We looked only at cribs that carry UL’s GreenGuard Gold certification.
At the end of the article we’ll mention some products made of materials we like but are not GreenGuard Gold certified.
We evaluated cribs on three areas of primary concern for chemical off-gassing:
- Wood
- Stains, Finishes, and Paints
- Glues and Adhesives
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What is GreenGuard Gold?
GreenGuard has two levels of certification that measure VOC levels in products.
- GreenGuard allows – 500 μg/m3 total VOCs.
- GreenGuard Gold allows – 220 μg/m3 total VOCs.
For reference, the average house has a total VOC count of mean = 150 μg/m3 and median = 91 μg/m3, and the outdoor or “background rate” is around 2-5 times lower than indoor levels.
The GreenGuard tests attempt to show “real life” levels of VOCs, that might be expected in a regular-sized room after 7 days. (Source)
The certification does not limit semi-VOCs (SVOC), like phthalates, biocides, and flame retardants. Nor heavy metals.
What Does GreenGuard Gold Certified Indicate for Formaldehyde Levels?
If you look through the individual levels of VOCs and their limits you can dig in even deeper.
The formaldehyde level allowed in GreenGuard Gold certified products is extremely low – just 9 μg/m3 or 7.3 ppb (parts per billion).
I have a post that contains a reference level table for formaldehyde.
Outdoor urban air contains 1.5- 47 ppb.
GreenGuard Gold formaldehyde levels are lower than the outdoor air in many places.
Formaldehyde levels allowed with standard GreenGuard are significantly higher at 50 ppb (parts per billion) or 61.3 μg/m3 (Compared to GreenGuard Gold 0.0073 ppm).
Is GreenGuard Gold Useful for Cribs?
GreenGuard Gold applies to the whole crib.
These are the areas that can offgas:
- Wood: solid wood is better than particleboard or engineered wood like MDF.
- Companies will often have solid wood frames with engineered boards for side panels and/or the mattress support.
- Stains, Finishes, and Paints: products used to treat wood often contain VOCs, so we evaluated each product for what stains, finishes, and paints are used on the product.
- Some companies offered options for different treatments.
- Glues and adhesives: adhesives are used to construct engineered wood and hold parts together and often contain VOCs, so we looked at what glues and adhesives are used on the product.
- Place of manufacture: location matters because some countries have stricter guidelines regarding chemicals in children’s furniture.
1. New York Crib by Romina Furniture
Top Pick
Romina’s commitment to high quality furniture shows up in its materials and in its price.
It’s among the most expensive GreenGuard Gold cribs we reviewed, but it’s also among the highest quality in materials.
Romina Furniture builds its New York Crib in Latvia out of solid European beechwood.
The crib is 100% hardwood, including the mattress support, and side panels.
Solid wood mattress supports are uncommon in an industry that uses mostly plywood for crib mattress supports.
The listing doesn’t say whether the mattress support is a set of slats or in the form of a board.
Their finishes water-based and non-toxic and their oil-based finishes are made of vegetable oils, mineral oil, and beeswax.
The New York Crib has 3 height settings, and does not include any conversion kits.
The New York crib is available from the Romina Furniture website for $1,295.
2. Soho 3-in-1 Convertible Crib by Dadada Baby
Budget Pick
At under $500, the Soho 3-in-1 crib is an affordable option for a solid hardwood crib.
The only other GreenGuard Gold cribs under $500 that we reviewed are Namesake’s Liberty 3-in-1 and Pottery Barn Kids’ Camden Convertible.
Dadada Baby builds its Soho 3-in-1 crib in Italy out of solid beechwood.
Their mattress base is also beechwood, but we didn’t get an answer to if it’s solid or plywood.
Products that do use engineered wood, like MDF, meet legal limits (CARB Phase 2 and TSCA Title VI are simply US legal limits), which limit formaldehyde to 0.13 parts per million (ppm) for thin MDF.
They advertise “baby-safe” finishes that are free of lead, phthalates, and PFAS.
The mattress support has 3 height settings. Toddler bed/daybed conversion kits are sold separately.
You can purchase the Soho 3-in-1 convertible crib through Amazon.
