Whether you’re looking for sustainable accent chairs, desk chairs, or lounge chairs, this guide will help you find just what you’re looking for.
What Are Sustainable Chairs?
Before we get into the brands, let’s talk about the criteria for “sustainable”. As with anything in sustainability, there isn’t necessarily a black-or-white definition, but here are some general guidelines to keep in mind.
Eco-Friendly Materials
Recycled and low impact natural materials are ideal when it comes to searching for that perfect eco-friendly chair.
Some materials you may want to look for are recycled aluminum (which is naturally rust-resistant) and reclaimed or sustainably-harvested hardwood.
For upholstered chairs, look for fabrics like organic cotton, hemp, linen, and recycled fabrics. And for the foam, some alternatives to synthetic foam include natural organic latex, coconut fiber, and organic wool.
Non-Toxic Finishes
When looking for wood furniture, check to see if the furnishes are free of toxic chemicals. Zero-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) is best and there are also many low-VOC options. Just try to leave any low-VOC furniture outside for a bit before taking it into your home if you can! [Check out more non-toxic home tips in this post.]
Responsible and Sustainable Production Practices
Given how heavy and bulky furniture is, local production is particularly important since the emissions from shipping can really add up.
Searching for domestic production is great, and local production within the area/state of the company can allow for even better transparency.
Where to Find Sustainable Lounge Chairs and Accent Chairs
Now, let’s get into where you can find eco-friendly chairs that meet some or all of this criteria! We’ll start off with some options to find used chairs and then get into the brands with sustainably-made chairs.
Note that this guide includes partners and affiliates. As always, all brands featured meet strict criteria for sustainability and are brands we truly love — and that we think you’ll love too!
Secondhand Sources
Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are two classic options when it comes to finding used furniture! Here are some others to know:
OfferUp (buy and sell locally)
AptDeco (ships)
Kaiyo (also has shipping)
Chairish (vintage)
EBTH (like an online estate sale)
EstateSales.net (for finding in-person estate sales!)
Places With New Sustainably-Crafted Accent and Lounge Chairs
If you can’t find what you’re looking for secondhand, check out these brands and retailers with eco-friendly office chairs, lounge chairs, armchairs, and more.
Looking for outdoor chairs? Check out this guide to outdoor furniture.
1. Savvy Rest
Savvy Rest is a seriously impressive sustainable furniture brand that has every single element covered when it comes to non-toxic accent chairs! The Verona Organic Armchair is made using GOTS-certified organic cotton and/or hemp upholstery, organic wool batting, sustainably-sourced solid hardwood maple, Cradle-to-Cradle Gold Certified Natural Talalay latex foam, natural coir, jute webbing, and zero-VOC finishes.
Highlights: Organic & Eco Materials, Sustainable Wood, Non-Toxic Finishes, Locally Made
Price Range: $2,699-$2,999
Use Code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off!
Shipping: White Glove delivery within continental U.S. Contact their team for shipping quotes outside of the 48 contiguous states.
2. Urban Natural
Urban Natural is a mecca for all things eco-minded and non-toxic furnishings, including plenty of options for sustainable lounge chairs and accent chairs. You’ll even find recliners and swivel chairs among their selection.
The brands they curate utilize a range of materials — the sustainable highlights are responsibly-sourced hardwood, organic cotton, plant-based cushions, and even apple leather! Our top eco brand pick is Cisco Home, specifically their Inside Green selection.
Highlights: Eco-Conscious Materials & Processes, Many Brands are USA-Made
Price Range: $450-$7,000
Shipping: White Glove delivery in the contiguous U.S. for $250 flat rate (free for orders $2,500+)
3. Medley
Non-toxic furniture brand Medley creates quality non-toxic and eco-minded furnishings, and their armchair collection is no exception. You’ll find sustainable chairs crafted just for you in LA using materials like FSC-certified hardwood, CertiPUR-US® certified foam, and organic natural latex.
