Organic
At least 95% certified organic fiber. The other 5% or less can be other approved fibers, like recycled polyester or elastane.
What Does GOTS Certified Mean?
GOTS certified means a textile is made with at least 70% certified organic fiber, and every company that processed it, from spinning to sewing, passed a yearly GOTS inspection. It covers the dyes and chemicals used, wastewater, and working conditions along the way.
What GOTS checks
- Organic fiber content, certified on the farm under an organic farming standard like USDA Organic
- Every dye and processing chemical, which has to come from GOTS's approved list
- Bans on named inputs, including all PFAS, phthalates and chlorine bleach
- Residue limits on the finished product
- Wastewater treatment at every dyeing and finishing site
- Working conditions at every certified company, including safety, working hours and pay
- An on-site inspection of every company in the chain, every year
What GOTS doesn’t cover
- The farm itself. GOTS relies on separate organic farming certification for the raw fiber.
- Anything under 70% certified organic fiber
- Virgin polyester and acrylic, which can never be part of a GOTS product
- Zero chemicals. GOTS allows approved, low-impact inputs, not none at all.
- Steps done by a company that isn't certified, even if the fabric it used was
The two GOTS label grades
Every GOTS label states one of two grades. The grade tells you how much of the product is certified organic fiber, not counting buttons, zippers and other trims.
Made with X% organic materials
At least 70% certified organic fiber, and the label has to state the exact percentage. Up to 30% can be other approved fibers.
Changing in March 2027
GOTS 8.1 takes effect March 1, 2027. It allows up to 30% lyocell, caps viscose and modal at 10%, and limits each PFAS to 25 parts per billion in the finished product.
How to check a GOTS certificate
A real GOTS label shows four things: the GOTS logo, the grade, the certification body's name, and the certified company's number. The number is what you can check.
- Find the number. It sits next to the GOTS logo, usually with the certification body's short name in front, like CU 827969 for Control Union.
- Search it. Enter the number or the company name in the GOTS certified suppliers database.
- Read the result. A valid listing shows the company, its certification body, what it's certified to make and when the certificate expires. GOTS says some certification bodies are still moving records into the database, so if a listing is missing, the certifier can confirm it.
GOTS questions
Is GOTS certified the same as organic?
Organic certification covers how the fiber is farmed. GOTS starts with that certified organic fiber and adds rules for everything after the farm: spinning, dyeing, finishing, sewing and labeling.
Does GOTS mean non-toxic?
GOTS bans a long list of harmful inputs, including all PFAS and phthalates, and sets residue limits on finished products. It doesn't promise zero chemicals. GOTS itself says making textiles at scale without any chemical inputs is nearly impossible, so it limits them to approved, low-residue ones.
Can GOTS clothing contain polyester or spandex?
Virgin polyester and acrylic are banned. Small amounts of recycled polyester (up to 20%) and elastane (up to 10%, shared with viscose and modal) are allowed, inside the 5% or 30% limit set by the label grade.
Is GOTS better than OEKO-TEX?
They answer different questions. GOTS covers organic fiber, the whole processing chain, and environmental and labor rules. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 tests the finished item for harmful substances. GOTS accepts OEKO-TEX Class I and II certificates as proof for its trims and accessories.
How long does GOTS certification last?
A GOTS scope certificate lasts up to one year, and every certified company gets an on-site inspection each year, plus possible unannounced visits.