One significant milestone in the early years of parenting is transitioning your toddler from a crib to a child’s bed. It’s a time of anticipation, and often tears, as little kids learn more about their sense of space in the world. But while you’ll likely have a lot on your mind as your child makes this transition, the last thing you want to be worrying about is whether that new toddler bed is bad for your baby’s health.
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Unfortunately, toddler beds today can be made of a range of questionable compounds that can cause problems in the long run. Considering how much little kids love to chew on their bed frames, this is a situation that needs to be addressed.
The good news is that manufacturers today are paying attention to what parents really want. More than ever, there are numerous options for high-quality, non-toxic toddler beds.
Here’s our guide to picking out the right one for your kid.
The best eco-friendly, non-toxic toddler bed
Non-toxic toddler bed runner up
Third pick
What To Avoid with Toddler Beds
You wouldn’t think that harmful compounds would be commonplace within sleeping surfaces for children, but the facts, unfortunately, say otherwise. Here’s what’s best avoided when buying a toddler bed.
Phthalates. Used to make vinyl, PVC, and other plastics, phthalates are common in children’s gear. They also act as endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with hormones and lead to long-term complications like organ damage, neurodevelopmental issues, and reproductive problems.
Formaldehyde. This preservation agent is a known carcinogen that can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and skin. Even so, formaldehyde is commonly found in furniture and household products like paper towels and wooden toys. You’re most likely to find it in products made from engineered wood, as formaldehyde is a common ingredient in the glue that holds the composite materials together. To avoid this compound, look for beds made from solid wood.
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). A general term for a large family of chemicals, VOCs off-gas into the indoor air and can cause damage to the central nervous system, organs, eyes, nose, throat, and other sensitive body parts. Prolonged exposure can even lead to cancer. VOCs are everywhere in the indoor environment. You’ll likely encounter them within rugs, vinyl flooring, air fresheners, cosmetics, cleaning products, and wood furniture. One of the easiest ways to avoid VOCs is to seek out GREENGUARD Gold certification, as it ensures a product has been vetted for low chemical emissions.
Heavy Metals. These highly toxic compounds can be found in furniture, paints, and dyes. Too much exposure to heavy metals leads to neurological issues, including nerve damage, learning, and behavioral problems, and a high risk of cancer and respiratory problems. Limit your child’s exposure by seeking out products certified free of lead paint.
What To Look for When Choosing A Non-Toxic Bed For Toddlers
Knowing what to avoid for a non-toxic toddler bed is only half the story—you also need to know what materials meet the mark from a safety and quality standpoint. To help guide that process, here are some of the questions you should ask before buying.
- Hardwood. The best wooden furniture today is made from solid wood, preferably hardwood. Avoid engineered and composite wood products (MDF) as much as possible. Not only are they less durable, but most are held together with questionable glues and adhesives.
- eco MDF. If solid wood isn’t an option, seek out eco MDF for a better guarantee that toxins aren’t present.
- Know the finish. The right finish may make your toddler bed beautiful, but it can come at a cost if it’s filled with VOCs. Before buying, check labeling to see that the furniture is made from water-based paints and certified to be low or no-VOC.
- Certifications to look for. One of the best certifications for baby furniture is the GREENGUARD Gold Certification. This global certification program ensures a product has been thoroughly tested and found to be free of over 10,000 toxic chemicals, making it safe for kids.
- Place of origin. The highest quality kids’ beds typically come from Europe or North America. Manufacturing standards in Asia tend to be more lax, increasing the chance of toxin contamination. Products made to higher standards will typically boast about their origins, so take a lack of details as a sign of caution.
Note: Ensure your child’s sleeping surface is safe all the way through with our guide to buying the best non-toxic crib mattresses.
Should You Try a Montessori Floor Bed?
Inquisitive parents may have stumbled upon an innovative toddler sleeping solution that’s gaining traction in natural living circles. It’s a Montessori floor bed—a sleeping arrangement that gives toddlers extra independence and control over their environment.
Most parents start their babies in this bed between 5-10 months of age, so slightly before the toddler stage. Unlike cribs with their high walled bars, these beds are at ground level and open to the full room. This keeps the sleeping spot within full reach of the baby and gives them unrestricted assess to climbing in and out.
