Feb

Eco-Friendly Cribs

— by Tiffany in Birth & Baby

The level of toxic chemicals in baby furniture is shocking. Sadly, most cribs on the market today are made of engineered woods like MDF and particleboard that contain formaldehyde and VOC-laden finishes. With newborns typically spending up to 16 hours a day sleeping, shopping for a safe crib is essential.

What Should You Look For?

Eco-friendly cribs can be found online and in major stores. When shopping for a crib, look for one that’s:

Made of solid hardwood like maple
Finished with non-toxic finishes
Held together with non-toxic glues

Styles to Meet Every Taste

Green doesn’t have to mean ugly unfinished wood swimming in beige. Today’s eco-friendly cribs come in a wide variety of styles to suit every taste and budget. Here are some of my favorites:

I love the sleek lines and ultra-bold color choices of the Caravan Crib from Kalon Studios. It’s available in 100% raw maple with black, red, yellow, blue or green rails.

OK, I have to say that it looks a little like a fish tank to me, but it’s still cool. The durable half-inch, BPA-free, phthalate free, 100% recyclable clear acrylic front on the Roh crib from Spot On Square gives your baby a true “room with a view.”

Love the Muu panel system! Customize the crib to suit your taste and easily change the panel out if you decide to update your décor. A magnet system securely holds each MuuPanel in place but allows it to be easily replaced in seconds; no tools necessary. First child a boy and second one a girl? Switch the panel instead of buying a new piece of furniture—another eco-friendly feature!

The podcot is a cozy cocoon-shaped crib that’s thoroughly modern and easily converts into a toddler bed. I love the unique rounded appearance.

The Duc Duc Cabana Crib. I remember dreaming of having my very own canopy bed when I was a little girl. Why not start your little one off right with this dreamy canopy crib?

The Dakota collection is the first Graco baby furniture to be eco friendly. Selling at stores such as Wal-Mart and Target, it’s also one of the first green cribs that’s truly affordable.

Celery’s Lullaboo line of furniture includes this crib made from bamboo and low-VOC paint and finishes. It has adjustable supports that extend the sleeping platform as your baby grow. You can even swap out one of the end panels for a chalkboard. How clever is that?

The Solare crib from Q Collection is made of 100% locally-sourced solid ash and bentwood construction. Handmade in the USA, it was selected by treehugger.com as their “dark green” selection for new parents. My favorite part—the built in mobiles at each end.

See related article: Eco Friendly Highchairs

A Guest Post by Sheila Sundberg, one of the owners of StylishHome.com

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

3 Comments

Andi

My kids are using my old crib, which was also my mother’s crib. So it’s a good sixty-four years old. People are always like, “oh no! The slats aren’t close enough! It’s so old! It’s not safe!” But it’s been through my mother, me, my two kids and 17 foster children and we’re all fine. And parts of it haven’t broken off, like my friends’ kids’ cribs did after a couple years.

I love my old, sturdy, solid crib and intend to pass it on to my grandkids. But those new ones you posted above are super cute. It’s definitely worth the $ to buy a sturdy, high quality crib. They’re not meant to be disposable. You can pass them along.
Lindsey

What about the pack n’ plays?? Are they also full of toxic chemicals?
Jennifer M.

We purchased our son a Romina crib from a local store.
http://www.rominakidsfurniture.com/

It’s eco and kid friendly. I am very happy with all the reviews we read about the company. When we received the crib, we were more than pleased with the quality. Most importantly for us, it converts to a toddler bed and adult bed. This was a small price to pay for a safe, eco-friendly piece he will have for life.