![]() And they will be exposed to expensive marketing campaigns from the big toy manufacturers. They will play with mainstream toys outside of the home. ![]() But it gets harder and harder as your baby gets older. Though you have the most control over the toys you buy, your child will receive toys as gifts. You might be able to avoid plastic toys while your baby is little. It’s complicated, and I’m learning more as I dive deeper into CPSC requirements. Not all phthalates are banned in children’s toys, and not every part of a toy must be tested to meet toy safety standards. Toys can comply with CPSC regulations still contain heavy metals, BPA, or phthalates. Reason #2: CPSC standards are good, but not good enough in my opinion. Not only because of the risks of heavy metal poisoning but because roughly 80% of toys are manufactured in China. That’s because many of these substances (such as lead) aren’t as well-regulated as they are here in the United States. Reason #1: Toys made in other countries (such as China) carry a higher risk of containing illegal levels of chemicals and heavy metals. I love this. BUT we aren’t in the clear dangerous toys still sneak their way through this system for two reasons: The CPSC has taken a hard stance on phthalates in toys and has helped educate consumers about the dangers of flame retardants. Toys for children ages 12 and under must be tested and certified to meet these toy safety standards by a third-party laboratory before they can go to market. Toys sold in the United States are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which has a long list of rules that toy manufacturers must follow to ensure the safety of their products. In 2017, there were “only” 28 toy recalls and none of those have been due to lead. The great news is that the number of toy recalls has dropped significantly. (Just some of the toys that were recalled in 2008 were Elmo, Thomas the Train, Dora the Explorer, and Melissa & Doug toys.) Think about that: 172 toys were found to be unsafe AFTER they had made it to store shelves, and 19 of those had unsafe levels of lead in them. In 2008, 19 out of 172 toy recalls were due to unsafe levels of lead. Products are recalled almost every day because of safety concerns, and there have been many serious toy recalls in the past decade. We can no longer assume that a product is safe just because it is being sold by our favorite big-box store. But if you’re looking for the safest non-toxic baby toys, this buying guide will be your map to finding fun and safe toys for your baby and toddler. ![]() And I’m sure there are other companies out there that meet my criteria that I haven’t come across yet. This isn’t an exhaustive list for example, I’ve left off some companies whose toys I personally wouldn’t buy (so I can’t really recommend them to you!). Since mainstream toys can contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals (and since babies put everything in their mouth), we as conscious parents must choose safer, non-toxic baby toys whenever possible I’ve put together this guide to some of the best manufacturers of non-toxic baby toys. Obviously, that’s not the case and most toy manufacturers won’t think twice about using PVC in their toys or paint sourced from China. There would be no toy recalls and no toys with unsafe levels of lead or BPA. In an ideal world, all toys would be safe and there would be no need for worry.
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