The Best Sustainable Kids Clothing Brands For 2023
image: Crann Organic
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliated; we may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. This post is also sponsored in part by Bounce Mkt, Little Blueberry Kids & Crann. We only ever add brands & products we truly believe in. Thank you for supporting the brands who are making the fashion industry a better place!
A Guide to Sustainable children's clothing
Are you looking for ethical and sustainable children's clothing? We've compiled a list of organic and eco-friendly childrenswear brands with excellent quality at all different price points. We also discuss shopping sustainably when you are on a budget, too!
What is Sustainable Fashion for kids?
Typically, for a NEW garment to be considered 'sustainable,' it should be eco-friendly, ethically made, lasting, and accessible. Of course, we could make a long list of what a sustainable garment should be, but these are the key characteristics I look for when deciding on my purchase. There is a simple checklist to find at the end of this post here. In this post, you can learn much more about sustainable fashion and how you can participate in the movement. & of course, loving something you have or purchasing secondhand is a great way to become involved with sustainable fashion!
how to find sustainable clothing for kids when on a budget
As a mother, spending more than $30 on a t-shirt is something I don't want to make a habit of doing when my son is growing like a weed. However, if I am purchasing a new garment for him (we are 80% secondhand), I want to pay a fair price and stay away from Target's adorable kid's section and their $5 tees. As a reference point, I've indicated the price of a t-shirt for all of these brands to make it easier for parents. If over $15 is too much for you to spend on a new t-shirt, I highly suggest signing up for the brand's newsletters. This way, you can out when they have sales! As always, these brands listed here use ethical business practices within their supply chain and eco-friendly materials to care for the planet and your child's health.
What types of eco-friendly fabrics should we choose for our kids?
Organic cotton is one of my favorites when shopping for my 4 year old. He likes to be comfortable, and nothing wears and washes better than cotton. We choose organic over conventional for many reasons, and you can learn about them in this post here. Of course, any natural fiber made without toxic dyes should be safe and healthy for your kids!
p.s. While there are a handful more organic children's brands that create new clothing, I can't find enough information on their manufacturing, and some have prices lower than $10, which makes me somewhat suspicious. If you want to pay those prices responsibly, your best bet is secondhand shopping (we've included a few secondhand type shops in this post, as well as a few more affordable brands we know, are great and have amazing sales). I love shopping for Elliott at Once Upon a Child. I can purchase t-shirts for $2.99 and pants for $5.99. While it's hard to go in with something specific in mind (I feel like you never find it when you do, hah), it is one of the best ways to shop for kids. BUT, supporting small sustainable fashion brands is wonderful for the industry, and these 13 kid brands are an excellent start!
Our Favorite Eco-Friendly, Sustainable Kids Clothing Brands:
1. Bounce Mkt
Boys, Girls, & Gender-Neutral, NB - 8 years
Bounce Mkt is a great place to shop for secondhand clothing for your little ones.
If you’re a fan of brands like Ralph Lauren, Boden, or Hanna Andersson but prefer not to buy new from them anymore, this is a great place to get your hands on like-new pieces from a variety of brands.
And let me tell you - they have a lot of REALLY cute clothes! When your kids grow out of them, you can sell your gently-used clothes back to Bounce Mkt (even if you originally got them somewhere else!).
This is a really great way to increase the circularity of clothes, keep more apparel out of landfills, and make sustainable children’s clothing more affordable.
2. Little Blueberry Kids
Boys, Girls, & Gender-Neutral, NB - 8 years
Little Blueberry Kids is an e-comm platform for sustainable children’s clothing, accessories, toys, and home decor that believes ‘sustainability can be cool and fun!’.
Each brand and product you find in their store is carefully and thoughtfully chosen with a wide variety of styles and price points. They are also all women-owned! Find sleepwear, onesies, dresses, swimwear, overalls, and more.
Circular fashion here on Sustainably Chic is one of our favorite ways to do sustainable fashion. We get so excited to see places like Little Blueberry Kids offer the option for customers to sell back products they have purchased from their store to be listed at a much lower price in the pre-loved section. Also, after returning the clothes you no longer need, they give you a 20% off coupon for your next purchase!
3. Crann Organic
Boys, Girls, & Gender-Neutral Ages 4-10
T-Shirt | $30
Crann Organic was actually inspired by the founders’ son whose eczema was exacerbated by wearing polyester clothing.
The result was a collection of t-shirts, sweats, underwear, and accessories made from gentle, eco-friendly, and non-toxic certified organic cotton, TENCEL, and hemp.
They’re even free from itchy tags and cuffs!
