Crate & Barrel Merrow Stitch Warm Natural Organic Cotton Tablecloth vs Kitchen Dining Outdoor Patio Tablecloth Spectrum Eggshell 42: which is safer?

Crate & Barrel Merrow Stitch Warm Natural Organic Cotton Tablecloth is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Our pick

Crate & Barrel Merrow Stitch Warm Natural Organic Cotton Tablecloth

Crate and Barrel

Crate & Barrel Merrow Stitch Warm Natural Organic Cotton Tablecloth

PFAS grade

Good 65/100

Overall grade

Good 53/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

100% organic cotton, no coating

Confidence

88%

PossibleAzo dyes and synthetic colorants

PossiblePesticide residues from cotton cultivation

PossibleMicrobial growth and mold from retained moisture

Frontgate Kitchen Dining Outdoor Patio Tablecloth Spectrum Eggshell 42

Frontgate

Kitchen Dining Outdoor Patio Tablecloth Spectrum Eggshell 42

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 12/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Polyester with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish

Confidence

45%

PossibleFluorinated water-repellent compounds (PFAS) in water-repellent coating

PossibleVolatilization or leaching from coating during use or laundering

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Azo dyes and synthetic colorants, Pesticide residues from cotton cultivation and Microbial growth and mold from retained moisture on the Crate and Barrel and not on the Frontgate.
  • We flag Fluorinated water-repellent compounds (PFAS) in DWR coating and Volatilization or leaching from coating during use or laundering on the Frontgate and not on the Crate and Barrel.
  • The Crate and Barrel is 100% organic cotton, no coating where the Frontgate is Polyester with durable water-repellent (DWR) finish, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Crate and Barrel is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Frontgate grade, at 45% confidence against 88%, because it discloses less.

Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More stain-resistant textiles, see the full ranking