Baby product certifications explained
Labels can be useful, but each one proves something specific and nothing more. We only describe programs from their own published pages, and we never use vague “non-toxic” claims without a named certification or test.
CPSC Children’s Product Certificate (required by law)
What it is: CPSC says manufacturers and importers of children’s products covered by a CPSC rule must certify that the product meets it by issuing a Children’s Product Certificate. For high chairs, for example, the certificate cites 16 CFR part 1231. Durable infant products must also carry a label with the maker, model and manufacture date and come with a registration card.
What it doesn’t prove: it is the maker’s own certification against the federal rule; it says nothing about materials beyond what that rule covers. Source: CPSC.
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 (textiles)
What it is: OEKO-TEX says items with the STANDARD 100 label have been tested for harmful substances, with every component tested against a list of over 1,000 substances. Its Product Class 1 covers items for babies and children up to 3 years and has the strictest limits. Certificates are issued for one year, and you can check a label’s certificate number with OEKO-TEX’s Label Check.
What it doesn’t prove: it is about harmful substances in textiles, not whether a product is organic or safe to use for sleep or travel. Source: OEKO-TEX.
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)
What it is: GOTS certifies textiles made with certified organic fibers and covers processing from spinning to finished product, including chemical inputs, wastewater and social criteria. Every company in the supply chain must be certified by an approved body, with annual on-site audits.
What it doesn’t prove: “organic” is about how the fibers are grown and processed; it is not a product safety standard for cribs, car seats or sleep. Source: GOTS.
UL GREENGUARD Gold (chemical emissions)
What it is: UL Solutions says GREENGUARD Gold sets low limits on emissions of more than 360 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and total chemical emissions, and requires compliance with California’s Section 01350 chamber test method. UL lists mattresses, furniture and children’s and baby products among covered product groups.
What it doesn’t prove: it is about what a product releases into indoor air, not about structural safety, sleep safety or what the product contains. Source: UL Solutions.
JPMA certification
[PLACEHOLDER: JPMA’s certification page (jpma.org) blocked automated access on Nov 10, 2026. We will describe the JPMA program only after reading JPMA’s own page.]
MADE SAFE
[PLACEHOLDER: MADE SAFE’s own program page not yet fetched. No claims until it is.]
The rule of thumb
No label replaces the basics: a product that meets its federal safety standard, has no open recall and is used the way AAP, CPSC or NHTSA guidance says. See our recall-check policy.