Bright living room with a linen sofa, wood-burning stove, and houseplants

Our Standards

Finding products that are safe for you and your home shouldn't require hours of research, confusing certifications, or taking a brand's marketing claims at face value.

We believe that better choices start with better information. 

We research products, materials, certifications, and manufacturer claims to help you understand what a product is made of, what is known about it, and how much confidence you can place in its claims.

Our goal isn't to tell you what you should buy.

It's to give you the information you need to decide confidently.

We evaluate products across several areas, depending on the product category.

What We Look For

Materials

We look for clear information about the materials, coatings, components, and other substances used in a product.

PFAS & Chemicals of Concern

For products where chemical exposure is particularly relevant, we investigate claims relating to PFAS and other chemicals of concern.

Certifications & Testing

Third-party certifications and testing can provide additional evidence about a product's materials and manufacturing practices.

Transparency

Transparency matters because consumers can't make informed decisions when important information is hidden.

Product Performance

A product can have excellent material credentials and still be a poor choice if it doesn't perform well or doesn't meet your needs.

Sustainability

We are careful with broad terms such as eco-friendly, green, and sustainable. These claims can mean very different things depending on the product and the evidence behind them.

  • 1. Research

    We gather information from manufacturers, certification organizations, scientific literature, government resources, and other credible sources.

  • 2. Verify

    We examine product claims, certifications, testing, and available documentation. We also note how strong the evidence is: a brand’s own claim, published documents, independent lab results, or certification.

  • 3. Compare

    We evaluate products using the criteria most relevant to their category.

  • 4. Explain

    We translate technical information into clear, practical guidance.

  • 5. Disclose

    When information is incomplete, uncertain, or based primarily on a manufacturer's own claims, we'll tell you.

Open wooden shelves holding kitchen utensils, bowls, and a kettle

Verdolea Verified ≠ Risk-Free

What “Verdolea Verified” Means

As our product database grows, we may identify products that meet defined Verdolea criteria and label them Verdolea Verified.

This designation will not mean that a product is universally “safe,” “non-toxic,” or risk-free.

Instead, it will indicate that the product has been evaluated against the specific Verdolea criteria applicable to its category, based on the information and evidence available to us.

It means the product meets the standards described on this page, based on the evidence we were able to verify.

Our standards are a work in progress.
As we build Verdolea's product database, we'll continue refining our evaluation framework and making our methodology more specific and transparent.