There are many types of children’s furniture today. So why and how to choose non-polluting furniture for children?
Non-polluting furniture for our children
Before the arrival of a newborn, many parents wonder about his future room: where will he sleep? What type of furniture to buy? And above all, how to be sure that this furniture will not be harmful and dangerous for the health of the new born?
Today, most of the furniture on the market is made of materials that are cheap and quick to produce. However, these materials contain hundreds of chemical substances: formaldehydes, PVC, toluene, lead, phthalates, benzene, bisphenols, styrene, trichloroethylene, naphthalene and furfural… Installed in the baby’s room, beds, dressers, cupboards and other shelves release these substances, which are known to be dangerous for our health and the environment.
So how to make sure your child sleeps in a healthy room? Why invest in eco-friendly furniture? And where to find these non-polluting furniture for children?
Children’s furniture, an increasing offer
Whether it’s a newborn, a young child or a teenager, many of us furnish our children’s rooms with adapted furniture. The market for children’s furniture nowadays is more and more vast. It is therefore advisable to remain vigilant about the quality of the furniture chosen and to be aware of the risks that some children’s furniture presents.
What types of children’s furniture
The majority of furniture today is made to fit children’s rooms. For example, you can furnish a baby’s room with :
- a baby bed (accompanied by its adapted baby mattress): evolving or not, with bars, co-sleeping …
- a changing table,
- a baby’s dresser,
- a baby’s wardrobe,
- a baby bed barrier,
- …
The bedrooms of older children can also be equipped with furniture adapted to the size and age of the child:
- a child’s bed: trundle bed, evolving bed, bunk bed, stackable bed, bench bed, children’s bed, mezzanine, children’s headboard…
- a child’s wardrobe,
- a child’s bedside table,
- a child’s bookcase,
- a child’s desk,
- a child’s chair,
- a storage for children’s toys: a toy box, storage boxes…
- …
All these furniture can present certain risks for the health of our children. Made from materials containing pollutants invisible to the naked eye, they release toxic compounds. For babies, children or teenagers, the offer of ecological – or eco-responsible – complete rooms is therefore developing more and more.
The dangers of children’s furniture
It is now admitted that many children’s furniture pollute their rooms. This is because the materials used in their manufacture contain harmful chemicals. Once the new furniture is unpacked, they are gradually released into the toddler’s room. The paints, glues and varnishes used also contain pollutants that are hazardous to health. Finally, children’s furniture is often treated and protected against different types of external aggressions: insects, humidity, fire… However, some of these treatments are also known to be harmful to health and the environment.
The baby or child who sleeps, plays and works in his room can be exposed for several hours a day to many harmful substances and endocrine disruptors. VOCs are one of these substances. Ultra-toxic, these “volatile organic compounds” can cause irritation and itching, respiratory problems, headaches and serious chronic diseases. Formaldehydes and certain heavy metals can also diffuse into our indoor air and be responsible for various ailments, more or less serious.
So how can we be sure that we are not exposing our children to these dangerous substances that are harmful to their health?
A healthy bedroom for our children!
There are some tips to limit indoor air pollution, to ensure our children have a healthy, non-toxic environment. Investing in non-polluting furniture for children is obviously still the safest approach.
Tips to limit exposure to indoor pollutants
Some tips to limit exposure to indoor pollutants:
- avoid plywood furniture, as the glue used causes significant VOC emissions;
- choose modular furniture, which can be adapted to the child’s size as he grows;
- avoid investing only in new furniture;
- paint your child’s room with a non-toxic paint, and ventilate as much as possible before moving in;
- invest in textiles and mattresses made of ecological and natural materials: organic cotton, bamboo, natural latex, tencel (eucalyptus wood pulp), coconut fiber… The European label “Confidence in Textiles Oeko-Tex® Standard 100” guarantees the total absence of toxic or irritating substances;
- air your child’s room regularly;
- clean with ecological products or make them yourself (with white vinegar, baking soda, black soap…);
- …
But to avoid exposing your children to these types of dangerous substances, you can invest in non-polluting children’s furniture. The offer is increasingly accessible and many models of eco-friendly children’s furniture are now available on the market.
Choosing non-polluting furniture for children
Made of natural, noble and raw materials, eco-responsible furniture for children avoids any exposure to hazardous products. Eco-design and use of eco-materials: the life cycle of sustainable furniture for children is also part of a reasonable and responsible approach.
Most of our furniture comes from the wood industry (oak, ash, birch, poplar, Douglas fir) and meets several criteria:
- use of raw materials and natural treatments ;
- wood from sustainably managed forests (PEFC or FSC);
- materials collected in the respect of the environment;
- handcrafted and locally produced;
- assembly without glue and no or limited transformation;
- reduced packaging and transportation time;
- durable materials, easy to maintain.
Made of solid wood, raw or lightly varnished or lacquered, non-polluting furniture for children has a long life span. Investing in modular and evolving ecological furniture also allows you to avoid having to change the furniture in your child’s room every two or three years! Non-toxic, the paints of the non polluting furniture for children do not release harmful substances. At reasonable prices, eco-friendly children’s furniture is both functional and stylish.
Investing in sustainable and eco-responsible furniture for your child allows him to live in a healthy environment, while contributing to the protection of the environment. The brands presented on We Design Green use natural materials, water-based paints without solvents or lime paint, varnishes and natural hard oils, ecological textiles…Discover our offer and easily furnish an ecological and natural children’s room!
