‘Is it flame retardant?’ is the single most project-killing question in hospitality furnishing. The honest answer depends on which standard, which market, and which article — coverings, loose covers, or drapery. This is the map we use with buyers.
Upholstery coverings — by market
- EU (generic): EN 1021-1 (cigarette smoulder) and EN 1021-2 (match equivalent ignition). A covering is usually tested as laminated to the specified foam; the combination passes or fails, not the fabric alone.
- UK: the strictest regime — BS 5852 with ignition sources 0 (match) and 1 (cigarette) on the cover/foam composite; Crib 5 (source 5) for contract and healthcare environments.
- USA: CAL TB 117-2013 (smoulder, California) is the baseline for upholstered furniture sold in California and widely adopted elsewhere; it is not an open-flame standard. Specification projects may add NFPA 260 or ASTM E84 depending on use.
Drapery and wall coverings
Curtains are tested for flame spread, not smoulder: the workhorse is NFPA 701 (US and many Middle-East projects) with pass criteria on spread time and char length; Europe uses EN 13773 with matching systems. Treated polyester sheers and blacksouts are common FR constructions in our product family.
Three practical rules
- Name the destination country and the article type before asking ‘is it FR?’ — a TB 117-passing chenille is not automatically EN 1021-passing on your foam.
- FR by finish vs FR by fiber: topical FR finishes must be validated for the cleaning regime (durability through wet cleaning); inherently FR fibers (e.g. modacrylic blends) trade hand feel and price for permanence. Ask which one you are quoting.
- Insist on a test report naming the standard, lab, composite build and results — matched to the shipping batch.
How Huaming handles FR projects
We do not blanket-claim ‘all fabrics FR’. Flame-retardant construction is developed per project: you send the required standard and use case, we match or develop the fabric, and third-party lab testing is arranged with the report supplied against your lot. The mill itself is OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 Class I certified (SH015 264621).
Start an FR specification with [email protected] or WhatsApp +86 180 6701 0111 — include the standard, the article (covering / loose cover / drape), and the cleaning regime.