BUYING GUIDE

Furniture Certifications

Learn about certifications, what they mean, and products offered by School Outfitters that meet those criteria.

What are Certifications?

Certifications identify products that meet established standards for safety, durability, and environmental health. These standards are set by independent organizations and help to ensure products perform as expected in real-world educational environments.

Certifications give schools and districts a clear, third-party way to evaluate whether a product meets minimum performance, safety, or sustainability requirements before purchasing.

Why might certifications be required?

When making a purchase, you want confidence that you’re selecting a product that will last and perform safely. That expectation is even higher in schools, where furniture is used daily by hundreds, even thousands, of students.

Certifications help schools, districts, and purchasing teams:

Reduce risk by confirming products meet recognized safety standards
Ensure long-term value through tested durability
Comply with state, district, or grant-funded purchasing requirements
Support sustainability and indoor air quality goals

Why choose products with certifications?

Safety and Durability: These certifications verify that furniture is built to withstand heavy, repeated use without creating safety risks. Testing typically covers structural strength, stability, and resistance to tipping or breakage, helping ensure long-term performance in school environments.
Environmental Health: These certifications verify that furniture is built to withstand heavy, repeated use without creating safety risks. Testing typically covers structural strength, stability, and resistance to tipping or breakage, helping ensure long-term performance in school environments.
Product Specific Requirements: Some certifications apply only to certain furniture types or use cases, such as age-appropriate sizing, fire resistance, or accessibility standards. These help confirm products are suitable for specific school settings like classrooms, cafeterias, or science labs.

Notable Certifications

Greenguard

GREENGUARD Certified products meet stringent standards for low chemical emissions set by an industry-independent organization. This certification aims to reduce exposure to chemicals and other pollutants, improving overall health.

Greenguard Gold

GREENGUARD Gold is a second tier of certification that considers additional health-based criteria to meet an even lower level of chemical emissions. These certified products meet the indoor air quality needs of more sensitive environments.

BIFMA Compliant®

BIFMA Compliant®, the commercial furniture industry's registry of standards-conforming products.

MAS Certified Green

MAS Certified products meet stringent, industry-independent standards for low chemical emissions and contribute to healthier indoor air. MAS certification is recognized and accredited by LEED and BIFMA.

UL Certification aims to protect workers and consumers by recognizing safety and sustainability. UL Certification is given to manufacturers and individual products that are reasonably protected from the risk of fire or electric shock.

CRI Green

CRI Green Label, a certification from the Carpet and Rug Institute, is applicable only to cushions, carpet and adhesives. The certification ensures that the product emits very low levels of harmful chemicals for healthier indoor air.

Ready for the next step?

Talk to a School Outfitters furniture expert today and get assistance on everything from product selection and room designs to purchase compliance and delivery.

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