Non-toxic baby gear: part 2
my picks & recommendations
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Recap from Part 1
As I mentioned in Part 1 of this post, I’m a research nerd, and just about every product I’ve chosen for my little ones has some amount of thought or investigation behind it. I just can’t help myself…I’m passionate about informed decisions in this category!
This post on non-toxic baby gear covers products that can have a lot of hidden chemicals — the 10 things I recommend being extra choosy about. Part 1 includes: mattresses, feeding (bottles and milk storage), nursing pillows, car seats, and white noise machines. Part 2 covers: travel cribs, bouncers / baby chairs, baby carriers, bath accessories, and toys.
Please note: this is not an exhaustive list! There’re dozens of other great products on the market that would fit my criteria. Here, I’m only sharing what non-toxic products I decided on and why. These are items I have personal experience with that I would buy again. In some instances, I’ve also included links to good looking alternatives. I’ll do a separate post for products related to toddlers and preschoolers in the future as well.
Non-toxic baby gear: my '5 rules of thumb' & why
Part 1 includes “My 5 Rules of Thumb,” which have guided my decisions. They are:
- Avoid plastics
- Avoid flame retardants
- Avoid EMFs & minimize electronics
- Find trusted brands
- Avoid items that have a short lifespan
Please check out the first section of Part 1 for more details. I think it’ll be helpful to understand why I prioritize these things and what I think you should look out for.
My picks for non-toxic baby products - part 2
Travel cribs / pack 'n plays
- We love our BabyBjorn Travel Crib.
It sets up and collapses easily and is very lightweight (13 lbs). This is our favorite travel crib for air travel. With all the extra gear needed with children and the distance we have to cover between the car and the check-in counter or baggage claim, the weight and design make a huge difference. The frame also feels very protected in the travel case. This is an item we’ve used (very hard) for years and it’s still in amazing shape. The BabyBjorn customer service is also excellent if you ever run into issues. - The Nuna Sena Aire Travel Crib is also a very high quality option made to Nuna’s exceptional material standards.
Setup and collapse are even easier than the BabyBjorn crib. It also has a very useful raised feature for infants. We also used it as a bassinet for our newborns in our bedroom. These are pricey, but getting dual utility and being able to skip buying a separate bassinet was great. The downside of the Nuna travel crib is that it’s much heavier (at 31 lbs) than the BabyBjorn. We didn’t mind this for road trips, but for air travel when we had to get all of our baggage from point A to point B in one go, it was less convenient than the BabyBjorn.
Flame-retardant free baby seats & bouncers
We also have two baby seats as a result of the nanny share setup. They’re also made by BabyBjorn and Nuna.
- The BabyBjorn Bouncer
is available in a mesh, cotton, and jersey cotton. Of course these are all in line with Oeko-Tex Standard 100, Class I for baby products (no flame retardant, etc.). The cover removes and can be washed (we’ve had to do this plenty of times). The chair is suitable starting at 8lbs, and with an adjustable incline, a child up to 29 lbs can use it. While we mostly used ours in the pre-crawling phase (until 9 and 11 months in our case), I’ve relied on it occasionally when I need to keep my a little crawler safe in one spot while I’m getting ready, cooking, etc.. Another feature I love about this seat is that it’s light (5 lbs) and folds up for easy storage. You can also purchase the activity bar, which is good hand-eye practice for a developing baby. - We also have the Nuna Leaf,
but I would get the new version, the Nuna Leaf Grow next time. This one can be adjusted like the BabyBjorn chair into more of a seat for older children (which means a longer lifespan). It’s made of Certified Oeko-tex® fabric and the insert is GOTS™ certified organic cotton. This item is more similar to a baby “swing” in my mind. It’s not motorized (so it’s completely silent), but swings from side to side for several minutes. Our babies spent a lot of time in the Nuna Leaf during infancy. The gentle swing was so soothing and it’s very reclined, appropriate for even a newborn. The downside is that the Leaf is over 11 lbs and is more bulky, so it’s not as easy to move or store.
Plastic-free bath accessories
After originally having a standard bathmat made out of PVC and run-of-the-mill bath toys, I realized this was exposing my little ones to plastic that was probably being absorbed into their bodies. I’d been hyper-aware of baby materials, but this one didn’t occur to me until more recently. Warm water increases the amount of plastic that leaches into the water, and it also opens the skin pores. Not a good combination.
