The Best Organic Baby Clothes Are Eco-Friendly And Adorable (2024)

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Vetted

Margaret Badore

Forbes Staff

Forbes Vetted

Elyse Moody

Contributor

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Forbes Vetted

Few things are as delicate as your newborn’s skin, so it’s understandable to want to dress them in the best organic baby clothes. Health experts recommend natural and breathable fabric for babies, and an organic certification ensures this—in addition to eco-friendly fiber production. Baby clothes also need to be strong enough to hold up to frequent washing, and stretchy enough to put on little ones’ wiggly arms and legs relatively easily.

When shopping for organic clothing for your baby, look for the green Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) seal. This robust third-party standard is the most common organic certification found on clothes and home goods in the U.S., although you may also find cotton that’s USDA Organic. You’ll also want to look for features that are common to all of the best baby clothes, like easy to close snaps and zippers, durable construction and adorable style. We deeply researched the market and carefully reviewed materials to find the best organic baby clothes.

Best Organic Baby Clothes Overall

Hanna Andersson: Beautiful Clothes That Make Lasting Hand-Me-Downs

Hanna Andersson Baby Long Sleeve Romper

Founded in 1983, Hanna Andersson has always used natural cotton and later expanded to GOTS certified fibers. A Forbes Vetted editor favorite, this brand is known for bright prints, matching family sets and high quality. We love that the garments are designed to be handed down from child to child, with a name label inside that has space to write in three names. I’ve purchased new Hanna Andersson pajamas and onesies for my son, and I have secondhand clothes from the brand that have held up equally well.

Monica + Andy: Soft, Stretchy Sets In Matching Prints

Monica + Andy Long Sleeve Bodysuit (3 Pack)

Monica + Andy’s GOTS-certified organic cotton baby clothes add 5% spandex to make them easy to get on and off wiggly babes. This means the garments are softer, but also have some non-organic fibers, so there’s a small trade-off. You can find rompers, onesies, baby blankets and hats in the same adorable print, which makes them an ideal baby shower gift or great for special occasions like coming home from the hospital. (Its knot top baby hats seem to stay on better than most.) Monica + Andy also has a collaboration with Disney so you can get high-quality clothes featuring your favorite character.

Best Affordable Organic Baby Clothes

Primary: A Rainbow of Basics Under $25

Primary The Organic Baby Pant

Primary makes baby basics in bright solid colors (hence the name) and simple patterns, all in 100% GOTS-certified cotton. The other benefit of this approach? Everything you pull out of the drawer effortlessly looks cute together. We love that everything is pre-washed so it won’t shrink and—even better for sensitive-skinned babes—is tagless. Few items cost more than $30.

Burt’s Bees: Great Value And Adorable Prints

Burt's Bees One-Piece Zip Front Romper

If you want organic baby clothes with cute prints, Burt’s Bees is an excellent value. In his first 6 months of life, my son wore Burt’s Bees footed onesies nearly constantly and they are still in great condition after countless rounds through the washing machine and dryer. Made with 100% GOTS certified cotton, these baby clothes have user-friendly details like diagonal zippers and fold-over mitts on the sleeves of the smallest sizes to prevent your newborn from scratching themselves.

Best Organic Baby Clothes Made In The USA

Winter Water Works: Unique Prints Made In The USA

Winter Water Factory Long Sleeve Romper

Erica Joy Dunn, owner of the Cape Cod children’s boutique Littlenecks, recommends Winter Water Factory for colorful, artistic prints you won’t see everywhere. The Brooklyn-based children’s clothing company uses only 100% certified organic cotton and manufactures everything in the USA.“The prints are so beautiful,” says Dunn. “The blankets are my go-to new babe gifts.”