The first few nights of transitioning to a floor bed might lead to a later bedtime as toddlers take advantage of the opportunity to explore their room. But over time, the babies adjust to the freedom and begin to regulate themselves to go to bed when they feel tired. In this way, you’re teaching your child to trust their own instincts and gain some independence over their own experiences.
Many toddler beds today are made with the Montessori method in mind. But if you prefer things simple, it’s also possible to simply put a non-toxic mattress directly on the nursery floor!
The Best Non-toxic Toddler Beds
Next, let’s explore some traditional toddler sleeping options. Here are our top choices for non-toxic sleeping surfaces for your child.
Avocado Kids Trundle Bed Frame
Highlights: The best non-toxic toddler bed on the market from a certified B Corp that continues to emphasize non-toxic, eco-friendly choices and materials.
Made in: California
Materials: American-grown beech, VOC-free paint or varnish
Certifications: GREENGUARD Gold certified, formaldehyde free claim validated, made in a FSC® C156318 certified woodshop, certified B Corp
Known for its eco-friendly mattresses, Avocado’s kids’ bed frame meets the same standards for a non-toxic sleeping surface. The solid wood frame is crafted with 100% American-grown beech and built within the company’s FSC® C156318 certified woodshop in Los Angeles. Available either painted white or with a natural wood finish, the frame is protected with non-toxic, zero-VOC glues, paints, and varnishes.
Best of all, the bed adds extra versatility to any kids’ room with the twin-sized trundle that works for any sleepover. It also comes with two flat boards to convert the bedframe into one large built-in storage solution for toys, clothes, or extra bedding.
Regarding certifications, this bedframe impresses. It’s GREENGUARD Gold certified and formaldehyde-free claim validated by the UL Environment. Avocado itself is certified B Corp, meaning that the company makes positive choices for environmental, economic, and social welfare.
Oeuf Perch Toddler Bed
Highlights: A stylish GREENGUARD Gold certified toddler bed option with a modern take on environmentally friendly nursery furniture.
Made in: Latvia
Materials: Baltic birch plywood
Certifications: GREENGUARD Gold Certification
Though it’s made in Latvia, the Oeuf Perch toddler bed comes from a New York-based design company known for its modern take on environmentally friendly nursery furniture. The bed meets all US, Canadian, Australian and European safety standards. It’s easy to assemble and offers a comfortable sleeping service for kids up to age six. You can even extend its longevity by removing the security rail to use it as a lounge area.
The entire bed is GREENGUARD gold certified and built in an FSA-certified facility. It’s made of a combination of Baltic birch plywood and eco-MDF, with non-toxic, water-based finishes that are free of VOCs.
The company takes a proactive approach to waste by recycling excess materials through licensed facilities. The engineered eco-MDF panels are built from recovered wood fibers to help save trees. Even the bed’s packaging is made from recycled materials.
Customer reviews show parents love the size and styling of this bed and most found it easy to assemble. In a few cases, necessary screws were missing and had to be requested from the company separately.
Amish Madison Trundle Bed
Highlights: Made from kiln-dried solid hardwood, this trundle bed is a prime example of authentic Amish craftsmanship.
Made in: USA
Materials: kiln-dried solid hardwood, formaldehyde-free stains and paints available
Certifications: authentic Amish craftsmanship
Make a statement for sustainability with this hardwood trundle bed that’s made in Ohio through authentic Amish craftsmanship. Every part of the frame can be customized, from the wood tone to the dimensions, ensuring you’ll end up with a bed that makes you and your child happy in the long run.
The Madison bed boasts solid wood construction with mortise and tenon joints and dovetail drawers. It’s 100% free of veneer, particle board, pressed wood, and MDF (medium-density fiberboard). The trundle design provides extra sleeping space for sleepovers or even younger siblings, helping you maximize small rooms.
As each bed is made to order, you can expect to wait 6-10 weeks for manufacturing, plus shipping time.
Note: Make sure you specify when ordering that you want a formaldehyde-free stain or paint.
Maxtrix Kids Twin Basic Bed
Highlights: A simple and straightforward toddler bed option that can be customized and modified as needed to extend its life.