3. Como Classic Crib by Natart Juvenile
Natart Juvenile’s Como Classic Crib claims to be the safest crib in the industry.
The crib is made in Canada of solid ash wood.
Their mattress support is wood, but we’re not sure if it’s solid or engineered.
The mattress support has 3 height settings, and while not billed as a convertible crib, it does convert to a toddler bed which the purchase of a toddler gate.
They use water-based adhesives they claim are “free of harmful ingredients.”
Their finishes are water based, made in Italy and claim to be nontoxic, very low VOC, and free of formaldehyde.
Finishes undergo testing for six heavy metals.
Natart uses “microstructured finishes” and a “high scratch resistant finish/varnish” to protect the wood.
Microstructuring alters the surface of the material (e.g. with lasers) on a microscopic level to improve durability and scratch resistance.
The Como Classic lists both a traditional finish/sealer and a microstructured finish, which might mean that both are used or it might mean that different finish styles are used on different components of the crib.
You can buy the Como Classic crib on bambibaby.com for $949.
4. Sparrow Crib by Oeuf
Oeuf makes their Sparrow Crib in Latvia out of solid European birch hardwood.
Their plywood is Baltic birch.
The mattress platform has 3 height settings, and a toddler bed conversion kit is sold separately.
Oeuf uses water-based non-toxic glues, “…think Elmer’s,” they say (that means it’s a non-toxic PVA glue), noting that some of their furniture requires no adhesives in the structure.
Though they do use plywood and MDF which are made with formaldehyde.
Finishes are non-toxic, water-based, and zero-VOC.
Oeuf is the only company we researched that has a statement about adhesives available on its website.
You can purchase the Sparrow crib through the Oeuf website for $980.
5. Pogo 8-in-1 Crib by Babyletto
The Pogo 8-in-1 is the most versatile crib we reviewed.
It provides 8 different stage conversions without having to buy conversion kits separately.
You get a lot for your money with this crib.
The Pogo 8-in-1 is made in Thailand out of solid New Zealand pine.
Their mattress supports are engineered wood.
All Babyletto furniture tests “undetectable” for formaldehyde.
Their paints and stains are “lead and phthalate safe,” with their paints testing at less than 10 ppm for lead.
Babyletto retests 25% of their full-size cribs every 3 months, and test their paints annually.
The Pogo 8-in-1 includes all stages conversion kits, and is listed at $799 on the Babyletto website.
6. Liberty 3-in-1 by Namesake
Namesake (formerly Million Dollar Baby Classic) makes their Liberty 3-in-1 crib in Thailand, and is 100% solid New Zealand pine.
Their paints test at <10 ppm for lead.
Lead content in their surface coating and substrate both test at <0.001% (compare to ASTM/CPSC standards <0.009% for surface coating and <0.01% for the substrate).
Namesake retests 25% of their full-size cribs every 3 months, and tests their paints annually.
The Liberty 3-in-1 convertible has 4 mattress positions, offering plenty of adaptability as your baby grow, and your purchase includes the toddler bed conversion kit.
You can purchase the Liberty 3-in-1 on the Namesake website for $499.
7. Mid-Century Convertible Crib by West Elm
West Elm builds their Mid-Century Convertible Crib in a Fair Trade Certified facility in Vietnam, out of solid and engineered wood, with real wood veneer.
They didn’t tell us which parts were engineered, but we’re guessing it’s the side panels.
The metal mattress platform has 2 height settings.
While a metal mattress platform may be louder than a wooden platform, it avoids concerns over wood glues and adhesives used for plywood and particle board.
They use a “child-safe” water-based finish on their cribs.
You can buy the Mid-Century Convertible Crib on the West Elm website for $699.
Conversion kits are sold separately.
This crib is made in collaboration with the next company on our list: Pottery Barn Kids.
8. Camden Convertible Crib by Pottery Barn Kids
Pottery Barn Kids makes its Camden Convertible Crib out of solid New Zealand pine.
This listing didn’t provide a country of manufacture, but some other cribs by Pottery Barn Kids are built in a Fair Trade Certified facility in Vietnam.
