Tips for Choosing The Best Organic Baby Blanket or Quilt

What to look for when choosing the best organic baby blanket including what materials are the strongest, softest, and healthiest for you and your new baby.

As they transition from the safety of your belly to the outside world, babies love the feeling of being wrapped up snuggly in a cozy swaddle blanket. There is a reason the first three months of a baby’s life are often referred to as the “fourth trimester.”

The best baby blankets offer, not just comfort, but also security and peace of mind for those early months and beyond. With the amount of time your infant spends sleeping, choosing the right blanket becomes an important choice for you as a parent.

If you’ve been on the hunt for a baby blanket before, you’ve likely come across blankets labeled as “organic.” Wondering why organic fabrics make all the difference? Read on to find out everything you need to know about organic baby blankets and how to find the perfect option for your little one.

Why Organic Material?

Synthetic fabrics are often less expensive to produce, and non-organic materials will always be cheaper. But if it's soft, what difference does it make? Well, a baby's delicate skin is thinner, more porous, and more sensitive than an adult's, putting them at greater risk of absorbing residual pesticides, insecticides, growth hormones, or whatever else has been used during the manufacturing process.

When talking about baby food, an organic label indicates the food was produced without using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial agents. The same is true of natural fabric materials, like cotton, wool, and bamboo.

Organic blankets are made from fabric free from any of these dangers. The organic label means that a blanket does not contain any genetically engineered substances or synthetics - and the material it's made from has been grown without pesticides. Beyond that, it's more likely to come from a source where sustainability is a priority.

Choosing The Right Organic Fabric For Your Little One

A baby blanket should be made of gentle, breathable, and certified-safe materials to make sleep more comfortable on your baby’s sensitive skin - and give you peace of mind. With that in mind, as you look for a baby blanket for your little one, pay special attention to labels stating that the blanket is GOTS certified, which means that the fabric meets the Global Organic Textile Standard. Below are some of the gentlest and safest organic fabrics that parents love.

Organic Cotton Knit

With a soft weave, organic cotton is lightweight enough for the summer months and warm enough to work as a layer in the winter for multi-season use. Its range of options and gentle touch for baby's sensitive skin makes it the perfect choice for infants and toddlers alike. And, if you choose a dye-free fabric, the natural ivory cotton of a knit baby blanket makes a lovely background in photos and is just the right size to use in the stroller.

Organic Muslin

Organic cotton muslin blankets are excellent receiving blankets and organic swaddle blankets for little ones. Due to the loose weave used to make the muslin fabric, muslin swaddle blankets are uniquely breathable and offer a safer option than thick quilted blankets. Muslin is one of the softest fabrics available for organic cotton swaddles, so it’s an excellent choice for baby clothes, burp cloths, and many other baby products.

Organic Merino Wool

Merino is a breed of domestic sheep characterized by very fine, soft wool. It’s a gentle, breathable fabric that can help maintain temperature, making it a great choice for a blanket to use during cuddle time or solo sleep. Additionally, merino wool is 100% biodegradable, and its fibers have a protective outer layer that resists dirt and prevents stains from absorbing, making it much easier to machine wash.

Organic Bamboo

Not only is “bamboo baby blanket” fun to say, but bamboo fibers tend to be even lighter and more breathable than cotton, perfect for your baby’s delicate skin. Bamboo fabric is also quite durable, hypoallergenic, and machine washable, and because bamboo is a sustainable material, bamboo blankets are also one of the most eco-friendly options. That said, some bamboo is processed in a way that introduces toxic chemicals to the material, so be sure to pick brands with the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification.

Safety First! ...And Second, And Third...

Safety is essential when choosing a baby blanket. In addition to the obvious things to avoid, like blankets with loose tassels, fringes, or ribbons that can become choking hazards, safety also extends to buying an appropriate blanket for the season.

Infants are not yet able to regulate their body temperatures, so choose a heavier blanket for winter and a lighter one for summer to prevent overheating. When purchasing a winter blanket, do not get a quilt or anything soft and heavy. Even when made from a breathable fabric, the dense design can contribute to SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Instead, a knitted pattern offers ventilation and breathability.

As babies get bigger, they transition from a swaddle blanket to a sleep sack. The wearable blanket allows your little one to kick, wiggle, and move around without the risk of suffocation. Baby sleep sacks are also convenient for you as a parent, letting you slip one right over their baby clothes and pajamas, so you can keep it on as you feed and soothe them at night.

