The first question is not what OEKO-TEX level you want, but which product class your garment falls into. That class sets the chemical limits, the testing regime, and the cost of compliance. A satin evening dress with a bonded lining and metal zipper is not the same as a plain cotton t-shirt, and treating them alike will either overpay for unnecessary testing or under-specify a product that fails at retail. You need to decide this before you approach any factory, because it changes the tech pack, the sample approval, and the production inspection. Start with the standard, then work backward to the fabric and trims.
Product Class Determines the Testing Burden
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 sorts finished garments into four product classes, and class I is the strictest: it applies to items worn by infants up to three years old. For womenswear, most pieces fall into class II, which covers items worn directly against the skin, such as bodysuits, camisoles, and tulle dresses with no separate lining. Class III is for outerwear with limited skin contact, like a lined wool coat, and class IV is for furnishing materials, which rarely applies here. The class is not a choice you make; it is dictated by how the garment is worn, and it determines which of the roughly 100 tested substances must be below their limit values.
A factory cannot tell you the class unless it knows the garment’s construction, so you must specify the skin-contact scenario in the tech pack.
Product class and skin contact set the limits
For a womenswear buyer, the practical split is between class II and class III. A dress with a full lining and a center-back zipper is usually class III, because the outer fabric touches the skin only at the neckline and armscye. A knit top with no lining is class II, and it must meet tighter limits for formaldehyde, phthalates, and certain heavy metals. If you change the design mid-development—say, you remove a lining to cut cost—the class may shift, and the existing test certificate becomes invalid. You should not allow the factory to treat a class II garment as class III to save on testing fees, because a retailer or customs lab will re-test under the correct class and reject the lot. Specify the class in the initial request for quotation (RFQ) so the factory quotes the right scope of work from the start.
Specify the Standard, Not the Label
Many buyers write “OEKO-TEX certified” in an RFQ and assume the factory understands the rest. It does not, because OEKO-TEX is an umbrella that includes Standard 100, Made in Green, STeP, and other modules. For a finished garment, you need Standard 100, and you need to specify the product class. If you write only “OEKO-TEX,” a factory may quote based on a class IV certificate it already holds for a furnishing fabric, which is useless for a class II dress. The certificate must also be valid—renewed annually—and it must list the exact article number, color, and finishing treatment used in your order. A factory cannot transfer a certificate from one fabric to another, even if they look similar, because the chemical profile changes with dyeing and finishing.
Standard 100 is the module you need
Standard 100 is the only OEKO-TEX module that certifies a finished, sellable product against harmful substances. Made in Green adds a supply chain traceability layer, but it is more expensive and usually unnecessary unless your retail customer demands it. STeP certifies the factory’s environmental management, not the product, and it is a separate process. When you specify Standard 100, also specify the appendix you want to apply. Appendix 4 is the standard set of test parameters, and Appendix 6 adds stricter limits for certain chemicals, which some European retailers require. If you do not specify the appendix, the factory will default to Appendix 4, and if your customer later asks for Appendix 6, you will pay for a re-test. Put this in the tech pack under “certification requirements,” not in an email, because email is not a binding production document.
Trims and Accessories Are Part of the Certificate
A common failure point is the trims. The OEKO-TEX certificate covers the entire garment, including buttons, zippers, threads, and interlinings, and each component must meet the class limits. A factory may hold a certificate for the main fabric but source a metal zipper from a supplier with no certificate, and the finished garment cannot be certified. You must specify in the tech pack that all trims must be OEKO-TEX certified to the same class as the main fabric, and you must ask for the trim supplier’s certificate number before bulk production. If the factory cannot provide it, you have two options: accept the risk of a failed lab test at destination, or require the factory to source trims from a certified supplier, which may increase cost and lead time. Do not leave this to the factory’s discretion, because a non-certified trim is the most common reason a shipment fails a chemical test at the retailer’s lab.
Metal trims need special attention
Metal trims—zippers, buttons, hooks—are the highest-risk components for OEKO-TEX compliance, because they may contain nickel, lead, or cadmium above the class limits. A nickel-releasing zipper can cause a skin allergy claim, and a lead-containing button can trigger a customs detention in the EU or US. If your garment has metal trims, specify that they must pass OEKO-TEX class II or III testing, and ask the factory for the test report, not just the certificate. A certificate is valid for a year, but a test report shows the actual values for the specific batch, and it is the only way to confirm the trim is compliant. If the factory uses a new trim supplier for your order, the old certificate does not apply, and you need a new test report.
