The BEST Natural & Non-Toxic Soft Toys
It's time to stop giving our kids polyester (aka plastic!) soft toys...
Welcome to my first Substack article - I’m so happy you’re here!
I’ve felt a pressing urge to bring this to people’s attention for a while now, so my hope is that you’ll find what I’m about to share useful.
I also figured with Christmas fast approaching and everyone starting to think about gifts, especially for children, it would be a good idea to just get this out there! So here goes…
It’s time to stop giving babies soft toys.
Here’s why…
Soft Toys and Polyester - The Dangers of Synthetic Soft Toys
The majority of soft toys on the market are made from polyester, a plastic that easily sheds plastic microfibres and is highly flammable which means it often contains chemical flame retardants amongst other harmful toxins.
These microfibres and chemicals can harm developing endocrine systems in infants through exposure.
A 2020 study from the Endocrine Society found that microplastics interfere with normal endocrine function.
Not to mention the fact that microplastics are terrible for the environment.
The Dangers of Synthetic Soft Toys
Hand-to-Mouth Behavior: Babies explore the world by putting objects in their mouths, increasing microplastic ingestion when those items are made from plastic (especially synthetic soft toys)
More Plastic Exposure: From birth, babies are surrounded by plastics - in their clothes, toys, and even furniture. Studies even show higher microplastic levels in kids' bedrooms, highlighting the pervasive exposure of plastics in our homes, especially for children.
Developing Systems: Babies' developing immune and digestive systems are more vulnerable to toxins and studies show that babies have 15 times more microplastics in their bodies than adults. 🤯
So, that adorable, fluffy bunny rabbit lovingly tucked under your child’s arm every night (the one they like to snuggle their face into and suck or chew on) will be shedding plastic microfibres both into the air they breathe and swallowed into their bodies.
Don’t hate me...I'm just the messenger!
Hate the guys making these cute, plush cuddly toys from polyester and other synthetic fibres in the first place, labelling them as “suitable from birth” and not informing you about the risks of microplastics exposure for your family.
So what should you look for when choosing a fluffy friend for your little ones?
Safe and Natural Alternatives
Look for natural and organic materials as much as possible. And that includes the inside stuffing too! Remember that ‘recycled’ polyester is just as bad for our health as virgin polyester and in some studies recycled polyester has been shown to be much worse in terms of how toxic it is! So keep it natural, inside and out!
I'm In A Hurry, Can I Get The Links?
Of course! If you’re pressed for time and just want the links for the best organic and natural soft toys, then here you go!
(some links are affiliate links - which means I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. I ONLY feature products I love and know you will too!)
The Benefits of Natural Materials
Choosing organic and natural materials can significantly reduce your baby’s exposure to harmful chemicals and plastic microfibres. Here are some good ones to look out for.
Organic Cotton: Cotton grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers. Hypoallergenic and chemical-free, perfect for sensitive skin.
Wool: Naturally flame-retardant and regulates temperature. Biodegradable and resistant to mould and dust mites
Linen: Durable, antibacterial, and breathable.
Hemp: Naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic, making it safe for sensitive skin.
Bamboo: Soft, hypoallergenic and naturally antibacterial.
Natural Rubber: Natural, biodegradable and safe for babies to chew on. Make sure it is nitrosamine free.
Corn PLA (Polylactic Acid): Made from fermented corn starch. Biodegradable and free from harmful chemicals
Kapok: Made from fibres from the seed pods of the kapok tree. Naturally hypoallergenic, lightweight, biodegradable and sustainably harvested without harming the trees, making it an eco-friendly choice for soft toy fillings. It's also resistant to mould and mildew, providing a safe and healthy option for children.
GOTS Certification
If possible, look for GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certification too. It ensures that textiles are made with organic fibres and meet strict environmental and social criteria throughout the entire production process. GOTS guarantees that products are truly organic, free from harmful chemicals, and produced under fair labour conditions, promoting sustainability and transparency.
The Best Organic and Natural Soft Toys
Senger Naturwelt
Allow me to introduce you to some friends of ours: Goose, Ted, Puppy and Ellie. Goose is perhaps the most prominent character of all of our son's soft toys - he is gentle, kind and funny... if I do say so myself (I’m the voice of Goose most days and feel like I'm channeling a whole new personality!).
All Senger Naturwelt animal soft toys are 100% natural and made in Germany. The velvety fur is hand-woven from pure organic cotton, and they are stuffed with natural sheep’s wool. Some toys include a removable pad filled with organic spelt chaff, grape seeds, or cherry stones, which can be warmed in an oven to provide gentle warmth for cuddling.
Etsy
Etsy is a fantastic place to find organic and natural soft toys. It is a great way to support small businesses and creatives and often materials, such as the stuffing, can be swapped out upon request.
We have two waldorf-style dolls (Jessie and JoJo pictured above), both found on Etsy. They’re handmade from 100% natural materials; organic cotton on the outside and stuffed with real sheep wool inside whilst their hair is a mix of alpaca and merino wool. We love them and they are such good quality!
We also found Dina, the organic dinosaur soft toy on Etsy too. Dina is made from velvety soft organic cotton plush on the outside and stuffed with organic wool inside. The maker offers a wide variety of organic stuffed animal toys to choose from, including dinosaurs, koalas, unicorns, giraffes, dolls and many more! Find them all here.
We’ve had Dina for a few years now and my son went through a phase of bending, stretching and twisting his neck which has actually held up surprisingly well but is now a little floppy.
Pure Earth Collection
Pure Earth collection makes award winning plastic-free and organic products for babies and kids such as non-toxic tree-foam and cork playmats, organic blackout blinds, organic and plastic-free swimwear and…organic sensory soft toys for babies.
