What Is OEKO-TEX Standard 100? A Guide for Garment Buyers Sourcing from Bangladesh

What Is OEKO-TEX Standard 100?

OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is an independent certification system for textile products. It tests every component of a finished product — including threads, buttons, zips, elastic, and trims — to ensure they contain no harmful substances at concentrations that could be dangerous to human health.

The certification is issued by OEKO-TEX, an international association of research and test institutes based in Switzerland and Austria. It is one of the most widely recognized and trusted textile safety certifications in the world, particularly in Europe and North America.

A product can only carry the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label if every single component has been tested and certified — not just the outer fabric, but everything that goes into it.

What Substances Does OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Test For?

The testing criteria are extensive. The certification checks for the presence and concentration of over 100 harmful substances, including:

• Pesticides and herbicides used in raw material production

• Heavy metals including lead, cadmium, and chromium

• Formaldehyde used in textile finishing

• Allergenic dyes and colorants

• pH value (too acidic or alkaline fabric can irritate skin)

• Colour fastness (whether dyes bleed onto skin during wear)

The testing thresholds are stricter for products that come into direct and prolonged contact with skin, especially products for infants and childrenswear.

Why Does OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Matter for Buyers?

If you are supplying garment brands in the European Union, United Kingdom, or North America, OEKO-TEX certification is increasingly a baseline requirement rather than a nice-to-have.

EU regulations on chemical safety in textiles are among the strictest in the world. Brands selling in these markets are responsible for the safety of every component in their supply chain — including accessories and trims sourced from Bangladesh. If a trim supplier's elastic contains harmful substances above permitted levels, the brand bears the compliance risk.

Sourcing OEKO-TEX certified elastic and garment accessories from Bangladesh eliminates this compliance risk. You can demonstrate to your customers and regulators that every component of your product has been independently tested and certified.

Brands including ZARA, H&M, and GAP make OEKO-TEX certification a standard requirement for their accessories suppliers. If you aspire to supply these retailers, or if you already do and need to qualify new suppliers, OEKO-TEX certification is non-negotiable.

How Does a Manufacturer Get OEKO-TEX Certified?

Getting certified is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing process that requires manufacturers to submit product samples to authorised OEKO-TEX testing institutes regularly.

The certification process works as follows: the manufacturer submits product samples. The testing institute runs chemical analysis on all components. If the product passes all criteria, the manufacturer receives a certificate with a unique number that can be verified online. Certificates are renewed annually, and random market checks are conducted to ensure ongoing compliance.

This means that when you source OEKO-TEX certified elastic or garment accessories from Bangladesh, the manufacturer has gone through rigorous independent testing — not just once, but repeatedly.

How to Verify Your Bangladesh Supplier's OEKO-TEX Certification

Never take an OEKO-TEX certificate at face value. Verify it directly through the OEKO-TEX official website at oeko-tex.com using the certificate number provided by the supplier.

On the OEKO-TEX website, you can check: whether the certificate is valid and current, which products the certificate covers, which testing institute issued it, and the expiry date.

A supplier who is reluctant to share their OEKO-TEX certificate number, or whose certificate cannot be verified online, should be treated with caution.

Famous Accessories — OEKO-TEX Certified Elastic Manufacturer in Bangladesh

Famous Accessories holds OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification for its elastic manufacturing operations in Ashulia, Dhaka. Every elastic product we manufacture — from basic elastic to gripper, brush, button hole, and adjustable elastic — is produced under OEKO-TEX certified conditions.

Our factory produces 1.2 million yards of OEKO-TEX certified elastic every month, supplying garment brands including ZARA, H&M, and GAP. We manufacture on DAHU Korean machinery and operate under rigorous quality control standards.

If you are a garment manufacturer, buying house, or retail brand sourcing elastic or accessories from Bangladesh, we are happy to provide our OEKO-TEX certificate details for verification

Ready to place a bulk order?

Contact Famous Accessories today — famousaccrs@gmail.com | +8801716157162