The ultimate guide to non-toxic baby stuff, and how to make it affordable

I’m taking a break this week from talking about mindset and self-kindness to talk about something else I’m really passionate about: BABY STUFF!! Here I am with baby #3 so you’d think I’d have everything I need, right? I wish. All of our baby stuff is in storage back in Boston, and it would actually cost more to ship it all to Hawaii than to start fresh. (Insert facepalm). So here I am, essentially starting from scratch.

When I was pregnant with Cimorene I went nuts trying to figure out the safest, most non-toxic options of everything. Let me just set the stage by saying I have done an embarrassing amount of research. What I’ve learned is that there are about as many perspectives on the safety of different chemicals in baby stuff as there are bassinets to choose from. That is to say: a lot. But: there are an increasing number of reputable third-party organizations out there doing testing that are making compelling arguments for eliminating toxins in anything baby comes into contact with, and when it comes to baby I’m firmly in the camp of ‘let’s err on the safe side’.

Problem: it can get expensive (and cause a LOT of anxiety). With Cimorene I wanted to eliminate as many chemicals as possible, but I didn’t have a limitless budget. So both then, and again now with baby #3, I have to ask myself: what’s most important? Science says to think about two things: the level of exposure and the degree of harm. With those criteria in mind, here are the three questions I asked myself in order to prioritize where I spent the extra money.

  1. What will baby come into contact with the most often?

    When I thought about where Cimorene was going to spend most of her time, it was in her crib and car seat. Even if it doesn’t feel like it as a new mom, babies sleep a LOT. And we travel quite a bit (or at least we did pre-COVID, and hope to again) which meant lots of hours in both the car seat and pack-n-play.

  2. What comes in closest contact with baby’s skin?

    Baby skin is much thinner than an adult’s, and many chemicals are small enough to penetrate the skin and get into the bloodstream. So, anything that touches Cimorene’s skin regularly was on my list of things to think about. Pajamas, diapers, wipes, baby shampoo, lotion, and sunscreen (6+ months old) were all things I thought about. Daytime clothing too.

  3. How harmful is the chemical?

    I cared most about carcinogens (cancer causing) and endocrine disruptors (which have effects on child health and development), especially anything that builds up in the body over time. I cared less about potential allergens or skin irritants. The more conclusive the research, the more seriously I work to eliminate the chemical from Cimorene’s surroundings.

In order of priority, this is where I decided I would spend my non-toxic dollars:

  1. Organic, flame-retardant free pajamas

  2. Non-toxic crib mattress

  3. Flame-retardant free car seat

  4. Organic everyday clothes

  5. Natural, non-toxic baby skin care

By thinking about it this way, I knew that if I couldn’t make my dollars spread all the way down the list, at least I knew I was spending where those dollars would maximize impact. Below you’ll find more detail on each of these, as well as what we ended up purchasing. None of this are affiliate links and I get nothing if you click on them except a feeling of happiness that maybe I helped another mama save time by doing all this research. 

 

Priority #1: Organic, flame-retardant-free pajamas.

Lots of the big-name baby clothing companies treat their pajamas with flame-retardants because of an antiquated safety law that’s still on the books. But many of these chemicals are known carcinogens. Even if the pajamas aren’t treated with flame retardants, baby clothes are often treated with other questionable chemicals to prevent wrinkling, staining, fading, and more. I look for pajamas that are 1) organic (GOTS, OTA and USDA National Organic Program are reputable third-party certifications), and 2) STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified. My favorites:

  • Hanna Andersson. Organic and OEKO-TEX certified, and their PJs have zippers and grippy feet. My 4-year old still wears these!! (Pay attention when you click – only about half of their stuff is organic).

  • Pact Organic. GOTS certified organic. Limited color options but compared to some of the other companies out there these are super affordable!! Zippers, but no grippy feet. 

  • Burts Bees. GOTS certified organic and uses “non-toxic and PVC, heavy metal and phthalate free dyes”. PJs have zippers and grippy feet.

Pro-tip: always check the clearance sections first. You can literally pay $7 for a pair of PJs that are listed for four times that at retail price, if you’re not as picky about the pattern.

There are a lot more organic options today than there were three years ago! I just got my first order of Finn+Emma and might be trying out Pehr as well since they have an organic kimono-style onesie that looks fantastic for middle-of-the-night diaper changes. I’ll come back and update if either of these become new favorites.

  

Priority #2: Non-toxic crib mattress

With a crib mattress my concern wasn’t that baby was touching it, it was the chemicals outgassing or becoming airborne and being inhaled. Valid concern? Turns out yes. From the Environmental Working Group:

“A baby’s exposure to chemical contaminants in their crib mattresses can be amplified since they sleep for 12 to 14 hours every day and inhale air just inches above the mattress surface, where the concentrations of the [volatile organic compounds] can be about twice as high as standing just a few feet away."

