A nursery is probably the most enclosed space in a home, and it gets filled with a lot of new stuff before the baby arrives. New furniture. New paint. New carpet or rugs. New mattress. All of those things off-gas, some more than others, and in a small room with a baby spending the majority of their day inside it, that matters.
The good news is that the main hazards are well understood and most of them are avoidable if you know what to look for.
The Mattress: Start Here
The crib mattress is the single most important purchase in the nursery. A baby's face will be near its surface for up to 14 hours a day.[1] Conventional crib mattresses often use polyurethane foam and chemical flame retardants, both of which off-gas into the air around the baby's face.
What to look for instead: mattresses made from natural materials like coconut fiber, organic wool, and natural latex. Wool is particularly valuable here because it's naturally flame-resistant, which means manufacturers can meet fire safety standards without adding chemical flame retardants.
Certifications to look for on a crib mattress: GREENGUARD Gold (tests for VOC emissions) and GOTS (confirms organic materials). A mattress with both is as verified as it gets. The Newton Baby Crib Mattress carries all three.
Furniture: Solid Wood Over MDF
Most flat-pack and budget nursery furniture is made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF), which uses formaldehyde-containing adhesives. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, and it off-gasses from MDF for months to years after the furniture is assembled.[2]
Solid wood furniture with water-based or zero-VOC finishes is the safer choice. If budget is a constraint, buying solid wood secondhand (and letting it air out) is a better option than new MDF. The same principle applies to flooring, avoid wall-to-wall synthetic carpet in the nursery. Natural fiber rugs made from wool or cotton are better options.
Paint: Low-VOC Is Easy to Find Now
Most major paint brands now offer low- or zero-VOC options, and they perform just as well as conventional paint. If you're painting the nursery, use zero-VOC paint and ventilate thoroughly, ideally finishing the painting several weeks before the baby arrives to let any residual off-gassing clear.
PFAS: The "Forever Chemical" Problem
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used to make fabrics and surfaces stain-resistant and waterproof. They're in a lot of nursery products, crib mattress covers, diaper changing pad covers, water-resistant items. They're called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down in the environment or in the body.
A study published in early 2026 found that babies are exposed to a much wider and more complex mixture of PFAS before birth than previously known, with 42 different PFAS detected in umbilical cord blood.[3] These chemicals are linked to low birth weight and weakened immune responses.[4]
Watch out for: Any product marketed as "stain-proof," "water-resistant," or "easy to clean" without a PFAS-free certification. This often signals PFAS treatment. Look for products explicitly certified PFAS-free by MADE SAFE or similar organizations.
Plants: What's Safe, What's Not
Houseplants can supplement air purification in the nursery, research has identified several species effective at removing VOCs including benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene.[5] The catch: several of the most effective air-purifying plants are toxic if ingested, which makes them inappropriate for a baby's room.
Here are the ones that are both effective and safe for babies and pets according to ASPCA toxicity data[6]:
Plants to avoid in the nursery: Snake Plant, Peace Lily, and English Ivy are all highly effective air purifiers but are toxic if ingested. They're not appropriate for any room a baby or toddler can access.
Air Purifiers
A HEPA air purifier like the Levoit Core 300 is a worthwhile addition to a nursery, particularly in the first months when new furniture is still off-gassing. Look for one that filters both particulates and VOCs (a carbon filter stage handles the VOCs). Run it continuously, particularly during sleep hours.
The Priority Order
If you're working with a budget and need to prioritize: mattress first, furniture second, paint third, then textiles. The mattress has the highest contact time with the most sensitive area (baby's face), followed by furniture that affects air quality over months. Paint can be mitigated with ventilation. Plants are a nice addition but not the foundation.
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