Best Cute Organic Baby Clothes

Emma + Finn: Fun Graphics, On-Trend Colors

Finn + Emma Graphic Bodysuit

Finn + Emma has a wide selection of cute printed onesies (including something for most holidays), all made from 100% certified organic cotton. The brand also has plenty of solid-colored basics to help you complete the look, and many of the designs are gender neutral, which can make it easier to pass items on to the next child when one baby outgrows them. The brand also uses eco-friendly dyes and ethical labor practices.

Best Organic Newborn Baby Clothes

Honest Baby Clothing: GOTS Cotton For Even The Smallest Babies

Honest Baby Organic Cotton Short Sleeve Bodysuits

Honest Baby makes great organic clothing for all babies, but the brand is a favorite for newborns because it has a 0-3 month size, a newborn size and a premie size, which the brand also refers to as “earlies.” Everything is made with 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and many styles come in practical multi-packs like this set of five short sleeve body suits.

Best Organic Onesies

Norani: Smart Design That Makes Diaper Changes Smoother

Norani Organic Footie

Available in colorful prints like bright balloons and cherry blossoms, Norani’s onesies have a two-way zipper. That means you can take the garment off from the top down or the bottom up—whichever is better for your wiggly baby or the location of their current mess. The fabric is 95% organic cotton and 5% spandex, so the fabric is soft and stretchy, but there is a small amount of non-organic fiber in the weave.

Milkbarn Kids: Cotton And Bamboo Favorites

MOST POPULAR

Milkbarn Kids Bamboo Zipper Pajama

Milkbarn Kids makes super-soft onesies from a blend of rayon from bamboo and organic, GOTS-certified cotton. Its prints skew more watercolor than graphic; we especially love its assortment of African animals like elephants, lions and giraffes. Milkbarn’s onesies have a two-way zipper, and there are a ruffled and footed styles as well.

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Why Trust Forbes Vetted

At Forbes Vetted, we take baby and parenting gear—from maternity bras to baby bibs—seriously. The writers and editors who cover kids and baby gear are parents, and have spent countless hours testing and researching parenting products. We prioritize recommending safe products, and we closely follow the latest child health and safety research. We also consult health care professionals industry experts to better inform our recommendations.

For this article, we interviewed sustainable fashion expert Alden Wicker, the author of To Dye For, and Erica Joy Dunn, owner of the Cape Cod children’s boutique Littlenecks.

Margaret Badore, the author of this article, has been reporting on sustainability and health topics for over 15 years, including extensive experience covering the textile industry and consumer goods certifications. Coauthor Elyse Moody covers parenting gear. Both authors are mom themselves.

How We Chose The Best Organic Baby Clothes

I’ve been reporting on the environmental impacts of the apparel industry for over a decade, so I knew from the outset that we wanted all our recommendations to have third-party organic certification. When it comes to textiles sold in the U.S., that almost always means certification from by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), although a few producers who make clothing domestically use cotton that’s certified USDA Organic.

As moms ourselves, we’ve purchased and used a fair share of organic baby clothes—some of which has been worthy of recommending, as well as some that is not. My coauthor also interviewed apparel industry insiders to help us learn about other factors to take into account, and additional brands we might have overlooked.

From there, I narrowed down the list by evaluating the value and design offerings of brand. I aimed to include clothing that’s easy for parents to use, as well as a range of styles to suit different tastes.

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The Best Organic Baby Clothes Are Eco-Friendly And Adorable (2024)

FAQs

Why are organic clothes better for babies? ›

Organic Clothing is your best bet when you want to protect your baby's skin from any rashes or irritation caused by rough finishing or any usage of toxic dyes. It is skin-friendly, breathes easily, and doesn't contain formaldehyde resins or allergens.

What is organic baby clothes made of? ›

Organic cotton is grown naturally and sustainably, without herbicides, pesticides, or any other harmful chemicals. Choosing organic cotton means limiting your baby's exposure to potentially harmful chemicals found in non-organic clothing.

