Crate and Barrel Review, Is Crate and Barrel Non-Toxic?
PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Grades are model-based, built from published ingredients, materials, certifications, brand disclosures and third-party lab results where they exist. See the rubric.
Across 10 graded products, Crate and Barrel averages Good (50/100). On disclosure, the brand says nothing publicly about PFAS. 4 of its products grade Good or better. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab results.
Worth buying from Crate and Barrel Good or better, safest first
Crate and Barrel
Tidal 101" Grande Sofa, Fabric/Wood
fabric upholstery, wood frame
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Synthetic upholstery fabrics are often treated with formaldehyde-releasing resins for…
Flame retardants
US federal flammability regulations (16 CFR 1633) require furniture to meet smolder…
Azo dyes and synthetic dye allergens
Fabric upholstery dyes may include azo compounds or other synthetic dyes that can trigger…
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from wood finishes and adhesives
Wood frames are typically finished with stains, lacquers, or adhesives (for joinery) that…
Lower concern. Fabric and wood typically avoid high PFAS risk, but verify upholstery treatment details.
⚠Risky category by default
Crate and Barrel
Trevino Cotton Silk Blend Window Curtain Panel
Cotton-silk blend, no known finishes applied
Azo dyes and synthetic colorants
Dyes used in the Trevino panel are not disclosed. Conventional synthetic dyes may include…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
New curtains may release volatile organic compounds during initial use due to residual…
Lower PFAS concern; standard blend fabric with no visible water or stain treatments.
⚠Risky category by default
Crate and Barrel
Crate & Barrel Organic Cotton Natural Taupe Window Curtain Panel
organic cotton, no applied coating mentioned
Heavy metals
Natural taupe coloring may use synthetic or natural dyes; no testing data is publicly…
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or off-gassing
Untreated organic cotton may release minor VOCs during initial use, particularly if…
Lower concern because untreated organic cotton avoids water-repellent coating finish and stain treatment.
⚠Risky category by default
Crate and Barrel
Crate & Barrel French Pleat Window Curtain Panel
100% polyester fabric, likely uncoated
Azo dyes and residual dye chemicals
Polyester textiles are typically acid-dyed; no specific test data for this product…
Antimony catalyst residue in polyester fiber
Polyester resin polymerization may use antimony oxide as a catalyst; residual levels…
Heavy metals
Synthetic dyes used on colored polyester can contain trace heavy metals (e.g., chromium…
Microplastic shedding from wear
Polyester curtains shed microfibers during use and washing, a known concern for all…
Lower PFAS concern because standard fabric lacks water-resistant finish needing chemical treatment.
⚠Risky category by default
Graded and flagged Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
Crate and Barrel
Retreat 94" Sofa
upholstered fabric, likely polyester blend
PFAS
Polyester upholstery marketed as 'stain-resistant' without explicit PFAS-free language…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Polyester blends may contain formaldehyde-based binders in dyes and finishes to improve…
Heavy metals
Polyester textiles commonly use azo dyes, some of which can break down into carcinogenic…
Microfiber shedding and durability degradation
All polyester upholstery sheds microfibers over time, accelerated by abrasion and…
Stain-resistant upholstery carries PFAS risk; Crate and Barrel discloses nothing.
⚠Stain-resistant finish
Crate and Barrel
Lounge 93" Sofa
Upholstered fabric with likely stain/water treatment
Flame retardants
Polyurethane foam in upholstered sofas commonly contains brominated or phosphorus-based…
Volatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing from foam and glues
Polyurethane foam, adhesives, and fabric backing release VOCs (including formaldehyde…
PFAS
The sofa almost certainly received post-treatment stain/water repellent application.…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Fabric dyes and wrinkle-resistant or stiffness finishes can use formaldehyde-based…
Skip until Crate and Barrel discloses fabric treatments and PFAS status.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
Crate and Barrel
Contour 103.5" Grande Sofa, Fabric
fabric with stain/water resistance treatment
PFAS
Performance fabric coatings on consumer sofas commonly use fluorinated compounds for…
Flame retardants
Upholstered furniture in the US typically contains flame-retardant treatments on fabric…
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) off-gassing
New upholstered furniture, especially with applied chemical finishes and adhesives in the…
Coating degradation and chemical leaching over time
Stain treatments on upholstery degrade with use, cleaning, and UV exposure. As protective…
Skip until fabric treatment details disclosed by brand.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
Crate and Barrel
Crate & Barrel Floral Blackout Window Curtain Panel
Polyester with blackout coating (composition unspecified)
Flame retardants
Blackout-coated textiles are often treated with flame retardants to meet building codes…
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) and odor from blackout coating
New synthetic blackout coatings commonly release chemical odor in the first days to…
Microplastic and coating particle shedding over time
Polyester textiles with synthetic coatings can shed fine particles as the coating…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Polyester fabrics may be finished with formaldehyde-releasing resins (urea-formaldehyde…
Avoid until Crate & Barrel names the blackout coating or certifies PFAS-free.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
Crate and Barrel
Crate & Barrel Warm Beige & Storm Grey Linen Double Pinstripe Grid Blackout Window Curtain Panel
Linen blend with blackout coating (unspecified)
PFAS
Blackout treatments on consumer curtains frequently rely on PFAS-based fluorochemical…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Linen blends are often finished with formaldehyde-based wrinkle-resist or dye-fixing…
Azo dyes
The storm grey and beige colorants may include azo dyes, some of which cleave to release…
Coating degradation and particulate release
Blackout coatings degrade over years of sun exposure and laundering cycles. Peeling or…
Avoid until Crate & Barrel discloses blackout coating chemistry.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
Crate and Barrel
Sharland England French Ticking Stripe Blackout Curtain Panel
cotton/cotton-blend fabric with blackout lining, water-repellent coating treatment unspecified
PFAS
Blackout linings commonly use fluorinated water-repellent coating or brominated flame…
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Cotton-blend textiles treated with water-repellent or flame-retardant resins may employ…
Coating degradation and microfiber shedding
Blackout linings can degrade over 3-5 years of use, especially with sun exposure or…
Volatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing
Polyester-based blackout linings can release low levels of VOCs during the first weeks…
High uncertainty due to silent stance on blackout finish chemistry; avoid unless Crate & Barrel clarifies.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
Every grade uses the same public rubric. How grades work →