Best Organic and Eco-Friendly Baby Products
Shopping In Person
If you like to see products in person before purchasing, my general advice for finding good eco-friendly toys and natural baby products is to start by seeing if your local health food store has a baby section. That may give you an idea for local eco-friendly brands and sustainably-made baby items. In the US we have a grocery chain called Whole Foods that has a section devoted to baby and kids toys. (This is also a great way to familiarize yourself with eco-friendly products for the home, if you’re just starting out on your journey into green living.)
Whole Foods, for example, also carries a wide assortment of other organic baby products like for bath time, diapering, and meal time. And it may come as a surprise that even mega big box stores like Target have responded to their customers wanting more natural baby items and are carrying organic options too.
Favorite Organic And Eco-Friendly Baby Items
Whether you’re trying to build an eco-friendly baby registry, or want to purchase items yourself, there are some basics that every newborn needs. (FYI the following list includes some affiliate links, from which I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Visit my
Privacy Policy page for more details on how this works.) Here are our tried and true favorite organic and eco-friendly baby products!
Organic Cotton Baby Products
You really don’t need much for a newborn, just the basics at first. And one of the most versatile baby items you can get is a swaddle blanket. When not swaddled, they double as burp clothes and are good to spread out on the ground for baby to practice tummy time on.
Olive & Rain Baby Swaddle Sampler: These soft muslin blankets are made from 100% organic cotton. Even better, this company’s sustainability focus includes using recycled and compostable packaging to minimize waste. They come in a variety of patterns and are available on Amazon Prime if you need something in a hurry but can’t get out of the house to the store.
Cotton Organics Muslin Swaddle Blankets: Another eco-friendly option with certified organic cotton and compostable packaging. If you’re looking for a pattern-free unbleached blanket, this is a good bet!
Halo Organic Sleep Sack: This sleep sack helped us survive many dark nights in the early days. Highly recommend if you’ve got a little houdini who figures out how to break out from their regular swaddle blanket!
SwaddleMe Original Organic Swaddle: We also had this swaddle, which worked great in the early days when our babies still liked to sleep with their legs curled up.
Under The Nile Bunny Blanket Friend: Made from 100% organic Egyptian cotton. Great for teething, and for little hands to grasp. Our son’s first stuffed friend and despite being chewed on for years is still in good shape!
Under The Nile Baby Kimono: This brand makes a whole range of baby clothes and organic cotton accessories
. Though cotton onesies abound, the kimono (side snap) style is much better for changing diapers, especially when there’s a blow out. Just unsnap and lift out baby. How cute is this style??
Big Brands Making Organic Baby Clothing
There’s a Swedish brand here in the US called Hanna Andersson that uses organic cotton and other environmentally-friendly practices for its clothing. They make soft footie PJs from organic Pima cotton that are a must for a newborn baby wardrobe.
Carters also makes organic cotton baby and children’s clothing under the sub-label “Little Planet.” You will want a small assortment of shirt and pant sets, basic onesies, socks, PJs etc., and Little Planet has them all. Just note that they sort by Baby Boy and Baby Girl (no neutral).
Another surprising source of organic cotton baby clothing is H&M, though the selection is much better online than in stores. Shop their Conscious line for onesies, top/bottom sets, and more. This is an especially good option if you want neutral tones or multi-packs of basics like cotton pants or sleeveless onesies.
Eco-Friendly Wooden Toys
Some eco-friendly brands for baby items that I have personally used and like are PlanToys, Hape, and HABA. Here are some must-have eco-friendly baby toys:
PlanToys Square Clutching Toy: As baby starts to use their hands, a grasping toy like this is ideal. Made from wood with elastic joints, it’s flexible and makes a fun rattling sound.
HABA Color Fun Play Gym: A lot of the play gyms you see out there are made from plastic and feature garishly bright colors and shapes. This one made from wood is simple, natural, but has everything baby needs to be entertained during back and tummy time.
Hape Wooden Board Book: This baby book, made from durable wood, is a nice alternative to typical polyester/plastic (pre-reader) baby books.
Whether you shop in person or online, remember to read the labels.
