There are a few things every parent wants for their kids: safety, security, and the ability to grow up in a better world. Providing them with comfortable, safe, and sustainable kid’s clothing is one way to accomplish all of the above.
If you need more convincing, consider a report by Greenpeace that discovered a wide range of kid’s clothes made in China contained a range of harmful and known toxic chemicals such as antimony, NPE, and phthalates.
So, who earns straight As in the world of eco-friendly kid’s clothes?
We’re studying up on what makes the best brands using our Brand Rating System, which looks at 22 criteria, from chemical use and management to finished product safety. To learn more about this new system, read the full study guide here.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
Eco Kids Wear For A Pro-Planet Playtime
Bounce Mkt believes secondhand kids clothing is sustainable clothing because it keeps valuable (and often briefly used) materials from the landfill. They offer a huge range, from frilly dresses to durable wear worthy of climbing trees.
US brand Firebird Kids creates sustainable, gender-neutral designs with a European flair, while reducing shipping emissions with entirely USA-based manufacturing.
Index: Sustainable Kidswear Brands
- Patagonia Jump to brand
- Bounce Mkt Jump to brand
- tentree Jump to brand
- Firebird Kids Jump to brand
- Mightly Jump to brand
- Pact Jump to brand
- Toby Tiger Jump to brand
Patagonia
About Patagonia
Price Range: $29–$219
Who says outdoor and adventure-worthy clothes are for adults only?
Patagonia is a go-to brand for sustainable outdoor clothing for all the family—babies and toddlers included. Their ethical kids’ clothes are just as durable and outdoorsy as those for grownups. The range includes t-shirts, jackets, shorts, pants, swimwear, hats, and accessories for mini adventurers of all ages.
For an easily packable extra layer, the Kids’ Micro D® Snap-T® Fleece Jacket is made from 100% rPET and sewn in a Fair Trade Certified™ facility. It features a full-length zip, an elasticated hood, a chest pocket, and two side pockets for keeping little hands warm.
Patagonia’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Patagonia uses a range of sustainable fabrics for its eco-friendly kidswear range, including hemp, organic or Regenerative Organic Certified™ cotton, RDS-certified down, and recycled materials (cotton, polyester, nylon, spandex, down, wool, cashmere, and TPU).
Supply chain & labor practices:
86% of Patagonia’s products are fair trade, supporting over 75,000 workers worldwide.
The brand is a founding member of the Fair Labor Association (FLA). Their comprehensive Supplier Code of Conduct applies to all levels of their supply chain and each garment can be traced to its factory of origin using the Footprint Chronicles on each product page.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Patagonia helped to pilot the first certification system for regenerative organic cotton. They are working to eliminate virgin synthetics and switch to 100% sustainable packaging by 2025 along with a number of other climate goals, like reaching net zero emissions across the entire company by 2040.
Kids are tough on clothes, but Patagonia’s Ironclad guarantee means they’ll repair any Patagonia garment for life (for free!). When your little adventurers outgrow their sustainable kids’ clothes, trade them in for store credit via the brand’s Worn Wear resale program.
Inclusivity:
Toddler sizes run from 3-6m to 5T and their big kids’ sizes are from XS-XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
This co-founding member of 1% for the Planet (along with Craig Matthews of Blue Ribbon Flies) supports the environment in just about every way possible. They allocate 100% of company profits into either improving their own sustainability or directly funding climate positive action.
When your little eco-warrior is old enough, they can check out Patagonia Action Works to find out how to get involved with local environmental projects.
Bounce Mkt
About Bounce Mkt
Price Range: $3–$90
It’s a well known fact among parents that keeping kids clothed can be an expensive venture considering how fast they grow. That’s why the most affordable and sustainable clothes for kids are those that have already lived a life before reaching your child (i.e. used kids clothing).
So bounce with joy for Bounce Mkt and their high-quality dedicated online kids consignment store filled with second-hand kids clothes and shoes. Conveniently shop by age (infant to 10 years) or by occasion, like classics, playful, sporty, and dressy.
