The EN 1811 nickel release test is the method the whole EU nickel restriction for garment hardware rests on. When a supplier says "REACH compliant" or "Nickel Free, tested", there should be an EN 1811 lab report behind it, and for coated parts an EN 12472 pre-treatment as well. This article doesn't retell the regulation; it goes into the lab. What exactly happens to your snap or button, how long it takes, what the numbers on the report mean and what a single test does not prove.
In short: what is measured
The test does not measure how much nickel the metal contains. It measures how much nickel is released from the surface in contact with sweat. The result is expressed in micrograms of nickel per square centimetre per week (µg/cm²/week). For articles in direct and prolonged skin contact, such as jeans buttons, snaps, belt buckles and bra fasteners, the REACH limit is 0.5 µg/cm²/week.
Special HK 305 ring-type snap fasteners – 18 mm and 22 mm, Gun Metal
Metal eyelets PE 0003 – oval
Snap fasteners E-2278 Gun Metal 40 mm – 4 pieces, "Teardrop" design, Luxury modelStep by step: EN 1811
1. Selecting the sample
The lab tests the part that touches skin. On a jeans button that means the back with the tack and the inner cap, not just the face. On a snap it means the components that sit against the body. That is why you should send finished parts in the final finish, not unplated blanks.
2. Masking and measuring the area
Areas that don't contact skin are masked with wax or lacquer. The test area is measured carefully because the result is divided by it; an error in the area is an error in the result.
3. Artificial sweat
The sample is immersed in an artificial sweat solution (pH around 6.5) in a closed vessel and kept at about 30 °C for one week, or 168 hours.
4. Analysing the solution
After the week the solution is analysed with a sensitive technique, usually ICP-OES, ICP-MS or atomic absorption spectrometry, and the amount of released nickel per area per week is calculated.
5. Judging against the limit
The method carries a large measurement uncertainty. Since amendment A1:2015 to EN 1811:2011 the interpretation is simpler: an article with the 0.5 limit is deemed compliant if the measured value is below 0.88 µg/cm²/week; for the 0.2 limit (piercing posts) the threshold is 0.35. The old "no decision" category was dropped. The current edition is EN 1811:2023, so check which edition the report cites.
EN 12472: simulating wear
Most hardware is coated with gold, gunmetal or lacquer. A new button may release no nickel because the lacquer seals it, but after months of wear that lacquer thins. EN 12472 models this: before the EN 1811 test, the coated part goes through accelerated corrosion and is then tumbled in a barrel with abrasive media, aiming to simulate roughly two years of normal wear. Only then is the sweat test run.
If a report for a coated part doesn't mention EN 12472, ask why. An EN 1811-only result on a new, lacquered button can be too optimistic.
The DMG spot test: quick, but not proof
Dimethylglyoxime (DMG) turns pink-red in contact with released nickel. With a cotton swab and a drop of solution you know within a minute whether there is free nickel on the surface. It is useful for incoming inspection and checking samples, but it doesn't replace EN 1811: its sensitivity is limited, and a negative result on a lacquered part tells you nothing about behaviour after wear.
Cost and who pays
Testing cost depends on the lab and the number of components, and rises when EN 12472 is added. Hardware suppliers usually test their standard items, while for custom parts testing is agreed as part of development. Responsibility for the finished garment's compliance on the market stays with the brand that sells it, so keep reports in the style's technical file.
How to read the report
- Sample identification. Article number, finish colour, photo. A report for "nickel" doesn't cover "gunmetal" in the same shape.
- Standard and edition. EN 1811:2011+A1:2015 or EN 1811:2023, plus EN 12472 for coated parts.
- Parts tested. Which components were tested: cap, tack, spring.
- Area. The test area in cm².
- Result. The figure in µg/cm²/week for each component.
- Conclusion. Pass or fail against the threshold for that category.
- Date and lab. A five-year-old report from a different plating source has little value.
When to order a test
- A new article or new finish. Any new shape-and-finish combination that will touch the skin.
- A change of supplier or plating shop. Even if the catalogue number stays the same.
- A large run or a new market. Before bulk production, when the cost of a mistake is highest.
- A complaint. If a customer reports a skin reaction, test parts from the same batch.
For smaller brands a sensible approach is to request the supplier's report, run a DMG spot test on each incoming batch and commission full lab testing for new articles.
Common traps
- Testing the material, not the article. "The brass was tested" doesn't mean the plated button was.
- Testing only the face. The back of a jeans button is often riskier than the front.
- Old reports. A change of plating shop or chemistry changes the result.
- "Nickel Free" with no document. A catalogue label is a trade name, not a test.
FAQ
How long does testing take?
The exposure itself is a week; with EN 12472 and analysis, plan on two to three weeks. Build it into the schedule before bulk production.
Do I need to test every colour?
If the finishes differ chemically (nickel, black nickel, nickel-free), yes. The same shape in different finishes is a different article as far as the test is concerned.
Does it apply to childrenswear?
The nickel limit is the same, but childrenswear has other requirements too, for lead and small parts for example. See our articles on production and standards.
Bul-tex offers eyelets, snap fasteners and jeans buttons in Nickel Free versions. For documentation on a specific item, or for custom hardware with a testing requirement, contact us.