- I was so happy to find this 100% natural rubber option, the HEVEA Bath Mat. It’s great quality, has 200 suction points (yet is easy to pull off to move or dry out), and it’s fee from triclosan, chemicals, PVC, BPA and phtalates. Really happy with the quality – great upgrade and a reasonable price point ($25). I remove it after each use and let it air dry over the side of the tub. You can clean with a vinegar spray or a gentle non-toxic cleaner as needed.
- HEAVA makes these cute natural rubber bath toys.
- We also have a
couple of these PlanToys boats, made of chemical free, kiln-dried recycled rubber wood and designed with water based non-toxic colors.
After replacing all of the old bath toys with a couple of natural items I realized our little ones were happy with just a few things and didn’t miss the basked of plastic, PVC junk we had before!
Non-toxic, plastic-free baby toys
Another place where you can find a ton of plastic and unwanted chemicals is in the toy department. Given that babies are constantly putting things in their mouths and using whatever they can get their hands on for teething, I’m a fan of keeping these really simple — especially for small babies. I’m a little less stringent when it comes to toys and activities for older toddlers and preschools. But in my book, less is always more. Below are a few natural baby toys and teethers our little ones have enjoyed. I’ve also given my babies wooden cooking spoons, measuring cups, and silicone kitchen gear for hours of entertainment!
Wooden Car
Made of 100% organic beech wood with wheels that actually roll.
Organic wooden rattle
Handmade and sealed with organic virgin coconut oil.
Skwish Rattle & Activity Toy
Made of natural wood and great for gross motor development.
Lanco Sensory Ball
Textured ball made of 100% natural rubber with food grade dyes.
Organic Farm Buddies
Made of 100% certified organic cotton and natural corn fiber filling.
Organic Farm Buddies Rattle
Made of 100% certified organic cotton and natural corn fiber filling.
Sophie Le Giraffe
100% natural rubber and food grade paint. We have the whole collection!
Silicone Teething Necklace
Sometimes you have to wear a toy for your baby! Lots of colors and styles.
Chewbeads Bangles
100% medical grade silicone - a life saver when out and about.
Flame-retardant free carriers
I have two carriers that I really like– a more structured carrier I use out and about, and a sling-style carrier that I used with smaller babies, around the house, and on airplanes. If you can only get one, I say go with a structured carrier as they are more practical as your baby grows.
- My structured carrier is the Beco Gemini Carrier (there’s now an organic cotton version). I’ve worn our kids all over the word in this carrier, walked up and down the hills of San Francisco with my oldest every day, and we’ve traveled internationally without a stroller (with one child, all the way up to age 2), carrying her in the front and back positions. This hits all the ergonomic criteria I had and I like the simple design (no big logo on front), different position options, and the ability to wear the straps in a cris-cross or backpack style. I also like that it’s appropriate for infants and toddlers (no insert required).
The downside is that it’s got Polyurethane (body & shoulder) and polyethylene (waist) foam for the padding. This is really hard to avoid in baby carriers, and it’s important to me that the Beco is NOT treated with flame retardants.
- My sling-style carrier is the Baby K’tan (which also comes in organic cotton as well). There are two fabric loops and a sash that you can tie around the whole thing for extra security. I know these can intimidate people, but after reading the manual and watching a YouTube video, I figured it out and was able to get it on and off very quickly.
I find this to be more comfortable to wear on an airplane than something with buckles and it doubles as a nursing cover in that situation. It’s also nice for cuddling your baby at home when you need to use your hands (i.e. while eating, reading to an older child, etc.). Since it’s not structured, I didn’t use it for long walks after my babies weighed more than 12-14 lbs. They also come in set sizes (XS-XL), so it doesn’t adjust much to accommodate a growing baby. Our second was much larger than our first, so this had a shorter lifespan with him because it just felt too tight after a while. Because of this, I recommend washing this in cold water and hanging it to dry to avoid shrinking.
Coming soon: non-toxic product picks for toddlers & preschoolers
I’ll be working on a version of this with ideas for toddlers and preschoolers soon.
Have other non-toxic baby products you’ve loved for babies or toddlers? Feel free to share in the comments!
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