Upholstery Leather Standards: What Are EN 1021, ISO 11640, ISO 5402, and Blue Scale?

1) EN 1021-1 / EN 1021-2 – Fire Safety for Upholstered Furniture

What does it measure?
Fire resistance of upholstery materials when exposed to two common ignition sources:

• Part 1: Smouldering cigarette

• Part 2: Small open flame (match-equivalent)

Result format:
PASS / FAIL

Recommended benchmarks:

• Residential:

  • Minimum: EN 1021-1 (cigarette)

  • Preferable: EN 1021-1 & 2 for enclosed living areas

• Hospitality / Office:

  • EN 1021-1 & 2 required

Note:
Some projects require testing on the full assembly (leather + foam + interliner) to reflect actual construction conditions.

2) ISO 11640 – Rub Fastness (Surface Color & Finish Resistance)

What does it measure?
Resistance of leather color and finish to:

• Dry rubbing

• Wet rubbing

• Perspiration (sweat)

Results reported as:

• Number of cycles

• Grey Scale rating (1–5) → higher is better

Typical upholstery benchmarks:

Recommendations:

• High-end residential: values above are sufficient

• Hospitality / high-traffic areas:

  • Prefer ≥ 1000 / 500 / 200 cycles (dry/wet/sweat)

  • Especially for Pigmented / Protected leather

3) EN ISO 5402-1 – Flex Resistance

• Residential: ≥ 20,000–30,000 cycles (no cracking)
• Hospitality: ≥ 50,000 cycles (no cracking)

4) ISO 105-B02 (Blue Scale) – Light Fastness

What does it measure?
Resistance to fading under light exposure, measured on the Blue Wool Scale (1–8)
→ Higher numbers indicate better light resistance.

Recommended benchmarks:

• Standard indoor use: ≥ 4

• High-light areas / near windows: ≥ 5

Guidance by leather type:

• Aniline: typically 3–4 → avoid direct sunlight

• Semi-Aniline / Pigmented: commonly achieve ≥ 4–5

Quick Reference – Specification Benchmarks

• EN 1021-1/2:

  • Hospitality: PASS Part 1 & 2

  • Residential: PASS Part 1, preferably Part 1 & 2

• ISO 11640:

  • Hospitality: ≥ 1000/500/200 cycles (dry/wet/sweat), GS ≥ 4/4/3–4

  • Residential: ≥ 500/250/80 cycles, GS ≥ 4/3–4/3

• EN ISO 5402-1:

  • Hospitality: ≥ 50,000 cycles (no cracking)

  • Residential: ≥ 20,000–30,000 cycles

• ISO 105-B02:

  • Indoor: ≥ 4

  • High-light zones: ≥ 5

Leather-Type Considerations

• Aniline:
  Pure, natural aesthetics; lower resistance to light and rubbing → best for controlled environments or feature pieces

• Semi-Aniline:
  Balanced aesthetics and performance; typically meets ISO 11640, ISO 5402, Blue Scale ≥ 4

• Pigmented / Protected:
  Highly durable, uniform, easy to maintain → ideal for hospitality and office projects, easily meeting higher test thresholds

Sample Specification Language (Tender / BOQ)

“Upholstery leather must PASS EN 1021-1 & EN 1021-2 (Cigarette and Match).”
“ISO 11640 rub fastness ≥ 1000/500/200 cycles (dry/wet/perspiration), Grey Scale ≥ 4/4/3.”
“EN ISO 5402-1 flex resistance ≥ 50,000 cycles with no surface cracking.”
“ISO 105-B02 light fastness Blue Scale ≥ 4 (≥ 5 for high-light exposure areas).”