Office Chair EN Translation

EN 1335 is the core safety and performance standard for office chairs in the European market, covering requirements for size adaptability, mechanical strength, stability, and durability. Passing the test is an important prerequisite for products to legally enter the European market.

I. Standard Composition and Core Objectives

EN 1335 consists of three parts, aiming to ensure the safety, stability, and ergonomic adaptability of office chairs under normal use and foreseeable misuse scenarios:

1. EN 1335-1: Dimensions and Adjustment Ranges
   Defines the dimensional parameters of key components to ensure that the chair fits European adult users from the 5th percentile female (approximately 1.55 meters tall) to the 95th percentile male (approximately 1.9 meters tall). Specific parameters include seat height (and adjustment range), seat depth/width, backrest height/width, lumbar support position, armrest height, and spacing, etc. For example, the seat height needs to cover an adjustment range of 400-530 millimeters to accommodate users of different heights.

2. EN 1335-2: Mechanical Performance and Stability Verification
   Verifies structural strength and stability through multiple tests, including:

   • Stability Test: Simulates user leaning forward, backward, and applying lateral force to check if the chair tips over. For example, when a 600N lateral force is applied to an armchair, the chair legs must not leave the ground.
   • Fatigue Test: The seat and backrest need to complete 120,000 cycles of loading (at a frequency of 30 times per minute). After the test, functional components must not fail, and the structure must have no cracks or permanent deformation.
   • Impact Test: Includes vertical impact on the seat (120 kg load for 60 seconds) and backward impact on the backrest (pulling force at a 45-degree angle) to verify the weld strength at connections and the bending resistance of the chair legs.
   • Flame Retardancy Test: Checks the resistance of the fabric and filling materials to ignition by cigarettes and matches according to the EN 1021 standard.

3. EN 1335-3: Test Methods and Procedures
   Unifies details such as test equipment setup, force magnitude/direction/speed, and the number of cycles to ensure the comparability of results from different laboratories. For example, it specifies that the durability test for casters requires repeated walking for several kilometers on a test bench, and the rotating mechanism needs to withstand 20,000 cycles of rotation with a torque of 35 Nm.

II. Special Test Items and Compliance Requirements

• Swivel and Reclining Functions: The swivel mechanism needs to verify the bearing's wear resistance, and the reclining function needs to test the relative displacement between the seat cushion and the backrest when the chair back reclines (which must be less than 8 millimeters).
• Compliance Flexibility: Manufacturers can choose to fully comply with EN 1335 or prove compliance through equivalent methods, but the latter requires providing detailed risk assessments and verification evidence.
• Market Access: Passing the EN 1335 test is a fundamental condition for products to obtain the CE mark and legally enter the European market.

EN 1335 provides a traceable evaluation framework for the safety performance of office chairs through quantified test indicators, protecting consumer rights and providing clear technical guidance for enterprise product development.