Our Certifications: What They Are, What They Verify, and Why They Matter

Not all dog beds are created equal — and not all safety claims mean the same thing. This page explains the three independent certifications behind every bed we make, what each one specifically requires, and how you can verify them yourself.

Why Certifications Matter More Than Marketing Claims

"Non-toxic." "Natural." "Eco-friendly." "Clean materials." These are phrases that appear across thousands of pet product listings. None of them have a legal definition. None require third-party verification. Any brand can use any of them on any product, regardless of what that product actually contains.

Certifications are different. A certification is a set of published standards, administered by an independent organization, verified through laboratory testing or third-party auditing, and applied only to products that have been tested and found to meet those standards. The brand does not issue its own certification. The brand cannot pass a certification through self-declaration. A third party — with no commercial interest in the outcome — verifies the claim.

Every bed we make is verified across three independent certifications: CertiPUR-US® certified memory foam for the orthopedic mattress, GOTS-certified 100% organic cotton for the cover, and OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certification on the finished cover — verifying that the completed textile has been tested for harmful substances. This page explains exactly what each certification requires, who administers and verifies it, what it means for your dog's daily exposure, and how you can confirm our certifications independently.

CertiPUR-US® Certification

What it is

CertiPUR-US® is an independent certification program for polyurethane foam — the material used in memory foam and support foam products. It is administered by a not-for-profit organization and requires that certified foam be tested by accredited third-party laboratories. Foam manufacturers must retest and recertify their products periodically to maintain the designation. A brand cannot self-certify under CertiPUR-US®.

What it requires

To earn and maintain CertiPUR-US® certification, polyurethane foam must meet the following standards:

Made without ozone depleters. Certain blowing agents historically used in foam manufacturing contribute to stratospheric ozone depletion. These are prohibited.

Made without PBDE, TDCPP, or TCEP flame retardants. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent bioaccumulative toxicants associated with thyroid disruption and neurodevelopmental effects. TDCPP (chlorinated Tris) is classified as a probable human carcinogen in California. TCEP is associated with neurological and reproductive toxicity. All three are explicitly prohibited in certified foam.

Made without mercury, lead, and other heavy metals. Heavy metals can be present in foam colorants and other additives. CertiPUR-US® certification requires testing to verify their absence.

Made without formaldehyde. Formaldehyde as an intentional additive is prohibited. The standard also requires VOC emissions testing, which captures formaldehyde that may form as a byproduct of foam chemistry.

Made without phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting plasticizers found in many synthetic materials. The most concerning consumer-regulated phthalates are prohibited in certified foam.

Low VOC emissions — verified below 0.5 parts per million. Total volatile organic compound emissions from the foam must be below 0.5 parts per million, as measured by accredited laboratory testing. This is the standard that addresses the off-gassing concerns associated with new foam products.

What the testing involves

CertiPUR-US® certification is not based on a manufacturer's self-assessment or a one-time audit. It requires ongoing laboratory analysis by accredited third-party testing facilities. Foam producers submit their products for testing independently of the certification body — the labs report results to CertiPUR-US®, not to the foam manufacturer. This independence is what gives the certification its credibility.

How to verify it

The CertiPUR-US® website maintains a publicly searchable database of all currently certified foam producers. You can verify any brand's certification status by searching for the foam manufacturer at certipur.us. If a brand claims CertiPUR-US® certification but their foam supplier does not appear in the database, the claim is unverified.

What it means for your dog

Your dog's bed mattress is a surface they are in contact with for 12 to 16 hours every day. The foam is what they compress their body weight into, press their joints against, and breathe directly over during sleep. CertiPUR-US® certification means the foam in your dog's bed has been independently tested and verified to meet published standards for VOC emissions and chemical content — not because we say so, but because an accredited laboratory confirmed it.

