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For those new to the Lead Safe Mama website:
Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005).
- Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe Mama, LLC — a community collaborative woman-owned small business for childhood Lead-poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety.
- Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific testing method) using the exact instrumentation employed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals — including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic).
- Since July of 2022, the work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC has been responsible for 5 product recalls (FDA and CPSC).
- All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable.
- Items that Lead Safe Mama, LLC reports on are tested multiple times to confirm the results published (for each component tested).
- Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February 2023 (March 2023 print edition) and The Guardian in November 2023.
I share about these Lead-free choices specifically at the request of Lead Safe Mama readers. We have paid to promote this post (on Facebook), ensuring more people see these options (because Lead Safe Mama readers have asked us to share these options, and may not see the post otherwise). For many of the options listed on Amazon, you can likely find the same items in your local brick-and-mortar stores (sometimes even at better prices!). So, it is worth keeping this list (and our other shopping lists) handy when you do your local shopping, that way you can look for the same products or other products from these brands (at Target, Walmart, or similar). Here’s a link to more lists of Lead-free choices on the Lead Safe Mama website: https://tamararubin.com/category/2023-amazon-picks/.
Here’s a list of some toys available on Amazon today — December 10, 2023
Lead Safe Mama, LLC has tested many examples of products from the brands for the items listed below (and many of these specific toys, as well), and consistently found toys from these brands to test negative for the following toxicants (when using XRF technology): Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Cadmium, and Antimony.
- These conclusions only apply to new toys from these manufacturers — and do not necessarily apply to toys manufactured before the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) went into effect (2008).
- Given different types of products were granted additional time to comply with the CPSIA, we only recommend that young children play with toys manufactured after 2011 (unless your specific pre-2011 toys were independently tested and confirmed to be free of toxicants).
- In our experience, if one example of the toys noted below is Lead-free, then a similar example from the same brand from the same period will also be Lead-free. For example: If we list a pirate toy, the cowboy toy from the same brand and era is also safe.
- Note: Any (and all) toys with paint will likely test positive for Titanium Dioxide. Titanium Dioxide is a primary component of nearly all modern paints. Given concerns about the ingestion of Titanium Dioxide, painted toys should only be given to children who will not mouth (or chew on) these toys.
All links below are Amazon affiliate links from Lead Safe Mama, LLC. If you purchase something after clicking on a Lead Safe Mama, LLC affiliate link, we may receive a percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you.
- Tea Set Option 1: https://amzn.to/3uZAJhr – $24.13 today (on sale from $32.49)
- Tea Set Option 2: https://amzn.to/3RfoDbF – $21.99 today
- Baby’s First Doll: https://amzn.to/47OBQix – $22.00 today
- Doll with clothes to change: https://amzn.to/3RLuRSh – $38.35 today (on sale from $59.00)
- Music Box: https://amzn.to/3uMOmR4 – $29.99 today (on sale from $39.99)
- Toy Cars (4 cars): https://amzn.to/3Rxh1m9 – $20.70 today
- Smaller Toy Cars (set of 10 cars): https://amzn.to/41iOZ0R – $13.99 today
- Smaller Toy Cars (set of 20 cars): https://amzn.to/41cVzWZ – $16.99 today (on sale from $24.99)
- Smaller Toy Cars (set of 6 cars – with moving parts): https://amzn.to/46UaJl9 – $19.99 today (with 5% coupon, $18.99)
- 17-Piece Musical Toy Set: https://amzn.to/3uODlyF – $33.57 today (on sale from $69.99)
- Toy Dump Truck: https://amzn.to/470gIVG – $14.64 today (on sale from $27.99)
- Toy Fire Truck: https://amzn.to/481YzaO – $29.99 today
- Card Games – Option #1 a favorite of my boys: https://amzn.to/3RAKETv – $14.98 today
- Card Games – Option #2 a favorite of my boys: https://amzn.to/3t2N4Bb – $10.48 today (on sale from $14.99)
