Crate & Barrel Merrow Stitch Warm Natural Organic Cotton Tablecloth vs Caterer's Box Rectangular Tablecloth: 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

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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

Pottery Barn Caterer's Box Rectangular Tablecloth

Pottery Barn

Caterer's Box Rectangular Tablecloth

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

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

Confidence

55%

LikelyPFAS in water-repellent coating finish

PossibleFormaldehyde and VOC off-gassing

PossibleSynthetic azo dyes

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 Pottery Barn.
  • We flag PFAS in DWR finish, Formaldehyde and VOC off-gassing, Synthetic azo dyes and Coating degradation and microfiber shedding on the Pottery Barn and not on the Crate and Barrel.
  • The Crate and Barrel is 100% organic cotton, no coating where the Pottery Barn 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 Pottery Barn grade, at 55% 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