KEY BENEFITS OF GREENGUARD GOLD CERTIFIED CRIBS

The Benefits of Buying a Greenguard Gold Certified Crib

There is so much to consider when preparing to welcome a newborn baby into the world. As expectant parents, you want to give your little bundle of joy the best and safest start in life. A big part of ensuring your baby gets this is to make sure they develop a healthy sleeping pattern. Sleep is crucial for your baby’s development because it’s when memories are stored, synapses and brain tissue develops, connections are made, and energy levels are restored.

Buying a safe and comfortable crib for your baby is the first step to ensuring your baby gets the rest they need. We’ve discovered that the safest cribs are Greenguard Gold certified and below we explain why this is important to not only your child’s physical safety but also the environmental factors that will ensure your baby’s sleep is not affected by anything.

1. What Does Greenguard Gold Certified Mean?

Lots of items in your home emit chemicals into the air over time. The level of these pollutants is very small, but they can build up in enclosed spaces such as in your bedroom or nursery.

This happens when carbon-based chemicals that convert into gas and are released into the air, called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are present in some items, causing the materials to break down at room temperature. VOCs are found in furniture and some cleaning products that can pollute your home’s air.

The Greenguard Environment Institute tests furniture and furnishings for chemical emissions to improve indoor air quality and ensure the safety of those who use the items they test. There are two levels of certification:

• Greenguard Certified – item has been tested for more than 10,000 VOC emissions and chemicals.
• Greenguard Gold Certified ­– requires even lower VOC emissions and tests for more chemicals than the regular certification. This ensures that products are safe for use in nurseries and other environments, preventing the air inside your home from getting polluted.

2. What To Look For In A Crib

When researching cribs, many new parents start the process by considering their budget and then what features they want in their desired crib to complement the theme of their nursery design. However, the safety of a crib should be your first consideration. A crib with stationary sides, the appropriate slat spacing, no drop side rails, a sturdy build, no sharp edges, and baby-safe paint are all qualities you should be looking for when buying a crib. This will ensure they can’t climb or wriggle out, hurt themselves, or get trapped.

There are a number of safety standards to look out for. In the US, there are four main certifications that signify a crib is safe to use. These cribs comply with federal regulations and have undergone rigorous testing. They are:

• American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) – Ensures there are no potentially harmful chemicals within a crib’s composition.
• Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) – The CSPC ensures a crib’s structural safety.
• Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association (JPMA) – Guarantees the highest safety requirements are met. The JPMA builds on ASTM level standards but highlights that a crib meets all retail requirements for federal and state laws.
• Greenguard Gold Certification – Makes sure that a crib has been vigorously tested throughout the manufacturing process to ensure the crib doesn’t emit any compounds that could lower the indoor air quality that your baby breathes in.

Greenguard Gold is the most stringent of all crib safety regulations and ensures an even higher level of safety for your baby when they are inside their crib. That’s why at Baby Shortlist, we only recommend cribs that carry Greenguard Gold certification.

3. How Important Is a Greenguard Gold Certified Crib?

Greenguard Gold certification is the most respected in the furniture manufacturing industry because they have the highest standards. For a product to be Greenguard Gold certified requires manufacturers submitting data and products for testing for impurities and hundreds of chemicals that could be harmful. In particularly, Greenguard Gold tests for gases and toxins which can be particularly harmful to children.

This matters because your baby will be more than half the day in the crib and if a product is not Greenguard gold certified it could leak tiny amounts of gas which could be harmful to your baby.  So why take the risk?

Investing in a Greenguard Gold certified product will ensure that your baby is at minimal risk of being exposed to indoor air pollution or toxic chemicals, meaning that they get the best possible start in life.

However, to become Greenguard Gold certified, instead of simply Greenguard certified, a crib must have lower emissions than other Greenguard certified products and low VOC emissions, and reduced amounts of dangerous chemicals, such as formaldehyde. This means that the products in question are particularly safe for children. Not only this, but Greenguard Gold certified cribs need to meet the VOC standards put in place by the California Department of Health.

4. The Key Benefits Of Buying A Greenguard Gold Certified Crib 

The best baby cribs are always going to be the safest ones. When you buy a Greenguard Gold certified crib, you can rest assured that it scores low on potentially harmful VOC emissions, which will keep you, your baby, and your family safe. Many benefits come with buying a Greenguard Gold standard crib.

• Testing

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside your home can be five times more polluted than the air outside. Greenguard Gold certification means that cribs have gone through a rigorous course of testing in a third-party laboratory. While products are being put through their paces, they face tests that measure their VOC emissions in different temperatures and humidity levels. Only when a product meets its strict emissions standards does it receive certification.

In addition, all Greenguard Gold cribs meet VOC standards put in place by the California Department of Public Health to test chemical emissions from building products that are used in schools. As a parent, you can rest assured that your baby’s exposure to potentially harmful VOCs and chemical emissions is reduced when you select a crib that carries a Greenguard Gold stamp. The testing process ensures that you do not fill your house with harmful pollution and the air is kept as clean as possible.

• Eco-Friendly Credentials

A crib made of all-natural, eco-friendly materials is the best option to protect your baby. Greenguard Gold cribs are made from natural materials, such as wood, that do not harm the environment through their production. These cribs are also fully recyclable, giving their eco-friendly credentials an even bigger boost. Plastic products aren’t as hardwearing and can’t always be recycled, which means they often end up in the landfill. When you choose a Greenguard Gold certified crib, you are making the right choice for the protection of your baby and the environment.