The metal mattress platform has 2 height settings. Conversion kits are sold separately.
PBK’s states that they “require extensive lead testing at both surface and substrate levels to ensure that our products exceed both those levels achieving higher than industry standards in many countries.”
You can buy the Camden Convertible Crib on the Pottery Barn Kids website for $499.
Honorable Mentions
Sniglar Crib by IKEA
IKEA’s Sniglar Crib is an excellent non-toxic (and remarkably affordable) option.
The Sniglar crib is made from solid beechwood only (no engineered wood), and the wood is unfinished.
The mattress platform has 2 height positions, and it converts to a toddler bed.
The IKEA India website lists its country of manufacture as Romania, but that may be different for the US market.
The Sniglar crib from the IKEA is only $119.
Check out my recent review of the Sniglar Crib from June 2024.
Gratitude Slat Crib by Green Cradle
Green Cradle makes its Gratitude Slat Crib in the United States entirely out of solid wood, including the solid wood slat mattress support.
It’s the only crib we reviewed that is made in the United States.
Customers can select the hardwood for construction (not the finish, the actual construction wood itself) from a list that includes solid brown maple, red oak, hard maple, cherry, and walnut woods.
Customers may purchase the crib unfinished or with a linseed oil finish, which they claim contains no VOCs, chemicals, varnishes, polyurethanes, stains, synthetic preservatives, heavy metal driers, carcinogens or formaldehyde.
The mattress support has 2 height settings, and conversion kits are sold separately.
You can purchase the Gratitude Slat Crib on the Green Cradle website for $1,545.
Crib Comparison Charts
| New York Crib, Romina | Soho 3-in-1, Dadada Baby | Como Classic, Netart Juvenile | Sparrow, Oeuf | Pogo 8-in-1, Babyletto | |
| Construction | Solid beechwood | Solid beechwood | Solid ash wood | Solid birch wood and engineered wood. | Solid pine and engineered wood. |
| Engineered Wood | None | Maybe | Maybe | Mattress support | Mattress support |
| Mattress Support | Solid wood | Beechwood, possibly solid or plywood. | Possibly solid or plywood | Baltic Birch plywood | Engineered wood |
| Stain, Finish, Paint | Water based finishes are non-toxic. Oil based finishes are vegetable and mineral oil based. | “Baby-safe” finishes are free of lead, phthalates & PFAS. | “Baby-safe” finishes are free of lead, phthalates & PFAS. | Water-based &zero-VOC. | “Lead and phthalate safe.” Paints test <10 ppm for lead, undetectable for formaldehyde. |
| Adhesives | No info. | No info. | No info. | Water-based PVA glue. | No info. |
| Convertible | Kits sold separately. | Kits sold separately. | Kits sold separately. | Toddler bed kit sold separately. | 8 stage conversions, all included. |
| Height settings | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Place of Manufacture | Latvia | Italy | Canada | Latvia | Thailand |
| Price | $1,295 | Under $500 | $949 | $980 | $799 |
| Liberty 3-in-1, Namesake | Mid-Century, West Elm | Camden, Pottery Barn Kids | Sniglar, IKEA (not GreenGuard) | Gratitude Slat, Green Cradle (not GreenGuard) | |
| Construction | Solid pine and engineered wood. | Solid pine and engineered wood. | Solid pine | Solid beechwood | Solid wood (multiple options) |
| Engineered Wood | No info | Side panels? | None | None | None |
| Mattress Support | No info | Metal | Metal | Solid beechwood | Solid wood |
| Stain, Finish, Paint | Paints test <10 ppm for lead. Surface coating and substrate both test at <0.001% for lead. | “Child-safe” water-based finish | “Extensive lead testing at both surface and substrate levels.” | Unfinished. | Linseed oil or unfinished |
| Adhesives | No info | No info. | No info | No info | No info |
| Convertible | Toddler bed kit included. | Kits sold separately. | Kits sold separately. | Toddler bed conversion included. | Kits sold separately. |
| Height settings | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Place of Manufacture | Thailand | Vietnam | Vietnam (?) | Romania (?) | USA |
| Price | $499 | $699 | $499 | $119 | $1,545 |
Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.
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