Something may be called “natural” or “green” but actually be made with toxic chemicals or have very un-sustainable production practices. Look at the ingredients list. Are all the items listed as organic? Does the packaging have an official Organic or non-GMO seal? Look at the clothing label. Does it say organic cotton? Is it made from recycled plastics? Taking a minute to scrutinize the labels before you buy helps you made truly informed decisions and helps the planet too.
Other ideas for eco-friendly baby items
There’s a website called www.mightynest.com that carries a diverse range of organic products/brands.
I recently discovered this fantastic baby clothing company called Beya Made which makes eco-conscious clothing that grows with your child through multiple sizes. This is a small mom-owned business with beautiful and thoughtful designs. They come in gender neutral colors which makes them easier to pass down to younger siblings, reducing waste and saving you money in the long run!
Etsy.com also has a ton of eco-friendly clothing/toy options with the added benefit of supporting a small business entrepreneur if you shop there. And if I’m really in a pinch, I just go to Amazon.com and search for “organic ____” (whatever it is i’m looking for) and something usually comes up.
Another way to make eco-friendly choices when it comes to baby is to shop resale.
They grow out of clothing and toys so quickly, I have found that it’s often possible to find items in excellent or even brand new condition for far less than what they cost off the shelf. There are consignment shops, yard sales, hand-me-downs from friends, and even resale facebook groups. By reusing a gently used item, you are saving it from the landfill for a little while longer and also reducing demand for new production. So don’t forget about this option as well!
TAGS
Courtney Kramer
We loved the halo sleep sack as well! The velcro was so handy.
Eco Friendly Mama
Right?? : )
Carin
It’s a really good idea to look for used baby items. Before buying anything, check with friends and family if they have baby stuff lying around! We have two small children and I am having such a hard time getting rid of the baby stuff as they grow out of it, in some cases I can’t even give it away – no-one wants it.
Eco Friendly Mama
Aw, that makes me so sad. Perhaps you can find a women’s shelter in your area that would take them. The one in my town gladly accepts baby items except for carseats. For that, I’d recommend reading my post about Target’s car seat trade-in recycling program!
Rebekah Joan | Blogger
I love these! I’m all about sustainable/eco-friendly products. And so many of them are easy swaps that save money!
Eco Friendly Mama
Yes exactly! Being eco-friendly is not necessarily more expensive or difficult. Just takes some thought and research…which is what I’m here for : )
Nicole Kauffman
This is an awesome list! I love the idea of organic and eco-friendly options for baby!
Eco Friendly Mama
Thanks, glad you like it! : )
Stephanie Ratner
Excellent resources! I know this will be very helpful to mom’s wanting to be more eco-friendly with the early stages of carrying for their little ones. 🙂
Eco Friendly Mama
Thanks Steph! Please feel free to share with any new or expecting moms that you know : )
Mama Writes Reviews
AW, these are all great picks! We love HABA toys here too.
Eco Friendly Mama
Thanks, happy to know you approve! : )
Barbara Alfeo
Great advice! Checking secondhand stores and Ebay can be great for keeping these things affordable too.
Eco Friendly Mama
Thanks! I don’t tend to rely on Ebay for shopping because of the shipping fees, but it IS great for finding one-of-a-kind/discontinued products.
Winnie
This is an awesome product you have. I love the fact that it is eco friendly as well
Eco Friendly Mama
Thank you Winnie!
Hannah Cremona
Thanks for this! Lots of babies poppin around me so will be useful when I need to buy a gift 😀
Eco Friendly Mama
Haha, yes please do and be sure to share it with all the new and expecting mamas you know! : )
Valinda
Thanks for the great tips. I love organic products! It is the only way to be sure that they’re as few pesticide residues as possible.
Eco Friendly Mama
Yes, and free of toxic additives and other harmful chemicals. 👍🏼
Kayla | Writing From Nowhere
I love these tips! My favorite is “read the labels” – what a good reminder for all of us! I’m not a mom yet, but I look at eco-friendly baby stuff so often that I’ve started being shown pregnancy ads online.. it’s just so important to protect children from the poisons we consider normal.
Eco Friendly Mama
LOL, oh Google. My attention to organic and eco-friendly products definitely went up a couple notches after I became a mother. Being responsible for the future and well-being of a tiny new life increases the stakes to say the least.