What better way to reduce your waste and save money by buying second hand. That includes your crib, we always recommend buying a new, non-toxic crib mattress. The older style of cribs are solid and made to last but sometimes they need a little makeover. Painting your crib is a great way to give it a new life but remember that your little one deserves to sleep in a non-toxic environment. Let’s look at non-toxic paint for cribs so you can sleep soundly knowing your baby is safe.
The Best Brands for Non-Toxic Paint for Cribs
Lullaby Paints by Eco Paints
Our top pick for non-toxic paint for cribs is the Lullaby range by Eco Paint.
Eco Paints are non-toxic, water-based and zero VOC. They also have a range specific for baby furniture, including cribs. They are also very transparent about the ingredients they use in their paints.
They also have a great range of colors, which can be more challenging when using baby-safe crib paint.
Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint
Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint is our top pick for milk paint.
Milk paint is a completely different kind of paint. It usually comes in a powdered form and you simply mix it with water. The paint is used straight on porous material and will never chip because it soaks in and binds to the substrate.
The best thing about milk paint is that it’s made with ingredients you’d usually find in the kitchen or home. This paint is made from 100% natural ingredients, making it zero VOC and non-toxic. Ingredients include milk casein (milk protein), lime, natural pigments and plant-based fillers. It might sound strange having milk in your paint, don’t worry it doesn’t smell like it!
Miss Mustard Seed’s also has a Hempseed Oil sealer that you can apply to give the crib more protection.
Amy Howard Home
Amy Howard Home has an easy to use paint called One Step Paint. It means that you don’t have to do all the hard work to get the look you want without sanding, stripping and priming. Simply use the paint and you’re good to go!
One Step Paint is water-based, zero VOC and free of other toxic chemicals.
Anna Sova Paint
Anna Sova Paint claims they are the healthiest paint you can buy. With 96% of their ingredients being food ingredients, we think they might be right!
Some of their ingredients include milk casein, titanium oxide and food emulsifiers and preservatives. They are therefore zero VOC and non-toxic.
The color pigments they use are also zero VOC, APE free (a carcinogenic compound usually found in color pigments) and are water-based.
Earth Paint
Earth Paint is no ordinary zero VOC paint. Often zero VOC paint still contains other chemicals but Earth Paint doesn’t use petrochemical solvents, vinyl or acrylic copolymers. The color pigment that they use is also zero VOC. As a result, they do have a limited color range but if you wanted to you can take the base paint to your local paint shop to get any color made up.
They are non-toxic but durable paint and they also have a specific baby-safe finish for cribs and nurseries.
Old Fashioned Milk Paint
Another milk paint brand is Old Fashioned Milk Paint. Their paint is also made from 100% natural ingredients and therefore is zero VOC and non-toxic. Their ingredients include casein (milk protein), clay, lime and earth pigments. The paint contains zero petrochemicals, lead, chemical preservatives, fungicides or hydrocarbons.
This milk paint is safe for cribs and toys.
Milk Paint by Fusion
Fusion might be a brand that you recognise. Their main paint is Fusion Mineral Paint, which is zero VOC but they’ve also released their own Milk Paint line!
Milk Paint is the ultimate in non-toxic paint for cribs. You simply add water and apply the paint. It has zero VOC and doesn’t contain harmful chemicals. There’s no need for a primer, simply apply the paint and add a sealer like Hempseed Oil to protect the paint.
If you want to use a more traditional version of paint, check out other paints from Fusion.
What to look for in baby safe paint for cribs
Zero VOC
VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds which are chemicals that are found in paints that help transfer the paint to the surface. The problem with them is that they’re released into the air. VOCs are what gives the paint the smell when applied. Many VOC contains carcinogens (cancer-causing) and other toxins that we don’t need to be exposing our families to. They can be released into the air for years after being applied.
In order to achieve zero VOC, the paint needs to contain less than 5g/L of VOCs and for low VOC paint, it needs to be 250g/L. Conventional paint contains 350g/L on average, sometimes more.
Even though zero VOC paint comes at a bigger upfront cost, we know that it’s worth every penny!
Water-based
Water-based paint is naturally lower in VOCs than oil-based paints. They also naturally contain less toxic chemicals and are much easier to work with.
All zero VOC paints should be water-based but it’s always good to check.
Natural Paint
Natural paint refers to the ingredients that are used. Of course, zero VOC is super important but you might find that those paints contain other toxic ingredients. Examples of natural paint are Anna Sova and the Milk Paints. They are able to use much better ingredients, often some that you’d find in the kitchen.
Milk Paint
Milk Paints are a favorite because you know they’re going to zero VOC and have natural ingredients. We think they’re the best option and our favourite brands are Miss Mustard Seed’s and The Old Fashioned Milk Paint.
Non-Toxic Paint for Cribs Round-Up
We hope that this information helps you make an informed decision about which baby safe paint for cribs you’ll choose. It can be overwhelming but giving you these options should make it much easier!
Related Post: The Best Non-Toxic Cribs for Your Newborn