Best Non Toxic Wooden Toys for Babies (From Eco-Friendly Toy Brands)

Younger kids don’t really care that much about what they put in their mouths. 

As long as it fits, even though it’s a cloth, the cat’s paw, a toy, (or worse) – they would lick, mouth, gnaw, eat it.

So having the best non toxic wooden toys for babies seems to be a must-have. Especially because you can’t really monitor your kids 24/7.

If you’re looking for eco-friendly brands that make organic, non-toxic wooden toys for babies and toddlers, then this article is for you.

I looked around popular forums and parenting groups, as well as other websites to research and gather the most mentioned and highly recommended toy brands.

I also looked into the background of these popular toy brands.

Here, you will get a quick overview of:

  • Where their toys are made from
  • What toy safety certifications do they carry
  • And their philosophies and practices

But first, let’s see the pros of buying non toxic wooden toys for babies.

I hope you’ll love the products we recommend! Just a quick note: if you click on a product link below and decide to buy it, we may earn a small commission.

In a hurry? We recommend organic wooden toys by…

  • PlanToys
  • Grimms
  • Hape
  • Haba 
  • Uncle Goose
  • Lovevery
  • Petit Collage
  • Manhattan Toy

Why Buy Non-Toxic Wooden Toys for Kids

Aside from it being a safer counterpart to plastic toys, wooden toys has other benefits such as:

  • Durable

They can take a beating and they won’t easily bend, break, or worse, compared to a plastic toy.

  • Lasts Longer

Since wooden toys are practically unbreakable, they can last longer and can grow with your kids.

  • Heirloom Quality

Wooden toys are sturdy and have a beautiful, long-lasting quality that can be gifted to the next generation.

  • Environmentally-friendly

Manufacturing wooden toys are less harmful to the environment. 

So when you buy a wooden toy, you’re giving nature some breather and helping it flourish again.

Best Non Toxic Wooden Toys for Babies

By PlanToys

  • Made in Thailand

PlanToys is the first company in the world to manufacture toys from reclaimed rubberwood. Rubberwood is a preservative-free and naturally processed material.

This has lessened the cutting of more trees and burning rubberwood, which can release more carbon into the atmosphere.

They have also developed the use of water-based and non-toxic dyes for manufacturing. 

They have also won numerous awards for their non-toxic toys.

And carry both US and Europe certifications, guaranteeing the safety of their wooden products.

Check out some of their organic wooden toys for babies below:

By Grimms

  • Made in Germany and Bosnia

A family-owned brand from Germany, Grimms is known to produce only natural, high-quality wooden toys.

They use alder, lime, beech, and wood that is sourced only from sustainably managed forests in Europe.

They are also FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified. All their products are tested in accordance with the European and US Toy Safety Standards.

They are known to be guided by the principles of Waldorf education with a Montessori educational approach.

See some of their organic baby toys below:

By Hape

  • Made in China

Contrary to popular belief, not all China-made toy brands are toxic and of low quality. 

Case in point, Hape. This brand is highly recommended by toy experts and parenting online groups.

It’s a Germany-established company (since 1986!) that has a factory in China, where plenty of bamboo plants grow.

They have decided to build their Bamboo Research Center there, to do further studies on the said plant and develop more bamboo-made toys. 

You can check out this page then scroll down below to see a tour of their bamboo research center!

They are also actively exploring other non-toxic materials for use in their toys. They’re also very strict with their supply chain, maintaining high standards on all processes – from manufacturing, quality control, etc.

All Hape products meet, and more often exceed the strictest international standards for quality and safety.

Check out some of the eco-friendly toys for babies below:

By Haba 

  • Made in Germany and China

HABA is a family-owned company that’s based in Germany. 

They have been in the toy industry for 80 years! They only use certified non-toxic materials such as solvent-free paints or water-based stains, timber/ beech/ birch wood from forests in Germany, and imported plywood from Finland and Russia, etc.

All of their wooden baby toys and most of their games and blocks are made in Germany. 

They do have some toys made in China but all of their products have been carefully and rigorously tested to the same US and European Federal safety standards for toys. 

So you can be assured that every material they use, every product they launch is safe for your little ones.

See some of their organic wooden toys for babies below:

By Uncle Goose

  • Made in the US

Uncle Goose is a Michigan-based company that hand-manufactures their toys right in their good ole state.

Everything they use – wood, ink, packaging – is also all made in the USA. 

They make their toys out of fast-growing American basswood or Linden trees that grow in the Great Lakes area.

They go way above and beyond the CPSIA requirements to rigorously test their products.

Check out their organic wooden toys below. 

By the way, they recommend these for 2 years old and above but I think it’s fine to expose 1-year-olds to it. Besides, their toys will last long so it’s a good investment.

But still, you gotta check it, their product descriptions are a hoot to read!

By Lovevery

  • Made in China

Lovevery is a US-established company that designs toys with a team of experts which includes child psychologists, baby brain development researchers, Montessori experts, and more.

Their products are designed and curated in Idaho and are manufactured in China, where they use FSC-certified, sustainably sourced wood.

Their manufacturing facility in China is one of the largest producers of sustainably-harvested wood toys and organic cotton dolls in the world.

All of their products are tested and exceed global regulatory safety standards, so you can be assured that their toys are safe for your children.

