OEKO-TEX certified buttons and REACH compliance are two different things that clothing brands often mix up: REACH is the law that applies to every garment placed on the EU market, while OEKO-TEX is a voluntary standard proving a product has been tested against a stricter list of substances. A button is small, but it touches skin, sometimes ends up in a child's mouth, and is made of resin, metal, dye, lacquer or a natural material, each with its own risk profile. Rather than repeat the general OEKO-TEX rules, this guide works material by material: what might be in the button, which rule restricts it, and which document to ask for before you order.
REACH vs OEKO-TEX: the obligation and the proof
Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) lists restrictions in Annex XVII that apply directly to articles, buttons included. The responsibility sits with whoever places the garment on the market: the brand, the importer or the retailer. The law does not require a certificate, but if a market check finds a button releasing too much nickel, the problem is yours, not your supplier's.
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX covers the REACH restrictions and adds dozens of substances with tighter limits, split into four product classes. A certified button has been tested as a component; for the finished garment to carry the OEKO-TEX label, every component must be tested: fabric, thread, label, zip and button. We covered the classes and how to verify a certificate in our manufacturing articles.
Snap fasteners 0006 – mini, with a flat cap
Mother-of-pearl buttons River 02
Classic sew-on snap buttons SP517 – 15 and 23 mm Nickel FreeRisks by material at a glance
| Material | What gets tested | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Metal (zinc alloy, brass, steel) | Nickel release, lead, cadmium | Platings wear through; alloys can contain lead |
| Polyester (unsaturated polyester resin) | Cadmium in pigments, PAHs, residual monomers | Pigments and additives in the resin |
| Urea and melamine | Formaldehyde | The resins are formaldehyde-based |
| Corozo (tagua) | Aromatic amines from azo dyes, heavy metals in dyes | Corozo is almost always dyed |
| Wood | Chlorophenols, formaldehyde from glues, lacquers | Preservatives and plywood blanks |
| Coconut | Dyes and lacquers | The shell itself is inert; the risk is in finishing |
| Shell (trocas, agoya, river shell) | Bleaching, dyeing, lacquer | Natural tones are low risk; dyed ones not always |
The REACH restrictions that matter for buttons
Nickel (entry 27)
Articles in direct and prolonged skin contact must not release more than 0.5 µg/cm² of nickel per week. The test method is EN 1811, and for plated items it is run after a simulated two years of wear under EN 12472. This is the most common failure for jeans buttons, snaps and buckles, so for metal trims ask for a nickel-free designation backed by a test report, not just a verbal assurance.
Lead (entry 63)
A maximum of 0.05% by weight (500 mg/kg) in articles, or accessible parts of them, that a child could put in their mouth. On childrenswear buttons that is a realistic scenario, so the limit matters for both metal and painted buttons.
Cadmium (entry 23)
No more than 0.01% (100 mg/kg) in articles made from the listed plastics, which include unsaturated polyester, the standard material for classic shirt and coat buttons. Cadmium was historically used in yellow, orange and red pigments.
PAHs (entry 50)
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are capped at 1 mg/kg in plastic and rubber parts with prolonged or repeated skin contact, and at 0.5 mg/kg in toys and childcare articles. The usual source is carbon black in dark pigments.
Azo dyes (entry 43)
The 30 mg/kg limit on aromatic amines formally covers textile and leather articles, but OEKO-TEX tests every dyed component for them. For dyed corozo and wood, this is a key line item.
Candidate List substances (SVHC)
If a button contains more than 0.1% by weight of a substance on the Candidate List, your supplier must tell you, and you must be able to inform a consumer who asks within 45 days (Article 33 of REACH). The list is updated twice a year, so any declaration should be dated. The full regulation is on EUR-Lex.
What OEKO-TEX adds
On top of the legal limits, STANDARD 100 sets formaldehyde limits per class: Class I (baby articles) must be practically undetectable, below 20 mg/kg; Class II (skin contact) up to 75 mg/kg; Classes III and IV up to 300 mg/kg. It also tests extractable heavy metals, chlorophenols, phthalates, organotin compounds, colour fastness to saliva and sweat for children's items and much more. For urea and melamine buttons, formaldehyde is exactly why a button can pass Class II yet fail Class I.
Tip: if you are making a baby collection, ask for Class I evidence specifically. A Class II certificate does not cover clothing for babies up to 36 months.
Natural buttons: low risk, but not automatically clean
Shell, coconut, corozo and wood are often assumed to be safe by default. The raw material really is inert: a trocas shell or a coconut husk contains no nickel or formaldehyde. The risk comes from processing: dyes on coloured corozo, lacquers and stains on wood and coconut, bleaching on shell. Natural tones such as white shell, undyed coconut and natural corozo have the shortest list of potential issues. If you want the cleanest option for children's or baby clothing, start with natural buttons in their natural shade and ask for documents for that specific item.
Checklist: what to request from your button supplier
- STANDARD 100 certificate with number, validity date and scope. Make sure the scope covers your exact button type (material, finish) and the class you need.
- Test report from an accredited lab for the specific item, especially EN 1811 nickel release for metal buttons.
- REACH declaration of conformity covering Annex XVII and the Candidate List, dated and stating the list version.
- Material declaration stating base material, plating, dye and lacquer.
- Batch traceability: a lot or order number so you can link the document to what was actually sewn on.
- Colourways: paperwork for the black button does not automatically cover the red one if the pigments differ.
Common mistakes brands make
- Treating the fabric certificate as a certificate for the whole garment.
- Not checking validity: OEKO-TEX certificates are renewed every year.
- Switching button suppliers mid-season without asking for fresh documents.
- Writing "nickel-free" on a product page based only on the colour of the plating.
FAQ
Do buttons have to be OEKO-TEX certified?
No. REACH compliance is mandatory. OEKO-TEX is one way to prove it and go further, and for childrenswear and marketing it is often well worth having.
Do I need a test for every single button?
Not each one individually, but for every material, plating and colour that differs meaningfully. The high-risk items are metal buttons, dark and bright pigments, and anything for babies.
What does nickel-free mean in practice?
That nickel release is below the limit and, with good suppliers, that no nickel is used in the alloy or the plating. Confirm it with an EN 1811 test report.
Bul-tex manufactures and supplies buttons and metal trims for brands and ateliers. If you are preparing a collection that needs paperwork, get in touch with the items and the class you need, and we will confirm what can be provided for each one.
