Green Living
5 Best Places With Non-Toxic Dressers for Nurseries
As you’re planning out a nursery for your newborn or baby on the way, you might be thinking about how you can ensure cleaner indoor air in the room your baby will be spending a whole lot of time in. This guide will help you with one part of that plan: non-toxic dressers, many of which can be easily used as changing tables as well.
What is a Non-Toxic Dresser?
There is a lot to consider in non-toxic furniture, but for the sake of this guide, we’ll focus on only the elements relevant to wood furniture since most dressers are primarily constructed with wood.
You might be thinking: why would I need a wood product to be non-toxic? Isn’t wood a natural material?
This is true, but similar to how natural fabrics like cotton can still be dyed with toxic dyes and treated with chemicals like PFAS (forever chemicals), natural furniture materials can also be stained and finished with harmful substances. Plus, composite wood products are certainly not the same as their solid wood counterparts, which we’ll get into in a moment.
By the way, below I will refer to “VOCs”, which if you haven’t heard this term before, it stands for volatile organic compounds. You can read more about VOCs and the associated health risks from the EPA.
Non-Toxic Wood
Composite wood, like MDF, is often glued together with glues that contain formaldehyde. (Not exactly the kind of toxic, carcinogenic VOC you want your little ones exposed to.)
Given this, I typically recommend looking for solid wood furniture. That said most dressers (even if their constructed with majority solid wood) will often have drawers made of composite wood or use composite wood for other parts of the dresser that aren’t as visible.
With that in mind, I would recommend a dresser made with at least partial solid wood and certified non-toxic composite wood elsewhere. When this isn’t possible, look for an overall product certification like GREENGUARD Gold. More on that below!
Zero or Low VOC Finishes
Most wood furniture isn’t left raw, but is finished with a wax, oil, lacquer, varnish or other finish. Some of these finishes can contain high levels of VOCs.
Look for brands that use low-VOC or zero-VOC finishes. Some brands will even use natural finishes like linseed oil or beeswax.
GREENGUARD Gold Certified
This is the most common non-toxic furniture certification. While this certification does not ensure zero emissions, the GREENGUARD Certification program by UL is a third-party verification that tests for over 10,000 chemical emissions and VOCs to verify low chemical emissions.
Even if a company reports that they use zero-VOC or low-VOC finishes, a GREENGUARD Gold certification is still a smart extra level of protection to look for, since many VOCs can be difficult to measure.
Where to Find Non-Toxic Dressers for A Nursery
Now that we have a foundation for what we are qualifying as a “non-toxic dresser”, let’s dive into our recommendations for where to find these dressers.
Note that the following includes affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you choose to purchase through these links. This reader support helps us continue to create more resources for low-tox and sustainable living.
1. Oeuf
Highlights: GREENGUARD Gold Certified Products, Non-Toxic Finishes, FSC-Certified Facility
Price Range: $1,245 – $1695
Shipping: US-wide delivery via Urban Natural
This family-run eco-friendly children’s furniture company prioritizes intelligent design (like baby changing trays that fit Oeuf’s dressers), quality craftsmanship, and sustainability. The brand’s furniture — like their non-toxic dressers for nurseries and kids’ bedrooms — are made in an FSC-certified facility in Latvia. While Oeuf is a smaller brand, the retailer Urban Natural has a 4.7 store rating on Google.
2. Babyletto
Highlights: GREENGUARD Gold Certified Products, Exceeds Anti-Tip Furniture Standards, Sustainably-Sourced Wood
Price Range: $349 – $899
Shipping: Free Delivery in Contiguous US (shipping charges elsewhere priced in cart)
Babyletto offers a more affordable non-toxic dresser options for nurseries. And, many of the dressers either include a removable changing tray or are compatible with the brand’s changing trays. That said, typically with a lower price point, you’ll see more engineered wood — in Babyletto’s case, in the drawer fronts and frame. Some reviewers have also expressed complaints on the quality, but many products still have an above 4.5/5 star-rating.
3. West Elm (GREENGUARD Gold Certified Collection)
Highlights: GREENGUARD Gold Certified Options, FSC Certified Wood Options, Some Products Made in Fair Trade Certified
Price Range: $499 – $1,949
Shipping: Contiguous 48 U.S. States only for large furniture items
Add a touch of West Elm’s signature design sensibility to your little one’s nursery with the retailer’s selection of GREENGUARD Gold Certified options. From mid-century modern and glam modernist dressers to painted playful dressers, West Elm is sure to have a non-toxic dresser to suit the interior design vision for your newborn’s nursery.
4. Thuma
Highlights: GREENGUARD Gold Certified Product, Upcycled Solid Wood, Tool-Free Assembly, Great Reviews
Price Range: $1,165 – $3,495
Shipping: U.S. and Canada
With nearly 300 reviews ranking this dresser an average of 4.9/5 stars, Thuma is clearly doing something right with their signature non-toxic dresser. The modular dresser makes it easy to add additional drawers as your baby or family grows, meaning this dresser could last you a lifetime. There is also the option to add anti-tipping hardware for safety.
5. Pottery Barn Kids (GREENGUARD Gold Certified Options)
Highlights: GREENGUARD Gold Certified Options, Some Products Made in Fair Trade Certified
Price Range: $499 – $1,899
Shipping: Contiguous 48 U.S. States only for large furniture items
Pottery Barn — West Elm’s more rustic sister brand — also has a number of options for non-toxic changing tables and nursery dressers. The retailer’s dressers are made with a mix of solid wood and engineered wood, but they do have many GREENGUARD Gold certified dressers.
More Non-Toxic Furniture Guides:
15 Best Non-Toxic Furniture Brands for a Healthier Home
9 Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture Companies for a Safer Sleep
7 Best Places for Non-Toxic Nightstands
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