Fast forward a year or so and our living room was brimming with beeping, flashing, talking plastic, most of which glistened with saliva from frequent visits to Felix’s curious mouth. While the majority of these eyesores were gifts, I’ll admit to buying more than a few battery-operated plastic diversions, generally with high hopes that they would entertain Felix long enough for me to pluck my eyebrows.
At this point, with Felix now 7 years old and Wolfie almost 3.5, I have admitted defeat in this battle–Legos, Transformers, Playmobile–there is more plastic in the boys’ room than there is air.
So while I’ve strayed pretty far from my prenatal principles in some ways, I did remain vigilant about the safety of those toys meant specifically for chewing: namely, teething toys. (I realize that some might call this a silly distinction. Even when he wasn’t cutting any teeth, Felix had a major oral fixation—an unsurprising fact considering I’m one of those people whose desk is littered with masticated pens, some of which may or may not be leaking more saliva than Sophie the Giraffe…but enough about me).
My Top Pick for Best Non-Toxic Teether The Hevea natural rubber teethers win here, since the panda teether was the only teether Wolfie ever liked!$9.99Buy Now
I’ve spent lots of time yanking cell phones, sponges, shoes, and chalk out of both my children’s mouths, so it was nice to have something I could encourage them to chew on when they were teething. While both of my boys’ teeth tended to come in without much drama, some of you probably have kids who experience real teething discomfort, and for you, safe teethers are a must.
Beware of…
- Teethers made in China. We have tons of Chinese-made stuff (85% of toys are produced there, so it’s hard to avoid), but painted Chinese teethers could contain lead, and plastic Chinese toys probably contain phthalates.
- Teethers made of PVC. Most of the teethers that can be chilled in the freezer are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic that is softened with phthalates.
- Plastic teethers of any kind. Even if they say BPA– and phthalate-free, plastic teethers may still be toxic–all plastic is probably hormone disrupting.
- Teething biscuits. I used to give these to Felix in an effort to chill him out in the car seat, but my pediatrician says they pose a choking hazard because they can snap in half in your baby’s mouth.
Instead of any of these above, you should look for teethers made of unpainted wood, 100% natural rubber, organic cotton, and silicone.
Another wooden teether we love is My Very Own Rattle (yes, it’s also a rattle), which has been made by hand in Vermont since 1979.
Unlike other wooden rattles, this one is made from one solid piece of wood (so does not contain any glue). There is no finish of any kind applied to the wood, just a unique, sanding and polishing process, so there is never a concern about what the baby is getting in his or her mouth beside pure, natural, non-toxic northern hardwood.
$25.99Buy Now
If you have a baby, you probably already have Sophie the Giraffe, the ubiquitous and overpriced French squeaky toy that doubles as a non-toxic teether. You can find Sophie almost anywhere, where you’ll shell out almost $25 for her, leaving you surprised and disappointed if your little one doesn’t sit contentedly in the corner for the next week doing nothing but sucking on Sophie’s cute little face. I love that Sophie is old-school (she’s been around almost 50 years), rubber (painted with food-grade paint), and made in Europe instead of China. What I don’t love is that each of my boys had limited interest in her, for chewing or playing. Sophie is available everywhere, including Amazon. Sophie now has a bunch of friends made by the same manufacturer, Vulli. These are safe, too.
And what about the mold? I’m neither surprised nor worried that parents have found mold inside of Sophie. Here’s why.
.
$12.99Buy Now
I gave my nephew, Lincoln, this non-toxic teether after the company sent me a sample for review–he loved it! The co-founder of the company, Adam, is clearly committed to the safety of his products, insisting on manufacturing in the United States with only class 6 silicone. The top part of this teether is medical grade silicone, which is technically implantable in the human body, and the bottom is food grade silicone, which means it’s safe for oral contact. Both varieties are FDA approved as well as CE Mark approved (which is the European, Australian, and Canadian version of the FDA). For every batch of silicone Adam receives, he also gets a Certificate of Analysis confirming that its physical properties meet the standards. The ice cream and cone components of the toy are bonded together during the molding process, so no glues or chemical adhesives are ever used in production.
