Designing your baby’s nursery can be one of the most exciting things you’ll get to do during pregnancy! The soft little rugs, the pretty stuffed animals, the cute little printables on Etsy. I spent so much time pinning photos on Pinterest and gathering ideas for the perfect nursery design. Ahhh, nesting! Looking past the design, however, what truly matters is safety. It’s important that the nursery furniture and other items in the baby’s room won’t off-gas harmful and toxic VOCs and chemicals. This is one important way you can truly create a gentle nursery for your baby. That’s why I’ve compiled this guide to buying non-toxic baby furniture.
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What to Look for When Buying Non-Toxic Baby Furniture:
- Solid wood. It’s important to select nursery furniture manufactured from solid wood because you don’t want furniture that’s made with glues, formaldehyde, and veneers. Look for real wood (not engineered wood, MDF, composite board, or particle board) without smelly, toxic glues and chemicals.
- Low-VOC paints. VOC stands for volatile organic compound, which are essentially toxic chemicals. When furniture is painted, it can give off toxic fumes, so to avoid this, look for unfinished furniture or find products painted with low-VOC finishes (or no-VOC if available, although the standards for “no-VOC” really mean that the item is just “low-VOC” below a certain threshold — but it’s still better!).
- GREENGUARD certification. This is so important! Whenever possible, find Greenguard approved products to ensure clean indoor air quality in baby’s room. Manufacturers that obtain the Greenguard certification meet the strictest standards for indoor air quality and chemical composition.
- Manufactured outside of Asia, preferably. Because there are cases where furniture made in Asia has been found to contain lead, it’s best to select a manufacturer outside of Asia – preferably one that makes their furniture in the US, Canada, or Europe.
Non-Toxic Baby Furniture Manufacturers:
Even though getting your little one to sleep in there will probably be an uphill battle at first, you’ll eventually need a crib. You’ll also want to have a dresser or changing table and possibly some bookshelves. No matter what you need, here are some great no- or low-VOC nursery furniture options.
Romina Furniture (Made in Romania): While pricey, Romina Furniture is among the best of the best when it comes to non-toxic baby furniture. This is the brand we went with, which is why it’s listed first. We love our Romina Furniture! Not only are the designs incredibly stylish and elegant, they are GREENGUARD Certified and are extremely well made – from 100% solid beechwood – and are non-toxic, with no formaldehyde emissions. Their furniture also includes additional safety features, such as anti-tilting hardware, baby-proof gliding drawers, and plastic-safety triggers for removing drawers. We purchased the Karisma crib and 6-drawer dresser, although they have several lines of furniture that you can choose from. Truly top-notch!
Natart Juvenile (Made in Canada): Also a wonderful choice, Natart Juvenile manufactures beautiful, high-quality, non-toxic baby furniture that is GREENGUARD Certified. Their furniture is made from 100% solid wood, uses solid wood mattress supports (this is actually great – I wish we bought one of their cribs!), and has safety drawer glides. Overall, a wonderful choice for your baby’s nursery furniture.
Oeuf Sparrow Crib (Made in Europe): With a GREENGUARD Certification, the Oeuf Sparrow is a well-made and non-toxic crib. With a beautiful modern look, this crib is also pretty popular among celebrities – not that it matters, right?
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Stokke Sleepi (Made in The Netherlands): Made from cultivated beechwood, the Stokke Sleepi is an amazing convertible crib. It truly grows with your baby from newborn to toddler and beyond. At first, it can be used as a bassinet and can be converted to a crib and toddler bed with additional equipment. It’s a great value, and is made exceptionally well. The sides allow for maximum air circulation, which is very important for safe sleep. The paint used on the Stokke Sleepi is free of formaldehyde, but the glue used does contain small amounts. The mattress is designed in such a way that helps it minimize excess body heat, although I prefer replacing it with the Naturepedic Organic Oval Cotton Crib Mattress. All Stokke fabrics are Oeko-Tex certified, including their crib sheets, which ensures they are free from harmful substances. Given that the glue does contain some minor amounts of formaldehyde, I would recommend purchasing this 4-5 months early and letting it air out. Also check out the matching changing table.
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Green Cradle (Made in USA): A wonderful little store located in Los Angeles, Green Cradle manufactures solid wood nursery furniture that is 100% VOC-free and chemical-free. They deliver to anywhere in the United States.
DaVinci (Made in China and Taiwan): I struggled with including DaVinci on this list of non-toxic baby furniture manufacturers. Their products are Greenguard certified, and free of formaldehyde, but they are manufactured in Asia. For a cost-effective option, consider DaVinci, although it would be so much better if they chose another manufacturing site for better quality control.
DaVinci Autumn 4-in-1 Convertible Crib
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Babyletto (Made in China and Taiwan): Similarly, Babyletto makes their nursery furniture in Asia, but they use 100% solid New Zealand Pine wood (with some exceptions). Some of their products may contain MDF, which I don’t love. Babyletto makes an effort to reduce VOCs in their furniture, so this is another more cost-effective option than some of the brands I’ve listed above.
babyletto Hudson 3-in-1 Convertible Crib
Did you find the perfect crib or furniture manufacturer for your nursery? If you have questions about which brand to go with, jump into my free Facebook group and ask for advice!
Don’t miss my guide to the best non-toxic gliders and rocking chairs, as well as my guide to non-toxic bassinets.
Wondering where to create your baby registry? I recommend registering with Amazon for the widest selection of natural and non-toxic baby products, best prices, fast shipping, and excellent customer service. Create your Amazon Baby Registry now >>
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