I get a lot of e-mails from people asking what I recommend for baby wash, diaper wipes, toddler plates, bibs, bottles, etc. A number of my favorite products can be found under "Links," but I thought I'd draw up a list this morning of infant products that I consider the safest and most effective on the market. Just a note: I have absolutely no connection to any of the companies mentioned here. I do not accept advertisements on my site (the ones that appear are affiliate-based and of my own choosing) and I do not accept free samples, with the exception of a few Green to Grow nipples that I tested for the company about eight months ago.
Bottles
Born Free bottles are by far the best bottles we've tried. Among the first BPA-free bottles (if not the first), Born Frees are also extremely well designed. It is made up of four different pieces, including a flow regulator valve that modulates flow from the nipple in what has proven for us to be the perfect flow rate. My son was breastfed until he was eleven months old, and for those days when Mom had to run out to do a chore while Grandma watched him, these worked beautifully. We tried Medela's bottles (I used the Medela electronic breast pump, which was amazing), Soothies (before we knew they contained BPA), and Green to Grow bottles, which are another BPA-free brand and manufactured by a wonderful and conscientious company. Green to Grow's flow rate was just too fast for my son; I've heard similar complaints from other parents, but I am told that the Born Free flow valve fits into the neck of the attractive Green to Grow bottles. I wasn't able to do this myself.
Diaper Wipes
Seventh Generation chlorine-free diaper wipes were hands down the best, and not just because they don't contain parabens and alcohol. They were simply more effective at wiping up messes. I tried Pamper's "Sensitive" wipes for a while, noting they were paraben-free and also noting that the company claimed they were also "alcohol-free," which is not true. They were too slippery, almost soapy. For us, Seventh Generation chlorine-free diaper wipes were the best. I recently tried out Earth Best's new chlorine-free diaper wipes, and also like them. My only complaint is in the design of the EB dispenser itself, which makes it a little difficult to pull a wipe free as you are grasping your baby's ankles in your other hand. Earth's Best diaper wipes are now available at Babies R Us, as are Seventh Generation products.
Baby Wash
For a while, I was planting notes at various Targets in the Johnson & Johnson baby products section that read "These products contain parabens." But judging from my local Target, I wonder if parents are taking it upon themselves to buy safer baby products. The J&J shelf is always full; the California Baby and Burt's Bees sections are always empty or close to empty. Anyway, my choice for safest and most effective baby wash is Burt's Bee's baby wash. It is free from nasty ingredients and utilizes coconut oil. It does not contain parabens, phthalates, or even Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). The latter is most impressive to me because even "natural" or "nontoxic" products usually contain this (Method, for example, contains this in its handwash). Another company I love is Serendipity Soap Co.. Run by two moms in Colorado, these handmade soaps are also free from phthalates, parabens, SLS, etc. That's because these moms make the soap the old-fashioned way, and they do it late at night, after their kids have gone to sleep, in big pots on their stoves. They have a whole line of soaps made especially for baby, as well as soaps for adults. One note about California Baby. We used their sensitive baby wash for a while, but my son developed a really nasty case of eczema. We stopped using it and the eczema went away. We phased the wash in again, and the eczema returned. I share this anecdote just to let you know that even nontoxic products have the potential to aggravate skin, because we can be sensitive to natural ingredients as well.
Baby Food
For me, the best organic baby food was, hands down, Earth's Best. Widely available (even available at Target) and featuring a wide variety of flavors, this product was a lifesaver. The co-ops and Whole Foods stores usually carry a wider variety than the big box stores, and I've found that at Whole Foods, at least, the price is surprisingly competitive--likely because they buy in bulk. Another plus is that the food is packaged in small glass containers. Gerber's is now offering organic fare, but their product is packaged in plastic containers. I also made some baby food along the way, utilizing a food mill, but my son much preferred his Earth's Best. I tried not to take it personally.
Sippy Cups and Baby Bowls
This is actually a recent find. On that trip to Babies R' Us, I was delighed to find Boon products. First we bought Hudson a Boon Sippy Cup, which is BPA-free. It requires a great deal of suction from the baby, but its design is so irresistable, to my son, at least, that he doesn't mind. But keep in mind that the flow is quite restricted. I love this element because nothing my son does with it can induce it to spill. He even holds it upside down and shakes it, and it is still unspillable. Sweet. We also tried out Avent's BPA-free Magic Cup sippy cup, and so far that one is working out okay as well. We bought the Safe Sippy but that didn't work out too well for us, because of the amount of suction required. We're going to give it another try, though, in about six months. The Boon Interlocking Plate and Bowl Set is also BPA-free and our favorite.
Crib Mattress
This one is easy. No-Compromise Crib Mattress. This one is widely available; I recently bought one as a baby gift for my sister-in-law off Amazon. They are PVC/vinyl-free, utilizing polyethylene instead (food-grade). They do not contain noxious fire retardants found in most crib mattress; instead the compay uses a fire protection system (detailed in exhaustive detail on the website) that is free from those possibly carcinogenic toxins. This is an expensive mattress. There is no question about that. But for me, it was what I splurged on because it gave me peace of mind. Maybe I didn't get that ridiculously expensive diaper bag, and I guess I didn't buy all the wall decorations and nursery accessories that I might have otherwise. But this mattress was, to me, far more important than any of those other nursery furnishings. One note: I noticed at Babies R Us that Serta is selling a "safe" baby mattress. I'm glad large companies are taking note of the dangers of polyurethane foam mattresses; but be sure to read the fine print and note if these companies are still dousing their mattresses in fire retardant.
Cribs
When our son was born, we went to Babies R Us online and ordered one of those cherry wood-looking cribs, a la Pottery Barn. I was seduced by making the nursery look "cute" and "stylish", even though my son ended up sleeping in our bed for the first 9 months of his life, and later, in a crib in our room. (He's finally sleeping in his own room.) We ended up breaking this crib because we tried to move it. I am thankful for that, because even though I had sealed the particleboard mattress platform with SafeSeal (something I recommend to anyone who has exposed particleboard in his or her home), it was not a good crib. We happened upon Dax Stores, which is a retailer of the vaunted Pacific Rim crib but also a limited number of other totally nontoxic, particle-board free cribs. We chose the unassuming Alpha crib in natural finish. I don't know the VOC count of the stain they use, though they claim it is "nontoxic", so I can't recommend getting it stained. But the Alpha crib has been a godsend. It's a very attractive crib (something that is difficult to tell from the picture on the website; the crib dressing is very unflattering) and the mattress platform is not made from particleboard but is instead wire mesh. The Pacific Rim crib, which Dax Stores sells, is the king of all nontoxic cribs. Hand-crafted, finished with nontoxic tung oil, it is also the most expensive nontoxic crib I've seen. It is made with solid, sustainably-harvested wood. At Dax Stores, shipping on orders over $100 is free.
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