Bounce Mkt believes “secondhand doesn’t have to be second best”, which is why all clothing (except those new-with-tags) is professionally laundered and consists of quality, durable brands only. In other words, everything available is in top-notch condition, so no surprise stains or rips when you open your package.
Anyone can buy online, but you can only sell in-person via their store in Hoboken, NJ, where they also offer free local donation pickups and delivery.
Bounce Mkt’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All fabrics are all high quality secondhand fabrics and garments are regularly checked in accordance to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All clothing is sorted, evaluated, and shipped from their New Jersey store. No appointment is necessary to drop off items, and they pay outright for your accepted items (no waiting until they sell).
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Any items Bounce doesn’t buy can either be returned to you, or donated to a partner local non-profit or Helpsy—a Certified B Corp textile reuse and recycling organization—making it easy to ensure all clothing (even unsellable items) finds a responsible end-of-life.
They also use recycled and recyclable shipping materials and take every opportunity to reuse materials.
tentree
About tentree
Price Range: $20–$50
Canadian sustainable kids’ clothing brand tentree helps the whole family dress sustainably. Their affordable ethical kids’ clothing includes super cute hoodies, sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats, and sweatpants—check out matching clothing for parents so you can be stylin’ with your kiddos.
Keep little ones snug in the Tomato Hoodie, a soft and cozy graphic hoodie made from a blend of organic cotton, REPREVE® recycled polyester, and TENCEL™ lyocell. It’s sadly not available in adult sizes.
tentree’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Organic cotton, recycled polyester, and TENCEL lyocell will sustainably swaddle your little tree planter.
Supply chain & labor practices:
tentree is a top-rated Certified B Corp that works with manufacturing partners in several different countries, including China, India, Vietnam, Turkey.
For more info, see their transparent factory ledger, where you can read a bedtime story of where each garment is manufactured, how that factory partner operates ethically, and what third-party certifications they hold (i.e., BSCI, SA8000, WRAP, and Fair Wear Foundation).
Carbon commitments & green practices:
tentree is Climate Neutral Certified and is part of The Responsible Packaging Movement. The next step in their climate action plan is to reduce emissions altogether, of which they’re 30% of the way toward their current target.
While not yet available for kids products, their Circularity program allows you to consign unwanted items for resale (or purchase gently used ones yourself).
Inclusivity:
Sizes run from 1T to 5T.
Community & charitable giving:
Teach your tot how to count on fingers or toes, then let them know their new clothes helped plant the same number of trees, specially in areas where they will repair and increase biodiversity.
Firebird Kids
About Firebird
Price Range: $48–$108
Get ready for a magical adventure with Firebird Kids. Named after the mythical creature found in many Slavic fairy tales, the brand blends its European roots with American casual cool style to create high-quality and durable kids’ clothing.
We had the opportunity to sport Firebird’s clothing, and from opening the package to trying it on our daughter, the brand did not disappoint. The 100% organic cotton Marled Pink Chunky Sweater, marled in Italy then made in NYC, featurs a combination of bright blue and ivory yarn which gives the sweater a soft color and even softer texture perfect for cool fall days.
If that was too warm, our daughter can pull on the Cotton Cashmere Hoodie. This hoodie is soft and stretches juuuust enough to make it comfortable without over doing it. It’s made of 85% Egyptian Giza cotton and 15% cashmere.
Firebird’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Firebird’s clothing is made from GOTS-certified 100% organic cotton grown from non-GMO seeds. They source their cotton from Peru, since the country has banned GMO cotton seeds (thus eliminating the cross-contamination risk between crops).
Supply chain & labor practices
Firebird manufactures its kids’ ethical clothing in small batches in women-owned factories based in LA and NYC.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
USA manufacturing means fewer carbon emissions, a resale platform means less textile waste when kids won’t stop growing, and 100% recycled and biodegradable boxes or compostable mailers mean less plastic packaging waste.