4. Hanna Andersson
Boys & Girls Ages 0-14
T-Shirt | on sale $11
Hanna Andersson has a really wide variety of clothing children, from newborn all the way up to size 14.
They have character clothing and PJs, from Disney princesses to Marvel superheroes, which of course the kids love. Started in Portland back in 1983, Hanna Andersson was perhaps the first sustainability-focused kids’ brand. Made from natural materials like organic cotton, their clothing is made to wear and wash over and over then hand down.
5. Mini MATE
Girls Ages 0-7
T-Shirt | $34
Mate the Label is a women-owned brand that makes clothes with organic materials and non-toxic dyes.
The brand creates various styles of shorts, in different fabrics, and they’re all comfortable and lightweight.
They’ve recently come out with their collection Mini MATE to dress your little mini me’s!
6. Q for Quinn
Gender Neutral Ages 0-14
Socks, Underwear, Sleepwear
Q for Quinn is a sustainable, non-toxic, and GOTS (Global Organic Textiles Standard) certified brand committed to creating basics that are gentle on our skin, planet, and communities. Developed to create safe clothing for babies and children, the brand has kids' and grown-up basics for ultimate comfort, including seamless socks and underwear for your most sensitive little ones. Q for Quinn goes above and beyond, donating a school meal (with every item sold) to some of the world's poorest children through Mary's Meals.
7. tentree
Boys & Girls Ages 1-5
T-Shirt | on sale $15
tentree’s “earth-first” apparel is made ethically out of eco-conscious fabrics like organic cotton, recycled polyester, TENCEL, and hemp.
We love their adult collection on Sustainably Chic, and think their kiddo collection is too cute. Find kid’s organic hoodies, jackets, pants & more.
For every purchase, 10 trees are planted - hence the name :D
8. Mightly
Boys & Girls Ages 2-12
T-Shirt | $29.95 (for a 2-pack)
Mightly’s collection of tees, leggings, dresses, hoodies, and pajamas are Fair Trade certified in India and made out of GOTS organic cotton and non-toxic, kid-safe dyes.
They have super cute designs (many of which are gender neutral) that are created by Lili Arnold, an artist and designer based in Santa Cruz, California.
9. Ten Little
Boys & Girls Sizes 4-13
Shoes | $39+
I won’t spend more than $45 on shoes for Elliott. I think a lot of people might look at that as a high number, but I buy him a pair he can wear everyday - not one for every outfit. We love his Ten Littles!
The 100% cotton lining is combined with a vegan leather upper which is PVC & phthalate-free. The outsoles are made with natural rubber from the milk of the Hevea tree & the insoles include recycled rubber. Also, they are pediatrician approved!
10. Sustain by Kat
Boys, Girls, & Gender-Neutral, Newborn-5T
T-Shirt | $36
Sustain by Kat has been a favorite for truly sustainable, natural, and handmade underwear and basics for women for a while… but now they have a super cute collection for the little ones as well! If tie dye is your thing, you definitely need to check out this line. From the organic fibers to the organic botanical dyes, these tees, sweatshirts, leggings, dresses, and onesies are 100% natural and safe for your littles. Plus, they use tried and true sewing techniques and the strongest botanical dyes to increase longevity and help survive the wear and tear of play.
11. Primary
Gender Neutral Ages 0-14
T-Shirt | $14
If your child loves color, Primary will be your new favorite! The creators of this brand were sick of seeing pink for girls, blue for boys - quality only if you spend a fortune - & slogans on everything, telling kids who they are, and what they should be. So they decided to create a brand where colors weren’t associated with gender, no labels or slogans, soft & sustainable fabrics and great customer service!
12. 1212
Girls, Boys & Gender Neutral Ages 0-6
T-Shirt | $24
Organic essentials designed to be lived in, played in, and snoozed in!
Another mom-owned brand, they believe in healthier choices for our children and the planet so they created the softest, 100% organic, non-toxic fabric - so comfy they will get the perfect zzz’s.
They have all basics covered, and their prints are minimalistic and adorable!
13. Jackalo
Boys, Girls & Gender Neutral Ages 3-14
T-Shirt | $32
A family-run company, Jackalo believes in limiting our impact on the Earth for our children.
Therefore, they make sure their materials use organic and sustainable farming practices, use energy-efficient factories that recycle water and reduce waste, recycle scrap fabric, support a culture of repair & renew, and more! They also have a section dedicated to pre-loved items.
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WANT MORE? VISIT OUR SUSTAINABLE BRAND DIRECTORY!
Our Brand Directory is home to hundreds of sustainable brands, from makeup to cleaning supplies, from underwear to shoes. We have broken everything down by category for easy shopping, along with discount codes unique to Sustainably Chic viewers.