• Natural Materials

Synthetic materials such as plastics often have higher VOC levels. When you choose Greenguard Gold, you know that the wood the crib has been made from emits minimal levels of harmful chemicals, so they are safe for sleeping in.

Hardwood is best for baby cribs as they are stronger and scratch and fire-resistant. Woods such as oak, maple, and solid beechwood are common examples used for cribs. Softwood such as pine are less expensive than hardwood options but are still safe. These woods emit the lowest levels of VOCs into the air and should be your first choice when buying a crib.

Woods that have been heavily processed, such as plywood and fiberboard, emit the most VOCs into the air and should be avoided where possible. Natural woods also require less adhesives, making them safer as these can also emit VOCs into the air.

• Toxin Free

Greenguard Gold cribs are toxin free, which is a huge benefit. This means they are safe, and your baby will be exposed to the lowest level of potentially harmful chemicals. When these are emitted, they are dangerous to infants, and because Greenguard Gold cribs are made using natural wood, they are labeled non-toxic.

• Improved Indoor Air Quality

Pollutants can build quicker indoors where there is less ventilation than outside. When choosing a Greenguard Gold certified crib for your baby’s nursery, you are doing all you can to improve the air quality inside your home. These cribs produce less harmful VOC emissions, which can cause health problems for young babies. The best way to reduce indoor air pollution is to limit the number of products in your home that contribute to this. 

• Reduced Chemicals Exposure

With Greenguard Gold certified products, you lower the risk of chemical exposure, which creates a healthier environment for your baby. Greenguard Gold certification includes health-based criteria to protect the most sensitive people, such as babies, while their neurological, respiratory, and immune systems are still developing.

• Allergy Protection

Babies are incredibly sensitive, and many environmental factors can contribute to them suffering from allergies and allergy flares. Reducing the level of toxins in your home can have a positive effect on allergies. When you choose a Greenguard Gold certified crib, you know that you are buying a crib made from all-natural materials that will not irritate your baby.

5. Risks of Not Choosing Greenguard Gold

Choosing a Greenguard Gold certified crib ensures that your baby is at the lowest risk of exposure to toxic chemicals and indoor air pollution, so they will get the best possible start in life.

There are several risks associated with inhaling VOCs from the air. In extreme cases, these include diabetes, infertility, headaches, dizziness, eye, throat and nose irritation, brain fog, and damage to the kidneys, liver, and central nervous system.

Greenguard Gold certified cribs are made from all-natural materials that are toxic-free. Cribs are tested for even more chemicals than the standard Greenguard certification to achieve this gold standard mark.

Unlike the standard testing, the gold standard tests more closely for formaldehyde and phthalates, which children are more vulnerable to. Exposure to these particular chemicals can lead to skin, eye, throat, and nasal irritation, asthma, and some cancers in very rare cases where there has been long-term exposure. When you select a Greenguard Gold certified crib, you can rest assured that your baby will not be exposed to harmful levels of these chemicals, and the risk is substantially lowered.

To demonstrate the robustness of Greenguard Gold certified testing, formaldehyde levels must be under 7.3 ppb (parts per billion). This is massively lower than the standard Greenguard certification, which requires it to be within 50 ppb. When buying a crib for your baby, ensure you are selecting a crib with the highest Greenguard certification.

Now you know the potential dangers, why take the risk of buying a crib that is not Greenguard Gold certified?

6. How To Tell If The Crib You Are Buying is Greenguard Gold Certified

It could not be easier! All Greenguard Gold certified cribs come with the Greenguard Gold stamp, which is easy to spot and promises safety. Check out our list of the top 10 best baby cribs here for inspiration.

7. Sleep Safety For Babies

You must follow some safety basics when putting your baby to sleep. As prospective parents know, a safe environment to sleep in lowers the risk of sleep-related deaths in babies. It can help reduce your baby’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or accidental death. A safety-approved crib with a firm, flat surface and mattress that fits the sleeping space is recommended for your baby. It is unsafe to let your baby sleep in your bed; they should always sleep in their own crib. Keep loose items out of your baby’s sleep area, as these can pose a risk of suffocation, strangulation, or entrapment.

8. How To Keep Indoor VOC Low

As well as choosing a Greenguard Gold certified crib for your baby, there are other steps you can take to reduce the levels of VOC in your home:

• Open windows as much as possible to increase natural ventilation
• Use only eco-friendly cleaning products that are free from toxic ingredients
• Fill your home with plants
• Choose items with low VOC levels
• Use an air purifier to filter the pollution

Conclusion

Looking for a crib for your baby can be a minefield. You probably have an idea of how much money you want to spend and how your baby’s finished nursery will look, but this stands for nothing if you do not choose a crib that meets the most stringent of safety standards. When it comes to crib shopping, always opt for safety over style.

There are four main safety certifications to look out for when selecting a crib for your baby, but the most important one to look out for is Greenguard Gold which is the most stringent for chemical and VOC emissions testing. When parents choose Greenguard Gold, they can rest easy that their baby is not exposed to any toxic materials, and they are buying an all-natural product that is good for their baby, the pollution levels in their home, and the environment. 

While there are ways to reduce the levels of VOCs in the air of your home, the very best course of action is to minimize this risk at the source by choosing Greenguard Gold certified products, which provide the highest level of assurance against these dangerous toxins. The best baby cribs are the safest, so always select Greenguard Gold