8 Best Non-Toxic Changing Pads for safe Nappy Changing

Avoid chemical exposure to your baby’s bottom by using one of these best non-toxic changing pads.

Babies require frequent diaper changes during the first couple of months. Having a designated space and changing pad for diaper change saves you a lot of time and effort of cleaning in case of an accident, which happens often!!

Considering the frequency of diaper changes during those earlier months, it is best to use a non-toxic changing pad and non-toxic disposable diapers or cloth diapers to avoid chemical exposure to your baby’s skin at an early age.

Most of the convectional diaper changing pads are full of toxic chemicals like BPA, flame retardants, phthalate, vinyl, and most of them are linked to causing health issues.

If you are looking for non-toxic changing pads for your nursery, you are at the right place. In this article, I will talk about which chemicals to avoid in changing pads and the best non-toxic changing pads available in the market, plus much more.

What is Changing Pad?

Changing pad is a soft, stationary, and safe place to hold your baby when you change their diaper.

A diaper changing pad is usually placed on a designated spot, such as a diaper changing table or a dresser for an everyday diaper change.

There are many types of changing pads available in the market based on the design and features.

Contoured Changing Pads

Contoured changing pads are either two-sided or four-sided contoured.

These changing pads are rectangular and have two or all four-side raised to create a safe, secure, and cozy space for the baby while diaper changes.

Two-sided contoured changing pads are great for long-term use and will give little barriers to keep them safe while changing them.

Four-sided contoured changing pads are like a rectangular, shallow basket with four raised sides to keep your baby safe and secure during the diaper change.

This type of changing pad is great for newborns, but as your baby grows older, they won’t fit in there.

Portable Changing Pads

As the name suggests, portable diaper changing pads are flat-changing pads that you can easily fold and carry with you.

They are bigger than changing pads that come with a diaper bag. A portable diaper changing pad is a relatively large pad and folds up easily.  

They are great when you travel because it comes with an inside pocket that holds everything you need to change baby’s diaper.

This diaper changing pad portable will cover the entire surface of the usually dirty wall mount changing station in a public washroom.

Disposable Changing Pads

This kind of changing pad is for one-time use only.

They are flat changing pads and have little thickness to them for the baby’s comfort.

They are great for when the baby has a blowout in his diaper, and it comes out of the diaper; this disposable changing pad makes life so easy that you have to roll up the mess and dirty diaper and toss the pad… done!

1. Naturepedic Organic Cotton Change Table Pad

Naturepedic Organic Cotton changing pad is the best non-toxic option you have for your nursery. The changing pad is GOTS certified and Greenguard Gold certified and claims to be free from soy, GMO, latex, vinyl/PVC, flame retardant, phthalate, and perfluorinated compounds. Such peace of mind!!

The pad has organic cotton filling and an organic cotton cover coated with food-grade polyethylene to make the surface waterproof. You can clean the surface quickly with soap and water in case of a big mess.

However, the waterproofing is polyethylene, so it is not 100% waterproof. Certain consumers have recommended using another layer of waterproof pad to protect the changing pad.

The Naturepedic pad comes with a buckle strap to keep your baby secure while changing him.

As an extra safety measure, this pad comes with snap screws to secure it to a dresser if you are not using changing tables.  

Made in the US, Naturepedic company is well known for making non-toxic changing pads and crib mattresses that you can trust.

With changing pad, you have an option to choose from 2-sided contoured or 4-sided contoured pad depending on your need.

The changing pad is standard size and measures 16.5 x 31.3 x 4 inches, suitable for most changing tables and trays.

You will also want to get changing pad cover because the baby will pee or poo on changing cover and need to have an extra changing cover in your hands to replace it.

One of the best changing pad covers is Burt’s Bees organic changing pad covers. They are made with 100% organic GOTS certified, breathable cotton and fit standard 16” X 32” changing pads. Most importantly, these covers are washer and dryer safe and very affordable.

2.Holy Lamb Organic Changing Pad

Another non-toxic changing pad that uses premium eco-wool as a fill and organic cotton cover is the Holy Lamb Organic changing pad.

This changing pad is the cleanest without any chemicals or plastic cover. The pad is soft to touch, and wool filling regulates body temperature, keeping your baby warm while diaper changing.

Another benefit of wool filling is naturally anti-bacterial and has natural flame-retardant properties.

The changing pad looks like a mattress with contoured sides to keep your baby safely snuggled while changing him.

Keep in mind, though, this pad does not come with a safety strap, so if you have a wiggly baby, you might need to use the safety strap of your changing table to keep the baby safe.

This 100% non-toxic pad is not waterproof; therefore, the manufacturer recommends a wool puddle pad and cotton receiving blanket to keep the pad dry from accidental diaper leakage.  

And in case the baby has ‘blow out’ in his diaper, and it comes out of the diaper into changing pad, you can clean it by quickly washing the entire changing pad.

3. Wool Changing Pad for IKEA Sniglar changing table

If your heart is already set on a non-toxic IKEA Sniglar changing table, then you are in luck because you have an option to purchase this truly non-toxic wool changing pad from ETSY.

