Formaldehyde Limits for Furniture: The New EU Restrictions for 2026
From August 2026, the EU has introduced a lower cap on indoor formaldehyde emissions for furniture and wood-based items. As a result, companies supplying articles to the market will need to demonstrate that their product complies with this new standard - here’s what you need to know.
The new REACH Entry 77 regulations
Entry 77 of EU REACH Annex XVII is a new EU regulation that imposes strict limits on the amount of formaldehyde that can be emitted into the atmosphere. Although the amendment was first added to REACH regulations back into July 2023, the limits didn’t come into force until 6th August 2026.
The new limit for furniture and wood-based items is 0.062mg/㎥, which is almost half the previous E1 standard. For all other articles, like textiles, leather, plastics and construction materials, the new limit is 0.080mg/㎥. All products placed on the EU market from 6th August must comply, which means that companies have a responsibility to prove that the articles they are supplying adhere to these new standards.
Why the law is changing on formaldehyde emission limits
The European Union implemented the change to the REACH regulation as a way of protecting human health and improving indoor air quality. Formaldehyde is classed as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organisation, and the impacts of formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing substances in indoor environments are well documented.
The aim of the law change is to significantly cut down on indoor air pollution caused by manufactured products, including adhesives and resins used in wood-based materials, furniture and construction projects. These tend to use formaldehyde heavily, so the new limits have been set to reduce the indoor air pollution and health effects that are known to be linked to the chemical.
What is affected by the new limits?
The EU Regulation 2023/1464 applies to all new indoor furniture where formaldehyde-emitting substances were added during the manufacturing process. Furniture and wood-based articles that use urea-formaldehyde (UF) adhesives, MDF, particleboard or plywood are all subject to the new limits. Case furniture like wardrobes, cabinets and shelving will need to meet the updated standards, as will upholstered seating, beds and mattresses.
What is exempt from the REACH Entry 77 update?
Furniture or other items that are exclusively for outdoor use are exempt from the new limits, because the new regulations focus on improving indoor air quality. Second-hand articles and products intended solely for industrial or professional use where the public won’t be exposed to them are also exempt, as are textiles that are already covered by REACH Annex XVII Entry 72.
Why is formaldehyde used in furniture?
Formaldehyde is a major ingredient in adhesive resins, such as UF and PF (phenol-formaldehyde) resins. They are used heavily in the production of particleboard, MDF and plywood, as well as a range of other products, making it one of the most commonly-used industrial chemicals. When it comes to furniture, formaldehyde is ingrained in the production process, as wood products like particleboard, MDF and plywood are used to form the structure of many pieces of mass-produced furniture. Formaldehyde is used in this context to bind wood particles together.
However, formaldehyde can also be found in coatings, lacquers, laminate finishings and fabric treatments. Its use in so many different materials is an issue because one single item of furniture alone might combine several of them. For example, a wooden chair might use MDF in its seat base, and then have upholstery that has been treated with a flame retardant coating. If these contain formaldehyde, the emissions from the finished product will be higher than the individual elements.
Testing methods for formaldehyde
The focus is less centred on the amount of formaldehyde in a single material, but rather about how much formaldehyde the final product releases into the indoor air in controlled conditions. Because of this, compliance will need to be verified using chamber-based testing methods that simulate real-world environments, as referenced in Appendix 14 of REACH.
Chamber testing is where a sample is placed in a controlled environment - usually 23℃ with 50% relative humidity - for up to 28 days to make sure that the emission rate reaches a stable level before the concentration of formaldehyde in the air is measured.
EN 717-1 (Reference Method) is the primary reference standard for board-like furniture elements. EN 16516 or ISO 16000-9 is a permitted alternative, but results found to be above the limit must be correlated back to EN 717-1.
What does this mean for buyers?
Checking accredited test reports will be more important than ever to make sure that furniture adheres to the new guidelines. Suppliers should always be asked to provide EN 717-1 laboratory evidence to prove that the articles are compliant with the regulations. Contracts to suppliers should also be updated with compliance clauses that call for batch-wide emission documentation, featuring full test details.
Although the new formaldehyde limits are significantly lower than before, buyers should push for the lowest-emission alternatives wherever commercially feasible, or even formaldehyde-free formulations if they are available.
How Workbench can help
Workbench has spent the last year chamber testing the materials that we use for our furniture to make sure that they comply with new regulations, including composite and solid woods, laminates, adhesives, lacquers, powder coated finishes. Our VOC testing means that we can demonstrate compliance and make sure our client’s furniture can move easily into the European market.
We work with Eurofins, the world’s largest laboratory for VOC chamber emission testing, to support our commitment to not just healthier workplaces and greener building certifications, but also to transparency. For any questions about our formaldehyde testing, or any other enquiries, get in touch with our team.
