Which chairs, tables and shelves contain no plastic, finish, glue and glides included?
This category is being vetted. Nothing here is a recommendation yet.
Side by side
Every furniture we checked, and what kept each one off the list. The full evidence for each is one click away.
| Rank | Photo | Materials | Packaging | Price seen | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checked, not listed | |||||
 | BDDW Axel Bench Cannot tell | ||||
| solid domestic hardwood | Not verified yet | Not linked | A major part is unverified | ||
Where plastic hides in furniture
A solid wood chair is rarely one material. The finish is polyurethane, lacquer or varnish unless it is oil or wax, and a hardwax oil can carry polymers, so the ingredient list matters. Joints are glued with PVA, the standard wood glue, unless the maker uses hide glue or joinery that needs none. Carcasses and panels are MDF or particleboard, which are fiber bound in resin, or laminate faced with melamine. Cushions are polyurethane foam in polyester cloth. Metal frames are powder-coated, and glides under the legs are nylon or polyester felt.
What to check before you buy
- The finish: oil or wax with named ingredients, or polyurethane, lacquer or varnish?
- The glue: hide glue or none, or PVA?
- The panels: solid wood, or MDF, particleboard or melamine laminate?
- The cushion fill: cotton, wool, horsehair or latex, or polyurethane foam?
- The upholstery and thread: cotton, linen, wool or leather, or polyester?
- The glides and feet: wood, steel or wool felt, or nylon and plastic?
- Metal parts: bare, plated or oiled, or powder-coated?
Checked and not listed
- BDDW Axel Bench
Cannot tellThe Axel Bench is solid domestic hardwood, and that is all the maker says about it. The page offers a choice of finishes without naming any, and a finish is where furniture usually hides its plastic: polyurethane and lacquer are plastic, oil and wax aren't. The glue, the joinery, the hardware and the feet go unmentioned too. We can't tell what you'd be sitting on.