Introducing uniform norms was important not only for the manufacturers, but also for the consumers, who needed comfort and safety.

What would the world be without any standardization? Each company would manufacture a different type of socket, so household appliances would have to come with a variety of plugs. No international norms means we could never be sure whether spare parts purchased abroad would be compatible with our devices or whether food products are safe to eat. We couldn’t compare the parameters of different materials, because the manufacturer’s descriptions would be worlds apart.

Fortunately, in 1901 the first normalization body was established. Similar organizations were soon set up in Europe and the United States. 25 years later the International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations was established, which ensures a better information flow between the authorities responsible for quality standards.

Unfortunately, World War II interrupts the operations of the Federation and puts a halt to the advancing standardization process. The process is back in 1947, when a global organisation known as ISO is established. It has been active since then, setting and monitoring global quality  standards.

At the moment, ISO has 160 member states and is an independent and reputable organisation. ISO norms can be approved by the CEN (the European Committee for Standardization). Such standards are labelled as EN ISO. Some of them are optional, but they are an ultimate proof of quality and safety.

Global standardization still has a long way to go. In many countries the process is managed by national bodies, which  adopt their own internal norms rather than those proposed by ISO. That’s why you can still encounter a variety of sockets as you travel abroad.

Standardization is crucial for modern economy, especially if we want to improve the production processes, coordinate actions to protect the environment and human health, and unify communications systems.

Special labs test whether or not a specific upholstery conforms to the mandatory norms. Such labs need to be certified. Each country in Europe has its own certification centre.

The laboratories and independent and highly specialised. If you want to obtain a certificate for a specific product line, e.g. furniture upholstery, you need to address an external certifying body. If the upholstery conforms to a specific norm, it will be granted the relevant certificate  – but there’s one more condition: the whole production process must be successfully verified. What is important is not only a single product, but the guarantee of consistent high quality.

In the event of the requirements listed for upholsteries, such as resistance to abrasion, pilling light and friction, or flammability, it is assumed that it’s enough to obtain a test report. This document proves that a sample conforms to the requirements listed for a relevant norm.

Our upholsteries are certified for all the parameters listed in the data sheet, plus they have some special certificates such as EU ECOLABEL or OEKO-TEX Standard 100.