12 Best Eco-friendly Kids Clothing Brands for 2024
As a parent, it’s natural that you want to wrap your kids in cute, snuggly clothes that are not only chic and affordable, but also gentle on their delicate skin.
When it comes to shopping for kid’s clothes, convenience is an easy trap.
Big chain stores offer super cheap clothing for children, but sometimes shopping from these places can compromise your child’s health and your ethics.
Let's explore some eco-friendly materials to look for in kid's clothing and meet some ethical children's clothing brands using sustainable materials.
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Why Should You Buy Clothes Made with Eco-friendly Materials for Your Kids?
These are just a few reasons why eco-friendly kids' clothes should be on your radar.
Safer & Cleaner Materials
It’s well known that fast fashion has serious consequences on the environment and sparks a lot ethical concerns.
The materials used in fast fashion are not only harmful the environment, but can contain unsafe materials for children too.
It was reported that scientists found that a jacket for toddlers, purchased from Shein, contained almost 20 times the amount of lead that Health Canada says is safe for children.
Similarly, in 2022 the EWG commissioned an independent laboratory to test for PFAS in baby and children’s textile products. The results showed fluorine, a good indicator of the likely presence of PFAS, in all 34 samples.
Ten products with high fluorine levels were tested and confirmed to have detectable levels of individual PFAS for which testing methods exist.
Research shows that children are more susceptible to exposure to chemicals because of their unique biological makeup and behaviors. For this reason, it’s important to be mindful of what they wear.
Ethics
On top of impacting the environment and the health of your child, fast fashion also put’s the health of workers and consumers at risk from its reliance on plastic and other toxic chemicals used to treat fabrics.
The constant exposure to these materials can cause negative impacts. There's also the concern of child labor in the fast fashion industry.
Making sure you're purchasing clothes made from a responsible supply chain is incredibly important.
More than ever, we’re seeing a rise in eco-friendly kids clothes and fashion as parents learn about health warnings and the negative impact of the garment industry, they’re opting for stylish, quality clothing made from organic materials and slow processes.
What Sustainable Fabrics Should You Look for in Kids Clothing?
Eco-friendly fabrics cover a wide range of natural and recycled fabrics. They include materials like hemp, wool, jute, silk, organic cotton, bamboo fabrics and tencel. Here is a break down of a few fabrics to look for!
Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is grown using non-GMO seeds and eliminates the use of toxic chemicals.
Without the GMO seeds, soil, water, and air are kept cleaner because they do not become contaminated. In this way, the planet is protected and this creates a cleaner material for children's clothes. Organic baby clothes and kids clothes are pretty easy to find!
There are plenty of brands utilizing organic cotton and it's even becoming available at select name brand stores.
Bamboo Viscose
Bamboo viscose is made from the cellulose of bamboo. Bamboo is a grass that grows quickly with little to no need for pesticides or fertilizers and uses little water. However not all bamboo viscose is created equally.
Depending on the process of turning the bamboo into fibers, sometimes this can contain harmful materials or have a larger environmental impact. Just be sure you're purchasing bamboo viscose clothing from a socially responsible clothing company.
Hemp
Hemp is a natural fiber that creates durable clothing, perfect for little ones! Hemp can be grown almost anywhere, doesn’t need a lot of water, does not deplete the soil of nutrients, and can be sown several times a year.
One quick and easy way to know if a brand is using eco-friendly fabrics is by searching for their organic or sustainability certifications.
Here are some of the most commonly used textile environmental certifications.
It's also important to note that these third party certifications require time and resources that some small brands do not have. Just because you do not see one of these certifications does not mean the brand isn't using sustainable practices or materials.
Don't be afraid to ask a brand questions about the practices or materials. Brands that are truly sustainable will typically be happy you asked!
12 Eco-Friendly Kids Clothing Brands
With so many eco-friendly kids clothing brands coming up, it can be hard to know the best places to shop. This list features our favorite places to buy cute and earth-friendly kid’s clothes.
PACT’s Affordable Organic Fair Trade Kid's Clothing
Pact’s aim is to make eco-friendly kids’ clothing affordable, and they’ve been successful in achieving that mission.
