The fabrics of BECKMANN backpacks are certified to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, and production follows the European REACH Regulation. Backpacks for preschool and grades 1–3 are also tested to the EN 71-3 toy standard. BECKMANN has removed phthalates and PFCs from its backpacks, and the lunch boxes and bottles are BPA-free. What exactly this means is explained below – clearly and with sources.
A backpack isn’t a jumper that a child puts on now and then. They carry it almost every day for several years – on their back, in their hands, and the youngest sometimes even at their mouth, when they chew on a strap or a zip pull. A child’s body is still developing and is more sensitive to some substances than an adult’s.
That’s why, for backpacks for the youngest children, BECKMANN doesn’t settle for what the law requires of ordinary goods. It tests them against the stricter rules that apply to children’s toys.
Five groups of substances that parents ask about most often. For each one, you’ll find where it is commonly used in textiles and plastics, why it matters and what BECKMANN does about it.
| Substance | Where it’s commonly used | Why it matters | In BECKMANN backpacks |
|---|---|---|---|
PFAS and PFCs“forever chemicals” | Water-repellent and stain-resistant textile finishes, outdoor clothing | They hardly break down in nature and accumulate in the body. The Czech National Institute of Public Health links them to hormonal disorders and weakened immunity, among other things. | PFCs removed from production. PFAS as a whole are on the restricted substances list. |
Phthalatesplasticisers | Soft plastic parts, prints, synthetic leather | The EU restricts the four best-known phthalates as substances toxic for reproduction – since 2020 also in articles that are in prolonged contact with the skin. | Removed from backpack production. |
Bisphenol A (BPA)hard plastics | Plastic bottles, food boxes and tableware | It can mimic the hormone oestrogen. That’s why, since 2025, the EU has banned it in materials that come into contact with food. | BPA-free lunch box and bottle. The box is made of PP and the bottle of Tritan, both tested for food contact. |
Heavy metalslead, cadmium, nickel… | Pigments, prints, metal buckles and zip sliders | If a child licks or chews the material, they can be released into the body. | On the restricted substances list. Backpacks for preschool and grades 1–3 tested to EN 71-3. |
Harmful substances in fabrice.g. formaldehyde, banned azo dyes | Dyeing and finishing of textiles | The backpack fabric is in contact with the child’s clothes and skin for years. | Fabrics certified to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. |
Sources: BECKMANN Norway (Quality and materials, 2026 catalogue), Czech National Institute of Public Health (PFAS), Regulations (EU) 2018/2005 and 2024/3190. You’ll find the full list at the bottom of the page.
Some of them must be met by every product in the EU, others are voluntary and stricter. Each card shows what it applies to.
Textiles · voluntaryIndependent textile certification. Every thread, zip and accessory is tested – according to OEKO-TEX, for more than 1,000 harmful substances. The certificate is issued for one year and then has to be renewed.
All backpacks · mandatoryEuropean rules for chemical substances in products. BECKMANN builds its own restricted substances list on them and adds the strict US regulations CPSIA and California Proposition 65.
Preschool and grades 1–3 · beyond requirementsIn an acidic solution at body temperature, a laboratory determines how much of 19 elements – such as lead, cadmium, mercury or nickel – would be released if a child licked or swallowed the material. A backpack isn’t a toy, but BECKMANN tests it this way anyway.
Lunch box and bottle · mandatoryLunch boxes made of PP and bottles made of Tritan are tested under the European rules for plastics that come into contact with food – Regulations (EU) 10/2011 and 2020/1245. BPA-free.
Recycled fabric · voluntaryIt verifies that recycled material really does come from recycled sources, across the entire supply chain. It also includes requirements on chemicals in production.
Pencil cases · voluntaryThe pencils in BECKMANN pencil cases are made of FSC-certified wood, i.e. from forests that are managed responsibly.
Production is subject to a list of substances that have no place in a backpack – including phthalates, PFAS, BPA and heavy metals.
Before a new production run starts, the materials undergo physical and chemical tests.