The shop owner also accommodates free customization of wool changing pad, in case you want a different size of changing pad.

Made in Bulgaria, this changing pad is made from all-natural, sustainable, renewable, biodegradable, recyclable materials in a chemical & scent-free facility and is free from Flame retardants, dyes, synthetics, PVC/vinyl, finishes, and carbonized wool, etc.

The changing pad has Oeko-Tex certified loose wool fill. You have an option to choose from Oeko-Tex certified virgin wool, linen, or cotton as a fabric cover.

This changing pad has wool filled insert in the middle area to make the pad comfortable when the baby lays.

The 2-sided high contours have zippers so that you can remove wool fill easily. And high contours on each side ensure the baby is cozy and secure during a diaper change.

The benefit of having wool fil in the changing pad is that it regulates body temperature to feel too hot or too cold during a diaper change.

Unlike other materials, wool is naturally flame-resistant, so you don’t need to worry about flame-retardants in this product.

Because this changing pad is not waterproof, a wool puddle pad is recommended to go over the top of the pad to protect it from getting wet.

If it gets wet with a diaper blowout or spits up, you can gently wash the changing pad and fabric in a machine.

4. Keekaroo Peanut Changer

If you are looking for an easy-to-clean option and don’t want to deal with any fabric at all, Keekaroo Peanut changer is what you need!

Although not 100% non-toxic like Naturapedic and Holy Lamb, it is comparatively safer than traditional changing pads. It is made of synthetic rubber – polyurethane polymer elastomers like Spandex or Lycra.

Made in the USA, this JPMA certified changing pad is free from PVC, BPA, latex, PBDE flame retardant, formamide, and phthalate.

Keekaroo changing pad may not be genuinely non-toxic but an excellent alternative for those who want to avoid PVC in their baby gear but still want a 100% waterproof changing pad.

The surface of this changing pad is non-porous and can be easily cleaned with wipes or a damp cloth.

This eco-friendly changing pad is a great option if you want to avoid washing and changing pad cover frequently because, let’s face it, who wants extra work when you already have your hands complete.  

This changing pad is slip-resistant and can be used on a changing table or dresser.

5. Babyletto Contour Non-Toxic Changing Pad

Babyletto changing pads are Greenguard Gold certified and affordable non-toxic options in this list.

This changing pad has polyester fiberfill instead of polyurethane foam, which may not be the best non-toxic option but a much better choice than changing pad with polyurethane foam.

This changing pad uses food-grade polyethylene to make this pad waterproof and makes cleaning easier.

The changing pad is 2-side contoured to give baby a cozy feeling while diaper change and also comes with a safety strap to keep your baby from wiggling.

The fact that this changing pad uses polyester fill instead of wool or cotton may not resonate with many parents whose babies have super sensitive skin or wants to keep baby away from the polyester.

But it should give some peace of mind that it does not contain polyurethane foam or PVC.

Also, this changing pad is standard size and will fit most changing tables or trays.

6. Da Vinci Waterproof Changing Pad

Another affordable non-toxic option for changing pad is Da Vinci waterproof changing pad. Like the Babyletto changing pad, Da Vinci changing pad has 100% polyester fill, free from polyurethane foam, PVC/vinyl, and chemical flame retardant.

The waterproofing of this pad is achieved via a food-grade polyethylene cover.

It has a 2-sided shallow contour to make diaper changing easy for even toddlers. The changing pad comes with a safety strap to keep the baby secure while diaper changing.

Only because it has polyester fill, it may not work for babies with sensitive skin. But otherwise, an excellent choice for the price and 100% better than changing the pad with polyurethane foam.

Again, I am not a big fan of polyester myself, but if you use an organic cotton cover over this pad, it will protect your baby from coming in direct contact with polyester.

This changing pad is standard size and will fill almost any changing table or tray.

7. MakeMake Organics Portable Changing Pad

There are a variety of portable changing pads available in the market. Still, when you are looking for a non-toxic option, you only have one option: A portable changing pad from MakeMake Organics.

This non-toxic, vegan, hypoallergenic portable changing pad is made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and coated in a water-resistant USDA-certified botanical extract. This leakproof layer protects the pad against accidents and spits up.

The portable changing pad comes with elastic straps inside to keep diaper-changing essentials for your on-the-go diaper-changing need.

MakeMake Organics portable changing pad folds into a cute little clutch after use, making it very convenient to carry around while traveling.

8. Disposable Changing Pads

North Shore Quilted changing pad is the only option I could find that is a little safer than other options available for disposable changing pads.

This quilted changing pad feels like a cloth pad and has an absorbent lining and waterproof back to prevent leakage on the changing table or tray. These disposable pads are latex-free and great for babies allergic to rubber protein.

I have looked at many disposable changing pads, but I couldn’t find anything made from non-toxic material.

North Shore changing pads are not non-toxic, but they are free from latex and come in handy for an on-the-go diaper change.

If you don’t want to use these disposable changing pads, you can use these changing liners made of 80% bamboo and TPU waterproof layer, entirely safe for use as a changing pad when you are on the go.