SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026

• Abstract:

  This document specifies the minimum requirements for the safety, strength and durability of all types of domestic seating for adults. It also specifies additional test methods for seat side-to-side durability as well as finger entrapment and shear and compression.; It does not apply to ranked seating, seating for non-domestic use, office work chairs, chairs for educational institutions, outdoor seating and to links for linked seating for which European Standards exist.; It does not include requirements for the durability of upholstery materials, castors, reclining and tilting mechanisms and seat height adjustment mechanisms.; It does not include requirements for electrical safety.; It does not include requirements for the resistance to ageing, degradation, flammability and ergonomics.; The requirements are based on use by persons weighing up to 110 kg.; Annex A (normative) specifies the seat side-to-side durability test in D-G points.; Annex B (informative) gives rationales for some of the tests referred to in Table 1.; Annex C (normative) specifies the test methods for finger entrapment and shear and compression.; Annex D (normative) specifies the seat loading point for seating with suspended flexible material.

• Status: Not Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 01-Mar-2026
• ICS: 97.140 - Furniture
• Technical Committee: POH - Furniture
• Current Stage: 5020 - Formal vote (FV) (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 19-Oct-2026
• Due Date: 07-Dec-2026
• Ref Project: EN 12520:2024/FprA1 - Furniture - Safety, strength and durability - Requirements for domestic seating

• Revises: SIST EN 12520:2025 - Furniture - Safety, strength and durability - Requirements for domestic seating
• Effective Date: 01-Feb-2026

SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026 is the Slovenian draft amendment to EN 12520:2024 from CEN. It updates the safety, strength and durability requirements for domestic seating for adults, with particular changes to the wording and test provisions for finger entrapment, shear and compression points, and related test setup.

What does SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026 specify?

SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026 modifies the European standard for domestic seating rather than replacing it outright. The underlying standard sets minimum requirements for safety, strength and durability for adult domestic seating, and this amendment refines how some hazards and tests are described.

The scope of the underlying standard excludes ranked seating, non-domestic seating, office work chairs, chairs for educational institutions, outdoor seating and links for linked seating where European Standards already exist. It also leaves out upholstery durability, castors, reclining and tilting mechanisms, seat height adjustment mechanisms, electrical safety, ageing, degradation, flammability and ergonomics. The requirements are based on use by persons weighing up to 110 kg, which matters because it defines the test basis for design and assessment.

The document is organized as a short amendment with changes to Clause 1, Clause 3, Clause 5.1.2, Clause 5.1.3.2, Clause 5.1.3.3, Clause 5.1.3.4, A.2.1, Annex C, C.1.2 and C.2.

Annex	What it covers
Annex A	Seat side-to-side durability test in D-G points
Annex B	Rationales for some tests referred to in Table 1
Annex C	Finger entrapment test methods
Annex D	Seat loading point for seating with suspended flexible material

What are the key requirements of SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026?

SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026 keeps the base standard focused on safe everyday use, but it changes how some hazard checks are framed. The most important practical effect is that the amendment narrows Annex C to finger entrapment and revises the language around shear and compression points in the main body.

• Clause 1, Scope - Annex C is now described as covering finger entrapment only. For users of the standard, this means the shear and compression hazard checks are no longer treated as Annex C test methods.
• Clause 3 - The amendment adds definitions for shear point and compression point. These definitions matter because they tell designers and test labs which moving interfaces need hazard review.
• Clause 5.1.2 - The wording for holes in tubular or rigid components is updated with a numbered reference to accessible parts. In practice, this helps align the clause with the standard's defined hazard areas.
• Clause 5.1.3.2 - For products with adjustable backrests that require the user to leave the product to change inclination, that adjustment is treated as a setting up and folding operation. This matters because it brings that movement into the hazard assessment for moving parts.
• Clause 5.1.3.3 and 5.1.3.4 - The amendment removes the previous pass/fail wording tied to testing in C.2.3, and it states that the loads and application points for durability tests 6 and 7 in Table 1 are representative of normal use. In practice, the normal-use durability loads become part of the hazard context.
• Annex A and Annex D - Annex A still covers seat side-to-side durability, and Annex D still defines the loading point for seating with suspended flexible material. These annexes matter because they give repeatable test setups for lateral loading and for sling-style seats.

What terms does SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026 define?