For chemical and quality testing, BECKMANN works with Intertek, an international quality control company. The Swedish research institute RISE advises on chemicals and environmental impact.
If an analysis reveals a deviation, BECKMANN traces it with the factory and introduces corrective measures.
BECKMANN works with a limited number of manufacturers to keep oversight under control, visits the factories regularly and is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation, which monitors fair working conditions.
Since 2024, the main fabric of all BECKMANN backpacks has been made from recycled polyester from PET bottles (rPET). The recycled material is GRS-certified, which tracks both its origin and the chemicals used in production, and the finished fabric goes through the same OEKO-TEX tests as any other.
That’s good news for nature: according to Textile Exchange, rPET reduces CO₂ emissions from the production of polyester fabric by up to 70%. And on top of that, we pack the backpacks without plastic.
“Beautiful, eco-friendly packaging with a lovely note. Even unpacking is a pleasure.”
BECKMANN uses the toy standard for backpacks for the youngest children. The other rules apply to the whole collection.
| What the backpack meets | Preschool | Grades 1–3 | Grade 4 and up | Students and adults |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REACH and POPs regulations | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fabrics with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free of phthalates and PFCs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tests to the EN 71-3 toy standard | Yes | Yes | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Main fabric from recycled PET bottles (GRS) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
REACH and POPs · OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 · free of phthalates and PFCs · fabric from recycled PET bottles · plus tests to the EN 71-3 toy standard
REACH and POPs · OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 · free of phthalates and PFCs · fabric from recycled PET bottles
Applies to collections from 2024 onwards. For older models on clearance, recycled material was introduced gradually from 2022. Lunch boxes and bottles from BECKMANN are BPA-free.
If the seller doesn’t know the answer, that’s an answer too.
The EU is restricting harmful substances in children’s and everyday products ever more strictly. BECKMANN has removed phthalates and PFCs from its backpacks, even though a general EU-wide ban on PFAS is not yet in force.
In a laboratory test by the Norwegian institute NORCE, the Active AIR FLX backpack transferred 62% of the weight to the back and hips – the shoulders carried only 38%. You’ll find how it works and who recommends BECKMANN backpacks on the Why BECKMANN page.
Why BECKMANNDidn’t find your answer? Write to us or stop by our shop in Ostrava, Prague or Brno.
Yes. The fabrics are certified to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, production complies with the REACH and POPs regulations, and backpacks for preschool and grades 1–3 are also tested to the EN 71-3 toy standard. BECKMANN has removed phthalates and PFCs from its backpacks, and the lunch boxes and bottles are BPA-free.
BECKMANN has removed perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), which belong to the PFAS group, from backpack production. It has PFAS as a whole on the restricted substances list that applies to production. A general EU-wide ban on PFAS is not yet in force.
Yes, the fabrics are certified to OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. You can verify the certificate number with the Label Check tool on the OEKO-TEX website.
It’s the European standard for toy safety. It makes sure that heavy metals and other elements aren’t released from a material if a child licks or swallows it. A backpack isn’t a toy and the law doesn’t require this test. BECKMANN does it anyway for backpacks for preschool and grades 1–3, because young children put things in their mouths.
Yes. The lunch boxes are made of polypropylene (PP) and the bottles of Tritan. Both are tested under the European rules for plastics in contact with food.
The recycled polyester from PET bottles is GRS-certified, which also tracks the chemicals used in production. The finished fabric then goes through the same OEKO-TEX tests as fabric made from virgin material.
Yes – REACH, OEKO-TEX, no phthalates or PFCs and recycled material apply to the whole collection. BECKMANN carries out tests to the EN 71-3 toy standard only for backpacks for preschool and grades 1–3.
You can verify an OEKO-TEX certificate in Label Check. Under Article 33 of the REACH Regulation, you can also ask any seller whether a product contains an SVHC above 0.1% – you must receive the answer free of charge within 45 days. And feel free to ask us too.
In our shop in Ostrava, Prague or Brno, we’ll gladly show you the backpack, let your child try it on and adjust it.
+420 603 593 006
Stores in Prague, Brno, Ostrava
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