GOTS Certification — Global Organic Textile Standard

What it is

GOTS — the Global Organic Textile Standard — is the leading international certification for organic textiles. It covers the entire supply chain of a textile product, from the farm where the fiber is grown through the spinning mill, dyeing facility, finishing operation, and finished goods manufacturer. Every stage of the supply chain must be audited and approved by a GOTS-accredited independent certification body. A brand cannot carry the GOTS label on a product unless every stage of that product's production has been independently verified.

What it requires

GOTS certification has two components: a fiber standard and a processing standard.

The fiber standard requires that the textile be made from at least 70% certified organic natural fibers. For the "organic" label tier (as opposed to "made with organic"), 95% of the fiber content must be certified organic. Our cover is 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton — meaning the cotton was grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, and its organic status was verified through the supply chain by an accredited certification body.

The processing standard is where GOTS certification has the most direct relevance to chemical safety. GOTS prohibits the following in textile processing:

• PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) — the "forever chemicals" used in stain-resistant and water-resistant fabric treatments. Prohibited entirely.
• Formaldehyde-based finishing agents — used in conventional textile manufacturing for wrinkle resistance and dye fixation. Prohibited entirely.
• Azo dyes that release carcinogenic aromatic amines — a subset of the most widely used class of synthetic dyes. Prohibited.
• Heavy metal-based dyes — colorants using chromium, lead, cadmium, copper, and other metals as mordants. Prohibited.
• Phthalates — endocrine-disrupting plasticizers. Prohibited in textile processing.
• Chlorine bleach — replaced with oxygen-based bleaching where bleaching is required.
• Genetically modified organisms in fiber inputs.

The processing standard means that a GOTS-certified organic cotton cover's properties — its softness, its color, its texture — come from the quality of the fiber itself, not from chemical treatments applied after the fact. There is no PFAS coating giving the fabric its feel. There is no formaldehyde resin fixing the dye. The fabric is what the fiber is.

What the auditing involves

Unlike foam certifications that rely primarily on laboratory emissions testing, GOTS certification is built on supply chain auditing. Every facility involved in producing a GOTS-certified textile — the farm, the gin, the spinning mill, the dyehouse, the cut-and-sew operation — must be certified by a GOTS-accredited body. Audits assess chemical inputs, wastewater treatment, worker safety, and record-keeping. The certification body verifies the entire chain of custody, not just the finished product.

This supply chain approach is what makes GOTS the most rigorous available certification for textile chemical safety. A fabric cannot pass GOTS certification by having its finished form tested in isolation — every stage of its production must be verified.

How to verify it

GOTS maintains a public database of all certified facilities and brands at global-standard.org. You can search by brand name or facility name to confirm current certification status. Certification is renewed annually, so the database reflects current standing.

What it means for your dog

The cover is the part of the bed your dog is in direct contact with. It is in contact with their skin, coat, and face for every hour of every sleep. GOTS certification means the fabric of that cover has been independently verified — not by us, but by an accredited auditor — to be free from the chemical treatments that make conventional textile covers a meaningful source of daily chemical exposure for dogs: no PFAS, no formaldehyde, no carcinogenic dye residues, no heavy metals.

The softness your dog sleeps on is the softness of certified organic cotton fiber. Nothing added. Nothing hidden.

OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 Certification

What it is

OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is one of the world's most recognized independent testing and certification systems for textiles. Where GOTS certification verifies the process — how the fiber was grown and how the fabric was manufactured — OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 tests the finished article itself. It takes the completed cover as it will be used by your dog and tests it directly for harmful substances. The two certifications are complementary: GOTS ensures clean inputs and clean processing; OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 verifies the clean output.

Certification is issued by the international OEKO-TEX® Association and requires testing by accredited OEKO-TEX® partner institutes — independent laboratories with no commercial relationship to the brand being tested. Certification must be renewed annually.

