What Is Cabinet Test?
The cabinet test is a set applied to storage furniture: shelf and base load tests, door and drawer opening-closing cycles, horizontal and vertical force application, drop impact and tip-over stability. For products with drawers, the tip-over risk created by pulling the drawers out is additionally assessed.
Purpose of Cabinet Test
The purpose is to verify the cabinet carries the declared loads, its mechanisms complete their service life, and it does not tip particularly with the drawers open. Tipped-over storage units are a serious source of injury to children.
Which Products Is Cabinet Test Applied To?
- Bookcases and display cabinets
- Chests of drawers and units with drawers
- Kitchen cabinets
- Wardrobes and clothing cabinets
- Archive and office storage units
In Which Sectors Is Cabinet Test Used?
Standards Related to Cabinet Test
- TS EN 16121 (non-domestic storage furniture — test methods for safety, strength, durability and stability)
- TS EN 16122 (domestic and non-domestic storage furniture — test methods)
- TS EN 14749 (domestic and kitchen storage furniture and worktops — requirements)
- TS EN 1022 (determination of stability)
Cabinet Test Conditions
- Loading
- Declared capacity for the shelf and base, or the standard level
- Cycle
- Door and drawer opening-closing cycles; per the use class
- Stability
- Including with doors and drawers open
- Anchoring
- If anchoring hardware is supplied, both anchored and free-standing conditions are assessed
Equipment for Cabinet Test
- Loading weights and distribution plates
- Door and drawer cycling simulators
- Drop impact rig
- Stability test platform
Sample Requirements for Cabinet Test
- Fully assembled product and all accessories
- Anchoring hardware and assembly instructions must be supplied together
- The declared shelf load capacity must be provided
- The test is destructive
Duration of Cabinet Test
Load and stability tests are short. Door and drawer cycling tests determine the duration and can extend from days to weeks depending on the use class.
Cabinet Test Procedure
- 1The product is assembled per the instructions and conditioned.
- 2Shelf and base load tests are applied and deflection is measured.
- 3Stability tests are performed with doors and drawers both closed and open.
- 4Door and drawer opening-closing cycles are carried out.
- 5Horizontal and vertical forces and drop impact are applied.
- 6Mechanism function and structural integrity are checked.
Cabinet Test Acceptance Criteria
The product standard requires no breakage, joint separation, tipping or mechanism failure throughout the test set; a limit may be defined for shelf deflection. The method standard defines how the force is applied, not how much. Force levels and cycle counts come from the product standard (such as EN 12520, EN 12521, EN 14749, EN 527) or from the contract; different levels are defined for domestic, office and contract use.
Evaluation of Results
The stability test with drawers open is separate and decisive: a unit that is stable when closed can tip when the drawers are out, because the centre of gravity shifts forward. If anchoring hardware is supplied, how it is communicated in the instructions and on the product is also assessed.
Cabinet Test Report
- Product identification, use class and declared shelf capacity
- Method and product standards applied
- Load, cycle and stability results
- Anchoring hardware and instructions assessment
- Observations and photographs
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- (EU) 2023/988 General Product Safety Regulation
Mobilya Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Cabinet Test test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Furniture testing shows that a product stays safe and functional throughout its expected service life. Tests are run with loading cycles representing real use: sitting, leaning back, opening and closing drawers, loading doors, loading shelves and tipping.
The logic of the field rests on the NUMBER OF CYCLES. Sitting on a chair once shows nothing; repeating it tens of thousands of times reveals structural weaknesses. Furniture tests therefore combine static loading with fatigue cycles and define different levels according to intensity of use: domestic use, commercial use and heavy commercial use mean different cycle counts for the same product.
TIP-OVER SAFETY carries particular weight in this family. Because storage furniture tipping onto a child has caused serious injuries and deaths, product standards define separate tests for it: loading with drawers open, hanging from a door and climbing scenarios are simulated. In the United States this subject has become a legislative heading of its own and has produced a mandatory specification.
The second axis is chemical and concerns indoor air quality. Formaldehyde release from wood-based panels and volatile organic compound emissions from coatings and textile components are measured. For formaldehyde, a restriction regulation applies on the EU side and CARB Phase 2 and TSCA Title VI limits in North America; these limits differ and export requires assessment against the destination market.
The third axis is flammability. In upholstered furniture the filling material and the upholstery fabric are assessed together; real ignition sources such as a cigarette and a match flame are simulated. The United Kingdom has historically applied the strictest national regime on this subject.
Surface durability is the fourth axis: abrasion, scratching, stain resistance, heat and moisture resistance, light fastness. These tests show how well the product will keep its appearance and shape commercial expectations particularly for kitchen and office furniture.
There is NO sector-specific CE regime for consumer furniture; safety is demonstrated under the general product safety framework using EN durability standards. For furniture permanently fixed into a structure, construction products legislation may come into play. This distinction matters in project work: a kitchen cabinet and a built-in system fabricated in place can fall under different regimes.
Method groups in this field
Seating
Seat and back loading cycles, arm strength, drop test, tipping resistance, leg and joint strength.
Tables and work surfaces
Static and cyclic loading, horizontal strength, tipping, surface durability.
Storage furniture
Shelf and door loading, drawer cycles, tip-over safety and climbing scenarios.
Beds and mattresses
Durability cycles, edge strength, loss of thickness after loading.
Emissions
Formaldehyde release (chamber, perforator and gas analysis methods), VOC emission test chamber measurements.
Surface and flammability
Abrasion, scratching, staining, heat and moisture resistance; ignitability in upholstered furniture.
Commonly confused in this field
- A result obtained for domestic use does not support a claim of commercial use; the cycle counts and levels are different.
- Tip-over safety is a separate test; passing the durability cycles does not demonstrate tip-over safety.
- Formaldehyde limits differ by market; EU compliance does not mean CARB/TSCA compliance.
- Flammability in upholstered furniture is valid for the COMBINATION of fabric and filling; a change of fabric requires reassessment.
- A result obtained on one model does not cover the whole range; differences in size, material and joints may require separate assessment.
Which decisions these results support
- Determining the durability class for commercial and domestic use
- Tip-over safety and child safety conformity
- Compliance with formaldehyde and VOC emission limits
- Meeting tender and project specification requirements
- Determining destination market requirements for export
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Cabinet Test
We supply anchoring hardware — is a tip-over test still needed?
Yes. The standards also address the unanchored condition, since it is foreseeable that the user will not fit the anchor. Supplying the hardware and having clear instructions are assessed separately and do not replace the test.
Are the same tests applied to a kitchen cabinet?
The methods are shared, but requirements are additionally defined in EN 14749 for kitchen and domestic storage furniture. For wall-mounted units, the strength of the hanging system is also assessed.