How to Verify a Factory’s Certificate
A factory may claim to have an OEKO-TEX certificate, but the claim is only as good as the document behind it. You must ask for the certificate number, and you must check it on the OEKO-TEX website, where each certificate is listed with its scope, validity dates, and the certified article. A common issue is a factory that holds a certificate for a fabric it no longer produces, or for a different color than the one you ordered. The certificate lists the article number and the color range, and if your order’s color is outside that range, the certificate does not cover it. You should also check the issuing institute, because OEKO-TEX has 15 authorized institutes worldwide, and a certificate from an unauthorized body is invalid. This check takes five minutes, and it prevents a factory from quoting a product it cannot legally certify.
Check the scope and the expiry date
The scope of the certificate is the most important field, because it defines what the certificate covers. A certificate may list a fabric as “100% polyester, dyed, with water-repellent finish,” and if your garment uses a different finish—say, a flame-retardant treatment—the certificate is invalid. The expiry date is also critical, because OEKO-TEX certificates are valid for one year, and a factory that has not renewed its certificate cannot produce certified goods. If you are placing an order that will ship after the certificate’s expiry, the factory must renew it before production starts, or the goods will ship without a valid certificate. You should build this into your production timeline: ask for the certificate at the RFQ stage, verify it, and if it expires during production, require the factory to renew it before bulk cutting.
What to Put in the Tech Pack
The tech pack is the document that binds the factory to your requirements, so the OEKO-TEX specification must be there, not in a side email. Write it as a line item under “Quality and Compliance,” and state: “Finished garment must meet OEKO-TEX Standard 100, product class [II or III], Appendix [4 or 6]. All components, including main fabric, lining, trims, and interlinings, must be certified to the same class. Factory must provide valid certificate numbers and test reports for all components before bulk production.” This sentence forces the factory to source compliant materials and to document them, and it gives you a contractual basis for rejection if the goods fail a lab test. If you do not write it, the factory will source the cheapest available materials, and you will have no recourse when the test fails.
Include the certificate number and appendix
In the tech pack, also include a table for the factory to fill in with the certificate numbers for each component: main fabric, lining, zipper, button, thread, interlining, and any print or coating. Ask for the certificate number, the issuing institute, the validity dates, and the article number. This table is your compliance audit trail, and it allows you to verify each component before you approve the pre-production sample. If the factory cannot fill in a row, that component is not certified, and you must decide whether to accept the risk or require a compliant substitute. This process adds about two days to the development cycle, but it prevents a failed shipment that can cost you the entire order value, plus chargebacks from the retailer.
Cost and Lead Time Implications
OEKO-TEX certification adds cost, and you need to budget for it. The certification fee for a finished garment ranges from $300 to $800 per article, depending on the class and the number of colors, and the factory will pass this cost to you if it does not already hold a valid certificate for the exact article. If the factory needs to test a new trim, the cost is $50 to $150 per component, and the lead time is two to four weeks. You should ask the factory at the RFQ stage whether it holds a valid certificate for your article, and if not, factor the testing time into your production schedule. A common mistake is to assume the factory absorbs the certification cost; it does not, and if you push the price down too far, the factory will skip the certification and ship uncertified goods.
Plan for the testing timeline
The testing timeline is the most common source of delay in OEKO-TEX-certified production. The factory must submit samples to an OEKO-TEX institute, and the institute takes 10 to 15 business days to issue a report, assuming the samples pass on the first attempt. If a sample fails, the factory must re-source the non-compliant material and re-test, which adds another three to four weeks. You should require the factory to complete all certification testing before bulk cutting, because if the test fails after cutting, the cut panels are scrap. Build a four-week buffer into your timeline for certification, and if the factory says it can do it faster, ask for the test report before you approve the sample. A factory that rushes certification is a factory that cuts corners, and the cost of a failed shipment is always higher than the cost of a proper test.
Key Takeaways for the RFQ
Before you send the RFQ, decide the product class based on skin contact, not on cost. Specify OEKO-TEX Standard 100, not just “OEKO-TEX,” and state the appendix. Require all trims to be certified to the same class, and ask for test reports for metal trims. Verify the factory’s certificate on the OEKO-TEX website, and check the scope and expiry date. Put the certification requirement in the tech pack, with a table for certificate numbers. Budget for the certification cost and lead time, and require testing before bulk cutting. If you do these things, you will avoid the most common compliance failures, and your garments will pass the lab tests that retailers and customs authorities impose. If you do not, you are relying on luck, and luck is not a compliance strategy.
What to send us
If the specifications above match what you are sourcing, send your tech pack to Orange Sea Clothing. If the pack is not written yet, sketches and a reference sample are enough to start — sample development covers the design review, fabric and trim sourcing, pattern making and the first prototype, so you see fit and construction before you commit to a production run.
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