As of August 2017, Vari® was the first company in the world to have sit-stand office products receive the UL BIFMA Performance Certification mark.
The UL BIFMA performance mark is the first and only program that certifies that products meet BIFMA standards and provides a basis for evaluating the performance and durability of products.
Besides testing with third party laboratories, Vari also has an on-site UL Data Witness lab at our manufacturing location. That means we’re able to test our products on-site under supervision of a UL representative who can issue certifications. This saves us time in the testing process and allows us to bring products to market quickly without sacrificing safety or quality.
Learn more about product testing and certifications in the FAQ
Vari Product Certification List
Product Name | Product Category |
GreenGuard | GreenGuard Gold | ANSI/BIFMA | TUV |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
VariDesk® Pro Plus 30™ Black |
VariDesk Converters |
||||
VariDesk® Pro Plus 36™ Black |
VariDesk Converters |
||||
VariDesk® Pro Plus 36™ DarkWood |
VariDesk Converters |
||||
VariDesk® Pro Plus 36™ White |
VariDesk Converters |
||||
VariDesk® Pro Plus 48™ Black |
VariDesk Converters |
||||
VariDesk® Cube Corner® 36 Black |
VariDesk Converters |
||||
VariDesk® Cube Plus® 40 Black |
VariDesk Converters |
||||
VariDesk® Tall 40 Black |
VariDesk Converters |
||||
VariDesk® Laptop 30™ Black |
VariDesk Converters |
Frequently Asked Questions
BIFMA (Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacture Association) is the leading trade association for business and institutional furniture manufacturers. They set the most sought-after standards in the industry regarding ergonomics and safety.
In 2017, BIFMA partnered with UL to begin issuing BIFMA performance certifications, which are a step above simply testing to ANSI*/BIFMA performance standards for furniture. They test and verify products for BIFMA standards and confirm the legitimacy of the product testing and resulting data. So basically, BIFMA sets the industry standards and UL performs the actual testing to ensure that products meet those standards.
The UL BIFMA performance mark is the first and only program that certifies that products meet BIFMA standards and provides a basis for evaluating the performance and durability of products.
As of August 2017, Vari was the first company in the world to achieve UL/BIFMA certification in the sit-stand category.
There are other organizations who run third party testing labs, but UL is the only one who can say a product is “UL certified to BIFMA standards” or the product has received “UL BIFMA Performance Certification”.
*ANSI: American National Standards Institute
Provides a common basis for evaluating the safety, durability, and structural performance of desk/table products intended for use in commercial office and related institutional environments such as educational environments. It provides test methods and performance requirements for desk/table products.
ANSI/BIFMA X7.1 StandardProvides performance requirements for the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde and aldehydes, from office furniture and seating. It specifies acceptance levels that define low-emitting furniture independent of construction materials, manufacturing processes, mechanical designs, or aesthetic designs. It applies to newly manufactured products only and not to products that have been in use.
ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 StandardProvides manufacturers, specifiers, and users with a common basis for evaluating the safety, durability, and structural adequacy of general-purpose office chairs that are normally used in an office environment. This may include, but is not limited to, those seating styles typically referred to as: executive/management, task/secretarial, side/guest chairs, nesting folding chairs, tablet arm chairs, and stools.
The GREENGUARD Certification gives assurance that products designed for use in indoor spaces meet strict chemical emissions limits, which contribute to the creation of healthier interiors. Achieving GREENGUARD Certification gives credence to manufacturers’ sustainability claims, backing them with empirical scientific data from an unbiased, third-party organization.
GREENGUARD Gold Certification offers stricter certification criteria, considers safety factors to account for sensitive individuals (such as children and the elderly), and ensures that a product is acceptable for use in environments such as schools and healthcare facilities. It is referenced by both The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Building Rating System.
UL issues both certifications and they apply to all the materials used in a product. Hundreds of tests are performed to measure environmental impact. Many Vari products have both GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold certification which means they also automatically meet the ANSI/BIFMA X7.1 standard.
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is the largest and best known independent, not-for-profit testing laboratory in the world. They conduct safety and quality tests on a broad range of products to provide a full spectrum of conformity and quality assessment services to manufacturers and other organizations.
TÜV RH provides product testing and certification to international standards and directives that are endorsed by leading quality and safety marks. For example, the US Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) Mark, and the European Community’s CE Mark and GS Mark. They also issue TÜV RH product certification marks based on standards set according to internationally recognized benchmarks.
The Witness Test Data Program (WTDP) is part of UL’s Data Acceptance Program (DAP) which allows companies to utilize their own facilities for product testing under UL’s supervision. This means participating test facilities are required to have the appropriate resources, equipment, and qualified personnel to conduct the testing, equivalent to what would be used in UL’s own laboratories.
Vari has its own UL Data Witness lab at our manufacturing location. Now, instead of sending products out to a third party lab, UL representatives can come in to our lab, supervise our testing process, and issue certifications for our products on-site. This saves us time in the testing process and allows us to bring products to market more quickly without sacrificing safety or quality.
Contact Us
We want to help you make the right choice and improve your workday.
If you need more information about Vari products, call one of our workspace experts at 020 3808 5398.
Availability subject to change | Patent and trademark information here | ©2020 Varidesk, LLC All rights reserved.