 100 kg of pressure). A chair can, for example, be tested with 50,000 repetitions of a given movement, which should correspond to real use over x number of years. The criteria are specified in the ISO standard. Safety tests are also carried out so that the product does not present any form of crushing hazard or other risks to the user.

When the furniture has passed the test, it should still be intact and without visible damage, the material should not have cracks or deformations. The furniture should function the same as before the test.

The requirements in the public sector are significantly stricter than for private use. We therefore test the furniture at both levels depending on which market the furniture will be used in. The tests have 2 levels: L1 is heavy use and L2 is extremely heavy use.

Below is the Addi stacking chair tested according to L1.

The durability of the seat and back is tested with a seat load of 1000 N, a back load of 300 N and a cycle of 200,000.	The chair's armrests are tested to ensure long-term durability. Pressure is applied with a force of 400 N for 60,000 cycles.	The chair legs are tested for static forward load of 620 N, seat load of 1800 N and 10 cycles.