Other Things to Consider

The number-one concern when shopping for a soft baby blanket is, of course, making sure your baby is warm and comfortable. However, a few other factors can help narrow your choices down a little more.

Durability

If you're going to spend the time, effort, and resources to find the absolute best, high-quality blanket for your baby, you expect it to last. A good, well-made blanket can stand the transition from shower gift to nursing cover to stroller blanket, all the way to play mat for tummy time! The blanket they snuggle with as a baby eventually becomes their security blanket for naps during their toddler years and beyond. Take a close look at the blanket’s stitching to ensure it won't unravel within a year, and choose something machine washable. A good blanket will travel from the crib sheets to the car seats and back, withstanding any everyday mess.

Reusability

If you're like me, you like to hold onto treasures from your baby's earliest days. Baby blankets become heirlooms that will forever remind us of when our children were tiny, and when you choose a blanket based on durability, there's a good chance it will have a life beyond your first baby's infancy. Picking a unisex or gender-neutral pattern is not as important as choosing a color and pattern that can go with any decor. A blanket with a gaudy design that's fun for a baby shower, in my experience, will not see as much use as a blanket with a softer color palette.

Environmental Friendliness

We all want to make sure that the world we leave for our children is better than we found it. One of the many small actions we can take is to choose eco-friendly baby products whenever possible. Choosing organic material is a good start, but you should also favor sustainable materials, like cotton or bamboo.

An OEKO-TEX label can be helpful for choosing the most eco-friendly options. If the blanket you're looking at is labeled STANDARD 100, every thread, weave, and button has been tested for harmful substances. Their STeP certification label shows that the manufacturing process included environmentally friendly production, sustainability, and socially responsible working conditions.

fawn & forest

fawn&forest's collection of organic cotton baby blankets and quilts has the perfect options for your little one's comfort. Find muslin baby blankets to keep your tot warm in their crib, cover their little face while running errands or taking a walk, or swaddle them for the comfiest sleep. Our baby swaddle blankets and sleep sacks offer that same comfort, with just the right amount of warmth to soothe your baby.

We picked our favorite baby and toddler blankets crafted with exceptional eco-friendly and organic cotton fabrics, durability, and beautiful patterns and colors. Explore our collection of blankets made with the highest quality materials, from organic cotton to fine merino wool with an extra-soft feel, all chosen to help your sweet pea drift off to sleep in comfort.

-

If you enjoyed this you may also be interesting in why you should get an organic mattress for your baby crib. You may also enjoy reading how to make your child's room feel safe and more. 

Baby Furniture Built to Last: Luxury Nursery Furniture

Nursery furniture, by definition, is temporary furniture. Your baby will outgrow it (rather quickly in the grand scheme of things), and you’ll be upgrading your child’s room in a short span of time. But just because your little one only spends a few years in their nursery doesn’t mean you should sacrifice quality with their furniture. 

Finding brands that avoid short-lived trending styles and instead focus on craftsmanship and classic designs is essential. The right piece can help you make your child’s nursery into a haven they feel safe and comfortable in, no matter their age.

At fawn&forest, we collect the highest-quality pieces from brands that care. Learn which essentials your nursery needs and discover brands that can deliver on them.

Luxury Essentials for Your Nursery

Decorating your baby’s room with durable, beautiful, and luxurious furniture is more than just interior design. It’s giving care and attention to the space your child will spend most of their time in for the first few years of life. You might have been gifted most of the supplies you need during your baby shower, but deciding on the right nursery furniture can be more of a lift. 

So what essentials should you include in your baby’s room? Here are our suggestions for how to build a place of comfort:

Baby Cribs for Sweet Dreams

Your little one will go from bassinet to toddler bed or daybed in the blink of an eye, and ensuring they’re cradled in a safe, soft space makes bedtime easy at any stage. Deciding which luxury baby bed to buy will depend on whether you want a piece that transitions with your baby or one that fits them only during a specific age. Convertible cribs, such as 4-in-1 convertible cribs or cribs that use conversion kits, let you stick with one piece throughout their childhood, changing only their crib mattress and crib bedding.

Seating for Stories and Cuddles

Your baby’s nursery isn’t just a place for sleep. It’s a space for you to make memories together, develop their love of reading, and more. Classic rocking chairs and rockers, modern gliders and swivel chairs, and recliners can help you create that haven of comfort for you and your little one. Go for seating that fits your decor but also offers a durable design, exceptional luxury, and convenience. 

