When it comes to decorating our kid's bedrooms, many of us know it's not just what is cute but also what is less toxic that matters! And if you don't know, a reality of living in the US is the lack of regulation on products for toxins and chemicals. Furniture, paint, and mattresses can all “off-gas” unwanted chemicals. Fabrics and materials can contain pesticides and other chemicals that are harmful to our health. Children and babies are the most susceptible populations to developing health issues due to toxins/chemical exposure.
The burden, unfortunately, falls on us to figure out what's safe and not and that's why I share all the research and resources that I do! I do the leg work so you can shop confidently. If you want to learn more about all the categories I cover below, I have an in-depth ebook that teaches you exactly what to look for and avoid for anything you are bringing into your home. It's a room-by-room guide to help you make your home a healthy space. If you are expecting or have children, I also have a non-toxic baby registry.
My approach to non-toxic living is a balanced one and that goes for little and big projects. For the boy's bedroom, we invested in bigger items that are better quality and while most things are non-toxic, I didn't obsess over every little thing. Within the non-toxic items, I waited for sales and shopped for the best-priced items that met my standards.
One certification I'll be mentioning throughout the post is GREENGUARD Gold Certification. This is one of the best certifications you can look for when shopping for furniture and mattresses. A GREENGUARD Certified product is tested for over 10,000 chemicals and VOC emissions. It meets strict standards of low emission levels to maintain indoor air quality. VOCs are Volatile Organic Compounds, and these are emissions from products. VOCs can be present in building materials, furniture, rugs, carpets, and even cleaning products. Exposure to VOCs can lead to adverse health reactions. Our children spend a large portion of the day in their bedroom so let's make it a healthy place for them to be.
Here are all the details on what's in their room!
MATTRESS & PROTECTOR
For the mattresses, we bought them separately at different times. Happsy and Brentwood Home are both really well-priced for non-toxic mattresses. Happy is organic and Brentwood Home is GREENGUARD Gold certified. We have the Juniper Kids Mattress from Brentwood and the Organic Twin from Happsy. I think both are really comfortable.
A waterproof mattress protector is an important step a lot of people miss. A mattress protector helps extend the life of your mattress and keep it clean. They help keep out dirt, protect from stains and liquid, and keep bacteria from getting into your mattress. Many are made with vinyl, PVC, and contain phthalates(plastic), all materials and chemicals you want to avoid. We have the Happsy Mattress Protectors and it's worked well.
BEDDING & PILLOW
Organic bedding and pillows are widely available now at most big retailers including Amazon, Target, Nordstrom, Home Goods, Pottery Barn etc. As I mention below, if it's a random brand just make sure they are GOTS certified and that they have good reviews for quality.
For sheets I will say, all organic sheets are not created equal. We got low thread count Coyuchi sheets for our bed and they felt like sandpaper. Check the website for reviews to see what other buyers say about the feel of them. I got the boy's organic sheets at Pottery Barn but we also have some from Target that are pretty soft too! We have organic flannel sheets from Under the Canopy as well.
For blankets, I love the one I got for them from Under The Canopy. It is so soft. This brand in general is great and they do go on sale. Other recommended brands are Coyuchi, Savvy Rest, Pact, Sol Organics.
For their comforter, I looked at a lot of comforters. I of course wanted organic but decided to get a more affordable option and got these "regular" Jersey Comforters from Target. I'm not as worried about a comforter as I am about getting a non-toxic mattress.
For pillows, we went with kids Organic Latex Naturepedic pillows that are adjustable meaning you can take filling out of them. I love this feature since little kids need smaller pillows for better neck and spine alignment. We also have this Organic Toddler Pillow from Amazon. Other pillow brands that are good are Avocado, Happsy, and Naturally Nestled.
FURNITURE
For furniture, we bought what we could that's better quality keeping the price in mind. Solid wood is automatically healthier because fewer glues and adhesives are needed. Composite wood is a cheaper option and it's many pieces of wood glued together. These glues used can be full of chemicals. In addition to solid wood, ideal quality is items made with zero/low VOC finishes, oils, and paints. In a perfect world, I'd only have GREENGUARD Gold certified products in our home and one day I hope to get there.
We chose a low bunk bed from Amazon by Max & Lily. At $439 it's really well-priced for a bunk bed that's made with non-toxic materials. We are happy with it and it's held up well so far. I would not recommend a low bunk bed unless you have low ceilings as we do. I often accidentally hit my head if I'm in the bottom bunk.
Our bookcase is this GREENGUARD Gold certified one from Pottery Barn. It's great quality and 7 years later is in great shape.
When we needed a new dresser, I really wanted to splurge and get an adorable GREENGUARD Gold one from West Elm. Unfortunately, it was $1,200 and I couldn't justify it. I looked for a while on Facebook marketplace and other resale apps to see if I could get something GREENGUARD but had no luck. We were pressed for time so we got this one from Living Spaces. I thought it was solid wood then recently saw that it also contains MDF. MDF is “medium-density fiberboard" which is recycled pieces of wood glued together. The adhesive used can contain formaldehyde : (. I open the window in their room daily and run the air purifier but in hindsight, I would get something solid wood only.
Other brands that make high-quality furniture for kids are Babyletto, Ouef, Stokke, Green Cradle, Room & Board, Namesake, Nico & Yeye, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Crate & Barrel (as long as they are GreenGuard certified).
CARPET & RUGS We don't have a rug but if you would like one for a bedroom here is what I would look for as rugs are one of those products that can hide a surprising amount of chemicals and materials you want to avoid. Look for a rug made with natural fibers. No flame retardants or stain-resistant chemicals used. Look for cotton, wool, hemp, sisal or jute. Great brands that make kid rugs are Lorena Canals, Nico & Yeye, Ruggish
If you are able to install a new wall-to-wall carpet, wool is a great option. Carpets are a common source of VOC's so look for flame-retardant-free and one that uses natural latex. Green Label Plus is a good certification to look for. Good brand options are Earth Weave and Nature's Carpet. Green Building Supply carries a large selection of better carpets.
PAINT
Paint is an important item to prioritize better quality. Paint is a big source of VOCs"s and paint can off-gas for over 3 1/2 years after application. When we painted the bedroom eight years ago, we used Behr Zero VOC which was the best option then. I still think it's a great option. Now, there are a lot of great safer brands available, and the next time we need to paint I'll use Ecos or Clare.
DECOR
Natural materials are always going to be a great option. The Tot and Made Trade, both have a lot of low-tox cute decor items. Etsy is a great place to look as well.
As you can see in the video below, I still have some decorating to do. I'm incredibly indecisive and don't enjoy decorating so one day I'll get to it. It's really just for me anyway since we know the boys don't care!
FAVORITE WEBSITES TO SHOP
The Tot, Pottery Barn Kids, Crate & Barrel, and West Elm Kids all have a huge selection of low-tox items and in general, their products are very well made as well so they will last a long time. The Tot has everything you need for a bedroom and it's all low-tox!
OTHER LOW-TOX TIPS
-Only use non-toxic cleaning products. My favorites are Branch Basics and Force of Nature
-Skip wifi devics and even bluetooth devices as they do emit radiation as well
-Unplug electronics when not in use
-If you want a baby monitor, look for analog or audio-only monitors. Better brand options are Infant Optics and Bebcare. Hard-wired is a great option too
-Open windows daily to circulate air
-Less is more. Fewer items in the room mean less dust forming. Dust can harbor chemicals and VOC's that are off-gassed from furniture, rugs, and even electronics
-Keep it shoe free. Shoes drag in all sorts of bacteria and yucky chemicals
-Run an air purifier regularly. My favorite is AirDoctor Pro