Made in: Vietnam
Materials: solid wood
Certifications: comprehensive safety testing through a third-party organization
Keep things simple and sustainable with the Maxtrix Kids twin bed. This bed works as a basic building block that can be modified in many ways to create your ideal bedroom setup, from adding leg extensions to make it a loft, putting on guardrails for a daybed, or stacking another bed on top to create a sturdy bunk bed. You can even add drawers or other forms of underbed storage or take the legs off completely for floor bed functionality.
In other words, buy the basic frame and you’ll have the foundation of a sleeping surface that keeps up with a growing family. Extra versatility and fewer wasted parts mean a big win for environmental sustainability—and your wallet.
Best of all, the entire frame is made from solid wood coated with a non-toxic finish.
Zipadee Kids Montessori Floor Bed with Rails
Highlights: An Ohio-based toddler bed made from American Poplar hardwood and available in a variety of configurations that extend the usefulness of the bed.
Made in: Ohio
Materials: all-natural American poplar wood
Certifications: none listed
Another Ohio-based brand, this ZipadeeKids toddler bed follows Montessori principles to give little ones independence over their own sleeping routine. The bed is made with responsibly-harvested American Poplar hardwood and is entirely free of veneers, toxic glue, and finishes of any kind. The natural wood is a light tan with grey and green tints, and the wood is smooth enough to leave natural or stain yourself. Choose from sizes ranging from twin to queen, with risers available at an additional cost.
Each bed allows for three unique floor bed configurations: four railings with entry, a daybed, and a traditional head and footboard. It allows for an easy transition into a “big kid” bed while still providing the support that toddlers need so they don’t roll onto the floor while sleeping. The three configurations also let you continue to use the frame even as your child leaves the toddler stage.
Customer reviews rave about the bed’s coloring and precise assembly instructions. Others found customer service responsive and extremely helpful with any problems that came up.
Dimensions vary based on the size ordered. Expect your bed to ship within 2-3 weeks of ordering.
Sweet Home From Wood Montessori Zero Clearance Floor Bed
Highlights: Custom made in Latvia, Sweet Home From Wood presents a fun take on the toddler bed, offering this one in the framed shape of a house.
Made in: Northern Europe
Materials: pine/birch wood covered with bee wax (painted beds include watercolor paint) VOC-free materials
Certifications: certified according to the European Union standards
This cozy toddler bed is framed like a house, giving little ones inside a sense of defined space. The exposed beams also offer unlimited options for personalization through bright balloons, banners, and other décor choices. It’s a zero-clearance design to ensure little ones can get in easily, and the picket fence border (rounded for safety) acts as a railing to keep kids contained.
All Sweet Home beds are custom made in Latvia by local craftsmen and use only VOC-free materials that are certified to EU safety standards. You can choose from unpainted pine or birch or enjoy a white, grey, pink, or black bed painted with watercolor paint. Plan on construction and painting taking two weeks, so you can expect this bed two to three weeks after ordering.
Multiple size options are available, and you can purchase the bed with or without slats under the mattress.
Atlantic Furniture Nantucket Platform Bed With 2 Urban Bed Drawers
Highlights: Perfect for those looking for storage as opposed to extra sleeping space via trundle, this eco-friendly bed is made from plantation-grown rubber trees.
Made in: Vietnam
Materials: eco-friendly, plantation-grown hardwoods and plywood
Certifications: none listed
Though it’s made in Vietnam, this East Coast-style bed boasts classic American design and offers parents a non-toxic choice for a toddler bed. It’s made from eco-friendly, plantation-grown rubber trees, a hardwood species known for its fast growth habit.
The bed includes two bottom drawers that can be placed on either side of the bed, and the bottom wheels make them simple for even little hands to slide in and out of place. While the sides and bottoms of these drawers are plywood, everything is covered in low VOC, lead-free finishes. If you need more storage, the bed can accommodate two additional drawers (sold separately).
It offers a weight capacity up to 600 lbs and comes with a surface mount turbocharger and two USB ports.
Kalon Divan Bed
Highlights: Capable of fitting just about any decor around it, these eco-friendly toddler beds are made almost entirely by hand in Pennsylvania using sustainably-harvested hardwood.
Made In: the EU
Materials: raw or oiled ash, white oak, or walnut
Certifications: organic oil wax carries an SCS Indoor Advantage Gold Certification.
