If there’s one area of the house where it pains me to think about all the toxic chemicals lurking in furnishings and other products, it’s the nursery or kids’ rooms. Sadly, it’s extremely common to kit out a nursery with products that off-gas formaldehyde, are made with petroleum, and are riddled with endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Skip the toxic cribs, mattresses, rugs, sheets, and toys, and check out our top 5 picks for the eco-friendly nursery:
- Best looking crib – Oeuf Sparrow Crib (View Price on Amazon)
- Best overall crib – DaVinci Kalani 4-in-1 Crib (View Price on Walmart)
- Best mini crib – Bloom Mini Crib (View Price on Amazon)
- Best crib mattress – SleepLily Pure Start Crib Mattress (View Price on SleepLily)
- Best fitted crib sheet – Harriet Bee Beene (View Price on Wayfair)
- Best play rugs – Under the Nile Big and Small Play Rugs (View Prices on Under the Nile)
Oeuf Sparrow Crib
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The Oeuf Sparrow Crib (View Price on Amazon) is one of my favorite nursery items because, in addition to being super eco-friendly, I happen to think it’s the best looking crib around. Happily, I managed to get one secondhand, locally, for an absolute steal, which is the greenest way to go if you can! That said, be sure to only buy cribs from someone you trust, and make sure you have all the parts and know-how to set it up correctly.
The Oeuf Sparrow Crib has all the eco-certifications you might want, is easy on the eye and is guaranteed free from nasty chemicals. At around $1200 new, though, it’s not cheap (or should that be ‘cheep’?).
So, if you’re looking for all the glamour of a hardwood crib, without the price tag, check out my round-up of the best eco-friendly softwood cribs.
DaVinci Kalani 4-in-1 Crib
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The DaVinci’s Kalani 4-in-1 Crib (View Price on Walmart) is my top pick overall for an eco-friendly and budget-friendly crib. The DaVinci Kalani consistently impresses and at $179 by itself and $220 with the toddler rail conversion kit, it can easily last you and your family for years to come.
Made with sustainably sourced New Zealand pine wood, Greenguard Gold Certified, easy to assemble and attractive, it’s also a Wirecutter and Consumer Reports top pick.
Bloom Mini Crib
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Yes, I know this is the third crib on this list, but this one is a mini-crib! The Bloom Mini Crib (View Price on Amazon) is perfect for small apartments and when traveling (say, for an extended stay with friends or family). It takes just 5 minutes to set up (without needing any tools!), easily folds up for transport and storage, and can turn your hallway closet into a convenient nursery if space is tight.
The mini crib is made with solid wood and low VOC baby safe finishes, and is MDF-free, lead-free, BPA-free, phthalate-free, and formaldehyde-free. And you can get it in a beautiful, eco-friendly green!
SleepLily Pure Start Crib Mattress
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The SleepLily Pure Start Crib Mattress is non-toxic, budget-friendly, and eco-friendly. It is a standard-size, so it fits most cribs to keep your baby safe and sound. Made in the US, this crib mattress features steel innersprings, GOTS certified organic cotton and PureGrow Wool. It is free from VOCs, chemical flame retardants and other toxic chemicals.
If you have the budget, the OMI crib mattress is the purest and most heavily eco-certified crib mattress you can find, but SleepLily is more readily available and about half the price. SleepLily also make the slightly pricier and just as eco-friendly Pure Bliss crib mattress (with GOLS certified latex, PureGrow wool, and organic cotton). Check out how these compare to other eco-friendly crib mattresses and find the perfect mattress for your nursery.
Harriet Bee Beene Fitted Crib Sheet
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Currently on sale at Wayfair, the Harriet Bee Beene Fitted Crib Sheet is one of only a few genuinely organic cotton crib sheets I’ve found. Most crib sheets are made with polyester or conventional cotton which, as you know, is one of the most toxic textiles around.
These delightful crib sheets come in a range of patterns, including ones featuring elephants, cars, giraffes, sheep, ladybugs, and pink dots. At around $38.99, these crib sheets are soft, machine washable fully elasticated for a secure fit, and are made in an OEKO-TEX factory with GOTS certified organic cotton.
Under the Nile Big and Small Rugs
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Under the Nile’s Big and Small Rugs are made with GOTS and Fair Trade certified super soft organic cotton sourced from their own factory off-cuts! You really can’t get greener than that.
Made in Egypt in a Fair Trade facility, the Under the Nile Big Rug and Small Rug/Play Mat range in price from $40-$84 and are handloomed using organic cotton scraps from the company’s clothing production. Thanks to that 100% pure organic Egyptian cotton, these rugs are extra durable, soft, and attractive. This makes them perfect for playrooms (as well as bathrooms and by the kitchen sink!).
Importantly for a nursery rug, these rugs are machine washable. They’re also available in more than a dozen color combinations, so there’s no need to compromise on your nursery aesthetic.
As for their eco-credentials, the Big Rug and Small Play Rug are made with GOTS certified cotton, and are free of azo dyes, BPA, flame retardants, formaldehyde, fragrance, PVC, or lead. The company only uses low-impact, metal-free dyes that are free from harmful chemicals and are in accordance with GOTS standards. They never use bleach in any process and instead use a natural oxygen-based whitening process when necessary. And Under the Nile are committed to paying and treating their workers well.