Our Criteria
If you’re trying to figure out how to possibly choose everything for your baby and to make sure you’ve found items that are safe for your little one, you’ve come to the right place! On this registry you will only find items that we would use ourselves for our babies and let’s just say, being in the baby gear industry plus living a holistic life, we have very high standards and also know what to avoid. We have lasooed some of the best non-tox baby brands and also dropped some of the most popular brands who know how to trick you into thinking that they have the best product, only to find out their products aren’t exactly safe for your baby. The best part? We are here for you! If you have questions about anything, drop us an email at registry@modernnursery.com and you will hear directly from me!
Our favorite baby registry platform is Babylist because you can add a link from literally any online store onto your registry and you aren’t bound to only one retailer such as Amazon, Target, or Crate and Barrel. Keep in mind that if you add items that Babylist sells and they go out of stock of that item, your family and friends will just see that the item is unpurchasable. So we choose to use them as a platform for hosting the registry but don’t actually link to items that they sell from Babylist.
Every item on our site has a nifty little “Add to Babylist” button right below the “add to cart” so that you can click that and link it right to your Babylist registry. Make sure that you have already selected the exact color or style of the item you want, so the right version is added to your registry. Make sure that no matter what site you add items to your registry from, that you always go back to your registry and double check quantities and colors/styles.
Baby Gear
The most important criteria here are making sure that yucky chemicals aren’t finding their way into your baby gear and it’s made with the best materials possible. All selections are 100% fire/flame retardant free and when possible, at least OEKO-TEX certified or ideally GOTS/GOLS certified organic. We’ve found what we feel is the best balance between form/safety vs function to bring you gear that not only works well but is safe for your kiddo.
Car Seat
The car seat is one of the most important investments for your baby, and arguably really the only thing you “need” in order to bring baby home from the hospital or if having a home birth, to take them out anywhere! Please make sure the car seat you purchase is 100% Fire/Flame retardant free, on the inside and outside. FRs are linked to SIDS, cancer, hormone disruption, ADHD and other health issues. Some companies will mention that the “textiles” are FR-Free but don’t openly disclose that there are still FRs in the foam. Every car seat (and every item on our entire site) is FR-Free and something we are very passionate about. Manufacturers can use natural materials such as wool to achieve the same level of fire retardation without using toxic chemicals. If you want to learn more about FRs, read our blog post: What are Fire Retardants?
Next, you’ll need to decide whether you want to start out with a convertible car seat or an infant car seat. Here’s an Instagram reel comparing the two.
No one makes a car seat like Nuna. In this industry, they are known as the top (safe and non-toxic too) car seat manufacturers and they also have really great features. My favorite infant car seat is the Nuna Pipa Series. Here is a comparison chart to choose which one would work best for you. I do really like the models with the RELX base as it’s super easy to install and nice that it has varying degrees of recline, depending on size of baby. My favorite convertible car seats are Nuna Rava and the Nuna Exec. Here’s a Rava vs. Exec comparison video explaining the major differences. Both are usable from birth!
Stroller
When it comes to strollers, UPPAbaby is a clear leader. There’s a reason why everywhere you look, you may see Vista strollers. They are really that good! We started our parenthood journey with one, and were so grateful to have a convertible stroller so when we welcomed our second baby, it was able to easily convert from one kid to two! Here's an Instagram reel showing all the functions. The optional Bassinet which clicks into the stroller for strolls with your newborn also can be used in your home either for nighttime sleep or for daytime naps. We had the Bassinet Stand set up in our family room and it was the perfect place to set up the bassinet. Here's an Instagram reel showing how that works. The one thing I felt the Vista was missing was an Organic Cotton Washable Seat Liner, so we had one made and are thrilled with the result! Here's how it works.
Baby Carrier
I always recommend a wrap style baby carrier for when baby is really tiny. Not only does baby feel most like they are back in the womb and seem to be really comfy, but I find this to be hands down the most comfortable way to babywear. The extra weight feels like an extension of yourself (sort of like pregnancy), as opposed to something hanging off of you (like a heavy backpack). Our Organic Cotton Baby Wrap was designed specifically for this reason and is one of the only carriers out there made with 100% GOTS certified cotton and no synthetics.
