My husband and I are preparing for the arrival of a new member of our family (expected at the end of this year!) and as a result we’re pulling together the best non-toxic nursery recommendations. We have both worked for years to remove toxic chemicals from consumer products, with an emphasis on children’s products, so it’s only fitting that we can put all that knowledge to good use!
Photo credit: Chelsea Prestin Photo
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a small income if you make a purchase, and in turns helps fund the work that goes into this educational website. Thank you in advance and remember that all recommendations are fully vetted by me personally.
Less is More
A friendly note that you don’t need half the baby items suggested by common registries. The less products your child is exposed to, the less chance of coming into contact with unnecessary toxic chemicals.
Cribs
Look for cribs that are made of wood (but not pressed wood, which can off-gas toxic glues and formaldehyde). Whole wood or steel cribs are superior materials when it comes to off-gassing, an important consideration for your newborn baby. Most company websites have product specifications including the types of materials they do not use. If you are getting a crib as a hand me down, invest in a lead testing kit from your local hardware store. This simple test can help you determine if you need to be concerned about the paint or finish on the crib.
We purchased a Dream on Me 3-in-1 Mini-Crib.
Mattresses
What your child’s mattress is made of is an important investment consideration, this is where you should spend some money. Naturepedic is one of the best mattress brands on the market, their materials are non-toxic and top notch, while hand crafted in the United States. Since we opted for a mini-crib, we purchased a mattress from Babyletto.
The main materials you want to avoid include:
- polyurethane foam
- all chemical flame retardants (naturally flame resistant materials like wool are great)
- vinyl (instead look for polypropelene/ethelene)
- phthalates
Low VOC Paint
When painting your nursery (if you have one!) opt for low VOC paint, some of my favorite brands include: Lullaby Baby and Behr (available at Home Depot and most major stores).
Real Wood Furniture
Pressed wood uses a lot of adhesives and glues that end up being large sources of off-gassing (aka air pollution) for the baby room. We went for an affordable IKEA dresser that doubles as a changing station.
Changing Pad
Although more expensive, Naturepedic ($99) makes the only changing pad I feel comfortable recommending. The other “non-toxic” pads still contain polyurethane foam and/or vinyl. Put this one on your registry or you can ask for hand-me-downs from friends!
Glider/Rocking Chair
If you’re opting for a glider, make sure it’s flame retardant free. You should be able to turn the chair over and look for a label that clearly indicates (with a black X) that the chair was NOT treated with flame retardant chemicals. If you’re keeping it simple, a wooden rocking chair eliminates the risk of flame retardants all together. If it’s vintage, buy one of those cheap lead testing kits I mentioned earlier to double check the paint is lead-free.
Tight on room? Check out the RockerMama!
Nursing Pillow
Opt for a nursing pillow that is free of polyurethane foam and flame retardant chemicals. I recommend:
- Boppy ($30)
- Holy Lamb Organic Nursing Pillow ($130)
Baby Skin Care
Most babies do not need a lot of products, but it’s worth it to invest in these non-toxic baby products:
- Diaper Bag & Changing Mat (non-vinyl!)
- Baby Gentle All Over Wash
- Baby Protective Balm
- Calming Diaper Rash Cream
- Baby Soothing/Massage Oil
Diapers and Baby Wipes
Try cloth diapering! We are going to give it a go, and have asked friends and family to help fund the cost of a monthly cloth diapering cleaning service. This way we can have someone else do all the laundry and drop off/pick up cloth diapers from our home.
If cloth diapering is not for you, opt for non-toxic diaper brands like:
For diaper wipes you can check out this great post from Mamavation, and my personal recommendations include:
Hand-me-down clothes
Babies grow so quickly that most baby clothes are worn a few times and then donated or tossed in the trash. This is a huge source of waste! We asked friends to hand over their unwanted baby clothes and we have an entire wardrobe for our baby for the first six months. We saved a ton of money and prevented unwanted waste from the landfill.
So pulling together a non-toxic nursery doesn’t have to be that intimidating after all! Feel free to leave questions below and share this information with your loved ones!
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Congratulations! It is such a journey, trying to create the safest space for them! I’m always shocked to see some pajamas still have flame retardants in them, and, even as my daughter turned two, reminding family members that we want less plastic toys, etc. 😳🤗
congratulations. This is so exciting! Funny you say less is more. we had our first baby in Maputo, Mozambique and we hardly had any gadgets or clothes. There was nothing to buy. I carried him in a cloth that i wrapped about my body, our stroller was passed on (it was a nice one though) and we had a ton of hand me downs for clothes. I only breast feed…so we really hardly needed anything. save the money on all the baby hype items for college!
Love this post – thanks for sharing. Which Ikea did you purchase that doubled as a changing table – we’re in the market now for one?
Hemnes in white!
Is there any safety information on polyester and microacrylic? We also have the babyletto purecore mini crib mattress and I was looking into how “non-toxic” it really is since it’s not natural elements. Thanks!
It’s safe! Some synthetic materials are also safe :0)
Do you recommend any other diaper bags since the Beautycounter bag is sold out? I am having a really hard time finding one that sounds safe enough.
what are your thoughts about the newton mattress versus the Naturepedic?
I haven’t reviewed the Newton!