What Does GREENGUARD Gold Certified Mean?
GREENGUARD Gold certified means UL Solutions tested a finished product in a chamber and its chemical emissions came in below strict limits. Gold sets lower limits than standard GREENGUARD, including for formaldehyde, and is meant for places like schools, nurseries and healthcare spaces. You'll mostly see it on mattresses and furniture.
What GREENGUARD Gold checks
- Chemical emissions from the finished product, measured in a test chamber
- Limits on more than 360 VOCs and on total chemical emissions, for Gold
- A screen for more than 15,000 VOCs known to pollute indoor air
- California's CDPH emissions test method, which Gold products also have to meet
- A review of the manufacturing process, plus routine testing
What GREENGUARD Gold doesn’t cover
- Skin contact. It measures what a product releases into the air of a room.
- Clothing. UL's categories include mattresses, furniture, flooring, and children's and baby products, and apparel isn't one of them.
- The fiber, the farming, or how a fabric was dyed
- Zero emissions. It certifies emissions below set limits.
How to check a GREENGUARD Gold certificate
UL Solutions lists GREENGUARD certified products in its SPOT database.
- Search SPOT. Look up the brand, product name or model number.
- Match the listing. Make sure it says GREENGUARD Gold, if that's the claim, and covers the exact product you're buying. UL says certification from anyone other than UL Solutions isn't GREENGUARD certification.
GREENGUARD Gold questions
What's the difference between GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold?
Both test chemical emissions. Gold sets lower VOC limits, adds California's CDPH test method, and is meant for spaces like nurseries, schools and healthcare facilities.
Does GREENGUARD apply to clothing?
It's built for products that sit in a room, like mattresses, furniture and flooring. On a textile product, it tells you about off-gassing into the air, and nothing about what touches your skin.
Does GREENGUARD Gold mean a mattress releases no chemicals?
No. It means the mattress's emissions tested below UL's limits, and that it's retested each year to keep the mark.