What is the best type of clothing suitable for a baby? ›

Clothes should be comfortable, soft and easy to take care of. Stretchy jumpsuits that fasten at the front are best, as well as tops with envelope necks, which are easier to get over your baby's head. Jumpsuits with zips can make dressing your baby quick and easy too. Clothes made from cotton are a good choice.

Which brand is best for baby clothes? ›

Where to shop the best baby clothes brands
  • Best Overall: Hanna Andersson.
  • Best Bulk Baby Clothing: H&M.
  • Most Trendy Baby Clothing: Zara.
  • Best Baby Gift Sets: Monica+Andy.
  • Best Affordable Organic Baby Clothes: Little Planet by Carter's.
  • Softest Organic Baby Clothing: Mori.
  • Best Discovery Retailer: Maisonette.
Jan 23, 2024

Do babies really need organic clothing? ›

Babies also sweat less efficiently than the rest of us, so it's harder for them to maintain their inner body temperature.” This means that babies are at greater risk for pesticide-related health problems than adults. Organic clothing uses cotton that is not farmed in the conventional ways.

Is organic cotton sprayed with pesticides? ›

To control cotton pests, all conventional cotton farmers use synthetic insecticides and herbicides, while organic cotton producers use only natural insecticides. Among conventional cotton farmers, most herbicides are unregistered.

Is organic clothing eco-friendly? ›

Yes, in ways. In many regards, organic cotton is a lower-impact crop than conventionally grown cotton. Significantly, there are the potential benefits of eschewing synthetic herbicides and other pesticides.

Why is organic clothing better? ›

Organic cotton is better than normal cotton because it is much more sustainable. It uses no chemicals, fertilizers or pesticides to produce, protecting local habitats and the farmers which grow it. It also uses less water, preserves soil quality, and limits soil erosion.

Does organic cotton make a difference for babies? ›

A little-known fact is that organic cotton is hypoallergenic. This means that it won't cause skin irritation, and is favoured by those who suffer from allergies. Withnewborn babyskin being particularly susceptible to the elements,organic cotton is a smarter choice many parents are opting for.

How many outfits does a newborn need per day? ›

Newborn checklist: the essentials

Considering babies go through 1-2 outfit changes a day, it is a good idea to have 4-6 zip front onesies and bodysuits on hand. It is a good idea to have a mix of merino and organic cotton bodysuits, as well as short-sleeved and long-sleeved.

What age should you buy baby clothes? ›

Some parents wait until after their 12- or 20-weeks scans before they start shopping for their baby. But the truth is, you can begin buying clothes for them whenever you want to before your little one's arrival. Just be aware that it's a good idea to avoid buying too many clothes in a newborn size.

How many layers should a baby wear at night? ›

A sleepsuit and either a sleeping bag (check the manufacturer's recommendation for winter tog thickness) or a sheet and/or blanket should be fine. If you're using a sleeping bag and feel like your baby is cold, add an extra layer of clothing – but not extra blankets.

Is Carter's baby clothes safe? ›

The health and safety of the children who use our products are our highest priorities. We focus on safety and quality throughout development and the manufacturing process and test finished products against our standards and regulatory requirements, such as those of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

What is the benefit of organic clothing? ›

Organic cotton is better than normal cotton because it is much more sustainable. It uses no chemicals, fertilizers or pesticides to produce, protecting local habitats and the farmers which grow it. It also uses less water, preserves soil quality, and limits soil erosion.

Why is organic cotton good for babies? ›

Grown without chemicals, organic cotton has fewer potential allergens, making the fabric gentler on your skin. Organic cotton is perfect for those who suffer from eczema and other conditions. Because it's so soft, baby clothes won't irritate the skin like conventional cotton can.

What are the two main disadvantages of using organic fabrics? ›

What are the disadvantages of organic cotton?
  • Smaller Yield – Requires More Land. ...
  • Natural Pesticides Can Be Harmful Too. ...
  • There are fewer organic cotton farms. ...
  • More expensive. ...
  • A long and costly process.
Jun 23, 2023

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