If you’re committed to quality and don’t mind a wait, the Kalon Divan Bed will withstand the test of time. The pared-back styling ensures it will fit in many décor themes, and the twin bed proportions allow it to double as a day bed or couch for kids even when they’ve moved on from using it for sleeping.
The bed frame is made almost entirely by hand in Pennsylvania with 100% sustainably harvested European ash, white oak, or walnut, and comes covered with a non-toxic oiled wood finish that is hand-mixed for more control over the whole process. Its short legs keep the frame low to the ground, so it’s easily accessible for all toddlers.
Note: the Divan bed is made to order and ships out 16-20 weeks after purchase.
Pottery Barn Kids Catalina Square Bed
Highlights: Pottery Barn Kids presents a classic design that’s GREENGUARD Gold certified, and capable of following your child through their toddler years thanks to its traditional appearance.
Made in: USA from imported materials
Materials: Solid poplar wood
Certifications: GREENGUARD Gold Certified
If you like classic design, the Catalina Square Bed should suit your style. Designed to be as versatile as it is beautiful, this well-crafted bed should last through years of use without showing wear or looking out of date. It’s filled with fun details like its lathe-turned legs, beadboard paneling, and large wooden knobs on each of the four posts.
The bed itself is made from solid poplar wood, and each hardwood frame is kiln-dried to prevent warping. They are assembled in the United States, and every component is GREENGUARD Gold Certified to ensure safety from toxic chemicals as your child sleeps. Likewise, all Pottery Barn Kids products are tested at 3rd party CPSC accredited labs to ensure they meet or exceed all safety requirements. This also includes extensive lead testing at both the surface and substrate level.
You can position the mattress platform at two heights, depending on how accessible it needs to be for your little one. Plus, choose from a range of GOTS-and BCI-certified textiles.
Pottery Barn aims to meet the world’s highest safety standards. The company claims to aggregate the highest product standards from the countries it works with to create its own standards that meet or exceed them. This includes a commitment to small details like a lack of sharp edges and potential finger entrapments and to using high-quality materials that prevent risks while sleeping—even in a loft bed. Everything in each bed’s box is tested for safety compliance, including the labels and packaging.
Note: not all Pottery Barn Kids’ beds are made from solid wood, so read each description carefully before committing.
Dream On Me Sydney Toddler Bed
Highlights: If affordability is a concern, Dream On Me offers a chance to get a GREENGUARD Gold certified toddler bed made to last only through the toddler years.
Made in: China
Materials: painted wood (free of phthalates, latex, lead, and BPA).
Certifications: GREENGUARD Gold Certified, JPMA Certified, meets or exceeds all applicable ASTM and CPSC Standards
This simple kids bed eases the transition out of the crib for parents and toddlers alike with railings along the headboard that are guaranteed to prevent unexpected falls. It’s a straightforward design that is easy to put together, and the frame and paint are GREENGUARD gold certified for your child’s safety.
This bed makes sense for parents who understand that toddlerhood is a short developmental stage and don’t want to spend a premium on a bed their kid will outgrow in a matter of years, although it can safely be used for children up to seven years old or at 50 lbs.
Choose from six colors: black, steel grey, espresso, lavender ice, blush pink, and white.
Savannah Non-Toxic Toddler Bed
Highlights: A final budget choice, South Shore Furniture offers this toddler bed with a mattress, making it a good deal for a budget-conscious parent on the hunt for a non-toxic option.
Made in: North America
Materials: non-toxic laminated particleboard
Certifications: meets or exceeds all North American safety standards
Proudly made in Canada, the Savannah-Mates bed is constructed from non-toxic particleboard, which offers an eco-friendly alternative to hardwood. It comes with three built-in drawers at the base for extra storage needs as well as open shelving along the heard board. The $305 price tag includes free shipping and a mattress, making it a bargain for style-conscious parents.
Your only color option is white, but the timeless design ensures it will fit well in multiple nursery themes, so it will continue to have a place as you update the décor. Rounded corners help keep little ones from getting bumps, and the low-to-the-ground drawers slide on metal to ensure kids have easy access to the treasures they choose to store inside.
Every part of the bed meets or exceeds North American safety standards, and all packaging is tested and certified to reduce damage during shipping.