For a more structured baby carrier or moments where baby needs a quick in and out, our personal favorites are the Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier Mini (for babies up to 1 year) and the CUDL CLIK Carrier. The CUDL CLIK can be worn from birth all the way up to 3 years, front or back carry. You can see the Mini Baby Carrier in action!
Jumpers/Bouncers
We do not recommend jumpers or exersaucers or anything that contains a baby and allows them to put weight on their feet before they are ready to stand on their own. If a baby cannot stand yet, it’s because their little bodies are still developing and these toys/containers put unnecessary strain on their joints and bodies. We do understand that sometimes babies need a lounger or bouncer for 10-15 min increments while you regain your sanity or take a much needed shower! For situations like this, we recommend the Organic Baby Bouncer or Levo Rocker. Both our babies loved the optional arch or toy bar that can attach.
Travel Crib
The Sena Aire is 100% FR-Free and PFAS free and super easy to set up. It comes with a bassinet higher position shown in this reel or you can remove the bassinet to use the mattress at the lower setting for older babies. Some parents even choose to use this as the bassinet at home instead of investing in a separate bassinet. If you’re looking for something super lightweight, the Travel Crib Light is super portable. It does not have a bassinet position so if that’s important to you, go with the Nuna Sena Aire.
Diapering
If you know us by now, you might already know that we are giant fans of cloth diapering, so you will always find the best organic cloth diapers on our list. With that said, there’s a time and place for cloth diapering and sometimes you need a disposable option! We’ve got you covered!
Cotton beats out anything synthetic so you will see a running theme here of diapering materials made with real cotton, unbleached pulp and ideally OEKO-TEX certified. When it comes to disposable wipes, try to avoid options that contain citric acid, sodium benzoate, any fragrances or grapefruit seed extract.
If you’re on the fence about cloth diapering, you can start out with a Try It Kit to dip your feet in and see how it goes. Even just using the 3 cloth diapers per day, or over the weekend, can make a significant impact financially and from a waste standpoint.
If you’re ready to jump in head first, here are the quantities I’d recommend:
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Diaper Outers x6
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Organic Cotton Wipe Ups x2 and they work really well with the Wipe Up Wash & Foamer Kit
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Ditty Bags for your diaper bag so when you’re out, you have a place to put the dirty diapers. These work as great options for wet swimsuits too!
Completely unnecessary but the Overnighters are really great when baby starts to sleep through the night and may need some extra absorbance so their diaper doesn’t get too wet.
If you’re not in the cloth diapering camp, I like Kudos diapers as they are the only diaper where only cotton touches your baby and are totally chlorine free and OEKO-TEX certified. I also like Ecoriginals, which are the only diapers that are 100% plant based and they also use organic cotton. Ecoriginals Disposable Wipes are effective and the safest disposable wipes I’ve found.
Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail works for cloth diapers or disposable.
We use Calendula cream for any diaper rash, or you can try breastmilk, Clean Whip or Baby Balm. Please avoid any diaper cream with fragrance, petroleum based ingredients, zinc oxide, or 1,4 dioxane.
Everyday Baby Essentials
Every brand wants to claim that you “need” their products, but here are our absolute favorites that we use on a daily/weekly basis and feel that we would not want to live without.
I have two of these Portable Changing Pads in my home and they make diaper changes so convenient! You can just open it up and change baby anywhere- on the sofa, a bed, the floor, or anywhere else. I love that it’s organic cotton and has two pockets inside for wipes, diapers, or anything else you might need handy.
If you go the pacifier route, my IBCLC recommended the Ninni above any others. Especially if you are breastfeeding, they don’t teach a baby to chew or create poor sucking habits that will transfer to your nipples and can create extensive nipple trauma, which no one wants!
Thermometer Options
Himalayan Salt Lamps are perfect to use in the nursery at night or in your bedroom for middle of the night feeds or really anytime at night when you want to promote a restful vibe. They help to protect (or for baby, foster) circadian rhythm which will help them to sleep at night and be awake during the day. I like the dimmer switch so you can adjust the amount of light.
NoseFrida Electric Nasal Aspirator
We like teethers and rattles from Colored Organics, Mushie (their no-drop teethers are awesome) and Apple Park.
