The 6 Best Organic Toddler Pillows in 2022 (Buyers Guide)

When it’s time to transition your baby from a crib to the toddler bed, it only seems natural to get them a pillow too. But as we quickly learned from our friend, not any regular pillow will do. It must be an organic toddler pillow. Question is, which is the best organic toddler pillow?

Well, the best organic toddler pillow must be certified organic and Fair Trade. This ascertains that the materials used in the pillow are 100% organic and safe, but also they were sourced and made in an environmentally responsible way.

Of course, there is so much more to the comfort and safety of a toddler pillow than just the material, but more on that later. To be clear, this isn’t your ordinary review guide with randomly picked pillows on the internet. We tested each of these pillows and chose the best in different categories like budget, ease of care, and comfort.

But first…

Why Toddlers Should Sleep on Organic Pillows

With children spending over 10 hours asleep on that pillow, it’s prudent to ensure what they are breathing in and putting their delicate skin on is safe. Unfortunately, most pillows today are made of potentially harmful chemicals and synthetics that produce volatile organic compounds in the air and can affect the child’s health down the line.

Organic pillows are made from organic materials like cotton, natural latex, wool and kapok. These materials are grown and extracted without any harmful chemicals that may cause respiratory problems, skin issues and allergies. They are also quite soft and comfortable for the baby, something you can’t say about buckwheat, down and synthetic pillows.

Other benefits of organic pillows over regular pillows include;

• Heat regulation. Wool, cotton and latex transfer body heat along its fibers and release it to the environment, leaving you cool and comfortable. The materials are also moisture-wicking, so your child won’t get sweaty and hot in their sleep.
• Hypoallergenic. Organic materials are allergen-free, so you don’t have to worry about rashes, sneezing and blocked nose in the morning. They also don’t hold onto moisture, which means they are resistant to mold and mildew.
• Sustainable. Besides being safe, you also want a material that’s good for the environment and does not harm any plants or animals.

What to Look For in an Organic Pillow for Toddlers

Again, the first thing to look for when buying an organic toddler pillow is certification to ensure it’s 100% organic. What you want to see is;

• GOTS-certified, which stands for Global Organic Textile Standard, looks at the material and all the processing stages.
• OKEO-TEK looks at the responsible management of chemicals in every production stage. In other words, it tests the presence of toxic chemicals.

Other factors to look for include;

Size

Toddler pillows are smaller in size than adult pillows. The smaller size (13 by 18 inches) is to prevent overloading your baby with excess padding, which can cause overheating or breathing issues. Toddler pillows also fit better in a toddler bed.

Firmness

While a soft pillow feels great for adults, it’s not safe for toddlers. The best toddler pillow should be soft but firm enough to provide proper spinal support and keep the airway open. Look for a filling that retains its shape even after pressing your head down.

Maintenance

Keeping a pillow clean is crucial to preventing allergies and diseases. As you buy the pillow, consider that toddlers drool all over the pillow and sometimes throw up on it when sick. It’s therefore important to buy a pillow that can be machine washed, on top of having a removable pillow case for protection.

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The Best Organic Toddler Pillows in 2022

1. Top Pick: Naturepedic PLA Pillow with Organic Fabric

For those who may not be familiar, PLA batting is a non-toxic fiber derived from non-GMO sugarcane. It is resilient, supportive and moisture-wicking to ensure your child has a comfortable night’s sleep. The outer cover on the pillow is a 300-thread count organic cotton, which is silky smooth and also sleeps quite cool.

The selling point of this pillow is that it’s incredibly supportive without being too firm. It seems puffy at first, but once you lie down it squishes to the perfect loft and doesn’t flatten out over time. The price is high, but this pillow is really worth it if you are looking for something that’s comfortable and durable.

You can learn more about this pillow over at Naturepedic’s store here.

2. Best Cotton Toddler Pillow: KeaBabies Toddler Pillow

This KeaBabies organic pillow has been certified by GOTS and OCS100, so you know it’s really organic. But more than that, it was vetted by chiropractors to ensure it has the right spinal support for your toddler. It is ergonomically designed for kids between 2 and 5 years and it’s 100% cotton, from filling to pillowcase.

That much organic cotton means the pillow is super soft and plush but also cool and moisture-wicking, a comfort combination you can’t find anywhere else.

Our favorite part however is that you can wash the entire pillow with cold water or simply wash the pillowcase if the pillow isn’t dirty. Speaking of the pillowcase, your toddler will love the adorable prints on it, and you can create stories from them and make bedtime fun.

You can learn more about this pillow over at Amazon here.

3. Best Wool Toddler Pillow: Mother Sheep Organics Wool Toddler Pillow

When it comes to organic pillows, you can’t do better than wool. It’s hypoallergenic, temperature regulating, soft and quite supportive if the filling is done right.

This Mother Sheeps Organics toddler pillow is certified by multiple bodies for being 100% organic wool with no traces of synthetic or poly fiber materials. The wool is harvested from Argentinian Corriedale sheep who graze in pastures.

