The Best Organic Crib Bedding
While writing this, I am currently pregnant with our second baby and expecting their arrival at the end of the summer. While I feel a bit more prepared the second time around, there is always a bit of overwhelm when I start looking into baby products.
Let me ease your mind- babies really do not need that much. At all.
What they do need is lots of love, a full belly, and a warm place to sleep. This post will dive into my favorite non-toxic baby sleep products to help make your decision making a little bit easier and save a lot of time!
Related Reads:
My Non-toxic and Minimalist Baby Registry
My philosophy on baby products…
I have every intention of being very minimalistic when it comes to baby products. All of the marketing done towards parents about all the things you “need” for your new baby is actually ridiculous and so overwhelming with all the different options! But I also value convenience and am happy to invest in items that are truly worth it.
We also chose to prioritize natural materials as much as possible, primarily cotton because it is so soft against baby's skin. Conventional cotton is one of the highest crops for use of pesticides, so this was something we wanted to make sure was certified organic cotton.
My other requirement when buying baby items is longevity. When we had our first child there were certain things we spent more money on to make sure that we were buying quality and that were going to last through our future children. We also did not find out gender until she was born, so that meant everything we bought was gender neutral initially!
Now that we are expecting our second baby, i am so glad we did this. We are avoiding so much waste, saving money, and it is making preparing for another baby so much easier.
Best Baby Cribs
We purchased the Babyletto Hudson 3-in-1 crib in the natural color and honestly have loved it. There are multiple mattress heights for when your baby is teeny tiny to lower, when they are more mobile. Then you can drop one of the rails and use it as a toddler bed, or a daybed when your baby is older!
We now use it in the toddler setting for my 2 year old and it is so sturdy and easy to convert between different stages!
This crib is also Greenguard Gold Certified which means it has undergone rigorous testing for over 10,000 chemical emissions and VOCs. The other colors do not carry this certification, but they are still considered overall a “cleaner” brand for baby products.
Non-toxic Baby Crib Mattress
Naturepedic has been my absolute favorite brand for mattresses and bedding! We purchased their classic organic cotton crib mattress and have been really impressed with how high quality it is and their exceptional customer service. I think they are one of the best brands on the market today for safe baby and toddler bedding!
Not only is it made without any toxic chemicals and made from GOTS (global organic textile standard) organic cotton, but it has an organic sugarcane coating that makes it waterproof and easy to wipe down! The SEAMS are even waterproof. That is literally unheard of with other conventional baby mattresses! It also has two sides- one that is firmer for infants and then you can flip it over for a softer side when your little one is a toddler.
Our daughter ended up sleeping on her stomach a lot while she was little so I think we are going to be purchasing the Naturepedic Organic Breathable Ultra Baby Crib Mattress this time around just for added peace of mind.
With the Ultra Breathable Mattress it comes with a removable cover made of breathable fabric that is fully washable so I am thinking you can get away without having sheets on it? The inner mattress is also breathable and still has the awesome wipeable coating that I loved from the first mattress we purchased from them, so I’m thinking this will have the best of both worlds!
Best Organic Cotton Sheets
Naturepedic also has organic sateen baby crib sheets but to be honest- I don’t love satin/silk textures so didn't think I would love silk crib sheets. They have great reviews online, so if that’s your thing check em out!
We ended up buying the Burt’s Bees Baby organic cotton fitted sheet off of amazon and they have been the best crib sheets. They have a soft feel, are affordable, and come in so many adorable patterns! They have also held up really well with washing over the last couple of years.
Make sure that when you are washing organic cotton, you are following these steps to make sure you aren't shortening their lifespan:
avoid hot water, instead wash in cold water
wash the sheets on their own in the washing machine to prevent pilling from other fabrics
while they are machine washable, wash on gentle or delicate cycle
If you need stain remover I love this non-toxic option off of amazon!
preferably air dry your cotton sheets, but if that isn't an option, tumble dry on the lowest temperature setting your dryer has
organic sheets often do not come pre-shunk and for baby bedding we want a fitted crib sheet. Oftentimes washing before use will tighten up the fabric and make it a little more of a secure fit!
Magnolia Organic Sheets are also a great choice for organic baby sheets. They come in different colors, have GOTS certification, and use non- toxic dyes without any heavy metals. They are all solid colors and don't have patterned options like Burt's Bees Baby, but Magnolia Organics similarly have amazing reviews on amazon.
Non-toxic Mattress Protector
If you end up with a crib mattress that is not wipeable like the Naturepedic ones are, you will definitely want to invest in a couple of high-quality mattress protectors without any harmful chemicals.
This will keep your mattress clean and dry when the inevitable diaper leak or blow out happens. This Naturepedic protector pad is my top pick!
We initially only had one for my daughter's mattress but quickly learned that it was much easier having two- one as a backup to throw on when the first is being washed!
Other Baby Sleep Products
Like I said at the beginning of the post, I really am a firm believer that baby's do not need as much as you are marketed to believe they do. You can easily place your crib in your room if purchasing another baby item isn't an option for you.
We had this smaller bassinet next to our bed in those early months and it was so convenient with how compact it was! We were given a second-hand Arm's Reach Co- Sleeper Bassinet from family and while it is not a non-toxic option it worked for us in those first few months. She only slept in there at night for a few months until we transitioned her out of it. I'm all about 80-20 and not stressing about everything being perfect.
The other thing we loved for sleep was a high-quality baby carrier. She often contact napped for the first 6 months of her life so having a way to carry her around while still being able to get stuff done, or go on a walk was a life saver! We have tried so many baby carriers and thees are our tried and true favorites:
Ergobaby Aerloom Carrier in Sand - one of the most versatile carriers. Not only is it great for the teeny tiny infant, but all the way up until your baby is 3! I love a good fabric carrier, but I appreciate this one being a little more structured and supportive.
Aura Baby Wrap- once you get the hang of this wrap it is so comfortable and lightweight. I love how portable these fabric wraps are and how easy they are to wash. Plus it comes in the prettiest colors and patterns!
Last but certainly not least we had a Snuggle Me Organic Baby Lounger that we loved. We purchased it second hand and then bought a couple of organic covers to use with it! When she wasn't being held during a nap, we would lay her in this nearby. It was so nice and portable and I loved being able to take it with us while we traveled or went over to family and friends houses!
Related Reads:
There you have it! All of my favorite brands and products for safe and healthy baby sleep. Because Lord knows- we want those babies sleeping as well as they can! 😉
-Kaelyn