Gimme the Good Stuff has a great overview of what to look for in a mattress, with recommendations on the cleanest companies out there. Key takeaways: look for zero flame retardants, and GOTS or GOLS certified all the way through (not just an organic cover).  Here’s what we ended up buying.

I never had a great, non-toxic bassinet, and I’m still pretty disappointed in what’s out there. I really want something that attaches or slides up next to the bed with a lower rail to simplify breastfeeding at all hours of the night (like the Arms Reach Co-Sleeper) but none of those are non-toxic. Still, there are more options out there today than there were three years ago. Since baby is coming in less than two months at this point, I’m going to have to make a decision soon!

 

Priority #3: Flame retardant free car seat

When I was first researching this I thought, well, baby’s skin doesn’t actually really touch the car seat, so is this still important? Yes, I learned. Like with mattresses, the flame retardants used in car seats become airborne, so baby (and you, actually) are breathing them even if you’re not touching them. Gentle Nursery has a fantastic summary of why non-toxic car seats matter. There are only a handful of car seats on the market that don’t use any flame retardants. EcoCenter keeps tabs on every major car seat brand, tests new models each year as they come out. Here’s their current list of non-toxic car seats, and I’m excited that there are more than twice as many as when Cimorene was born! Here’s the ones that we’ve had experience with.

  •  Uppababy Mesa, in wool. This is the one we used! The downside is the click-in-able stroller options are limited and can be pricey, though there are more than twice as many options now compared to when I purchased it three years ago. Still, we love it and our Vista, and if you keep a CLOSE eye on Craigslist and FB marketplace you can snag a used one. It took me a month of obsessive page-refreshes, but this is what I did.

  • Clek Foonf and Fllo, in wool. Expensive and heavy, but they were the first – and when C got big enough they were the only – convertible car seat on the market that was non-toxic. We bit the bullet and got it. Installation on the Foonf is… interesting. But once it’s in, it’s in!

  • Nuna Pipa, Pipa Lite, Pipa Lite lx. I have mixed feelings about this company because three years ago they claimed the regular Nuna Pipa was non-toxic. We bought it. Then a report came out showing that wasn’t the case. I was able to get a full refund from the company, and they’ve since come out and said they’ve made all components non-toxic, but it left a bad taste in my mouth since Cimorene was using it for a good long while.

 

Priority #4: Organic everyday clothes

At least with everyday clothes flame retardants aren’t typically a concern, but there’s still the chemicals used to prevent wrinkling, staining, fading, etc. In addition to the companies I buy pajamas from, I also love Kate Quinn. Only reason I don’t buy their PJs is because they have snaps and not zippers (middle of the night diaper changes with snaps? UGH). But their kimono onesies are a lifesaver for newborn blowouts because you don’t have to pull them up and over your baby’s head. Even though not all of my kid’s clothing is organic – because WOW does that get expensive – I did try and at least put them in an organic onesie under any non-organic clothing when they were little. (Insert chant: Clear-ANCE! Clear-ANCE! Clear-ANCE!)

 

Priority #5: Natural, non-toxic baby skin care

Diapers, wipes, lotion, sunscreen, shampoo, diaper cream… if it sits on baby’s skin, it’s on my list. Because the list of questionable chemicals found in these products is so long, and brands get bought out and ingredients change rapidly, I rely on the EWG Healthy Living app as much as possible when I’m out shopping. My current list is:

  • Shampoo: Babo Botanicals. EWG verified and now pretty widely available.

  • Diapers: Bambo, because they’re the most affordable out of the options (other good options here and here, since every baby bum is different!). We use Honest diapers when we forget to place an Amazon order in time since they’re in every Target, and we use Honest Overnights for, well, overnight.

  • Wipes: We use Kinder by Nature and love them. I only wish the packaging was a little better – the little plastic sticky that you use to open and close isn’t the most reliable. We tried Water Wipes for a while, and while I know moms that swear by them, I just didn’t feel like Cimorene’s bum was clean. Here’s a list of other clean options. 

  • Sunscreen: We’re currently using Think Baby. Badger Active Baby also works, but I feel like I need to re-apply it more often. Babo Botanicals now has a baby sunscreen which I’m excited to try when our Think Baby runs out, since I love their other stuff!

  •  Diaper Cream: Babo Botanicals for everyday diaper rash and prevention, but if it’s really bad we use Triple Paste since we’ve found the Babo (and many other all natural options) just don’t cut it.

 

Whew that’s a lot of information, and I feel like it only scratches the surface! I hope it’s helpful for some of the mamas out there, and always feel free to get in touch if you have questions. If you have them, guaranteed a lot of of other mamas do, too! 

Rhiannon Menn