BIFMA has released ANSI/BIFMA X6.5 Home Office and Occasional-Use Table and Storage Products. It replaces SOHO 6.5.
In 2018 BIFMA published its first standard with the designation “occasional-use” in the title. The phrase “occasional-use” has been interpreted by the home furnishings industry to mean that as standard is appropriate for residential furnishings, and not limited business/industrial applications. Prior to this, BIFMA’s most recent, and first, measure to address domestic furniture was in 2008 – ANSI/SOHO S6.5-2008 – the scope of which included desks and storage articles.
SOHO S6.5 is one of the BIFMA standards most commonly cited by the US home furnishings industry. In April 2022, more than two decades after SOHO’s first publication, BIFMA released ANSI/BIFMA X6.5 Home Office and Occasional-Use Table and Storage Products, replacing SOHO 6.5.
As per the standard’s summary of significant changes, “This version is a complete rewrite compared to the previous one. This new revision is somewhat based on ANSI/BIFMA X5.9- 2019 Storage Units and largely based on ANSI/BIFMA X5.5-2021 Desk and table products.”
This standard provides a uniform basis for assessing the safety, durability and structural performance of home office and occasional-use desk, table and storage products intended for use in commercial and home offices. The standard describes details of test methods and appropriate performance requirements for desk, table and storage products.
The standard clearly stipulates that the tests cited within “are intended to assess the performance of new
products only. They are not intended to assess a product that has been in use.” The acceptance criteria in the standard for each test item is based on the collective experience of BIFMA members and actual field tests conducted by BIFMA.
SGS Furniture Services
SGS adds value from the drawing board to the shop floor. With a full range of services, including product design analysis, component and product testing, auditing, inspection, and retail store checks, SGS helps businesses deliver well-designed, functional, durable, and safe products to their customers. They have the furniture industry, regulatory and technical expertise required to check a products’ compliance against relevant standards and/or a manufacturer’s own specifications. Learn more about SGS’s Furniture Services.
For inquiries, please contact:
Allen Moldovan
SGS Connectivity & Products
Technical Specialist - Hardlines
t: +1 (201) 207-8503
© SGS Group Management SA - 2022 - All rights reserved - SGS is a registered trademark of SGS Group Management SA. This is a publication of SGS, except for 3rd parties’ contents submitted or licensed for use by SGS. SGS neither endorses nor disapproves said 3rd parties contents. This publication is intended to provide technical information and shall not be considered an exhaustive treatment of any subject treated. It is strictly educational and does not replace any legal requirements or applicable regulations. It is not intended to constitute consulting or professional advice. The information contained herein is provided “as is” and SGS does not warrant that it will be error-free or will meet any particular criteria of performance or quality. Do not quote or refer any information herein without SGS’s prior written consent.