Inclusivity:
Kids sizes run from 2T to 12-13.
Mightly
About Mightly
Price Range: $16–$60
Mightly is three mothers’ initiative to bring planet-friendly clothing to playgrounds everywhere. Their extensive collection includes tops, organic cotton t-shirts, hoodies, leggings, sweatpants, dresses, skirts, skorts, underwear, socks, and more.
Featuring original artwork from up-and-coming artists, Mightly makes 100% organic, fair trade kids’ clothes that hold up to the wear and tear of playtime while still looking super cute.
Want to recreate some cringe-worthy family photos from the ‘80s? Check out Mightly’s matching family pajamas for coordinated, stylish fun for the whole family.
Mightly’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Mightly uses GOTS organic cotton for all of their eco-friendly kids’ clothing. Theirs is sourced through Chetna Organic Farmers Association, a farmer-owned non-profit that partners with small, local farmers in India for sustainable and profitable farming.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Both the organic cotton fabric and the garments are produced in India. Manufacturing partners are Fair Trade certified and Mightly pays a Fair Trade Premium directly back to workers to be used for various community projects.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
They use 100% recycled paper packaging and offer customers the option to choose zero waste shipping through their partnership with RePak. Mightly is also working on turning the cotton waste from production into paper they can use for packaging and shipping. Stay tuned for more updates.
Inclusivity:
Kids’ sizes go from 2T up to XXL (14).
Community & charitable giving:
Mightly has partnered with Rebel Girls, a female-empowerment edutainment company, to create a collaborative line of girl-power-inspired clothing and accessories.
Pact
About Pact
Price Range: $15–$50
As Earth’s Favorite™ Clothing brand, Pact’s fair trade ethical kids’ clothing is something to feel good about. The range includes underwear, socks, dresses, tops, bottoms, jumpsuits, and sleepwear, along with bundles and multipacks that offer extra savings.
The organic cotton Twirly Pocket Dress in moth print is an adorable warm-weather dress for young nature lovers. It features a tagless back (no irritating labels here!) and two side pockets.
Pact’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Organic cotton is the brand’s firstborn fabric love. Theirs is GOTS certified and often blended with 3-5% elastane, but you can shop their 100% cotton collection to avoid that.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Pact’s clothing is produced in factories in India, which is also where the organic cotton comes from. The cut+sew factories are Fair Trade Certified and support workers with clean, safe work conditions and fair wages.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Pact keeps fabric waste to a minimum and uses conservation practices to reduce water and energy use. Orders ship in recyclable/compostable packaging, and shoppers can join Pact in offsetting operations through SimpliZero by offsetting their shipping emissions when checking out.
Inclusivity:
Kids sizes run from 12-18 m to ages 10/12.
Community & charitable giving:
The recyclable packaging doubles as a “Give Back Box”. Send in your old clothes (from all brands) to Pact, and they’ll be donated to those in need.
Toby Tiger
About Toby Tiger
Price Range: £8—£40
Toby Tiger has us roaring. Featuring bright colors, bold prints, and adorable appliques, this UK brand provides high-quality, unisex clothes that are fun to wear again and again. With a huge selection of designs, you’re sure to find something your little one (and you) will love.
One of our favorites is the Organic Mouse and Mushroom Applique long sleeve shirt. Lift the flap to find a little mouse hiding inside the mushroom!
Toby Tiger’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All of Toby Tiger’s organic cotton clothing is Soil Association or GOTS-certified and dyed with eco-friendly AZO-free dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Toby Tiger garments are manufactured in a family-run factory in India. Workers receive fair wages and have access to social benefits.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
They’ve partnered with SuperLooper, a baby clothing rental service. Send your outgrown Toby Tiger clothes to SuperLooper (for free) and you’ll receive a voucher towards your next purchase.
Inclusivity:
Babies sizes go from newborn up to 12-18 m, and kid sizes from 1-2 y up to 7-8 y.