• Domestic seating - Seating intended for domestic use, which is the product group covered by the standard.
• Accessible parts - Parts that can be reached during use and therefore need hazard assessment for openings and moving elements.
• Finger entrapment - A situation where a finger can enter an opening or gap and be exposed to injury risk.
• Shear point - Any location where two moving parts pass each other and can create a scissor-like cutting action.
• Compression point - Any location where two surfaces move toward each other and reduce the gap between them.
• Seat side-to-side durability - A test concept for checking how well the seat resists repeated lateral loading.
• Suspended flexible material - Seat construction that uses flexible material to support the user and needs a defined loading point for testing.

Who uses SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026?

SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026 is used by furniture manufacturers, product designers, test laboratories, quality managers and buyers who specify domestic seating. It is relevant for chairs, seats and similar products intended for home use, especially when a team needs a common basis for design review, type testing, supplier acceptance or conformity assessment.

What changed in SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026 from the previous edition?

This draft amendment modifies EN 12520:2024. The changes stated in the document are:

• Annex C is limited to finger entrapment.
• Definitions for shear point and compression point are added.
• Clause 5.1.2 gets a numbered reference to accessible parts.
• Clause 5.1.3.2 adds a note for adjustable backrests that require the user to leave the product.
• Clause 5.1.3.3 and 5.1.3.4 remove the former no-hazard wording tied to C.2.3.
• A.2.1 loses the opening paragraph that referred to EN 1728:2012 and Table A.1 setup wording.
• Annex C and C.1.2 are revised, Figure C.4 is deleted, Table C.1 wording is updated, and C.2 is removed entirely.

Which standards are used with SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026?

• EN 12520:2024 - This is the parent European Standard that the amendment modifies.
• EN 1728:2012 - The amendment text names this standard in the deleted A.2.1 wording for positioning seating on the test surface.

What does the SIST EN 12520:2025/kFprA1:2026 document contain?

The document is a marked amendment with a European foreword and ten numbered modification items. It revises the scope, terms and definitions, hazard wording, the Annex A setup text, and the Annex C finger-entrapment method.

It also changes the process flow in Table C.1, updates the probe-based checks in C.1.2, and removes the whole of C.2, including its subclauses and tables. That structure matters because it tells readers exactly which test descriptions, figures and decision steps need to be updated in procedures and compliance files.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST EN 12520:2025/oprA1:2026
01-februar-2026
Pohištvo - Varnost, trdnost in trajnost - Zahteve za sedežno pohištvo za domačo
uporabo - Dopolnilo A1
Furniture - Safety, strength and durability - Requirements for domestic seating
Möbel - Sicherheit, Festigkeit und Dauerhaltbarkeit - Anforderungen an Sitzmöbel für
den Wohnbereich
Meubles - Sécurité, résistance et durabilité - Exigences relatives aux sièges à usage
domestique
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 12520:2024/prA1
ICS:
97.140 Pohištvo Furniture
SIST EN 12520:2025/oprA1:2026 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

SIST EN 12520:2025/oprA1:2026
SIST EN 12520:2025/oprA1:2026
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
EN 12520:2024
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
prA1
January 2026
ICS 97.140
English Version
Furniture - Safety, strength and durability - Requirements
for domestic seating
Meubles - Sécurité, résistance et durabilité - Exigences Möbel - Sicherheit, Festigkeit und Dauerhaltbarkeit -
relatives aux sièges à usage domestique Anforderungen an Sitzmöbel für den Wohnbereich
This draft amendment is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 207.

This draft amendment A1, if approved, will modify the European Standard EN 12520:2024. If this draft becomes an amendment,
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for inclusion of
this amendment into the relevant national standard without any alteration.

This draft amendment was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 12520:2024/prA1:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

SIST EN 12520:2025/oprA1:2026
EN 12520:2024/prA1:2026 (E)
Contents
European foreword . 3
1 Modification to Clause1, Scope. 4
2 Modification to Clause 3, Terms and definitions . 4
3 Modification to 5.1.2, Holes in tubular or rigid components . 4
4 Modification to 5.1.3.2, Shear and compression points when setting up and folding. 4
5 Modification to 5.1.3.3, Shear and compression points under influence of non-
electrically powered mechanisms . 4
6 Modification to 5.1.3.4, Shear and compression points during use . 4
7 Modification to A.2.1 General . 5
8 Modification to Annex C, Test methods for finger entrapment and shear and
compression .
...