For now, you’ll need to buy the SweeTooth non-toxic teether on the company’s website, where you’ll pay $15 for one.
rubber teether—but avoid their “Chill It” variety, which is made of EVA (see “The Sneaky Stuff” tab).
You’ll pay around $15 for one of these Hevea pandas, and we offer them in our store!
$9.99Buy Now
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First Years floating teethers are made of PVC, which contains phthalates, among other issues.
Infantino teethers are made of PVC and contain chlorine and bromine (HealthyStuff.org ranks them as moderately concerning).
Felix loves his Eric Carle Crinkly Caterpillar, which has a sweet-smelling, nubby plastic tail perfect for soothing swollen gums. Unfortunately, I’ve recently learned that this toy contains detectable levels of antimony and bromine.
If, like mine, your kids aren’t that into gnawing on wood, rubber, or cloth, you might be tempted by the German-produced Natursutten Chill-it Teethers. These are made of the more appealing plastic-like ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). I am skeptical of its safety, despite being touted among natural lifestyle experts as being non-toxic (then again, so were Nalgene bottles a decade ago!). Vinyl acetate is a possible carcinogen, and as this is a component of EVA, I am going to say this teether should be avoided.
Another not so great thing about Natursutten teethers? There was a recall on these back in 2009 because some of the liquid inside them was contaminated with a bacteria that could potentially cause illness in children with immune system disorders, although I don’t think any kids actually got sick.
Note that I DO like Natursutten’s RUBBER pacifiers and teethers.
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Please help with baby bottle information ! Which breast milk collection bags, storage bottles, and feeding bottles are safe? I have some glass ones but what about the medela,latch, avent , dr. Brown brands? They all say PBA free but are still plastic ? Help Please
Hi Pat and I am really sorry for the delay! Unfortunately, there really is no good option in terms of breast milk collection bags. For bottles, anything glass, stainless steel, or silicone is better than anything plastic!
We use mason jars with the reusable white lids!
Would you consider the Kiinde breast milk storage pouches a "better" disposable type of collection bag? Their website says the pouch is made of low-density polyethylene (#4), and that they are BPA-free, pthalate-free, and PVC-free.
Thanks!
Yes, low density polyethylene appears to be a safer, non-leaching plastic option.
Just an update for you! The Honest Company's teether is actually made in China ("Designed in California. Responsibly made in China.")
I love the Camden Rose teethers for my twin girls as well as Italian-made NATURSUTTEN teether toys.
Thanks for the update and so sorry for my delayed response. I only now saw these comments! You are right about Natursutten--it is Good Stuff and should be added to this list.
I wonder if the Comotomo silicone teether is ok. I gave it as a gift to two friends' babies. It's made in Korea I believe.
Hi Georgia-
Yes I believe that one is okay:).
I founds some useful information on your website and thank you for it. However, a couple things I notice about it as a whole bother me. First, you all are not experts, according to your bios, thus your well worded, probably legally advised disclosure. That was smart. However, I followed up on some of the products that you categorize as "bad" or "sneaky stuff", through the USDA and other websites about certain ingredients, and find you are not wholly accurate in many of your statements. Despite all your research, there is a lot that you seem to assume about some products, you feel are all-out bad and sneaky for using certain ingredients you think will likely lead to killing off the human race. I know a lot of people who are quite healthy, and old, who have used the bad stuff you advise against for a long, long time. Granted there is some bad stuff out there, just not as scary - or as much as you claim. So you should not run down things other people have had no problem buying and using for years, in such a way like you know better because, again, why? I think you took up this form of blogging just to make money, and that is by no means bad, it is great, go for it. But do it right, just like you don't use "bad stuff" products, don't have "bad ads" which I see you leaning on, like the cheap and easy blogs - simply for ways of generating easy "passive income". It really discredits what you are trying to say. Linking to Amazon, is okay, but it is such a racket now, that I don't want to be a part of it anymore, there are other ways to shop online I would rather use. But what bugs me about your website, is that you give out all this advice but don't answer anyone's questions. Some nice people ask you reasonable and simple questions, and briefly, like in October, yet you never reply to them. I know a woman with an excellent blog who sells a product she makes, and who refuses to put cheap links in her sidebar as you are now doing, and she replies to all questions, except and wisely, ones that are not appropriate. Now she is smart, and has no education, but her blog is much more professional. I'm learning from her so much and from blogs like your about "what not to do". Lastly, organic products have such HIGH PRICES, especially the ones you promote, like Lotus futon mattresses. I have one so I know how much they cost: expensive. New parents, your blog is not really for, unless they work on Wall Street.
