Parents want the best for their babies. We spend hours researching the best products for our little ones, and finding the best organic baby clothes is no different.
Unfortunately, the clothing industry is notoriously one of the most toxic industries. The use of AZO dyes, perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), formaldehyde, flame retardants, and pesticides can significantly impact health, especially in newborn babies!
Shopping for certified organic newborn baby clothes can feel overwhelming —everything from the clothing fibers to how they’re finished matters when purchasing non-toxic clothing.
I’ve researched for you and created this guide to help you choose the best organic newborn clothes for your baby!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
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Why Organic Newborn Clothes
I believe shopping organic is essential, especially with a newborn baby.
Babies absorb more of their environment through their skin. Newborn skin is much thinner than adult skin, making it more permeable.
Baby clothes often found in retail are manufactured using harmful chemicals that can leech through your baby’s skin and into their bloodstream.
Babies are even more vulnerable to the absorption of toxic chemicals since their bodies are still developing. While they’re growing, it is much more difficult for them to break down and eliminate toxic chemicals in the body.
Newborn clothes found in most retails stores are made with synthetic materials and conventional cotton.
Conventional cotton is one of the dirtiest crops on the planet because of the copious amounts of pesticides used. In addition, several pesticides found in conventional cotton crops are considered carcinogenic (cancer-causing) by the EPA.
Many clothing options include AZO dyes, which contain aromatic amines that have been linked to liver and bladder cancer.
Along with toxic dyes, you will find perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) that keep clothes wrinkle-free and water-resistant. PFCs are the same chemicals used to make Teflon, and they have been linked to kidney disease and cancer.
So how do you avoid exposing your baby to toxic chemicals in their clothing? Easy, you look for certified, organic newborn clothes.
Thankfully, the organic baby clothes industry is growing, lending you and your newborn more options.
What to Avoid in Newborn Clothes
Not all organic newborn clothes are made the same! Here is what to avoid when shopping for organic baby clothes.
Synthetics
Synthetic clothes are often made from petroleum (i.e., crude oil), containing toxins that can lead to immune and reproductive system disruption.
Synthetic fabrics can also cause allergies and skin irritation in newborns since synthetic fabrics aren’t breathable. Some synthetic materials include polyester, nylon, rayon, spandex, acrylic, and acetate.
Conventional Cotton
You may find 100% cotton newborn clothes, but not all cotton is created equally. Non-certified organic cotton is still produced with a laundry list of pesticides and chemicals. When purchasing non-certified organic cotton, you bring those chemicals into your home.
Looking for certified organic newborn clothes will ensure your baby remains toxin-free.
Non-Certified Organic Baby Clothing
Dyes and finishes can be some of the most toxic components of clothing, including for newborns. These dyes and finishes don’t just wash out, so it’s not as simple as washing your clothing to remove them (although it is recommended to always wash your clothing before wearing it!).
Flame Retardant PJs (Over 9 Months Old)
Flame Retardant can be added to your children’s pajamas for sizes 9 months old up to child size 14 (babies under nine months old are less mobile and pose less fire risk).
Due to outdated regulations, pajamas must meet flammability standards. One way to do that is by adding chemical flame retardants. The same chemical flame retardants that have been linked to a host of health concerns, including endocrine distribution and cancer.
Polyester is flame resistant, but since it’s synthetic, it raises cause for concern. Synthetic fabrics have been linked to issues such as endocrine distribution and increased risk for breast cancer.
Snug-Fitting Pajamas
One way around adding chemical flame retardants is by having snug-fitting pajamas. If pajamas are snug-fitting, they meet the flammability requirements – meaning they do not need to use chemical flame retardants.
On flame-retardant-free pajamas, you will find a big yellow tag that states that these pajamas do not contain flame retardants and must be snug-fitting. You want to see this tag on your PJs! If you do not, do not buy them.
You will not find a natural fiber nightgown for girls for sale in the United States due to this outdated flammability regulation.
