Safe Alternatives for Baby and Child

In Search of PVC-Free Baby Dolls

October 16th, 2008 safbaby Posted in 0-1 yr, 1-3 yrs, 3-5 yrs, 5+ yrs, Baby Doll, PVC-free, Product Reviews, Toys | 14 Comments »

At Safbaby we have been searching for baby dolls free of PVC for the last few months (in the US and Europe), and we have been unsuccessful in finding one.

Since we’ve recently received an email from a mother who’s desperately trying to find a doll for her little girl that is PVC/Vinyl-Free, we now post our research here for all of you.

Even though most manufacturer claim that PVC/Vinyl without phthalates is not harmful, many experts question it’s safety. Please read our informative and insightful interview on this topic in full here.

Here is an excerpt of our interview:

Safbaby: Some toys are labeled “Phthalate-free”, is this enough or should I only purchase PVC-free ? Mike Schade from CHEJ (Center for Health, Environment and Justice): Certainly, phthalate free toys are a step in the right direction, but even PVC toys that are phthalate-free may contain other potentially harmful chemical additives. For example, lead has been found in a number of PVC children’s toys and back-to-school products such as lunch-boxes. Many companies have substituted lead for other “stabilizers” such as organotins which may be harmful over time. Some organotins affect the central nervous system, skin, liver, immune system and reproductive system. Since the organotins are not 100% bound to the polymer, they can easily migrate from within a PVC product to the surface. The best bet is to look for toys that are 100% PVC-free. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Phthalate-Free Baby Dolls

Manufacturers use PVC plasticizers so toys have more resilience to them, and do not break while being played with. There are a few toy manufacturers who sell dolls free of phthalates, but not free of PVC. A few examples of those are:

• Kaethe Kurse,
• Keptin-Jr
• Corolle
• Zapf Creation

Safe PVC-Free and Phthalate-Free Baby Dolls

Although we weren’t able to find a plastic doll that is completely free of potentially harmful plasticizers, here are some great SAFE ALTERNATIVE soft dolls, your child will absolutely adore.

	Paola Soft Doll by Haba This cute doll has removable clothing, is machine washable. Haba sells a variety of Soft Dolls in different sizes. We also love the portable Dollhouse and Carrying Cot, perfect for a great gift for the Holidays! Age 18M and up 15 inches tall Machine Washable Available here for $ 45.00
	Waldorf Flippippi Fortune Fairy by Kathe Kruse This beautiful handmade doll carries a four leaf clover adorned by the cutest little ladybug wherever she goes. She is made of cotton and stuffed with sheep wool and quartz sand. Her hair is made of mohair – a silky material made from the hair of the Angora goat. Her face is hand-embroidered and hand-painted. Age 3 and up 13 inches tall Hand washable Available here for $ 85.99
	The Earth Friends Doll Raji Each doll is lovingly handcrafted in the U.S.A. Doll is made of cotton, hemp and soft stuffing from recycled plastic containers. Includes a small backpack with the seed of a tree, vegetable or flower in a cool recycled packaging. Available in other ethnicities. Age 2 and up 14 and 22 inches tall Dolls hand washable, clothing machine washable Available here for $64.00 & $89.00.
	BabiCorolle Sorbet Melodie Doll This pretty soft doll by Corolle makes a perfect gift because it comes in a cute shoe-box style package. Soft and light, this adorable infant first doll will enchant the very young. Birth and up 16 inches tall Machine washable Available for $26.99 here.
	Keptin Jr – Organic Cotton Doll This 100% organic cotton doll is filled with pure wool. The simplicity of the design stimulates the child’s creativity, and the high quality of the product guarantees it will last. It is squishy soft and tall, so it is perfect for hugging and sleeping with. This sweet girl is wearing a pretty yellow dress and has long black pigtail. Available in other ethnicities. Birth and up 10 inches tall Machine washable Available here for $35.99

Another Sneaky Place PVC May Be Hiding In Your Baby’s Doll

All of our dolls recommended here are 100%-free of PVC. But, just because you’ve chosen a cloth doll, does not mean your choice is free of PVC.

If the doll is stuffed with plastic pellets, please pay attention to what those pellets are made from. Some are made from PE pellets (which are free of pvc and safe for use in the home), others are made from PVC pellets. PE stands for polyethylene, and PVC stands for polyvinylchloride.

Please read your label, or if you need to, contact your doll’s manufacturer directly. Safe snuggles!

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1. Rachel Says:
   November 3rd, 2008 at 17:14

   After reading this article I am either very confused or just don’t get it! Wouldn’t ALL cloth only (no plastic/pvc parts) dolls inherently be PVC-free (including ALL the Kathe Kruse Waldorf dolls and the Potty Barn cloth dolls)???
   Thank you so much for your answer to this simple, yet somehow complicated, question!