Highlights: Non-Toxic and Eco Materials, Domestic Production
Price Range: $1,060-$1,940
Shipping: Ships internationally; contact to get quotes for shipping outside of the US
4. Made Trade
Sustainable retailer Made Trade has a variety of sustainable lounge chairs made from thoughtful materials like sustainably sourced teak wood that was reforested in Nicaragua.
Some of the chairs are also indoor-outdoor friendly (be sure to check the description!) for maximum functionality.
Highlights: Sustainable Materials & Practices, Carbon Neutral Certified Company
Price Range: $590-$1409
Shipping: Ships furniture within the US only
5. Sabai
In addition to using recycled & upcycled fibers for their sustainable accent chairs (and sofas), Sabai has two circularity programs: Repair Don’t Replace — where you can find individual parts — and Sabai Revive where you can sell back your Sabai furniture or buy previously owned furniture for a lower cost.
Highlights: Recycled and Sustainably-Sourced Materials, Repair Program, Resale Program
Price Range: $745 – $795
Shipping: Ships within U.S. and Canada
6. The Citizenry
Handcrafted and made-to-order with the finest materials like solid walnut and performance fabrics to withstand the test of time, The Citizenry’s sustainable chairs are well-positioned to become heirloom pieces.
The Citizenry partners with artisans around the world for all of their pieces, ensuring fair trade conditions and wages for the makers behind their products. Their fair trade chairs are made in Indonesia (teak and rattan chairs) and Northern California (upholstered chairs).
Highlights: Artisan-Made, Fair Trade
Price Range: $399 – $1,799
Shipping: Ships furniture within the U.S. only
7. Burrow
Out to transform the way furniture is made and sold, Burrow makes modular furniture that can expand and grow as your needs change. You can easily combine many of their armchairs and ottomans with sofas for a sectional!
The armchairs are made with responsibly-forested wood and non-toxic upcycled fabric upholstery.
Conscious Qualities: Responsibly-Sourced Wood, Eco-Conscious Fabric, Modular & Adaptable
Price Range: $425- $1,790
Shipping: Free shipping within the continental U.S.
Bonus: West Elm’s Mara Hoffman Chair
A large furniture brand making some significant strides in implementing sustainable options, West Elm lets you filter by elements like GREENGUARD Certified and Sustainably Sourced. The Sustainably Sourced collection includes eco-friendly chairs made with materials like FSC-Certified wood and linen fabric.
Our favorite pick? The Mara Hoffman chair made in collaboration with the sustainable fashion brand.
Highlights: Options for FSC-Certified Wood, Natural Fabrics, Contract Grade Quality, and GREENGUARD Certified
Price Range: $699 – $3,197
Shipping: Ships within U.S. to home or local West Elm store
And that wraps it up! I hope you found this guide to sustainable chairs useful, whether you were looking for desk chairs, upholstered chairs, or dining chairs. For outdoor chairs, check out this sustainable outdoor furniture guide.
Liked this guide to sustainable chairs? Check out these other furniture guides:
The Best Non-Toxic Sofas for Truly Restful Relaxation
Gorgeous Sustainable Tables to Gather Around
Ethical Home Decor Brands for Your Conscious Space
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As a longtime book lover, I may be biased, but I think a full bookshelf is one of the most beautiful additions to a space. There’s nothing better than seeing a showcase of your favorite reads alongside a TBR list.
A bookcase, though, can of course be used for all sorts of purposes from placing your favorite photos of family and friends to showcasing treasured vintage finds.
Whatever the case, this guide will help you find the right sustainable bookshelf for your living room, office, or wherever you like to cozy up with a good read!
So what make a bookcase more sustainable? What makes a bookshelf non-toxic?
First of all: sustainable and non-toxic are two overlapping — but distinct — criteria. And both of those terms can come with a lot of opinions and varying definitions.
When it comes to sustainable bookcases, I look for:
- Responsibly Sourced Materials: most bookshelves are made primarily with wood. While natural, unsustainable wood sourcing can be a cause of deforestation, so we want to see that the wood was from responsibly managed forests or made from reclaimed or repurposed wood. Some bookshelves may feature metal, in which case recycled materials here are important.