Are Hand-Me-Downs Pajamas Safe?
Flame retardants are bound to the fibers and are not intended to wash out. So if you get hand-me-down pj’s for your children, make sure you know the brand and know that they are flame retardant-free!
Snug-fitting, certified organic cotton baby clothes are the best alternative to synthetic flame retardant PJs.
What to Look for in Organic Baby Clothes
Finding organic baby clothes isn’t as easy as purchasing anything labeled “organic,” You can buy organic cotton that’s been processed conventionally – meaning it contains high amounts of chemicals and toxic dyes.
Purchasing certified organic baby clothes is the only way you can ensure your baby’s clothes are toxin-free from harvest to manufacturing. Look for the following certifications.
GOTS Certification
The GOTS certification is the top certification for non-toxic organic clothing. GOTS ensures that the dyes and finishes are non-toxic, along with the organic cotton used in manufacturing.
You can find GOTS-certified clothing by looking for the green GOTS logo on the tag or packaging.
Don’t be fooled by GOTS-certified organic cotton. That means the cotton is certified organic, but the manufacturing process, and the toxins involved with dying and finishing, are not. Look for the GOTS logo!
Oeko-Tex
Oeko-Tex ensures your organic newborn clothes are free from hundreds of toxins. Look for the Oeko-Tex certification on the tag or packaging.
Oeko-Tex allows for synthetic fibers, low levels of formaldehyde, and some flame retardants. It’s important to read the labels of what you are buying to ensure you are buying 100% organic cotton baby clothes with this certification.
Organic Newborn Baby Clothes
Here is a list of organic newborn baby clothing brands you can trust!
Frugi
Frugi is one of my all-time favorite organic baby clothes brands. Their clothes are durable and really cute! Plus, many of their baby clothes are cut perfectly for cloth diapers.
I cloth diapered and had bigger babies, and Frugi was one of the few places that fit my babies well.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: India
PACT
PACT is a staple in my household. They offer a great line of organic shirts, pants, socks, hats, and bibs for babies!
Certifications: GOTS on all items over 95% organic cotton
Made in: India
Discount Code: Be sure to save 15% off with the code NATBABYMAMA15..
Finn & Emma
Finn & Emma is a fun, whimsical brand that offers organic baby clothes. I love their unique designs. They offer everything from onesies to shorts to pajamas to hoodies. You will find something you love for your baby at Finn & Emma.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: India
Burt’s Bees Clothing
Burt’s Bees offers cute GOTS certified organic baby clothes. They have a wide range of affordable styles from newborn and up.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: India
Colored Organics
Colored Organics offers a line of basics that every baby needs. Their clothing is aesthetically pleasing and can be used for many children. Many of their clothes don’t feature designs or patterns, so they’re super easy to match with anything.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: India
Under the Nile
Under the Nile is one of my favorite companies! We use them all the time in my house because they offer a great range of newborn and baby clothes along with stuffed toys, burp cloths, wipes, rugs, and play mats.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: Egypt
Hanna Andersson
Hanna Andersson has an extensive line of organic Oeko-Tex collections for newborns and babies (in addition to great pajamas for older kid’s too!). They have cute organic staples you can’t pass up.
Certifications: Okeo-Tex organic cotton
Made in: India
Little Co. by Lauren Conrad
Little Co by Lauren Conrad is sold exclusively at Kohls. All of the items in the line are affordable and gorgeous.
The entire line isn’t organic, so read the product description or check the tag before purchase.
Certifications: Not all items are 100% organic cotton so read descriptions carefully. The website will say 100% organic cotton is GOTS or Oeko-Tex if an item is organic.