Wooden Hair Brush and Comb Set
Our favorite humidifier is Carepod. It has a stainless steel reservoir instead of plastic and there’s no place for mold to grow when cleaned regularly. It’s easier to clean than any other option out there.
Before you know it, your baby will be teething. We have a go-to winning combo we have used for both of our kiddos. Boiron Calilia Liquid Dose and then follow up with Teeth Tamer. Our kids love the way both taste! I love that both of these remedies are homeopathic.
Little Martin's Nail Trimmer is the best trimmer we’ve found- no chance of snipping baby’s skin and it’s really effective.
Active Spray is great for burns, scrapes, cuts and anything else you’d want to use a disinfectant for.
A must-have for me for the last few months of pregnancy plus the first several of postpartum is a Yoga Ball. It’s a game changer to get a newborn settled and calmed in the middle of the night as the bouncing mimics the feeling of being in the womb.
Feeding
These are suggestions ranging from baby’s first days all the way through introduction to solid foods, as it all happens so quickly! We are huge proponents of BLW (Baby Led Weaning) which means no purees once baby is ready to start solids roughly around 6 months.
We love Solid Starts on Instagram. They go into depth on how to prevent picky eating and they have a great app for your phone to help you to know the best way to modify any food to serve to your baby at different ages.
If you can, try to always purchase platinum cured silicone as that has a special finishing process that stops the silicone from leaching any potentially harmful chemicals into food or liquids.
Burp cloths - the hourglass shape really helps and both of these are soft and absorbent!
Bibs - also important to be 100% organic cotton if you can!
Bottles
We prefer glass over silicone or plastic. Even BPA free plastic can still have other yucky chemicals especially if heated up, so I’d avoid plastic at all costs. Use slow/low flow nipples at first if you are still breastfeeding so that baby has to work at getting the milk through the bottle and doesn’t develop nipple preference.
Evenflo Balance Glass Wide Neck Set - these are often out of stock. If you can’t get them, you can purchase the Avent Glass Natural Response Bottles and then separately purchase the Evenflo Balance Wide Neck Nipples and those can work with the Avent bottles.
Bottle warmer - Kiinde Kozii you can heat the glass bottles in the warmer, which is more ideal than heating up milk in plastic or silicone bags.
Milk storage - I absolutely love the Souper Cubes MyMilk Trays. They freeze quickly and each compartment is exactly ½ oz. The cubes pop out easily and fit into narrow or wide necked bottles, so no need to thaw before putting into the bottle like you’d have to do with a storage bag.
My IBCLC recommended using a simple mason jar in the fridge for collected milk, if you’re not planning on freezing and if you’re going to use it within a week.
Nursing cover - Burts Bees Cozy Canopy. I have a polyester/rayon version of this that I used with my babes and so excited to see there is an organic cotton version on the market now! This is great as its little holes mean baby doesn’t overheat but you can’t see through it. I even use mine in church to discreetly breastfeed!
Nursing pads for leakage- If it’s just a little leakage here and there, these Lana Organic Wool reusable nursing pads are awesome. They are also great during pregnancy to just create a little more coverage in case your nips are extra noticeable. Early postpartum, when I’m leaking and overproducing a lot, they don’t absorb quite enough so I choose to use PureTree disposable pads.
- Life Factory Glass Bottle Set
- Evenflo Balance Glass Wide Neck Set
- Kiinde Kozii
- Souper Cubes MyMilk Trays
- Burts Bees Nursing Canopy (now has an organic cotton option)
- Lana Organic Wool Pads / PureTree Disposable Pads
Nipple Health
If you’ve experienced any level of nipple trauma, I’ve heard that Silverettes are great. Thanks to the Thompson Method and their courses on breastfeeding and latching, I did not experience any nipple trauma with my babies at all.
Breast Pumps
I use the Haakaa for 1-2 oz of milk collection per day as I’m building a little bit of a freezer stash. Keep in mind this can increase your supply so should not be used if you have oversupply issues.
Solid Foods
Before you know it, your baby will hit 6 months and you’ll be ready for solids! Here are some things to help you to be prepared.