- High Quality Construction: sustainability includes longevity — how long will you be able to use that furniture piece before it goes to the landfill and gets replaced? Look for transparency around craftsmanship and woodworking processes. Another sign of quality is the length of warranty a company has for its products.
- Ethically Made: this one is straightforward in theory — were the people making it paid fairly and working in safe conditions? — but is unfortunately not always easy to find information. In this category, I look for transparency in practices, what relationship the brand has with the manufacturer (some produce in-house which is the best case scenario for transparency!), where it was made, and how well the makers were paid.
Ideally a sustainable bookshelf would also be non-toxic — as toxic chemical fumes aren’t exactly sustainable! But this isn’t always the case. For example, if a company prioritizes upcycled materials, they don’t necessarily have control over what inputs were part of the original materials. And sometimes a company focuses more on ethical artisan partnerships and sustainable wood sourcing, more than, say, using non-toxic finishes.
But when it comes to non-toxic bookshelves, this is what I look for. (Note that non-toxic doesn’t necessarily mean safe for all chemical sensitivities. Nor does it mean zero potentially irritating chemicals.)
- Solid Wood (where possible): MDF or pressed wood contains glue to stick the various wood pieces together, which can contain added formaldehyde. I prefer solid wood, or if it is engineered wood, I’d make sure the company is transparent around the type of glue used and/or they at least have a product certification like GREENGUARD. (More on that in a second.)
- Low or Zero VOC Finishes: most wood furniture is completed with some sort of finish to provide a protection against scratches or moisture. Many of these finishes are synthetic, and some can contain high levels of toxic chemicals. Look for a natural finish like linseed oil or beeswax or a low VOC synthetic finish.
Relevant Certifications
You’ll see a few certifications referenced throughout this guide. Here’s what each one covers:
- FSC Certified = the wood sourcing was responsibly managed; this is not a finish, foam, or textile guarantee.
- GREENGUARD / GREENGUARD Gold Certified = the finished product was tested for low chemical emissions, including VOCs, with Gold representing the stricter tier.
- Fair Trade Certified
= verifies that a factory meets standards for fair wages, safe working conditions, and ethical labor practices. - Cradle to Cradle Certified (Gold) = evaluates a product or material across material health, circularity, clean air/climate, water/soil stewardship, and social fairness.
Where to Find Sustainable Bookcases and Shelving
I’m always a secondhand first proponent, and that goes for furniture, too. While your local thrift store might not have used bookshelves, check for dedicated furniture resale shops near you or estate sales. (I use EstateSales.net to find ones near me.) You can also find gently used pieces on online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp or AptDeco.
If you can’t find something you love secondhand, and you don’t want to DIY your own bookshelf, then the next best choice is to shop from one of the sustainable furniture companies below. (If you’re simply looking for a bookstand, I’d suggest browsing Etsy for a collection of solid wood, bamboo, and reclaimed wood book stands and cookbook stands!)
Note that this guide includes affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links which helps us continue to run this website and create resources like these. As always all brands meet strict sustainability criteria and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Medley
Best for: low VOC wood bookcases
Medley’s bookshelves are elegant and elevated, perfect for a living room. Each piece is made with 100% solid FSC-certified hardwood for the tops and sides, though low-VOC CARB 2 compliant plywood is used for the shelves.
Every eco-friendly bookcase is handcrafted in the US (California or North Carolina) and completed with a low-VOC wood finish.
Price: $2,395 – $2,995
Materials: White Maple, American Walnut Wood
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, US-Made, FSC-Certified Wood, Natural Finish
2. Thuma
Best for: non-toxic modular bookshelf
Thuma’s eco-friendly bookshelf is made from upcycled wood sourced from rubberwood trees no longer being used to source rubber. The brand’s bookshelf is also GREENGUARD Gold certified.
