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Non Toxic Cribs
The best solid wood cribs and non toxic cribs, ranked from healthiest to least healthy. Click the rating symbols below each crib and scroll to the bottom for more information.
Kalon’s Caravan crib is made with solid ash wood, and finished with a hand-rubbed organic plant-based oil. You can also choose its unfinished form, if you prefer raw wood. Converts to a 3-walled divan, and then to a toddler bed, as your child grows. Kalon uses water-based, non-toxic glues on all of their furniture.
Green Cradle makes several styles of organic solid wood cribs, including the 7-in-1 convertible Childspose crib that converts from a bassinet to a changing table to a crib to a toddler bed. They use flaxseed oil as a finish, and a small amount of non-toxic water based wood glue. Can choose an unfinished version. Super healthy.
Are Babyletto cribs non-toxic? Their Austin, Lolly, and Hudson models are better than the others, because they’re made with solid wood and metal springs, without any MDF, veneers, or plywood. They state via email that all of their products are manufactured overseas so they don’t have specific information about the paint or adhesives, but the entire crib does meet GreenGuard GOLD status so my best guess is that they’re water-based and low VOC. It won’t off-gas excessively, but without knowing what’s in the finishes, I recommend a bumper pad to protect from lots of contact with the rails.
Are Oeuf cribs non-toxic? These have a solid wood frame, but plywood or MDF mattress supports. They state via email that their manufacturer uses proprietary paints and finishes, and water-based adhesives that allow the finished crib to meet GreenGuard GOLD standards. It won’t off-gas excessively, but without knowing what’s in the finishes, I recommend a bumper pad to protect from lots of contact with the rails. Definitely better from a health perspective than a crib made entirely of high VOC materials.
Are Nestig cribs non-toxic? From a material health perspective, they are on par with Oeuf, Babyletto, and DaVinci. They have solid wood frames, but engineered wood for mattress support. I appreciated their disclosure that their cribs are painted and glued together with the Sayerlack brand of paints and adhesives, which are water-based. The finished crib meets GreenGuard GOLD standards, so It won’t off-gas excessively, but since Sayerlack doesn’t disclose its ingredients, I recommend a bumper pad to protect from lots of contact with the rails.
This crib is made with a combination of woods; solid beechwood, but also beech laminate and beech plywood. I’m awaiting a response about what kinds of glues, paints, and finishes they use to qualify for low-VOC emissions (they have GreenGuard GOLD certification). In an email, they state they use water-based lacquer and glues. It won’t off-gas excessively, but without knowing what’s in the finishes, I recommend a bumper pad to protect from lots of contact with the rails.
Learn More About Non-Toxic Cribs
Paint Guide
Why zero VOC is the minimum level for health for paints, what acrylic paint is, why it’s hard to find non-toxic paint, and more.
What low VOC vs zero VOC really means for glues, and more.
Everything about wood, formaldehyde in “wood,” why water-based stains, but oil-based finishes are better, and more.
Click on bolded statements below for links to research and more information.
Why aren’t you excited by GreenGuard GOLD and “non-toxic” finishes?
Because I see this used in crib marketing a lot, in place of true transparency. I get prickly about it for adult furniture, but even more so when it comes to furniture for babies. Not only are babies more vulnerable to exposures, but new moms can be overwhelmed by information when shopping for lots of new furniture and supplies.
GreenGuard GOLD means the crib will off-gas under a certain level, but there are many chemicals in paint, engineered wood, and glues that don’t off-gas, including PFAS, heavy metals, and solvents. I would much rather know what is in the cribs instead of letting a company decide it’s “non-toxic” by whatever their standards are, or as in two of the cribs above, by what their overseas manufacturer decides.
All that said, I think choosing one of the cribs with the GreenGuard + ”non-toxic” finish combination is MORE than OK, still far better than a high VOC standard one, and can still be part of an overall healthy nursery for your baby. It’s one part of a much larger, healthy context. My issue is with the lack of transparency by the manufacturers, and never with what you or anyone chooses.
How to Choose a Non-Toxic Crib
There are four parts of a crib to think about if you’re looking for a healthier one than standard:
Wood: many cribs are made with faux woods like MDF, engineered wood, or particleboard that contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Some will advertise being “TSCA compliant”, but this doesn’t mean zero formaldehyde, it is just the minimum legal amount. Be sure to look at both what the frame and the mattress support base are made of— I often see a solid wood frame surrounding an engineered wood base. That said! A bit of engineered wood can be a less expensive option. If you go with a crib made of faux wood with some amount of formaldehyde, you can buy it early and let it off-gas before your baby arrives.
Paints, finishes, and stains: it’s also important to consider what kind of paints, finishes, or stains are used on the wood, since babies and growing kids spend time touching and gnawing on the spindles. While GreenGuard GOLD paint and finishes are a step in the right direction, it simply means that they are low-VOC and good for air quality. It doesn’t take into account the other, non-smelly, harmful aspects of paints. Using bumper pads can always mitigate this problem, if you choose a crib with less-than-ideal paint. Or, an unfinished crib will give you total control over what finish to use.
Adhesives and wood glues: these are used to hold most cribs together. These are somewhat less of an issue because once off-gassed, they don’t come into direct hand or mouth contact with your baby. Still, look for water-based, zero-VOC options whenever possible, and favor companies that disclose what brand they use.
Mattress: some cribs are sold with an included mattress. I recommend choosing a crib that either comes with or will fit an organic crib mattress instead of one that includes a polyurethane foam option.
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