High Chair
Stokke Tripp Trapp - it’s an investment but can be used from birth (with the Tripp Trapp Newborn Set) all the way through adulthood. My favorite part, which many other high chairs lack, is a completely adjustable foot rest which helps to prevent choking as baby’s knees can stay at a 90 degree angle. This bundle also comes with the cushion and tray, if you plan on using a tray for the high chair. You don’t need a tray if you are going to pull the chair up to the table. See the Tripp Trapp in action here. The Beyond Junior Y High Chair is a great option for a lower price point and still offers the adjustable foot rest and seat height.
If you’re looking for a more budget friendly option, the Evrloop 3-in-1 High Chair gives you a ton of bang for your buck. I love that the seat is totally wipeable, it’s BPA and phthalate-free plastic and the chair can be returned to Evrloop when you’re all done for a 20% refund and they will recycle it for you! Also takes just a few minutes to put together, without any tools and the legs can be removed to use the seat on a chair as a booster!
- Stokke Tripp Trapp (splurge but versatile)
- Beyond Junior Y High Chair
- Evrloop 3-in-1 High Chair
Dishes, Utensils, and Cups
If you can, avoid any plastic touching food or liquids. We prefer stainless steel or porcelain dishes and if an item has silicone, look for platinum cured.
Mushie Silicone Bibs for solids
Elk and Friends plates, bowls, and utensils - I’d go with the smaller sized plates as the larger size don’t fit securely on all high chair trays.
WeeSprout Cups as a first cup- these work great because you can squeeze them to help the water to come up the straw to encourage your baby to learn how to suck through a straw.
Tabor Place Cubs - no plastic touches the water but these are also leakproof, so a great option for the crib or using around the house where they may get knocked over.
Pura Cup great for travel
Caveman Cups - perfect for toddlers learning how to drink from an open cup and also great for water play activities
WeeSprout Glass Baby Food Jars are great for storing little leftovers in baby sized portions.
Bath Time
When it comes to washing baby, know that babies need to actually be washed far less frequently than older kids and adults. If you’re bathing for the routine and do a bath every night, you don’t even need to wash them each night with soap! For the first 5 months, we only bathed our baby once every few weeks (don’t judge- she smelled just fine haha) and of course we bathed her anytime she needed to be cleaned.
This is the bath we used and to be completely honest, we got it for free from a neighbor. It is not considered non-tox and uses a polyester sling. But for the amount of time the baby is bathing, I’m not so concerned. We only use this until they are sitting up so until then, the baths are super quick. Make sure to dry this upside down after using or water stays pooled in the bottom and can form mildew/mold.
We used this Baby Bath Seat which suctions to the bath once baby is sitting up. It works great! Make sure to unsuction this and flip it upside down to dry after each bath.
If you don’t have a whole house filter for water contaminants, it’s helpful to use this bath ball to filter your bath water as it comes out of the faucet.
We have tried all sorts of soaps and our favorite by a landslide is Branch Basics Foaming Wash. All the other soaps we tried dried out our baby’s skin, even the non-toxic ones formulated for babies! Neither of our babies has long enough hair to require a true shampoo or conditioner (yet) but this foaming wash does a great job of keeping their short hair clean. If you are searching for other brands, make sure your baby’s body wash never contains fragrance, sulfates, parabens, or phthalates.
Try to stick with 100% silicone or rubber toys. We keep things simple and just usually have some of our stainless steel cups in there for pouring practice, but if you are looking for some toys, take a look at Mushie or Hevea.
Aim for 100% organic cotton towels if you can. We like Pehr Hooded Towels for infants as they are plush and thick and then graduate to Weezy once they are a toddler and ready to size up.
Honest Baby Wash Cloths are 100% organic cotton!
Bedding/Sleep
One of the most important things you can do is make sure that your baby is sleeping on a mattress free of fire/flame retardants. That is above just about everything else because they spend more time sleeping on their mattress than literally anywhere else. In my opinion, even if this means you splurge on the mattress but get a hand me down crib, that’s a wise trade-off to make.
The mattress should be at a minimum Greenguard Gold certified and ideally organic. If you can, please read our blog post Choosing an Organic Crib Mattress to compare the top options. We also have a YouTube video linked on the post if you’d prefer to watch over reading!
