The Best Shops to Buy Eco-Friendly Furniture Online, From Couches to Accent Chairs
Every house needs furniture that will last you for years to come. What you don’t need, though, is toxic or harmful chemicals inside that furniture. They’re more common than you may think, often found in frames and foam, and can be harmful to children and pets especially. A solution? Investing in the best eco-friendly furniture. Luckily, it’s easier to find than ever before, with more manufacturers making the shift to sustainable materials. Here’s what you should know when shopping for pieces for your home.
Eco-Friendly Furniture Buying Guide
What makes a piece of furniture “eco-friendly,” exactly? For starters, it means using safer materials without chemicals to make couches, beds, tables, and more. In short, the idea is that it’s better for the environment, and better for your health. Now, there’s also more of a push now to use eco-friendly, sustainable building materials as well. Some of the biggest brands have moved away from wood that requires knocking down natural forests, for example, or chemicals that pollute the water and air around the factories and ultimately in your house. And customers have taken notice, sending a message that they want more safe and sustainable pieces to choose from when furnishing their homes.
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Thankfully, companies are starting to listen. More and more are making the shift to creating what consumers want, and it’s a win for everyone. IKEA, for example, has begun obtaining their wood and cotton from more sustainable sources since 2000, while others have made the switch to foam inside their cushions rather than polyurethane. Glues with low VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are another aspect that’s being used less and less, replaced with staples and screws, which also has the ability to hold up and last longer over time.
Instead of wood, sofa legs can be made from recycled brass, and it’s now possible to find furniture that’s entirely free from heavy metals, formaldehyde and phthalates.
As a bonus, some companies go the extra environmental mile and do something more when you purchase from them, like plant trees, donate to a charity, or give a furniture piece to a family in need.
Where Can You Get the Best Eco-Friendly Furniture?
Though going the vintage or second-hand route is the most eco-friendly way to shop for your furniture, we’ve selected some of the best eco-friendly furniture brands that offer pieces made with sustainably sourced parts below.
Crate and Barrel
Using retrieved wood and eco-friendly bamboo, there’s plenty of sustainable pieces to choose from at C&B. This comfy chair is made with FSC-certified hardwood and oak from responsibly managed forests, poly-linen fabric, and a high-resiliency foam to keep it cushiony for years to come.
Crate & Barrel Chair
West Elm
Not only will you find environmentally responsible pieces on West Elm’s selection, but over 90 percent of its items are crafted in-house. West Elm even has a team of around 5,000 artisans in 15 states, creating unique pieces from all sorts of non-toxic material. The kiln-dried wood in its midcentury bed frame, for instance, is sustainably sourced, plus it’s GreenGuard certified to contain low amounts of VOCs.
West Elm Mid Century Bed Frame
Etsy
You may think of Etsy as an online shop for homemade crafts, items, and T-shirts, but its section of reclaimed furniture goes far beyond that. There, you’ll find the most one-of-a-kind pieces for your home. The company, meantime, also achieved the status of being a licensed B-Corp, meaning that it’s been certified by a reliable third party as environmentally friendly. Whether you’re looking for studio seats or comfortable handmade sectionals, you can easily find it all on Etsy.
Etsy Furniture
Maiden Home
No matter which piece catches your eye at Maiden Home, you can be sure that everything here is made without flame retardants, formaldehyde, or other harmful chemicals. Even its cushions are made with CertiPUR-US certified soy-based foams and fabrics are free of PFOS and PFOA. We loved this giant smooth sectional, with enough room for guests, and no chemicals “off-gassing” when you unwrap it.
Maiden Home Varick Sofa
Medley
For safe sectionals, Medley has got you covered. Each of their beautiful sofas are handcrafted in California, and can be ready for you in just a few months. Plus they’re customizable, meaning that you’ll choose the materials that go into the cushioning, making sure it’s comfortable and non-carcinogenic. The wood they use in their Zavis Sofa is all FSC-certified, and you can choose fabric or natural leather, as well as the width you want.
Medley Zavis Sofa
Wayfair
There’s a massive selection to choose from at Wayfair. For new parents, we recommend their Ubabub Nifty 3-in-1 Convertible Crib, not just for its clean and timeless look, but for safety as well. All the finishes are non-toxic, it’s free of lead and phthalate (which you’d kind of hope for anyway), and comes with a GreenGuard certification, which tests for over 10,000 different emissions.
Wayfair Ubabub Crib
Overstock
This eco-friendly dining set on Overstock is crafted with eucalyptus wood, FSC-certified, and resistant to all sorts of annoying problems that can plague furniture like mildew, fungus, rot, termites, and decay. It also looks great, seats four comfortably, and can stand the test of time and weather.
Overstock Dining Set
Frontgate
This poolside Palermo piece from Frontgate is antimicrobial, stopping the growth of fungus and mildew, and won’t start to unravel or rot when the temperature gets freezing (or too hot). Best of all, this handwoven wicker sofa is 100-percent high-density polyethylene that’s non-toxic and environmentally friendly.
Frontgate Palermo
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