Made in: Cambodia
Shop Little Co by Lauren Conrad
Nui Organics
Nui Organics offers gorgeous organic merino wool and organic cotton items that will become a staple in your little’s wardrobe. Their classic styles never disappoint.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: India
Jazzy Organics
Jazzy Organics has super soft, cute newborn and baby organic clothes that are GOTS certified. In addition, they offer rompers, bibs, hats, and blankets.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: India
Discount Code: 10% off with code NaturalBabyMama
Little Lentil
Little Lentil offers cute organic baby clothes for newborns and babies. Their clothes are made from GOTS certified fabric, but they aren’t cut or sewn in a GOTS certified factory, meaning the end result is not GOTS.
Certifications: The fabric is GOTS certified, and they hold that certificate, but the final product is not GOTS certified.
Made in: India
Discount Code: 20% off your first order with code NATURAL20
Disana
We love Disana at our house! They offer a range of organic baby clothes for any occasion. We especially love their jackets, sweaters, hats, leggings, and overalls.
We have owned their overalls, legging, and jackets since my kids were born.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: Germany
SHOP ON AMAZON OR ON JOLIE KAI, SOFEE AND LENEE, MAMA OWL, or LITTLE SPRUCE ORGANICS
CastleWare Baby
CastleWare offers an awesome selection of organic newborn pajamas and sleep sacks. In addition, they use organic cotton fleece, making their pieces extra comfy.
Certifications: They use GOTS certified fabric. The final product is not GOTS certified only because it is sewn in a factory that is not certified in the USA.
Made in: USA
SHOP CASTLEWARE OR ON AMAZON
Little Star Organics
Little Star Organics offers all of the organic newborn staples you will need. This line is sold at Walmart, and they even offer organic, non-toxic bedding for the nursery.
Certifications: GOTS and Oeko-Tek
Made in: India
Mini Mioche
Mini Mioche offers a range of organic baby clothes from layers and staples of fun accent pieces. Their clothes are of great quality and timelessly stylish.
Certifications: Organic cotton but not certified. They follow many of the certified guidelines, even though they do not carry the certification. Their organic cotton is GOTS certified. They do not use any nickel, chrome, or PVC components. They use non-toxic, low-impact dyes.
Made in: Canada
Monica & Andy
Monica & Andy has cute staples and stylish outfits for your little one. Their adorable organic staples will have you coming back for more!
Certifications: Manufactured in a GOTS factory, but Monica & Andy doesn’t hold the certification itself. Occasionally polyester is used, so read the product description.
Made in: India
Primary
Primary now offers a line of organic cotton kid’s clothing in several styles. Their pieces are timeless and adorable!
Certifications: GOTS organic cotton and Oeko-Tex certified final product.
Made in: China, India, and Vietnam
Discount Code: Use code AFF20 on Primary’s site for 20% off your first order.
SHOP PRIMARY OR ON AMAZON
L’ovedbaby
L’ovedbaby offers classic designs that are safe for newborns. Their quality organic baby clothes make perfect staples for your little one’s wardrobe.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: India
SHOP L’OVEDBABY OR ON AMAZON
Moon and Back
Moon and Back is an Amazon exclusive organic kid’s clothing line by Hanna Andersson. They offer adorable organic baby clothes and family pajamas.
Certifications: GOTS certified organic cotton, Oeko-Tex certified on the final product.
Made in: Egypt
Parade Organics
Parade Organics offers durable, organic baby clothes with a range of design choices to please any parent. You can find a range of organic staples for your little one with Parade.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: USA
Engel
We love Engel for comfortable layers for the winter months! Engel offers amazing organic underlayers, leggings, bunting suits, and tops. They use 100% organic wool and wool/silk blends.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: Germany
SHOP ENGLE ON AMAZON, MAMMA OWL, OR LITTLE SPRUCE ORGANICS
Lamaze
Lamaze offers organic staples for your little one. They have adorable, non-toxic styles for every family.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: India
Hope and Henry
Hope and Henry offer timeless newborn styles that are both organic and affordable. Not every item is organic, so it’s important to read the product description.
