I have always been conscious of ingredients and materials in the products that I use. However, I honestly never thought about baby toys being toxic until I had kids. Babies LOVE to put anything and everything into their little mouths, so it is especially important for the things around them to be nontoxic. Below I will explain what kind of toxins to look out for, the best nontoxic baby toy brands, and some of my favorite nontoxic toys. Let’s get going, here is your ultimate guide to nontoxic baby toys!
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
What Kind of Toxins Are Found in Baby Toys?
- BPA: BPA is a substance found in hard clear plastic. Adverse health effects include prostate cancer, breast cancer, early puberty, low sperm count, hyperactivity and aggressiveness.
- Lead: Exposure to lead can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behavior problems, and hearing and speech problems.
- Pesticides: Exposure to pesticides affect children more than adults because their internal organs are still developing.
- PVC: PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride. PVC contains harmful chemicals and carcinogens, which is linked to asthma, allergies, and reproductive problems.
- Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is a gas that can irritate your eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, and trigger asthma. It is a known carcinogen (causes cancer).
- Phthlalates: Phthlates make plastic flexible. They are “endocrine disruptors,” which means that they mimic or block hormones in the body.
- Flame Retardants: Flame retardants are loosely regulated in toys. They negatively affect a child’s motor skills, as well as learning and memory.
I don’t want to scare you with the above, my goal is to educate you. It’s impossible for us to remove all toxins from our baby’s environment, but we can do the best we can with the knowledge we have.
What Brands Have Nontoxic Baby Toys?
There are tons of great brands that focus on nontoxic toys. After a thorough investigation of studies on toxins in toys, my conclusion is that we cannot rely solely on “governmental regulation standards” to protect our kids from toxins. Recalls on toys happen all the time for safety and toxin issues. Below I have listed all the brands I have found who are committed to keeping harmful chemicals out of their toys.
Plan Toys
Plan Toys uses natural rubber wood from rubber trees that no longer produce latex. They use toxin free glue and water based dyes. Their mission is sustainability, child safety, and child development.
HABA
HABA favors wood for most of their toys. They use PEFC certified Beech or Maple wood. HABA uses non-toxic, water based stains and lacquers.
Eco-Kids
Eco-Kids is popular for their eco-dough (and I love their chalk!). They used ingredients like non-GMO flour, vitamin E and essential oils to come up with a nontoxic playdough.
Bannor
Bannor’s wooden toys are 100% made in the USA! They use Maple, Cherry, and Walnut woods and finish them with a 100% organic beeswax and flaxseed oil mixture. Their toys are all natural, nontoxic, and you can personalize them!
Green Toys
Green toys is an eco-friendly company based in California. They use recycled plastic for their toys. They do not use metal, glue, paint, or screws in their products.
Vulli
You might have heard of their most popular product, Sophie the Giraffe! They make their toys out of 100% natural rubber and food-based paints (which will naturally fade over time)
Finn + Emma
Finn + Emma carry organic clothes and toys. Their toys are made from nontoxic untreated hardwood or are hand-knit with organic cotton yarn.
Tender Leaf Toys
Tender Leaf Toys are hand painted with water-based paints, which are free from heavy metals and lead. The glues they use are formaldehyde free.
7 of the Best NonToxic Toys
#1 Plan Toys- Bunny Sorting Bus
This bus comes in the cutest neutral colors. It’s good for boys or girls. The sorting bus is recommended for 12 months+, but my 10 month old was obsessed with it and was even able to put the shapes in holes.
#2 Vulli- Sophie the Giraffe Teething Set
This teething set is super popular for a reason. Babies love the way the giraffe squeaks under their gums and it is easy for them to hold. This teether set is best for 0-12 months.
#3 Eco-kids – Hopscotch Chalk
This chalk is life-changing! Most chalk breaks really easily, especially in the hands of a toddler. This chalk does not break easily (even when thrown across the yard, don’t ask how I know that). The chalk comes in the shape of half of an egg, so it is easy for babies and toddlers to grip.
#4 Green Toys – Tool Set
Green Toys makes the cutest tool set out of recycled plastic. I bought this tool set for my toddler, but I love it because it is safe for my one year old to play with too! (Besides the fake screws, I hide those!)
#5 Plan Toys- Punch Drop
Both of my kids love doing games like this. It’s like whack-a-mole, but easier. It’s a really great toy for developing fine motor skills.
#6 Bannor- Roll A Rattle
Babies and toddlers love this rattle. It’s on the larger side of typical “rattles.” This is a toy that kids won’t outgrow for a while.
#7 Bannor- Giraffe Push Toy
I LOVE this little toy. It encourages active play, and it works for babies AND toddlers.
I hope this ultimate guide to nontoxic baby toys was helpful for you. It was shocking when I first started looking into toxic materials in baby toys. It can be shocking and overwhelming, especially for new moms. Please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or need any more information. Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog!
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