Hi Lyn-
You are right that we've been delayed in responding to our readers on some of these pages...the notifications of new comments have not been coming through and I just now am seeing all these comments! So getting back to everyone now.
Most of this stuff really is not that pricey. My husband and I make maybe slightly over 100k together and have never had an issue affording any of the things suggested so you don't need to work on Wall Street. That statement of yours is beyond ridiculous. I'd rather spend the money up front for a good product rather than spend very little money on a not so great product. You get what you pay for. This site merely makes suggestions and talks about their own experiences. No one says you have to do everything exactly like they did. Also, who doesn't shop on Amazon? With Amazon prime, I'm sure most people but apparently not yourself would rather order online rather than search for 10 hours in a store for one item.
To be fair organic stuff in general does tend to be pricier but as you said "you get what you pay" for. ideally more upfront means better quality so you'll save money in the long run on replacements, like with the organic mattresses for example. I don't think Lyn considered this when she posted, and she's also not considering Maia is not in charge of setting organic pricing, except in her own store of course. it really is a shame organic products cost more because everybody should have access to healthy things but there are a lot of factors at play there, that even I don't understand because I don't really know anything about economics.
furthermore, it really gets on my nerves when people do the whole " it doesn't affect me or so and so so it must be safe" thing. if you don't feel something's affecting you that's great but other people deserve to know if something could be harmful to their bodies so they can choose to limit their exposure if they want.
I wanted to add that I do think that this blog offers a lot of great options in a variety of price ranges. I actually found my new shampoo here-Hugo Naturals. it's just a little over $10 (ebay)and after experimenting with it a bit ( I dilute it with water to avoid residue) I think we have a keeper. :)
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What about Nuby Chewbies Silicone Teether and
Nuby Step 1 Silicone Teether
and
Bumkins Silicone Teether ?
Thanks!
All silicone teethers are basically okay, but I feel better about the wood, cotton, etc. options listed above. Thanks!
You listed infantino as bad stuff.
Does it include th infantino rubber teethers?
Just wondering if they got to your list because of the paint they use or they just didn't have rubber teethers back than when you wrote it and only their other than rubber ones are of a concern?
Thank you
They didn't make rubber teethers back then! I'll have to look into them when we update this guide!
Hello, we are manufactrer for natural Rubber teether.all the goods can stand in test of EN71-1,2,3 FDA and ASTM. our paint material is water color, so it is very safe for babies.
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So are any rubber teethers okay?
The short answer is yes, but you'd be best to look for American-made (rather than rubber from China).
the article about the nalgene is from 2008. do you have any recent findings?
REI sells nalgenes I doubt they still would if there were current issues.
thanks!
Nalgene still doesn't offer much info other than that their bottles are BPA free. I can't find anywhere that they address BPS or other plasticizers.
http://nalgene.com/materials/
What baby bottles would you recommend that are BPA, BPS & BPF free?
Anything that's glass or stainless steel is great. My personal favorite it this one:
https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/pura-kiki-insulated-bottle-with-nipple/
Thanks, not looking to use glass for the obvious reason that they break easily if dropped. Wondering what your thoughts are on Avent Natural bottles, BornFree Breeze, Comotomo bottles and newly designed Thinkbaby bottles that also claim to not only be BPA free but also BPS free.
Of these, only Comotomo is a good option in my opinion. The rest are just plastic, BPA/BPS free or not.
The philips avent glass bottles are very difficult to break!! I tried. I threw it onto concrete multiple times with a lot of force and it wouldn't break.
Check out "ThinkBaby" bottles.. I just discovered them, great stuff.. I think? lol