I personally don’t recommend mattresses marketed as “breathable” and are literally plastic through and through. Plastic/polymer (any grade of it) will always be inferior to organic materials, so just keep that in mind in your shopping as there are some brands out there that will try to convince you that sleeping on plastic/polymer is somehow safer for your baby. It’s not! Go for all natural materials that are not petroleum based or semi-synthetic if you can.
We have the Kalon Dream No. 1 Mattresses for both of our kiddos. They are made in the US and are 100% organic materials. My second choice if you are on a tighter budget, is the Katu Organic 2-Stage Mattress. It’s still 100% organic materials but is made in Sri Lanka and is slightly thinner than the Kalon mattress.
For bassinets, my personal favorite is the Kumi Cradle, or the Kodo Bedside Crib which is great for co-sleeping. Both offer an organic mattress option.
My favorite mattress protector is the Holy Lamb Organics Wood Puddle Pad. It is not technically 100% waterproof but nothing has ever gotten through ours and it contains zero polyurethane.
Sheets should ideally be GOTS certified organic cotton. Make sure to choose the right size for your crib (standard vs mini vs midi)
We like the Yogasleep Rohm sound machine; it’s nothing fancy but does the trick and is plenty loud enough and doesn’t take up lots of space. New studies have come out to show that the best sounds for their developing brains will have variation in the sound. We like the wave setting, as opposed to standard white noise which doesn’t have any variation.
Swaddling
We chose to forgo swaddling with our second child and saw a huge improvement in sleep and she’s generally able to put herself back to sleep easily. This is because swaddling inhibits the Moro reflex, which is the reflex which makes newborns sort of twitch and wiggle when they are sleeping. The reflex typically wakes them up, which is why people swaddle; so that their babies don’t wake themselves. If you can push through that uncomfortable period, you will find that your baby will wake themselves, but then will learn how to put themselves back to sleep and will end up being a better sleeper in the long run. Read more about why we didn't swaddle here. We like the Woolino Sleep Sack because it’s organic cotton with wool, does an amazing job of regulating baby’s temperature, and you can use one size from age 2 months to 2 years old. It’s worth the investment! You also don’t need to wash it often at all as wool is naturally antimicrobial.
Nursery
Decorating a nursery is one of the most fun parts of nesting! Look for furnishings that are ideally all Greenguard Gold certified.
Many baby monitors do more harm than good because of the amount of EMFs (Electromagnetic Radiation) they give off. Babies have very thin skulls so they are more susceptible to the negative effects of this radiation. We avoid any sort of wearable baby monitors or devices that are electric. We’ve tested numerous baby monitors and only one fell within a range we were comfortable with and that was the Harbor Baby Monitor. We always recommend placing any baby monitor at least 6-7 feet from your baby to reduce any EMFs, but it’s important to start out with one on the lower side. The Harbor comes in two models; one with a physical monitor which also includes the option to use a phone and desktop app, adn one without the physical monitor and is just accessed from your phone or computer.
Furniture
Our Caravan Crib was a splurge; it’s a higher price point but only organic flax seed oil/wax is used to finish it (you can purchase it completely raw/unfinished as well) and the design works so well in so many settings. Ideally, select a crib that is Greenguard Gold certified and I do feel most comfortable with a natural finish on my child’s wood crib so they aren’t “eating” paint or the stain, even if it’s eco-friendly. Here are our Greenguard Gold Certified Cribs, which is the highest certification for furniture. If your crib doesn’t come with a toddler bed conversion kit (guardrail), it’s wise to register for that now too. Sometimes cribs have been discontinued by the time you are ready for the toddler conversion kit, or your little one just starts climbing out of their crib and you find out the conversion kit is backordered a month or two. It’s best with this one to be prepared! You’ll find coordinating GC Certified Dressers in all different colors and finishes. Select the perfect rocker, glider, or recliner that is also GG Certified. If you have the budget, our Monte collection is the top quality you can find, benchmade in Canada, customizable in many different fabrics and made with all the safest materials. My favorites are Luca Glider and the Matera Glider Recliner.
I love a great wall treatment to transform a room and Anewall has so many awesome themes and designs, also Greenguard Gold if you choose the traditional or pre-pasted option. The murals can be made to any size that suits your fancy- just drop us a note with the mural you want and the size and we can price it out for you! You can order a sample too to see the paper in person before placing your mural order.