For the outer material they use GOTS certified organic cotton plush with a biodegradable bamboo filling. The crinkle paper and rattle inside are made from recycled plastic - something to keep in mind, but crucially not in contact with your baby and will not shed plastic microfibres.
They also come with a loop to attach to buggies! I’ve been told that they are currently working on growing the collection to include an organic teddy bear so watch this space!
Little Green Radicals
Best known for their organic clothing for babies and kids, Little Green Radicals have expanded their collection to include organic and plastic-free soft toys as part of their journey to reduce waste.
Each organic soft toy is made from organic cotton plush on the outside and stuffed with organic cotton fabric offcuts from their clothing production on the inside to make an all natural and organic filling that is soft and squishy. They are suitable from birth and machine washable at 30 degrees celsius.
Mini&Thini
Mini & Thini make beautiful handmade products for babies and children from their studio in Soho, London.Everything is kept as local as possible, supporting artisans and companies within the United Kingdom whilst sourcing nearly all materials from within the UK.
With the love for natural products Mini & Thini believe little ones deserve the gentlest and safest materials, free from harmful chemicals and toxins while incorporating sensory elements to foster their developmental growth in a safe and natural environment using play. Most products are made from organic cotton with cotton or wool stuffing using organic and natural dyes.
Wooly Organic
Bear, as he’s known around our house, is made by Wooly Organic who use velvety soft GOTS certified organic cotton for the outside of their toys and Oeko-Tex 100 certified corn fibre filling that has been tested free from the top 100 pesticides and harmful chemicals inside.
Now corn fibre PLA (polylactic acid) filling is technically a type of polyester however it is made by extracting corn starch and turning it into sugar which is then fermented.
Unlike petroleum based plastic, corn fibre PLA is an annually renewable resource which is biodegradable, naturally hypoallergenic, antibacterial and machine washable. Which means no harmful microplastics around your child!
(get 15% off with my link)
Under The Nile
Under The Nile has a rather wide range of soft toys including teddies, dolls and, animals and even organic fruit and vegetable stuffies all made with 100% organic cotton inside and out.
Under the Nile is one of a handful of companies that go beyond organic as all of their cotton farms are certified biodynamic to the Demeter international biodynamic standard. And they’re Fairtrade certified too!
(get 15% off with my link)
Bears For Humanity
Bears for Humanity's mission is to create safe, eco-friendly organic products, protect the environment, provide fair trade jobs, and support causes for children, animals, and the environment. When you buy a teddy bear, they donate one to a child in need.
Their soft toys, teddies, plushies, and apparel are handmade from 100% certified organic cotton, filled with organic corn PLA, and dyed with certified organic dyes. All materials are organic, non-toxic, and GMO-free. Instead of bead eyes, their plushies have stitched eyes, ensuring safety for all ages.
Nanchen
Nanchen produces high-quality, natural and organic toy dolls, rattles, and stuffed animals that have been lovingly handmade in Germany for over 30 years using organic cotton, plant-dyed silk and sheep's wool for the stuffing. Their adorable faces are even hand-painted, making each doll truly unique.
Kallisto
Kallisto has a lovely collection of handmade natural and organic cuddly soft toys and teddies made from organic cotton plush and stuffed with organic sheep wool. The majority of their toy animals are made of organic cotton and mohair and filled with sheeps wool.
Apple Park
Apple Park creates charming plush toys crafted from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and dyed with eco-friendly, OEKO-TEX 100 toxin-free dyes, ensuring safety and sustainability. Their organic stuffed toys are filled with hypoallergenic corn-PLA fibre, derived from cornstarch free from GMOs and synthetic chemicals throughout the growing, processing, and dyeing of fabrics.
Sigikids Green Collection
Whilst not all Sigikid toys are made from natural materials, their Sigikid Green Collection is, using materials such as organic cotton with lambswool stuffing.
They have a good selection of organic stuffed animal friends to cuddle up to, from the usual teddies and bunnies to more unique dragons, giraffes, crocodiles and alpacas to name a few.
MyuMs
MyuMs make handmade crochet fruits and vegetable soft toys from 100% organic cotton inside and out. You’ll find cherries, apples, pears, carrots, leeks, turnips and many more, perfect for little mouths to chew on! And they’re all machine washable.
A Note On Washing Soft Toys With Wool 🧺
Whilst wonderfully natural, wool can shrink easily if not cared for properly so avoid washing any soft toys containing wool (check the stuffing!) in hot temperatures and avoid lots of agitation - both will felt the wool, meaning it tightens and shrinks and you’ll have one very floppy soft toy on your hands.
It’s generally best to follow the manufacturer's washing instructions as much as possible and if in doubt, handwash your wool soft toys using a gentle liquid wool soap in a basin or use the wool/gentle setting on your machine.
I like to make washing our soft toys a fun thing to do together!
Happy cuddling folks!
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My Book: Six Week To Zero Waste
Further Reading 📚
https://ipen.org/site/plastics-pose-threat-human-health#media
https://ipen.org/sites/default/files/documents/edc_brief_2020_v1_1a-en.pdf
https://www.earthday.org/babies-vs-plastics-what-every-parent-should-know/
https://www.earthday.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/BVP-Report.pdf
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GreenpeaceUSA_ForeverToxic_ENG.pdf
https://www.earthday.org/plastic-is-not-healthy-for-children-and-other-living-things/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210222124552.htm
https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/features/microplastics-in-our-homes
https://www.dezeen.com/2023/05/26/recycled-plastics-greenpeace-report/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9611505
https://www.thenewlede.org/2023/11/plastics-pose-broad-health-risks-for-babies-report-reveals/
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2023/sweat-leaches-flame-retardant-chemicals-from-microplastics
https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2023/nov/02/workout-clothes-sweat-chemicals-cancer