All pieces from Pact are made with organic cotton that is GOTS certified. They come in adorable custom prints and a range of both classic and fun colors.
Whether your child loves climbing trees or splashing in puddles, you can trust that every piece from Pact’s collection can stand up to their adventures.
Pact also prioritizes fair treatment of those who make their clothes. By using Fair Trade Certified™ factories, consumers gain confidence that the people who make the clothes are working in safe conditions and receiving fair wages for their labor.
They also offer carbon offset shipping & a donation program to circulate your used clothes.
Bounce Mkt Secondhand Clothing for Kids
Bounce Mkt is on a mission to keep used kids’ clothes out of the garbage and in the closets of families in their community. Bounce Mkt is a secondhand online kids clothing shop making it easier for parents to make sustainable choices.
This online marketplace buys and sells pre-loved kids clothes that are gently used items in excellent condition, popular brands, freshly laundered, and ready for many more wears.
Bounce Mkt strives to make shopping for kids’ used clothes simple! Parents can easily shop online with categories including Girls 0-24 months, Boys 0-24 months, Girls 2-5 years, Boys 2-5 years, Girls 6-10 years, Boys 6-10 years, and Gender Neutral.
Bounce Mkt’s affordable prices make their secondhand kids’ clothing a great option for your kids eco-friendly closet.
Jackalo’s Circular Style for Kids
If you’re looking for some great, high-quality investment pieces, Jackalo is a great option to build a sustainable wardrobe for your kids.
They offer a fun collection of unique pieces for boys and girls made from organic cotton to reduce the impact of pesticides and fertilizers on the communities where the cotton is grown.
To combat textile waste, Jackalo also offers a Trade Up program through which you can return pieces that no longer fit for a discount on your next purchase.
They clean and repair these pieces and sell them in a pre-loved section on their site.
With high-quality materials and thoughtful designs, Jackalo clothes are bound to be a hit with your tiny tots!
Hanna Andersson’s Ethical Kids Clothes
Hanna Andersson is well-known for their high-quality, Swedish-inspired children’s clothing. From stripes to bright, Disney princesses to Marvel superheroes, Hanna Andersson offers a wide variety of kids clothes for newborns all the way up to size 14.
Nearly all of their clothes are made with fabrics that are Certified by OEKO-TEX®, a certification system that helps ensure various harmful chemicals are not included in raw, semi-finished, and finished textile products.
Their clothes feature fabrics such as organic cotton and recycled polyester made from plastic bottles.
Colorful, comfy and trendy, Hanna Andersson clothes are made to wear and wash over and over again. They’re long-lasting and great to pass along as hand-me-downs.
GOEX’s Fair Trade Clothes for Kids
Not only does GOEX make outstanding sustainable clothing for adult, it’s also one of the top sustainable clothing brands for children.
You can find quality basics for boys and girls styles such as t-shirts and hoodies in a fun variety of colors and graphic prints perfect birthday parties, recess, or field trips.
The company creates clothes that last using sustainably sourced materials including upcycled cotton, tencel and recycled PET.
What’s more, GOEX believes a better shirt starts with better pay. They pay their workers in Kansas City and Haiti fair wages and are one of the elite few who have passed the Fair Trade Federation’s (FTF) rigorous screening.
This is J’s Bamboo Viscose Loungewear
This Is J is a collection of comfortable + stylish sleepwear and loungewear ethically made from start to finish in Canada.
They make ultra-soft, moisture-wicking, and super comfortable pajamas made from bamboo viscose, hand printed with unique and vibrant designs.
Choose from options such as short and long sleeves, pants and shorts, nightgowns and one-pieces. Family matching is encouraged with coordinating pieces from their womens and mens collections. Plus, seasonal holiday pajamas too!
Passion Lilie's Organic Cotton Kids Clothes
Passion Lilie designs eco-friendly baby clothing with comfort and the planet in mind. Working in partnership with artisans and producers in India, each item is ethically handmade in small batches, preserving heritage techniques.
