Crate and Barrel · Outdoor Furniture Cushions
Crate & Barrel Surya Yellow Throw Pillow
Lower concern. Standard throw pillow with no known PFAS markers.
Throw pillows typically use untreated polyester or cotton blends without water repellency or stain resistance. Crate and Barrel has not disclosed PFAS use for this item, and no lab testing has been published.
We flunk more products than we pass. This one earned its grade. How we grade
Material
Polyester, cotton, or cotton-blend fabric with standard dyes
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Safe base material
Made from a material with no inherent PFAS use (ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber).
Category baseline
furniture is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
This pillow is a polyester-cotton blend with synthetic dyes applied to achieve the yellow color. Polyester is a stable, inert plastic fiber that does not break down or leach chemicals during normal use. Cotton contributes breathability and reduces reliance on pure synthetics. The dye system used in standard home furnishing textiles is typically disperse or reactive dyes, which are bound to fibers and do not migrate into air or skin under normal conditions.
The brand's record and disclosure
Crate and Barrel does not publicly disclose detailed chemical inventories, flame retardant formulations, or dye sourcing for individual products. The brand is not known for major safety recalls or public controversies involving throw pillows or soft furnishings. They comply with US flammability standards (16 CFR 1633 for furniture) but do not advertise third-party certifications such as OEKO-TEX or GOTS for standard home goods.
How it compares in its category
Throw pillows are low-risk soft furnishings compared to upholstered seating or mattresses because of minimal skin contact and no pressure-loading that would stress seams or coatings. This product sits in the mainstream retail market; it uses conventional materials and processes similar to competitors from West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Target. No independent testing or known incidents differentiate it as higher or lower hazard than typical mass-market decorative pillows.
If you buy it
Wash before first use to reduce loose dye and any finishing chemicals. Use cool water and mild detergent; avoid high heat in the dryer, as excessive heat can degrade polyester fibers slightly and increase VOC release (though minimal at typical household temperatures). Replace if outer seams fray significantly or if filling compacts unevenly, as these suggest loss of structural integrity. Store in a dry location to prevent mildew growth on the cotton component.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
Azo dyes and color migration
Yellow dyes in polyester-cotton blends may use azo chemistry, which is regulated but not banned in home textiles. Risk of dye bleeding is low with modern fixatives, but washing before use and avoiding prolonged contact with light skin (especially for infants) reduces any theoretical concern.
Flame retardants in filling or backing
US flammability law (16 CFR 1633) requires some form of flame resistance in pillow covers and filling; Crate and Barrel likely uses standard brominated or phosphorus-based retardants. Exposure during normal use (sitting against the pillow) is minimal and not established as a health risk in peer-reviewed literature, but no product-specific disclosure confirms the compound type.
Formaldehyde in synthetic finishes
Polyester does not inherently contain formaldehyde. Cotton-polyester blends sometimes receive formaldehyde-releasing resins for wrinkle resistance, but Crate and Barrel throw pillows are not marketed as wrinkle-resistant, suggesting minimal or no resin treatment beyond standard finishing.
Microplastics from polyester shedding
Polyester textiles shed small fibers during washing and normal wear. Shedding from a decorative pillow is negligible compared to clothing, and these fibers are not ingested or inhaled in meaningful quantities during normal use as a throw pillow.
Antimony in polyester
Antimony is used as a catalyst in some polyester production but is chemically bound during polymerization and does not leach into air or skin contact under normal room-temperature conditions. No evidence suggests it accumulates in residential polyester furnishings.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 78% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
More outdoor furniture cushions grades
How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.