The manufacturer uses a machine to convert the wool into pearl-sized balls, creating a fluffy yet supportive and resilient pillow. And if the wool is not plush enough for you, the damask luxurious cotton cover will. It is plush, silky soft on your skin and cool to the touch.

While you can’t wash this pillow, you can throw the cover in the wash as often as you like. Be sure to air the pillow once in a while to keep it fresh.

You can learn more about this pillow over at Amazon here.

4. Most Affordable Toddler Wool Pillow: Woolino Wool Toddler Pillow

Again, you can’t beat wool as a pillow filling, and that’s why most organic wool pillows are expensive. But if you are looking for something a tad more affordable, this wool toddler pillow from Woolino is a great option. The filling is 100% merino wool enclosed in a cotton cover, and it’s OEKO certified as having no harmful substances.

While researching the best pillows to buy for testing, we saw some customers saying that this pillow is flat. However, it’s a toddler pillow, and it’s supposed to be soft and flat, not fluffy.

We found the pillow to be quite supportive and comfortable, especially since it stays cool and dry all night long. It also helps that you can machine wash the whole of it because cleaning the pillowcase is sometimes not enough.

You can learn more about this pillow over at Amazon here.

5. Most Underrated: Magnolia Organics Organic Cotton Pillow

The Magnolia Organics toddler pillow is the most underrated pillow, in our opinion. This is mostly because many people buy it as an adult pillow, and it’s not. Right off the bat, you will notice it has a flatter-than-usual loft, but it’s not hard. This makes it perfect for toddlers who don’t need that spinal misalignment or plush.

Another thing about the pillow that’s quite noticeable when new is the cotton smell. We took the advice of a previous online customer and put it in the dryer with some dryer balls and lavender essential oils. The pillow came out softer and smelling great.

Besides those two issues, the pillow is perfect and has a dense organic cotton pillow cover to keep dust mites and pollen away from the pillow filling.

You can learn more about this pillow over at Amazon here.

6. Best for Travel: Avocado Organic Toddler Pillow

If safety certifications made a pillow more comfortable, this Avocado organic toddler pillow would be the most comfortable of all. It has not one or two but 5 certifications that speak to its safety and sustainability.

Thankfully, the pillow is comfortable enough in its own right, thanks to the organic kapok fiber and breathable organic latex used as filling.

Kapok fiber brings the softer, lighter and hypoallergenic aspect, while latex adds support and structure as well as temperature control. To wrap that comfortable combo is a premium, GOTS organic certified cotton cover that’s cool to the touch and highly breathable.

There’s no zipper on the cover and you cannot wash this pillow. However, you can spot clean with a white cloth and air dry under sunlight.

You can learn more about this pillow over at Avocado’s store here.

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What’s The Difference Between an Organic Pillow and a Regular Pillow?

Organic pillows are made from 100% organic materials that include organic cotton, wool, and natural latex. Regular pillows, on the other hand, are made of synthetic materials like polyester that release harmful substances into the air around your family.

What’s The Best Material For an Organic Pillow?

While there are many pillows deemed organic, most of those are made of cotton and synthetic blends, while others only have an organic cover. For a pillow to be organic, it needs to have 100% organic materials like cotton, wool or kapok as filling and a 100% cotton cover.

How do I Wash an Organic Pillow?

Care instructions for organic pillows depend on the type of filling inside of it. If your pillow has cotton, wool, buckwheat or kapok, you should spot-clean when needed and use a pillowcase to protect it from getting dirty. These materials deteriorate when machine washed. PLA and natural rubber foam latex on the other hand can be washed if the instructions allow.

What Pillow Size Should I Get For My Toddler?

Just like a toddler bed is smaller than usual, a toddler pillow should be too. Verywell Family recommends a 13×18 inches pillow for toddlers instead of the regular 20 x 26 inches for adults. This ensures the child is not buried in excess fabric because they are not 100% out of the SIDs danger stage.

Is it Safe For My Toddler to Use a Pillow?

Toddlers can have a pillow in their bed from 18-24 months. That doesn’t mean however that you should give them a pillow when they turn this age. In fact, most toddlers do not need a pillow because they are already used to sleeping without one. Waiting until the child shows signs of needing a pillow, such as sleeping on their teddy bear, is the safest way to know when to buy one.

At What Age Should My Toddler Have a Pillow?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says you can introduce a pillow to a child’s bed around months 18 to 24. Before then, any soft items in bed increase the child’s risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. That said, a toddler pillow should be small in size and have a low loft. It should not be big or fluffy because they are still too young to wake up in case of breathing obstruction.

Final Thoughts

When we were testing these organic toddler pillows, it came down to comfort and ease of care. Toddlers sweat a lot in their sleep and drool, so they need a pillow that’s cooling and easy to clean. For these reasons, the KeaBabies organic pillow was our favorite, and we love the adorable prints and the ergonomic design, which makes the pillow very comfortable.