Passion Lilie is dedicated to sourcing and creating thoughtfully; they use nontoxic dyes, and durable natural fibers including cotton, jersey modal, fleece, and organic cotton or recycled cotton when possible.
In addition, they pay fair living wages, creating a safe and healthy work environment, and invest in the overall wellbeing of the artisans they employ.
Apple Park’s Organic Clothing
If you are looking for unique prints for your little one, this is your stop! Apple park has some of the coolest kids clothing designed with the ultimate in comfort and cuteness in mind.
Their layette organic collection feature dresses, hoodies, onesies, sleeping gowns, coveralls and footies with matching hats, bibs and baby blankets.
The patterns are fun and cheery, and the versatile pieces have a really unique style you can’t find anywhere else.
Dedicated to only using the finest 100 percent organic cotton, Apple Park creates in fair-trade settings that focus on social and economic independence.
They also only use natural dyes for their pajamas and no chemicals in the finishing of their products, making them a sustainable and healthy option.
Makemake Organic Kids Clothes
Makemake Organics is an ethical clothing brand committed to providing you with affordable eco-friendly clothes for your children.
The company truly walks the walk when it comes to sustainability; they work exclusively with organic fabrics and Fair Trade practices to ensure each step is kind to the Earth.
All their products carry an Organic Certification label. The styles are hip and fun, with colorful clothing that lets kids really show their style.
Another reason to love Makemake Organics is their affordable prices. Organic clothes often come with a heftier price tag so their affordable eco-friendly clothing has a huge benefit.
Jazzy Organics: Organic Cotton Clothing
Jazzy Organics has eco-friendly baby and kids clothes covered – from onesies, bibs, pajamas, and bodies to bottoms.
Their collections are curated out of naturally grown, GOTS certified organic cotton, which is ultra-soft, cooling and hypoallergenic.
Combined with delicate colors and modern designs, their pieces are perfectly made for all types of kids activities from play and sleep to dance.
Not only do they hold up beautifully through wash after wash, they get even softer over time, all the while maintaining a great fit.
The Good Tee’s Fair Trade Organic Cotton Clothing
The Good Tee is a sustainable clothing brand focusing on high quality Fairtrade Certified organic cotton t-shirts.
This socially responsible brand allows ethical shoppers to easily learn about the transparent supply chain and trace the manufacturing process through videos and resources highlighting The Good Tee’s partner suppliers and the materials used.
The Good Tee currently carries children’s organic cotton t-shirts and face masks. They also have DIY kits for kids to dye their own clothes!
Kidizen Secondhand online Kids clothing shop
If you’re looking for secondhand clothing for your fast growing kids, Kidizen is a great option! You can buy and sell kids clothing on this website! They also have categories dedicated to sustainability such as organic clothes.
Tips for Shopping for Sustainable Children's Clothing
If you're ready to start shopping for eco-friendly clothing for your kids, here are a few tips!
Check Your Local Thrift Store
Going to a secondhand shop can be a great way to find quality clothing at an affordable price point. This helps to keep clothing out of the landfill which is incredibly important given how quickly kids grow out of their clothes.
Plus, this can be a fun way to teach your kids the sustainable habit of thrifting from an early age!
Invest in High Quality Pieces
By investing in high quality pieces this ensures the clothing will last. Fast fashion relies on consumers viewing clothes as disposable and moving on to the next piece.
While this might not seem important as children quickly grow out of clothes, by investing in quality pieces you can pass them down to your younger children or others in your family. You can also resell the children's clothing to make a bit of extra money!
Look at the Size Chart
Since a lot of sustainable clothing brands sell online only, be sure to take a look at the size chart to ensure the new pieces for your kids will actually fit.
Consider the dyes
Try to find clothing with non-toxic dyes! Dyes used to color the fabric can also contain harmful substances and negatively impact the environment.
Hopefully this guide helped you discover some sustainable kids clothes and learn what to look for when shopping for new clothing for your children.
For more ethical & sustainable tips be sure to explore more conscious lifestyle blog posts, follow The Honest Consumer on social media, subscribe to our newsletter, & check out the Ethical & Sustainable Brand Directory.