What it tests

OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 tests finished textile products against a list of more than 100 harmful substances. The testing covers every component of the finished article — fabric, thread, buttons, zippers, and any other elements present in the final product. Key categories include:

Regulated and prohibited pesticides. The finished textile is tested for residues from pesticides used in fiber production, including organochlorine and organophosphate compounds.

Heavy metals. The cover is tested for extractable heavy metals including arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, nickel, and mercury — both in the fabric and in any dyes or colorants used.

Formaldehyde. The finished article is directly tested for formaldehyde content, providing a measured result on the actual cover rather than relying solely on a prohibition of formaldehyde-based finishing agents in the process.

pH value. The fabric's pH is tested to ensure it falls within a skin-friendly range, reducing the risk of irritation from excessively acidic or alkaline textiles.

Color fastness. Dye fastness to perspiration, water, and rubbing is tested — ensuring that colorants do not readily transfer from the fabric to your dog's coat and skin under normal use conditions.

Banned azo colorants. The finished textile is tested for the presence of azo dyes that can release carcinogenic aromatic amines.

Phthalates. The finished article is tested for phthalate plasticizers.

PFAS. Fluorinated compounds are tested in the finished textile.

Allergenic dyes and sensitizing dyes. The cover is tested for dyes known to cause allergic reactions or sensitization.

What the testing involves

Unlike a process audit, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 testing is performed on physical samples of the finished cover submitted to an accredited OEKO-TEX® partner institute. The laboratory tests the actual article — the same cover your dog sleeps on — against the full substance list. Results are reported to OEKO-TEX® independently of the brand, and certification is issued only when the finished product passes all tests. The certification label includes a unique certificate number that can be verified in the OEKO-TEX® public database.

How to verify it

Every OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified product carries a unique certificate number. You can verify the certification — and confirm it is current — at oeko-tex.com using the certificate number or brand name. Certification is renewed annually, so an expired certificate will not appear as valid in the database.

What it means for your dog

GOTS certification tells you that our cover was made the right way. OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 tells you that the finished cover — the one your dog actually sleeps on — has been physically tested and found free of more than 100 harmful substances. Together, they represent both a verified process and a verified result. Your dog is not sleeping on a cover that simply avoided bad inputs. They are sleeping on a cover that has been tested as a finished article and passed.

Why All Three Certifications Matter

Each certification addresses a distinct verification need. Together they cover the complete chemical safety picture of your dog's bed.

CertiPUR-US® covers the foam mattress — addressing VOC off-gassing, flame retardant residues, phthalates, and heavy metals in the foam core your dog compresses their body weight into and breathes over during sleep.

GOTS covers the supply chain and processing of the fabric cover — verifying that the cotton was grown organically and that no PFAS, formaldehyde, carcinogenic dyes, heavy metal colorants, or phthalates were used at any stage of production from farm to finished textile.

OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 covers the finished cover as a physical article — testing the actual fabric your dog sleeps on directly for more than 100 harmful substances, providing a measured result on the completed product rather than relying solely on process verification.

A bed with only one or two of these certifications has gaps. GOTS without OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 verifies the process but does not test the finished article. OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 without GOTS verifies the finished article but does not address farming practices or full supply chain chemical inputs. Neither fabric certification addresses the foam. All three together leave no meaningful gap unaddressed.

What These Certifications Do Not Claim

We believe in being precise about what certifications verify, because overstating a certification's scope is as misleading as understating it.

CertiPUR-US® does not certify zero chemical content. It certifies that specific prohibited substances are absent and that VOC emissions are below a tested threshold. Certified foam is not chemically inert — it is verified to meet published safety standards.

GOTS certification does not apply to the foam. It applies to the fabric cover's supply chain and processing only. The foam certification is separate.

OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 tests the finished cover, not the foam. It is a finished-article test for the textile only, and its scope is complementary to GOTS — not a replacement for it.

Certification status requires ongoing maintenance. We monitor our suppliers' certification status as part of our sourcing process. The verification links above allow you to confirm current status independently at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions