Furniture inspection guides, product by product
Every kind of furniture fails in its own way: beds at the rails, chairs at the joints, tables through the top, wardrobes and chests by tipping, leather sofas at the seams. Each guide below covers what to put in the purchase order, the quality issues to look for, and what to check during production, at pre-shipment and before packing.
Bedroom furniture
Wooden beds
Rail-to-post fit, slat and centre-rail support, mattress fit, multi-carton completeness.
Bedside tables
Drawer runners and stops, matching pairs, top cracking, wobble.
Wardrobes
Tip-over safety, large-door warp and hinge sag, hanging rail, knock-down fittings.
Chests of drawers
Tip-over safety and US rule, drawer runners and stops, carcass square.
Dressing tables
Mirror fixing, drawers and stops, stability with a tall mirror, stool match.
Trunks and blanket boxes
Lid stays and hinges, latches, ventilation, metal fittings, panel cracking.
Children’s furniture
Cots, bunk beds, kids’ beds and chairs: mandatory testing, entrapment gaps, guardrails, lead, labels.
Dining furniture
Dining tables
Top cracking and cupping, top fixings that allow movement, leg fixing, wobble.
Dining chairs
Joint strength, corner blocks, wobble, seat height, colour matching across a set.
Benches
Seat sag over the span, leg joints, storage lids and stays, cushions.
Sideboards
Door gaps and hinge sag, drawer runners, shelf support, back panel, top cracking.
Living furniture
Coffee tables
Top cracking and cupping, lift-top and drawer mechanisms, glass, edges, wobble.
Side tables and nesting tables
Wobble on slim legs, top cracking, nesting fit, finish rub, finger gaps.
TV units
Top load and sag, cable openings, flap and drawer function, stability, back panels.
Console tables
Stability on a narrow base, wall fixing, wobble, drawers, top cracking.
Bookcases and shelving
Shelf sag and pins, tipping and wall fixing, back panel and racking.
Desks and study tables
Racking and wobble, drawers and stops, top cracking, cable openings, assembly.
Seating and hallway furniture
Stools
Leg joints and stretchers, splay and stability, seat fixing, height.
Bar stools and bar chairs
Stability and tipping, footrest strength, counter vs bar height, joints.
Coat stands and hall racks
Stability when loaded on one side, hook fixing and edges, base joints.
Shoe racks and cabinets
Shelf and slat strength, tall-unit stability, ventilation, tilt-out doors, seat tops.
Craft and natural-fibre furniture
Cane and rattan furniture
Treatment against borer and mould, weave consistency, webbing fixing, moisture-safe packing.
Bone inlay furniture
Inlay lifting and cracking, resin gaps, pattern match, substrate and moisture.
Carved wood furniture
Carving consistency across workshops, broken detail, thin-section cracks, finish in recesses.
Reclaimed wood furniture
Embedded metal, active insect damage, mixed moisture, old paint, character vs defect.
Upholstered and outdoor furniture
Wooden sofas and armchairs
Frame joints, springs and webbing, foam, upholstery, fire labels.
Leather sofas and chairs
Leather grade, hide marks, colour matching, finish, seams, chemical and fire rules.
Outdoor wooden furniture
Hardware that rusts, outdoor finish, water traps, folding mechanisms, cushions.
Cabinets, mirrors and mixed-material furniture
Cabinets and cupboards
Display, bar and storage cupboards: glass doors, lighting, flaps, locks, tipping.
Mirrors and mirror frames
Hanging hardware, mirror glass and silvering, distortion, frame joints, crating.
Marble and stone-top tables
Cracks and filled fissures, sealing and stains, base strength, top fixing, crating.
Iron and wood furniture
Welds, sharp edges, powder coating and rust, metal-to-wood fixings, stability.
Checks that apply to all solid wood furniture
- Moisture within the limit for your destination, read with a pin meter. See the wood guide.
- Finish and colour against an approved golden sample.
- Joints and stability: rack, rock and load tests referencing EN 1728.
- Hardware counted against the bill of materials.
- Packaging that protects corners, legs and glass and keeps moving parts shut.
- Sampling to AQL per ISO 2859-1, with any critical defect failing the lot.
Every check is on the free furniture inspection checklist. Market rules: US tip-over, UK fire safety, formaldehyde, Lacey Act.
Furniture inspection questions
What should I check before ordering solid wood furniture from India?
Put the details an inspector can hold the factory to in the purchase order: dimensions with tolerances, joinery, hardware, a moisture limit for your destination, a golden sample for the finish, the packaging specification and your AQL. Each guide on this page lists the product-specific items.
What are the most common quality problems in solid wood furniture?
Moisture-related cracking and warping, loose joints, wobble, drawers and doors that stick, finish that drifts from the approved sample, and missing hardware. Tall storage pieces add a tipping risk.
What should be checked before furniture is packed?
That the finish has cured and matches the sample, moisture is within the limit, hardware kits are complete and labelled, moving parts are secured for transit, and corners, legs and glass are protected.
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