Extras for Care and Comfort

Along with all the essentials you need for outside the nursery, like strollers, car seats, and baby clothes, a few additions to the room can bring it together. Practical supplies like changing tables or changers and storage can be just as luxe and high-end as your crib. A mid-century modern bookcase can offer an aesthetic place to store books for your future reader. Adding a well-placed table can give you all the space you need to display art, set up an area for creative activities, or add a little extra storage. Whatever you choose for your design, make sure you find pieces that will contribute to your aesthetic and deliver functionality for years to come.

Brands at the Intersection of Cutting Edge and Ultra-Chic Luxury Furniture

At fawn&forest, we strive to find modern brands offering sustainable styles and beautiful designs to give you a collection of the best nursery furniture. 

Brands like Nursery Works aim to bring high design into the nursery for the ultra-chic parent. The designers at Nursery Works collaborate with highly skilled American craftspeople to build each piece. By making their products in low production runs, they can use methods and materials that would be unavailable in typical mass production. For instance, many of their solid wood cribs are bench-made in small local shops in the United States.

You’ll also find nursery furniture from brands like Oeuf, Babyletto, and Million Dollar Baby, each chosen for their dedication to quality craftsmanship. These brands offer only the best-in-class nursery furniture that will make your baby’s room look one of a kind and ensure their healthy, happy growth.

Timeless Styles from fawn&forest

Are you looking to decorate your child’s nursery with style, safety, and sustainability in mind? When choosing furniture for your baby’s nursery, you deserve original, unique furniture designs made from the highest quality, natural materials available on the market. Explore our catalog of best sellers, sustainably-sourced items, and thoughtfully-designed pieces built to last. You’ll find Greenguard Gold-certified cribs and crib essentials, hits from your favorite brands, and unique aesthetics you won’t see elsewhere, all chosen to support and encourage your child’s safe sleep and healthy development.

It would seem logical to assume that a new crib mattress would be safer than an old one. After all, as years go by, we continue to regulate more and more. There is even a certification for crib mattresses, so how could they be less safe? The truth is they are.

You would think that since crib mattresses are regulated and certified by a giant safety seal they would be safe. That's not entirely true. 

The University of Texas did a study and found that

• New crib mattresses release about 4x as many VOCs (organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary room temperature.) as old crib mattresses.
• Body heat increases emissions.
• Toxic chemical emissions are strongest in the sleeping infant’s immediate breathing zone.

Part of the cause of the problem is the manufacturers. Manufactures want to make as much profit as possible, manufacturing as much product as possible, so as long as it passes government regulations, they feel they’ve done their jobs. The real problem though is that the regulations are not very strict.

So why should you buy an organic crib mattress? Is a healthy crib mattress necessary for your baby's health? In short, yes.

Here are just a few of the unhealthy components found in a standard crib mattress. 

Why You Should Get A Natural Crib Mattress

1) Brominated Fire Retardants

These fire-retardant materials are cause for concern wherever children may come in contact with them. This applies to sofas and any other soft furniture where they may be present, as well.

Countries in Europe have banned harmful chemicals like flame retardants entirely. These retardants get stored in the human body with every exposure, making them bioaccumulative (the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other chemicals in your body).

In experiments with mice, PBDE's lead to problems with the thyroid, developmental problems with learning and motor skills, and cancer.

PDBE's are in numerous places such as televisions, computers, carpets, and couches, so it is worthy of taking note of this and whenever possible trying to limit your exposure.

Non-Natural Crib Mattresses Use Cheap Glues

Why do you want to avoid cheap glue? Simply put, cheap glues contain a number of harmful chemicals that are toxic to children, and standard crib mattresses contain a disproportionate amount of these glues to keep it firm and rigid.

Non-Natural Crib Mattresses Have Polyester Fabrics

Fabrics and batting in crib mattresses are often made with polyester. Polyester can cause respiratory tract irritation and severe skin rashes. 

Conclusion

It's not hype, buying an organic crib mattress could be one of the most important purchases you'll ever make for your baby or child to ensure their safety while they sleep.

An organic crib mattress helps increase blood flow and relieve pressure so your baby can get a good night’s sleep. Organic baby crib mattresses are made with non-toxic materials so your baby will avoid sleep interruptions due to exposure to chemically treated fabrics.

x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x