DEFINITIONS
“Eco-friendly– not harmful to the environment, or trying to help the environment.”
“Sustainable– causing, or made in a way that causes, little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time.”
Sustainable, eco-friendly furniture means looking for pieces that are either made with renewable resources and no toxins or have been recycled or upcycled from previous furnishings.
- The most eco-friendly option when choosing furniture is to buy second-hand. If that is not in the cards for you, there are several eco-friendly furniture brands available.
- You want to look for products made with fewer chemicals and lower-impact materials.
- Look for eco certifications and eco-labels which focus on two types of impacts: water, energy, and materials used in the furniture, as well as chemicals avoided or disallowed.
Most Eco-Friendly Furniture Brands
A majority of this list was initially compiled by Treehugger, a modern sustainability site that offers advice, clarity, and inspiration for both the eco-savvy and the green-living novice. With 2.6 million monthly users, Treehugger is one of the world’s largest information sites dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream.
Best for Secondhand: The Local Flea
For the smoothest, most trustworthy, and most diverse second-hand experience, you’ll want to check out The Local Flea. With brick-and-mortar showrooms in three states and online retail platforms for pre-loved and secondhand furniture, this is one of the most comprehensive and thoroughly vetted second-hand furniture venues.
- The Local Flea takes the extra time to screen listings, inspect the furniture, clean it, and deliver it if desired.
- You can find great deals on the site from popular brands like Ethan Allen, Crate & Barrel, IKEA, Pottery Barn, Ashley Furniture, West Elm, and many, many more.
- A huge selection from furniture, to electronics, appliances, sporting goods, art, and collectibles, they have it all.
Best Overall: Haiku Designs
Haiku furniture styles trend towards minimalist and modern. They hold two eco-certifications:
- E1 is the emissions standard certified by the European Union and it rates furniture on the chemicals used in manufacturing as well as VOC off-gassing.
- Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) certified—which ensures that wood is sourced in a sustainable and managed way.
- They also carry bamboo furniture that’s been grown and harvested responsibly.
Best Large Selection: Pottery Barn Furniture
In its Sustainably Sourced category is a range of styles, including farmhouse, modern, traditional, and rustic.
- The pieces are made from a variety of materials, with the majority made from reclaimed wood.
- Others are GreenGuard Gold certified nontoxic, or Fair Trade certified. Y
- ou can also find organic linens and recycled glassware.
- Pottery Barn is known for its durable products, and this furniture has good resale value.
Best Budget: Etsy Reclaimed Furniture
You can do a search on Etsy for “reclaimed furniture” and come up wight a large variety of artistic pieces.
- You’ll have to read the details to find out what materials and finishes are used.
- There are low-impact materials like recycled barn wood used to make new pieces, but you’ll have to ask about non-toxic finishes if not detailed on the site.
- Since many of the items are made to order, you can often customize your order to meet your needs directly with the makers.
Best for Beds: Thuma The Bed
Thuma’s eco-credibility covers all aspects, all the way to the padded feet of the bed frame’s legs, which are made with low-impact, biodegradable cork.
- The frame is made from repurposed wood that’s GreenGuard Certified.
- The extra-strong support slats are lined with an eco felt made from recycled plastics, which helps keep noises to a minimum.
- The padded headboard is filled with nontoxic CertiPUR-US foam fill.
Best for Couches: Sabai The Essential Sofa
The sofas are affordable and comfortable.
- Manufactured in North Carolina with fabrics made from natural fibers and polyester from recycled water bottles.
- Frames are made with FSC Certified wood, covered with certiPUR-US foam, with recycled fiber pillows.
- The shipping materials are made from 100% recycled materials and minimal plastic is used in the packaging.
- Replacement parts are available from Sabai, to help ensure you can get the longest life possible from your couch or loveseat.
Best for Kids: Sprout Eco-Friendly Wooden Kids Furniture
These simple and relatively affordable pieces work with almost any decor style, and are designed from the beginning to minimize manufacturing waste.
- They are all made from sustainably-sourced Baltic birch wood. The birch used is CARB (California Air Resources Board) compliant, ensuring that any off-gassing is at a safe level.
- Finishes are created with layers of water-based paint and sealed with a “non-VOC 100% solids UV cured finish.”
- The furniture is shipped flat to save money and resources. They are easy to assemble and disassemble (many without tools), so they can be moved or stored easily.
Best for Kitchen Furniture: Crate & Barrel Furniture
Crate & Barrel has focused on woods that are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Council (FSC).
- A kitchen island made with sustainable rubberwood.
- Stools made from mango wood that is harvested after mango trees stop producing fruit and would otherwise go unused.
- Rustic drinkware made from recycled glass.
- Other innovative designs featuring reclaimed and repurposed woods—from as far and wide as buildings no longer in use in China and Indonesia to telephone poles from rural Brazil, which add character to the Bluestone storage, Paloma dining, Linea bedroom, Phoenix home office, and Seguro media and accent table collections.
Best Splurge: ABC Carpet & Home Sustainable Furniture
- This NYC-based store has a huge variety of furniture and home goods, all of which are carefully vetted and held to high sustainability and ethical standards. That includes Goodwood pieces, which ensure furniture is made from wood from responsibly managed forests and/or reclaimed sources.
- Goodwood also protects old-growth forests.
- Promotes a transparent supply chain model.
- Many pieces of furniture have eco-labels like handmade, non-toxic, cruelty-free, organic, or other considerations depending on materials.
- ABC’s furniture can be searched by material.
Best for Home Office: Joybird Furniture
Joybird’s furniture is all handmade in Mexico where workers get a competitive salary and benefits, including medical care, according to the company.
- For every item purchased, more trees are planted than were used in the creation of the piece of furniture.
- Office options include desks, swivel chairs, desk chairs, and bookcases.
- Depending on the piece of furniture, it could include low-VOC adhesives, natural-fiber cushions, or other lower-impact options.
- For swivel chairs with fabric coverings, look for the Key Largo fabric option, which are brightly colored textiles produced in an environmentally friendly mill.
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