What makes Thuma’s bookshelf stand out to me, though, is its modularity — their Pillar Bookshelf can be set in 10 different configurations. And if you start with just a few shelves but later decide you want a larger bookshelf, you can simply buy an additional shelf or two to add on to it!
Price Range: $550 – $3,300
Materials: Upcylced Rubber Wood
Conscious Qualities: GREENGUARD Gold Certified, Repurposed Materials, Adaptable
3. West Elm GREENGUARD Certified
Best for: low-tox bookcases and bookracks for kids
This furniture retailer has plenty of adorable, but functional, bookshelves for a playroom or kids’ bedroom. From cubby bookcases to mid-century bookracks, you’ll find plenty of options that are not only GREENGUARD certified, but made in Fair Trade Certifiedfactories, and/or with FSC-certified wood. Note that the company’s bookshelves are made with engineered wood, though.
West Elm also has GREENGUARD certified bookcases large enough for the adults too!
Price: $399 – $2,897
Materials: Solid Wood, Reclaimed Wood
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade, FSC Certified, and GREENGUARD Certified Options
4. Urban Natural
Best for: a variety of eco-friendly bookshelves
This natural home retailer has sustainable bookcases in all shapes and sizes. From traditional bookcases to open-back asymmetrical shelving units, Urban Natural has options for any interior aesthetic. Each brand they carry values quality craftsmanship, responsible production, and sustainable sourcing.
Price: $1,099 – $5549
Materials: Solid Teak, Maple, Cherry, Walnut, Birch (varies by brand)
Conscious Qualities: FSC-Certified Options, USA-Made Options, Low VOC Finish Options (varies by brand)
5. MasayaCo
Best for: sustainably-sourced wood bookshelves
MasayaCo has a stunning collection of sustainable shelves and bookcases handcrafted by artisans in Nicaragua. Not only is each piece of furniture made from responsibly harvested wood, but MasayaCo plants 100 trees for each order — and has planted 1.3 million trees to date. Plus they keep 40% of the reforestation projects completely untouched, to ensure the ecosystems have the chance to truly thrive.
The company shares that with the right care, their teak wood pieces can last up to 75 years. Note, though, that the finishes used aren’t disclosed, so if that’s one of your priorities, this might not be the top pick for you.
Price: $675-$1,295
Materials: Teak
Conscious Qualities: Artisan Made-to-Order, Reforestation Projects, FSC-Certified
6. Healthier Homes
Best for: affordable non-toxic bookshelves
With shelving options starting at under $250, Healthier Homes is a more affordable option for finding sustainable, non-toxic bookcases and shelving.
Most of their wood furniture is made from Parawood, rescued from rubber tree farms after the trees stop producing latex. And their wooden bookcases come unfinished, so you can have full control over the color and any chemicals used. (The company also sells zero VOC furniture paint.)
Price: $238 – $2,160
Materials: Repurposed Wood, Metal, Zero VOC Finishes
Conscious Qualities: Repurposed Materials
7. What We Make
Best for: reclaimed wood bookshelves
Illinois-based furniture company What We Make crafts non-toxic bookcases with a VOC-free finish.
The shop offers both modern Scandinavian styles (pictured here) using solid oak and industrial style sustainable bookshelves made with a stainless steel frame and the reclaimed wood salvaged from 100+ year old Midwestern barns.
Price: $2,025 – $5,055
Materials: Oak, Reclaimed Wood
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, Repurposed Material Option, Zero-VOC Finish
8. Greenington
Best for: bamboo bookshelves
Greenington is a furniture company with pieces crafted from sustainably hand-harvested Moso bamboo. Greenington sources mature bamboo — reached in just 5 years — for maximum strength and durability. And because bamboo is technically a grass, not a tree, it regenerates after being cut without any replanting.
The company uses every part of the bamboo culm, for zero waste production, winning the Sustainable Furnishings Council Green Ribbon Award in 2020.
Price: $809 – $2,139
Materials: Moso Bamboo
Conscious Qualities: Zero-Waste Production, Sustainable