Oeko-Tex

The fabrics selected for the production of our cycling apparel are certified.

OEKO-TEX®: PHILOSOPHY

Confidence in Textiles – that has been the motto of the independent testing and certification system for all textile product at all processing levels, Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX® since 1992. With regard to the global structure and high division of labour in textile production the OEKO-TEX® criteria catalogue, for the first time, provides manufacturers in the textile and clothing industry with a uniform benchmark on a scientific basis for the evaluation of potentially harmful substances in textiles. The OEKO-TEX® label indicates to interested end users the additional benefits of tested safety for skin-friendly clothing and other textiles. Therefore, the test label provides an important decision-making tool when purchasing textiles.

WHY OEKO-TEX®?

The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 was introduced at the beginning of the 1990s in response to the demand of the general public for textiles which are harmless to health. “Poison in textiles” and other negative headlines were widespread at this time and indiscriminately branded all chemicals used in textile manufacturing as negative and dangerous to health. However, the demands we make of modern textile products cannot be realised without the use of specific chemical substances. Modern colours, easy care properties, long useful life and many other functional properties of textiles are required today and can be indispensable for certain applications (e.g. for workwear). Up until the introduction of the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 there was neither a reliable product label for consumers to assess the human ecological quality of textiles nor a uniform safety standard for companies within the textile and clothing industry which enabled a practical assessment of potential harmful substances in textile products. The Austrian Textile Research Institute (ÖTI) and the German Hohenstein Research Institute have therefore jointly developed the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 on the basis of their existing test standards.

BASIC ELEMENTS

To implement the objectives of a reliable product label for consumers and a uniform safety standard for the assessment of harmful substances for textile and clothing manufacturers, the OEKO-TEX® system provides the following components:

  • Globally uniform and scientifically-based (textile and human ecologically relevant) test criteria
  • annual re-evaluation and development of the stipulated limit values and criteria
  • testing and certification of the textile products through independent test institutes with the relevant expertise
  • testing of textile raw materials, intermediate and end products at all stages of processing (modular system)
  • use of OEKO-TEX® certified source materials leads to synergetic effects in testing, incl. reduced costs for testing
  • product conformity through internal quality management within the companies
  • company audits to ensure best possible certification process and targeted support for operational quality assurance
  • product monitoring by means of regular control tests in the market and site inspections by independent auditors from OEKO-TEX® Association