2. Rachel Says:
   November 3rd, 2008 at 17:18

   In reference to my previous comment, here are the Potty Barn cloth dolls which includes the company’s toy safety/toxicity statement:

   http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/hd450/index.cfm?pkey=gthmcipgir&cm_src=hplink

   I appreciate your feedback.

   Best,
   Rachel SHinn

3. samantha Says:
   November 3rd, 2008 at 22:26

   Dear Rachel,

   I am not sure if you read the entire article, we say at the beginning “At Safbaby we have been searching for PVC-free dolls for the last few months (in the US and Europe) and we have been “unsuccessful” in finding one.

   Therefor we were looking for some safer alternative to PVC dolls, and feature them here on our article. We like that they are all hand or machine washable and made of safe materials. A lot of cloth dolls are ‘wipe clean’ only, which we do not like. They could also be coated with toxic fire retardants. The companies we listed are known for its safe and high-quality baby dolls.

   These dolls are the perfect Christmas or Birthday gift for any baby or toddler!

   Best

   Samantha & Sandra

4. safbaby Says:
   November 3rd, 2008 at 23:08

   Dear Rachel

   Thanks for telling us about these Pottery Barns dolls. We like that they exceed the safety standards but dislike that you can only spot clean them. A doll is likely to get dirty on a weekly basis and it’s so important to be able to machine or hand wash it. High quality dolls should be washable, so I would not buy or recommend these dolls.

   Best,

   Sandra

5. Trisha Says:
   November 4th, 2008 at 12:01

   What about the Sweet Dolly by Baby Gund? She’s machine washable and a soft baby. Your comment about being sprayed with flame retardants is very concerning. I can’t believe those would be sprayed on children’s items, but I guess they are.

   Thanks

   Trisha

6. Trisha Says:
   November 4th, 2008 at 12:42

   Oh and what about Madame Alexander’s cloth dolls or Manhattan Toy’s Baby Stella?

   Thanks

7. safbaby Says:
   November 5th, 2008 at 18:39

   I am sure there are numerous safe soft baby dolls out there, so I would suggest contacting the manufacturer regarding materials used and safety testings done. Also ask manufacturer if they use safe non-toxic colorings and if soft dolls are free of heavy metals and fire retardants.

   Best,

   Sandra

8. safbaby2 Says:
   November 9th, 2008 at 21:25

   Manhattan Toy’s Baby Stella is stuffed with PVC pellets.

9. Kathy Says:
   November 11th, 2008 at 08:13

   This is such a great article…. thanks for sharing it!

10. Dana Says:
    June 12th, 2009 at 07:15

    Thanks for this great article!

    Reply to Rachel: It says plainly at the end of the article that even cloth dolls can be stuffed with vinyl pellets. A couple of U.S. states (including mine) require that the tag on a cloth doll or plush animal states what materials were used in its manufacture. So just read the tag and it’ll tell you whether the pellets are PE or PVC. You want PE.

11. Lisa Says:
    March 1st, 2010 at 19:15

    I think it’s worth mentioning in reference to dolls with wool components that sheep are absolutely loaded with insecticides (which often contain phthalates) prior to shearing, including things like malathion. It would be worth looking into what kind of wool is used in say, a Kathe Kruse waldorf doll, and asking about residual pesticides before shelling out a heap of money for a doll that may contain hazardous chemicals.

    Also, in reference to PVC, not all vinyl is created equal. The softer the vinyl, the more plasticizers (generally recognized as the more dangerous component of vinyl, to my understanding). The Kathe Kruse dolls with vinyl components actually use the (comparatively) safest vinyl available. It’s called Hexamoll Dinch, is German-manufactured, and that which is used in the dolls is extremely hard. Corolle, on the other hand, uses extremely soft, pliable vinyl. We’ve owned one of each, and our Kathe Kruse doll strikes me as being made of a much safer material. We’ve actually given our Corolle doll away because something about the plastic seemed intuitively icky.

12. teresa Says:
    March 16th, 2010 at 06:32

    Thank you for taking the fun of giving a child a doll. Plastic dolls have been around for more than 60 years. Now is when you find that they are dangerous and of course this will relieve the guilt of parents who look for any type of reason not to buy a child a doll either because they are too stingy or neurotic.

13. safbaby Says:
    March 16th, 2010 at 13:00

    We are just offering the facts here. What ever intentions YOU have behind your actions is strictly UP TO YOU.
    If you are NOT stingy or neurotic, than you very well may take the time to find a doll for a child you love that is healthy and safe for them and the planet (their future).

14. Jessica Says:
    July 1st, 2010 at 21:51

    Thanks for this post. My daughter turns 2 next week and we’re looking for a safe doll for her. Do you know if the other Babicorelle dolls are safe (such as the Corolle large rag doll Grenadine), or was it just specifically the Melodie doll that you inquired about? Here is a link: http://www.amazon.com/Corolle-Large-Grenadine-Babicorolle-Collection/dp/B001U3ZGU0/ref=sr_1_94?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1278045994&sr=1-94. Thank you!