Certifications: Some items are GOTS certified. They also use organic cotton that is processed conventionally, so look for organic cotton that is GOTS certified before purchase.
Made in: China
Little Planet Organic by Carters
The Little Planet Organic line by Carters has all the organic staples needed for newborns. Their clothes are stylish and affordable.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: India & China
SHOP LITTLE PLANET ORGANICS AT CARTERS, WALMART, OR ON AMAZON
DorDor & GorGor
DorDor & GorGor offers adorable organic newborn clothes. They have great staples for newborns up to 12 months.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: China
Kite
I love Kite for my family. Their organic newborn clothes are adorable, and they ship reasonably from the UK. However, not everything they make is certified organic. The factory follows GOTS standards but isn’t officially certified. You will see the GOTS under the product description if it’s certified.
Certifications: GOTS on most, but check the product description
Made in: India
Sense Organics
Sense Organics makes toxin-free, organic baby clothes with neutral color pallets, perfect for any aesthetic. It cost 45 euro to ship to the USA.
Certifications: GOTS certified
Made in: India & China
Serendipity Organic
Serendipity Organics offers timeless, organic newborn clothes rooted in Scandanavian culture. They have certified organic cotton and wool products for babies up to adults!
Certifications: All organic cotton is GOTS certified
Made in: India
The Simple Folk
The Simple Folk offer quality, organic baby clothes in neutral color palettes. Their clothes are eclectic and timeless, but not every item is organic. So, it’s important to read the product description before purchase.
Certifications: Most all 100% organic cotton pieces are either GOTS organic or Oeko-Tek certified. Not all pieces are organic.
Made in: Portugal
Piccalilly
Piccalilly provides colorful organic newborn clothes in tons of patterns and styles. They have a nice range of basic staples, and they use GOTS organic cotton for their clothes.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: India
DUNS of Sweden
DUNS of Sweden makes cute, bold, retro patterned organic baby clothes. All of their items are unisex and very unique. All of their clothes are made with GOTS organic cotton.
Certifications: GOTS
Made in: India
SHOP DUNS OF SWEDEN ON BIDDLE AND BOP (a DUNS of Sweden retailer in the United States).
Winter Water Factory
Winter Water Factory makes adorable options for newborns and kids alike. They offer unique prints that are fun to style. Even though they aren’t certified on the final product, they do use GOTS organic cotton.
Certifications: The US factory follows Oeko-Tex and GOTS, but they aren’t officially certified. They use GOTS organic cotton.
Made in: USA
Final Thoughts on Organic Newborn Baby Clothing
Buying certified organic baby clothing is so important. Luckily, there are so many safe brands now.
Buying certified organic doesn’t have to be more expensive either! Many brands offer affordable, safe, non-toxic clothing for your baby.
Do you have an organic newborn clothing brand that you love?
Check out the Natural Baby Mama Amazon Storefront for vetted non-toxic living products for your baby and home!
POSTS RELATED TO ORGANIC NEWBORN CLOTHING
- Organic Clothing for Kids (and Babies too!)
- Is Organic Clothing Worth Buying?
- Clothing Certifications: GOTS & Oeko-Tex
- Non-Toxic Car Seats
- Low EMF Baby Monitors
- Non-Toxic Strollers
- Organic Cotton Crib Sheets
- Best Breast Pumps
- Organic Baby Formula
- Wood Baby Play Gym
- Non-Toxic Bath Toys
- Goat Milk Formula
- Organic Stuffed Animals
- Slow Fashion
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Sources:
- “Advances in Wound Care” NCBI. 1 October 2015. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- “All you need to know about synthetic fabrics” Key Colour. 25 August 2017. keycolour.net
- “Petroleum Products: Synthetic Fabrics” Chelsea Reinhard. 1`0 October 2013 sanangelolive.com
- “Why we need to get rid of Azo Dyes” Jordan Schroecker. 8 May 2018 trustedclothes.com