They are also a Certified B Corporation, meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. 

See some of their non-toxic baby toys below:

By Petit Collage

  • Made in US and UK

Founded in San Francisco, Petit Collage was acquired by Chronicle Books and now has a team of toymakers across California and England.

They use responsibly sourced materials, such as recycled cards, FSC wood, FSC paper, GOTS certified organic cotton, vegetable inks, and water-based paints.

All their products have been thoroughly checked and third-party tested to meet and exceed stringent chemical and physical standards of Europe, the USA, Canada, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. 

They also ensure that all their suppliers have a valid and in-date full ethical audit report which reflects the ‘Ethical Trade Initiative Base Code’ as a minimum. 

Check out some of their non-toxic wooden toys for babies below:

By Manhattan Toy

  • Made in China, Vietnam, and Thailand

Founded in 1978, Manhattan Toy is another toy brand that’s popular among eco-friendly-conscious parents.

All their toys are thoroughly tested and have met safety standards set by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM F963), the European Toy Safety Directive and Standard (EN71), and Canada Consumer Product Safety Act and Toy Regulations (SOR).

Not only are they focused on providing the topmost safety for their toys, but they care about their workers too!

Their manufacturing facilities in China, Vietnam, and Thailand are all audited and certified by the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI).

The ICTI is dedicated to environmental concerns, fair and lawful employment practices, and workplace safety.

See their nontoxic wooden toys for babies below:

Buying Guide on Non Toxic Baby Wooden Toys

  • No toxic materials

It’s quite overwhelming to keep up with dozens of harmful materials out there, but at the very least, consider toys that are free from:

  • Lead
  • BPA/ BPS
  • PVC
  • Formaldehyde
  • Phthalates
  • Cadmium
  • Chlorine
  • Arsenic
  • Flame retardants
  • Non-Toxic Dyes + Inks
  • Toxic Glue
  • Toy safety certifications

A brand that is certified to be safe according to the US and Europe is a must-have.

If the brand is selling some soft toys with fabrics and they have GOTS and OEKO-certification, you can be assured that they are non-toxic and safe for your children.

  • Age-Appropriate

Some toys will easily interest your baby. Then some toys take some time for them to warm up to. Mostly because they’re not developmentally ready for it yet. 

But that’s okay if you have some wooden toys that are not catching your baby’s attention, you can just keep those toys for a while.

Wooden toys are long-lasting anyways then reintroduce them again when your baby is a little bit older.

  • Easy to clean

This is a must, as babies can drool, salivate, mouth, and do all sorts of things to the toy. 

Worse, if they don’t have a playpen to contain them, they might escape and dump the toy somewhere dirty.

So get something easy to clean.

  • Refund/ Replacement Policy

Always check if they have one, as wooden toys can be pricey.

They are durable but there are one-off instances where you might get a defective toy. When that happens, immediately have it replaced.

FAQ: Best Organic Toys for Babies

Are wooden toys safe for babies?

Yes, wooden toys are safe for babies as they mostly don’t have non-toxic materials and are unbreakable. 
A durable wooden toy will cause minimal accidents, compared to a plastic toy which might easily break off a piece that your baby might mouth and swallow.

Which wood is best for baby toys?

The best wood to use for baby toys is beech, birch, walnut, ash, maple, and oak.
These hardwoods are durable and long-lasting and are less likely to break, splinter, or give in to wear and tear.

Are Melissa and Doug toys non-toxic?

They are actually, safe and non-toxic. They have all the toy safety standard certificates to prove it.

This suspicion over their toys being toxic was probably because of a toy recall case before.

Their reputation for being green took a hit last 2009 when 3 of their products were recalled by Health Canada, for having excessive barium in the surface paint.
That’s probably the reason why parents are still doubtful about their products.

Tips on Getting the Best Non Toxic Baby Wooden Toys

  • Look for EN71 certification

Brands or toys that are EN71 certified are ideal to have since Europe has stricter toy safety laws compared to the United States’ CPSC.

  • Check for recalls

You can go to ToySafety.org or cpsc.gov to check if a toy has been recalled or not.

  • Buy second-hand

Wooden, Montessori toys for babies usually come with a hefty price tag.

Most parents would actually recommend buying second-hand wooden toys, which can you get from thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, etc.

  • Join “Buy Nothing” groups on Facebook

You can apparently find good sets of baby wooden toys here, among other things. Check them out here.

  • Ask friends and relatives

They might have some baby wooden toys that are not being used anymore and they’re ready to give up because the kids are older, etc.

So ask around if they’re willing to sell it to you. Hopefully, they’ll just give it to you in a heartbeat, especially if they’re looking forward to decluttering their home.

Takeaway on Best Non Toxic Wooden Toys for Babies

There are still a lot of toy brands that I haven’t touched on but the companies above seem to be the most mentioned online.

For the most part, if you know that a toy doesn’t have the major toxic materials, then I think that’s already safe enough. I don’t think we need to obsess too much about each and every material that goes into the toy.

Because let’s face it, we can’t protect our kids from every imaginable harmful material, bacteria, or element out there. We can only do so much in ensuring their environment, toys, and whatnot are clean and non-toxic enough and that would be enough.

On a related note, if you’re also looking for non-toxic dolls, I have them here for you.

Julie