What Is Non-toxic Furniture, Plus 3 Tips to Keep Your Home Safe

When we think of wooden furniture, it's easy to assume it's naturally safe. After all, wood comes straight from the earth. But not all wooden furniture is as natural as it seems. Hidden beneath the surface are materials that may contain toxic chemicals that off-gas into your home.

Well, this is the thing. The furniture industry has a dirty secret: many companies use harmful chemicals in furniture, which could be found in the finishes, the glue that binds composite materials, and even the upholstery. Understanding what makes furniture toxic and how to avoid it is essential for creating a healthier home.

The 'Hidden' Dangers in Your Furniture

If there's one main culprit behind the hidden dangers of furniture, it's Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs. These are carbon-based chemicals that evaporate easily at room temperature. They are part of the reason why paint glides smoothly, adhesives bond components, and finishes dry quickly.

VOCs are especially prevalent in mass-produced pieces. The distinct "new furniture smell" is one indicator that a piece is laden with VOCs and that they're actively releasing into the air. The thing with VOCs is that many of them are made of harmful chemicals that, when inhaled, can cause symptoms like eye and throat irritation, headaches, and dizziness.

That said, not all VOCs have a strong scent. While high concentrations of VOCs can trigger an immediate reaction, the subtler danger is when they off-gas and slowly leak into your space for days, even months, lingering in areas where air circulation is limited, potentially causing chronic pulmonary diseases or worse. According to the EPA, indoor air quality can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, with furnishings being a significant contributor.

So, where exactly in furniture can you find VOCs?

1. Wood Finishes

Varnish, paint, stain, and other finishes are potentially harmful because they contain VOCs. The highest risk occurs during the initial 24 to 48 hours when finishes are wet, and the smell is most pungent. Once the surface is dry, the threat is greatly reduced but may continue to release toxins at a slower rate during the curing process. This may take a month or more, depending on the type of finish used.

Some claim VOCs dissipate over time, making furniture eventually safe. But this also depends on the manufacturing standards and the materials used. Off-gassing can take months, and in some cases, actually increases over time as they break down.

2. Composite Wood

Most "wood" furniture these days isn't made of solid wood at all. Instead, many manufacturers use composite wood, such as medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, and particleboard, to cut costs.

Now, what is composite wood? It's an engineered material made from thin wood veneers, wood fibers, particles like wood chips and shavings, and other fillers like plastic, bound together by an adhesive. For furniture, it's typically covered with wood veneer or laminate, a plastic-based layer with a print to mimic the appearance of real wood.

The real danger in composite wood is the adhesive used, which often contains formaldehyde, a common VOC that triggers asthma, respiratory allergies, and eye irritation, among other symptoms. Moreover, formaldehyde is also a known human carcinogen that is sadly linked to certain types of cancer. Nowadays, many manufacturers have switched to phenol-formaldehyde, which emits less formaldehyde and off-gases more quickly. But it still contains the harmful organic compound, just in lower amounts.

Adhesive off-gassing

What makes VOCs particularly concerning is how long the exposure lasts. While the VOCs found in finishes might off-gas relatively quickly, the situation is different for composite wood. Because most of the adhesive is covered by a protective layer, it breaks down more slowly, possibly releasing VOCs in a gradual, more consistent stream. A single piece of composite wood furniture can do this on its own. Now imagine multiplying that by a bedroom set, a matching dining table and chairs, plus living room furniture.

To put this in perspective, a study tracked VOC concentrations in a newly built UK office over 15 months. Researchers found that levels were highest immediately after the building opened. The concentrations declined by 60% to 76% after six months. However, it may still take over a year for the air quality to stabilize. This is a reminder that off-gassing doesn't resolve as quickly as we'd like to think.

3. Upholstery

The upholstery found in furniture, both the padding and the fabric, may also contain a cocktail of toxic chemicals. This risk extends to mattresses where we spend hours in close-range contact with the materials.

Most mass-produced upholstery is made from synthetic fibers and polyurethane foam. To meet manufacturing standards, these materials are often treated with flame retardants like polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Formaldehyde and other harmful VOCs may also be used to make fabrics high-performance (wrinkle and water-resistant), or to act as a fixative that helps colors on fabric become more vivid and long-lasting.

You might wonder why flame retardants are problematic, considering they're intended for safety. Unfortunately, many flame retardants used in furniture have been linked to thyroid dysfunction, especially among women, decreased fertility, and neurodevelopmental impact in children.

The common VOCs found in furniture, present in finishes, adhesives, and upholstery, include formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and flame retardants, among others.

What Is in Non-Toxic Furniture?

Non-toxic furniture is the antithesis of everything toxic to furniture. Ideally, it's made from materials that are safe for both you and the environment, without VOCs like formaldehyde, flame retardants, and other toxic chemicals. Instead, non-toxic furniture uses solid wood throughout or as the core, finishes made of natural oil and waxes, water-based adhesives when adhesives are necessary, and natural upholstery from organic cotton, wool, and natural latex.

3 Essential Tips to Avoid Toxins Found in Furniture

1. Make sure the wood finish has low, better yet, zero harmful VOCs.

Some claim that VOCs from wood finishes dissipate in time, eventually making the furniture safe. But this depends largely on the manufacturing standards, and even then, off-gassing can still occur gradually, in smaller amounts. Plus, it may take a while for the VOCs to off-gas indoors, which means exposure is still plausible. In some cases, it’s been found that off-gassing actually increases with time.

This is why we recommend choosing furniture with a zero-VOC finish, typically made with organic ingredients like pure tung oil, raw linseed oil, and beeswax. If you prefer painted furniture, finding something organic and food-safe is realistically rare. But there are paints and finishes that, while not entirely VOC-free, are still a step up from conventional options.

2. Go for natural solid wood.

We recommend solid wood furniture for its durability and longevity. We understand that mass-produced composite wood furniture is sometimes the more practical choice due to cost. However, investing in solid wood tends to be more cost-effective in the long run. It lasts longer, which means you likely won’t need to replace it often, possibly for a lifetime or even across generations.

3. Choose natural upholstery.

For cushion fillings, wool and natural latex are both excellent options. For the fabric layer, organic cotton and hemp are worth looking into.

Determining whether furniture is truly non-toxic can be tricky, as some manufacturers use misleading labels. Seeing the words "organic," "natural," or "solid wood" on a tag isn't always enough. It's worth doing a bit of research and looking for third-party certifications such as GREENGUARD Gold, the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS), the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and OEKO-TEX Standard 100. These are more reliable indicators of what's actually in the piece.

Make T.Y. Fine Furniture an Option

Making furniture as healthy as possible is part of our core philosophy and founding principles. For the finish, use our proprietary Food-Safe, Organic Finish, which we developed using age-old ingredients, such as beeswax and a variety of organic oils. Unlike varnish, our signature wood finish doesn't create a muddy color or glossy shine. Instead, it seeps into the wood to protect it deeper than the surface, developing into a natural satin sheen that lets the wood's natural beauty and character speak for itself.

The lumber we use for our furniture is sustainably sourced from managed forests within Ohio. We source locally to limit our carbon footprint and to ensure a more consistent material quality.

We also carry Naturepedic, an organic bedding brand, so clients can pair our solid wood bed frames with organic mattresses, pillows, and sheets. For seating, we have Stressless and American Leather options, both known for high-quality craftsmanship and comfort.

If you wish to know more about our brand, please feel free to reach out here.