- Animal Figurines – Farm Animals: https://amzn.to/4afWslG – $13.99 today (on sale today from $29.99)
- Animal Figurines – Wild Animals: https://amzn.to/47HmzQJ – $17.82 today (on sale from $19.99)
- Animal Figurines – Asian Animals: https://amzn.to/3GCN9i4 – $31.55 today (on sale from $34.99)
- Animal Figurines – Safari Animals: https://amzn.to/3RChbJa – $36.06 today (on sale from $39.99)
- Animal Figurines – North American Animals: https://amzn.to/3RzgVuq – $31.55 today (on sale from $34.99)
- Animal Figurines – Unicorns: https://amzn.to/3Gy7yF3 – $10.99 today (on sale from $29.99)
- Animal Figurines – Dinosaur Set: https://amzn.to/47QrHlI – $59.99 today
- Animal Figurines – T-rex: https://amzn.to/41jrxks – $17.24 today (on sale from $24.99)
- More Animals – 11 Zoo baby figurines: https://amzn.to/3uTdmGr – $11.92 today (on sale from $13.99)
- More Animals – Tiny Sets for older kids: https://amzn.to/489fjNs – $7.99 a set today
- Board Game – Option #1 – a favorite of my boys: https://amzn.to/3Tl9TLa – $19.76 today
- Board Game – Option #2 – a favorite of my boys: https://amzn.to/3RCxnKv – $9.99 today (on sale from $11.99)
- Board Game – Option #3 – a favorite of my boys: https://amzn.to/3GCiykD – 29.99 today (on sale from $31.99)
- Pirate Ship Toy: https://amzn.to/3NmBXdj – $122.00 today
- Stage Coach Toy: https://amzn.to/48c7HtC – $41.73 today
- Horse Ranch Set: https://amzn.to/3uZ657W – $39.19 today
- Ballerina Toy: https://amzn.to/47OLWAh – $7.99 today (on sale from $9.96)
Note: There are lots of SAFE choices out there. ALL toys made today that are expressly made and sold for use by children should be safe from a toxicant perspective. There are exceptions, of course, but if you stick with known brands (not off-brands sold on Amazon or other websites), from known vendors/ stores (and if you avoid soft toys or other fabric items stuffed with polyfill) you will be making safer choices!
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Amazon picks, December 10, 2023 — Sunday
All the links listed above are Lead Safe Mama, LLC’s Amazon affiliate links. You don’t need to purchase the items we recommend for us to receive a percentage of what you spend (at no extra cost to you). If you start ANY of your Amazon purchases this week with a click on a Lead Safe Mama affiliate link (no matter what you buy), we may receive a percentage of what you spend! Thank you for supporting this work in this way!
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And for good measure, here’s our affiliate link for Naturepedic’s Holiday Sale for you: https://shrsl.com/4c6hb (20% off!). Plus, Naturepedic will contribute 15% of what you spend back to Lead Safe Mama, LLC in support of our programs if you start your purchase with our affiliate link. Code: HOLIDAY.
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Thank you for checking out these links and for sharing about our work. If you want to learn more about which products have unsafe levels of Lead (or other heavy metals), I recommend starting your inquiry by taking a look at the Lead Safe Mama website menu. Here’s that link: https://tamararubin.com/website-menu/.
Audi says
Thank you so much Tamara!
You are one the the best human been , you care so much for little ones. Thanks again for your work. I wish you and your family Happiness and health always !
Amazon.ca has to have affiliate services for you!
Tamara says
Thank you! I have to figure that out! Perhaps next year will be the year I can hire someone to help with that part of things (all of the affiliate bits!)
Tamara
EP says
Thank you! Why should we avoid soft toys/fabric toys with polyfill?
Tamara says
They have Antimony in them. Antimony is a known carcinogen.
https://tamararubin.com/2020/04/2014-stuffed-bunny-easter-toy-by-inter-american-products-128-ppm-antimony-causes-cancer-in-rats/
T
Kim says
Hi Tamara,
First of all Thank You for helping us all do better for our children.
I would so appreciate if you could test robot/coding toys ; my boy (3.5 yrs old) is so into robots. I’ve seen some made in China from toy shops (in South Africa) but don’t trust them. I suppose made in Europe/ Germany would be lead safe?
We’re immigrating to Aus soon so hope to hold off buying from here as things are more regulated there.
– K
HB says
I was disappointed to see Schleich toys recommended as many are made of PVC (a known endocrine disrupter).
Tamara says
They are Lead-free (and also free of Cadmium, Arsenic, Antimony & Mercury.) As with any painted toys I would not recommend them for a baby or other child who might put them in their mouth.
T