What Does the European Standard Mean in Children’s Furniture and What Should Parents Check?
When a parent chooses a table, chair, or Pikler triangle for their child, the first thing they do is feel the surface by hand. “Is it rough?” “Does the corner prick?” This is an instinctive and correct action, but true safety goes much deeper than just a smooth surface.
European standards, such as EN 71-1 (Mechanical Safety) or EN 71-8 (Activity Toys), are invisible guides that determine whether your child’s play will be peaceful for you as well.
🔍 What should a parent check?
Before purchasing an item, ask yourself these 3 questions, which European experts consider paramount:
1. Are there “dangerous gaps”?
The European standard (for example, EN 71-8) strictly defines the distance between parts.
- Why is this important? The gap must be either very small (so a finger doesn’t get stuck) or large enough (so the head doesn’t get stuck).
- The “Gogora” approach: Our arches and triangles are designed with millimeter precision. Our founder, Nino Razmadze, is a mother of 4 and knows that a child’s curiosity knows no bounds. Therefore, every cut in “Gogora” is calculated so that the child’s adventure does not end in injury.
2. Static and Dynamic Load
A child doesn’t just sit on furniture—they jump on it, swing, and sometimes climb with a friend.
- Standard requirement: The furniture must withstand much more weight than the average child.
- “Gogora” quality: We use high-quality birch plywood, which is distinguished by its durability. Our activity furniture is balanced in a way that it does not tip over even when the little “climber” reaches the peak.
3. Chemical Safety (EN 71-3)
Children also taste the world. The EN 71-3 standard prohibits the migration of heavy metals and toxic substances from the material into the child’s body.
- Our guarantee: “Gogora” uses only water-based, certified lacquers and paints. Our social mission—to create a safe environment—begins where the use of toxic substances ends.
💡 Why should you trust “Gogora,” even if there is no “mark” on the product?
Many in Georgia do not know that placing the official pictogram of the European certificate is a complex bureaucratic process for small enterprises. However, for “Gogora,” the standard is not a piece of paper but the production process itself.
- Research-based design: Our products are created taking into account Latvian and Estonian practices—countries that are leaders in eco-furniture production.
- Social responsibility: As a social enterprise, we are committed to the protection of children’s rights (CRC Convention). A safe environment—this is a fundamental right of the child that we serve.
- Quality seen through a parent’s eyes: Our furniture is tested not only in laboratories but also in real families, by real children (including Nino’s four little ones).
When choosing furniture, do not trust just the word “ecological.” Demand information about material processing and structural durability.
“Gogora” is not just furniture—it is a scientifically calculated space where safety is the first and main standard.