Would you install a heat pump that didn’t come with safety certification? How would you feel hopping into your car and strapping on your seatbelt if there were no industry standards in place?
Nobody doubts the need for certifications and standards in electrical appliances or vehicles—they’re there to keep you safe. But what about office chair certifications?
While we don’t often consider the industry standards behind our office furniture, these standards are in place to help maintain your health, safety, and comfort.
With various standards, tests, and certificates involved, navigating the world of office chair certifications can feel overwhelming, and buying the right chair for yourself, your clients, or your employees can be daunting.
We’ve cut through the jargon to provide you with this essential guide to help you make the best choice for your workspace.
Why office chair certifications matter
The average office worker in New Zealand and Australia spends seven to 10 hours sitting each day. That’s roughly 35 to 50 hours a week, or over 2,000 hours a year.
If your chair lacks proper support, isn’t ergonomically designed, or fails to meet safety standards, you could spend thousands of hours in discomfort, leading to long-term health issues like chronic back pain, musculoskeletal disorders, or poor circulation.
That’s why office chair certifications are crucial—they prove a chair is designed, built, and tested to support your health and productivity.
Understanding our categories of standards
When it comes to office chair certifications, Buro’s standards have three key categories:
- Safety: Our chairs are designed for comfortable, secure, daily use.
- Sustainability: We strive to have a minimal impact on the planet.
- Quality: Buro chairs carry a six- or 10-year guarantee*.
* Excluding Mondo Brook, which has a two year guarantee.
Office chair certifications prove a chair is designed, built, and tested to support your health and productivity. Just like our Buro Metro II 24/7 (featured) in our Buro Auckland office.
The main office furniture standards
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) Certification
FSC® certification supports sustainable forest management by ensuring companies meet rigorous environmental and ethical standards, avoiding illegal logging and human rights violations. It demonstrates that wood or forest products used in office furniture are sourced responsibly and promote sustainable practices.
GREENGUARD
As one of the world’s most respected environmental certifications, GREENGUARD certified products have passed rigorous, third-party chemical emission tests, ensuring products have low chemical emissions and meet strict limits for pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), making them safe for indoor use.
GREENGUARD Gold
GREENGUARD Gold takes it a step further. This certification, designed for environments like schools and healthcare facilities that host children and the elderly, limits emissions from over 360 VOCs, and is awarded only to products that meet the exceptionally stringent chemical emission standards set by the CDPH (the State of California’s Department of Public Health).
ISO Standards
ISO (the International Organisation for Standardisation) sets globally recognised standards for quality, environmental responsibility, and safety across a variety of industries.
At Buro, we partner with manufacturers that are certified under ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment), and ISOO 45001 (health and safety).
AFRDI: The benchmark for office furniture excellence
The Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute (AFRDI) sets the gold standard for office chairs in New Zealand and Australia. AFRDI certifications are a trusted mark of quality, durability, and sustainability in the office furniture industry.
- The AFRDI Blue Tick certification guarantees every component of a chair meets stringent safety standards, including foam density, structural strength, and flammability resistance. It is also only awarded to a high-quality, ergonomically- designed chair that truly supports good posture to promote long-term health.
- The AFRDI Green Tick focuses on environmental responsibility, verifying that chairs are manufactured with minimal environmental impact. This certification examines durability, recyclability, and responsible sourcing so office furniture contributes to personal wellbeing and sustainability.
We spoke directly with an AFRDI professional to demystify how their office chair certifications work. Here’s what they had to share.
Expert insights on the process of AFRDI certification
Q: What are common misconceptions about AFRDI certification you often encounter?
A: One common misconception is that one sample can cover multiple design variations. In reality, each version must be tested separately to meet the standards.
Another frequent question is why products need resubmission every three years, even if they haven’t changed. This is because changes can occur without the manufacturer’s knowledge, and retesting is necessary to extend the certification for another three years.
Q: How long does it typically take to complete the certification process for AFRDI Blue Tick?
A: The AFRDI Blue Tick process generally takes up to six weeks. The AFRDI Rated Load certification takes at least eight weeks and may take longer if multishift testing is required.
Q: Can you walk us through the testing process for obtaining AFRDI Blue Tick certification?
A: Absolutely. The process includes:
- Strength: Chairs are subjected to static load tests to evaluate their structural resilience.
- Durability: Chairs undergo loading on the seat and back concurrently simulating years of use. This is repeated for 200,000 cycles for Level 6 and at least 400,000 cycles for rated load certification.
- Stability: We test the chairs for stability under backward, sideways, and front edge loading to ensure no leg lifts off the floor during use.
- Foam testing: The foams are checked to ensure they meet density standards and go through flammability tests to confirm their safety.
Q: How is a static load test for a chair performed?
A: Static load testing checks if there is any fracture or damage by applying a known mass to the seat and back of the chair and leaving it there for around 60 seconds. Depending on the requirements of the standard, it may be 10 applications. Static loads tend to be greater than durability loads.
Q: For the AFRDI Green Tick certification, what are the key sustainability criteria that furniture must meet?
A: The Green Tick certification evaluates seven criteria related to sustainability. There are three levels: the difference between Silver and Gold lies in the overall score achieved in these areas.
For Platinum, products must not only score highly in these criteria but also meet additional mandatory requirements covering:
- Operational energy, water, and waste management
- Corporate social responsibility
- Transport and packaging considerations.
All of our certification bodies, from AFRDI to GreenGuard to ISO, help us set the highest possible standards for our office chairs.
Office chairs undergoing testing during one of our factory visits.
BIFMA and other standards of quality
While AFRDI certification is well-recognised in Australia and New Zealand, some of our office chairs fall outside its scope—so how do we ensure they meet our standards?
Chairs not eligible for AFRDI often adhere to the rigorous international benchmarks set out either by BIFMA (Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association) or ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials). In the rare instance where a chair doesn’t fall under existing certifications, we develop our own customised testing requirements.
Bottom line? Every chair we offer meets our high expectations for safety, performance, and sustainability!
Buro Persona 24/7: the office chair that never sleeps
As its name suggests, the Buro Persona 24/7 can handle the demands of a non-stop workday!
Frequently found in fast-paced environments like hospitals, airports, and call centres, this chair provides superior ergonomics, robust durability, and long-lasting comfort.
With AFRDI 142 certification, it meets the top standards for swivel office chairs, and can support up to 185kg in multiple shift operations. Covered by our Buro Guarantee for up to 200kg, this chair is built to withstand the rigours of 24/7 work.
Exceeding office chair certifications with ethical considerations
In addition to safety, quality, and sustainability, ethics play a crucial role in our manufacturing process. Buro is committed to fair labour practices, ensuring every chair is made under responsible working conditions and with ethically sourced materials.
As a member of Sedex (an ethical trade membership organisation), we assess and monitor our supply chain to uphold safe and ethical standards, ensuring transparency and accountability in our operations.
When you choose Buro, you’re not just choosing a chair—you’re supporting a brand that values integrity and responsibility.
Ready to elevate your workspace with certified quality?
Explore Buro’s range of ergonomic office chairs, designed to enhance safety, comfort, and productivity—all backed by industry-leading standards and certifications.