I love these washable rugs to add some cushion underfoot and they are all either cotton or wool.
The Contoured Changing Pad is a crowd favorite and has a food-grade waterproof coating made from non-GMO sugarcane. If you’re looking for something without any coatings, we love the HLO Changing Table Pad made with organic cotton and eco wool.
Play
When shopping for toys, try to remember that babies put everything in their mouths. So although we don’t stress when ours find something non-organic to chew on, we do try to provide mostly organic options. We are all about the 80/20 rule- control 80% so the other 20% you don’t have to stress out about and life is about balance!
If you can, shoot for organic natural materials such as cotton, rubber and wool. Many toys are stuffed with polyester fill and although we don’t rule it out, we always prioritize natural filling like cotton or kapok, when available.
These sensory muslins are 100% organic cotton and can be used from birth. You will be amazed at how your newborn will be captivated for several minutes at a time by these patterns!
Plush Toys
Everyone enjoys these cuddly plush animals which are made with organic cotton, wool and organic spelt husks or cherry pits for filling. They can even be heated up or cooled to comfort your child. This is a great heirloom toy to have in your crib for your child to cuddle at night without worrying about any sort of offgassing or shedding of microplastics. If you’re having trouble deciding whether you want the large or small size, watch this Instagram reel.
Other Toys
Both of our children loved this play gym from about 2 weeks old. Watch this video of our 2nd baby at only a few months old and how much she loved it!
Sophie the Giraffe is a registry must-have for all. She’s been around for the past 60 years!
Tikiri Toys offers some great toy options that are organic.
Wee Gallery is another favorite of ours.
The Toki Kids Play Mats are handy from day one to have a safe padded place to put baby down and allow them to take in the world. I love that the vegan leather option is wipeable and works great for our two dogs who shed everywhere. There’s also an organic cotton option and I love that both versions of these mats are made with completely natural latex inside. I also like the Snuggle Reversible Mat and it can just be thrown in the washing machine.
Clothing
There are many new apparel companies out there now catering to the eco-friendly, non-tox crowd! One thing to avoid is synthetics of any nature (polyester, rayon, nylon, elastane, lycra, etc) and stick with natural materials (cotton, linen, wool). If you can, try to focus on organic materials especially for pajamas and other clothing that baby will be wearing for hours on end.
Even 100% cotton can be treated with pesticides so organic is best when possible. We also avoid bamboo, even “organic” bamboo. The process to convert the bamboo plant into clothing requires many chemicals and turns it into a semi-synthetic. Did you know that bamboo, rayon and viscose all are related? Also, look out for clothing saying “made with organic cotton” because that means the cotton is organic, but they may treat it afterward with dyes and other harmful chemicals. You want to look for GOTS certified or a minimum of OEKO-TEX certified if you can.
We had great luck with UpChoose, which is a clothing rental solution. All of their clothes are 100% organic cotton and you can choose what sized bundles you want to rent. They will send a bundle in the requested size, you pay a monthly fee for as many months as that bundle is used and when your baby begins to outgrow it, you let UpChoose know and they will swap it out for a bundle in the next size! For example, a standard sized bundle is worth $450 but only costs $49 per month. If you rent it for 3 months until baby is ready for the next size, you’ve saved yourself $300! Our first bundle lasted only a month until our daughter was ready for the next size and we would have wasted so much money had we purchased all those clothes in size 0-3 months. Check out one of our actual sets here.
Some of my favorite brands of organic cotton clothes:
For outerwear, many jackets/pants that are made to repel snow and rain are treated with PFAS to make them waterproof. We like Primary and they use a non-PFAS coating called Bionic Finish ECO. Patagonia is also great quality and uses other coatings that are non-toxic.
Our Thoughts: Wrapped
Creating a registry centered around non-toxic and natural products is one of the most proactive and loving steps you can take to prepare for your baby's arrival.
While the world of baby products can be overwhelming, remember that the goal is not to achieve absolute perfection, but to strive for better, safer choices where it matters most. By investing thoughtfully in these clean, high-quality essentials, you are not only safeguarding your baby’s immediate environment but also establishing a foundation for a healthy, vibrant life, giving you the greatest gift of all: peace of mind.
