Understanding OEKO-TEX and GOTS Certification
Two of the most requested certifications in textile sourcing — and two very different things they actually certify.
Product Safety Testing
OEKO-TEX Standard 100Organic & Supply Chain
GOTS CertificationIf you’ve sourced textiles internationally, you’ve almost certainly seen both of these certifications requested in a buyer’s brief. They get mentioned together so often that it’s easy to assume they measure the same thing. They don’t — and knowing the difference changes what you should actually be asking your supplier for.
What Is OEKO-TEX Standard 100?
A Product Safety Test, Not a Process Certification
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 tests the finished textile product for harmful substances — things like banned azo dyes, heavy metals, formaldehyde, and pesticide residues — against strict concentration limits. It doesn’t test how the fabric was made; it tests what’s actually present in the fabric that ends up next to skin.
- Four product classes: Requirements get stricter based on skin contact — baby items (Class I) face the tightest limits, followed by items with direct skin contact, items without direct skin contact, and decoration materials.
- Tested, not assumed: Certification is granted per product after laboratory testing confirms substance levels are within limits — it applies to a specific finished item, not a factory in general.
- Widely requested for: Baby wear, activewear, bedding, and any product marketed on being free from harmful chemical residues.
What Is GOTS Certification?
An Organic Fiber & Supply Chain Standard
The Global Organic Textile Standard covers something much broader: it certifies that a textile contains a minimum share of certified organic fiber and that the entire supply chain — from harvesting through spinning, knitting, dyeing, and labeling — meets defined ecological and social criteria.
- Minimum organic content: Products generally need at least 70% certified organic fiber to carry the GOTS label.
- Chemical input restrictions: Approved dyes and auxiliaries, wastewater treatment requirements, and restrictions on hazardous inputs apply across every processing stage, not just the finished product.
- Social criteria included: GOTS also audits labor conditions across the supply chain against baseline social standards — something OEKO-TEX Standard 100 does not cover.
- Chain of custody matters: Every facility that touches a GOTS-certified product — from ginning to the final sewing line — needs its own GOTS certification and transaction certificates tracing the fiber.
Key Differences at a Glance
| Feature | OEKO-TEX Standard 100 | GOTS |
|---|---|---|
| What it certifies | Absence of harmful substances in the finished product | Organic fiber content + supply chain compliance |
| Fiber requirement | None — works on conventional or organic fiber | Minimum ~70% certified organic fiber |
| Scope | The finished item itself | Entire supply chain, farm to label |
| Social criteria | Not covered | Included — labor standards audited |
| Best fit for | Chemical safety claims on any product | Organic and sustainability-led product lines |
Which One Do You Need?
Reach for OEKO-TEX when…
You need to reassure buyers or regulators that a finished product — organic or conventional — is free from harmful substances. It’s the faster, more universally requested baseline for chemical safety, regardless of fiber origin.
Reach for GOTS when…
Your product is marketed specifically as organic or sustainably produced, and you need a verified chain of custody proving the organic fiber claim from farm to finished garment — not just a safe finished product.
Many buyers request both: GOTS to verify the organic and ethical supply chain claim, and OEKO-TEX to reassure the end consumer the finished garment itself tests clean. The two aren’t competing standards — they answer different questions about the same product.
Compliance Built Into How We Manufacture
Certifications are only as credible as the process behind them. As a fully vertically integrated manufacturer handling knitting, dyeing, and finishing in-house for both ready-made garments and knitted home textiles, we maintain the process discipline — chemical management, traceable dye lots, and documented supply chain records — that these certifications are built to verify. If your program requires OEKO-TEX testing, GOTS-certified organic sourcing, or both, our team can walk you through exactly what’s achievable for your order.
Talk to Our Compliance Team
Tell us which certifications your program requires, and we’ll walk you through what’s achievable for your order.