12 Best Sustainable Kids Clothing Brands
Fast fashion offers cheap clothing made in ways that may not be healthy for you or the environment. Considering how sensitive the skin of young children is, don’t you think ethical and sustainable kids' clothing is better? Not just for the planet but for your children as well.
Sustainable clothing uses eco-friendly materials so your kids can grow up without leaving a huge carbon footprint. Whereas ethical clothing also works to eradicate human rights violations in the garment supply chain. It ensures that workers and farmers earn at the very least a living wage. And more importantly, you can be sure that your children are not wearing clothes made by exploiting other young children in low-cost countries.
The kids’ apparel industry was estimated to be worth $252.2 billion in 20201. With a growth rate of 3.7% CAGR, the industry will reach $325.9 billion by 2027. With its growth, the industry has the potential to contribute significantly to fast fashion’s negative impact on the environment.
The statistics for environmental pollution caused by fast fashion are high, and they may be on the rise. So when it comes to clothing the kids, the best choice for them and the environment is to switch to eco-friendly, sustainable kids' clothing.
12 best sustainable & ethical clothing brands for kids
Below are some sustainable clothing brands from around the world that make sustainable clothing with lines for kids, children, and young adults. We have provided key information you will need to get familiar with the brands and see if their level of sustainability suits you and your kids. The information provides you with the following attributes of the brands:
- Who they design for
- Product range
- Size range
- Ethical values
- Store location and shipping
Quick links to our top 12 sustainable and ethical kids' clothing brands
1. Oobi
For: kids
Product range: clothing
Ethical practices and values: organic materials, non-toxic dye, transparency
Clothing size range: S-XL (0-12 years old)
Store location and shipping: based in Australia and ships worldwide
Award-winning kids' clothing brand, Oobi, has been around for 20 years. This brand makes getting high-quality sustainable outfits for your boys and girls a fun experience. With whimsical hand-printed designs and organic cotton fabrics, Oobi ensures that you can buy great-looking clothes that are ethical and durable. They’ve got swimwear, hats, gender-neutral pieces, dresses, playsuits, socks, and tights. They also offer a mother-and-child matching line for mothers who love to match outfits with their daughters.
They use low-impact lead-free dyes in their printing and use both organic and conventional cotton. To reduce packaging waste, they use minimalistic packaging without paper receipts. The brand works with Sedex-approved factories in India, China, and Bangladesh. A Sedex approval means that the supplier meets the criteria for ethical business practices.
For every new-in or full-priced item sold, Oobi donates a toy or garment to an Australian child in need.
2. Jackalo
For: Women and children
Product range: clothing
Ethical practices and values: recycled materials, fair trade, sustainability, eco-friendly
Clothing size range: US 4-14
Store location and shipping: Based in the US and offers worldwide shipping
Sustainable kid's clothes that can withstand the energetic playfulness of growing kids without wear or tear is what Jackalo offers. They design stylish kids’ clothes like cargo pants, shorts, overalls, sailor pants, and jackets with organic cotton.
The brand ensures they source their 100% certified organic cotton from sustainable farms. They work with factories in Portugal and Netherlands that use energy-efficient methods, produce minimal waste, and have a low impact on the environment. They also recycle fabric pieces generated from production processes.
Jackalo measures its environmental impact as having cut out 5,938 km of driving emissions and saving 240,419 days of drinking water. The brand operates on a code of conduct that upholds workers’ rights to fair wages and safety. Jackalo will take back the clothes your kids have outgrown for recycling and give you a $15 discount on your next purchase.
3. Boody
For: Men, women, and babies
Product range: clothing
Ethical practices and values: bamboo fiber, Oeko-Tex approved, member of 1% For The Planet, Ecocert approved, PETA Vegan approved, WRAP certified, eco-friendly packaging.
Clothing size range: 3-18
Store location and shipping: Australia
Boody offers high-quality baby tees, onesies, bodysuits, beanies, socks, and pull-on pants from soft and breathable bamboo fabric. Their organic baby clothes are mixed with 5% elastane to make them stretch. Their Oeko-Tex certificate is proof that their clothes are free of harmful chemicals like pesticides.
They use bamboo fiber for its sustainability, anti-bacterial, thermo-regulating, and hypoallergenic quality. Their bamboo is harvested sustainably from FSC-certified farms in china. Their fiber production process is a closed-loop system that produces zero waste and conserves resources. They make their packaging with recycled material and print on it with vegetable-based ink.
Boody sells a South African handmade bracelet for charity and donates all the profits to the Goodbye Malaria and the Relate Organization. They also support non-profits in Australia like Greening Australia, Thread Together, and Propeller Projects.
4. Pact
For: men, women, and children
Product range: Clothing
Ethical practices and values: fair trade, GOTS organic cotton, non-toxic dye, recycled materials
Clothing size range: 12-24M/ 2-5T/ 8-12
Store location and shipping: ships only to Canada
Pact is one of the most popular sustainable clothing brands today. Their eco-friendly kids’ clothing includes bodysuits, pants, onesies, hoodies, tees, polos, dresses, pajamas, socks, and underwear for babies and kids up to 12 years old.
Easily one of the best clothing manufacturers featuring sustainable kids' lines, they make their clothes with 100% organic fabrics, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton and non-toxic chemical dyes. To ensure that the workers who make their clothing earn a living wage, they work with fair trade-certified factories in the USA.
To reduce packaging waste, they package their products in compostable materials made out of recyclables. They also offer carbon offset shipping to help you cover your shipping carbon footprint. Pact operates a program that allows customers to donate old clothes to the needy.
5. Hanna Andersson
For: children
Product range: clothing
Ethical practices and values: durability, eco-friendly materials, GOTS certified, Oeko-Tex standard 100
Clothing size range: 18-24M/ 2-12
Store location and shipping: based in the US and offers international shipping
The Hanna Andersson brand provides high-quality, ethical fashion pieces for kids from the age of 0 to 14. They offer a wide range of sustainable clothing, and a lot of their designs feature superhero characters loved by kids. The brand has a collection of matching pajamas for the entire family.
The brand uses natural, sustainable materials like organic cotton, and almost all of its products are Oeko-Tex certified. Hanna Andersson’s clothing has gained a reputation for durability and quality. They make clothes from organic fibers that last long enough to be handed down more than once.
The brand was established in 1983 in Portland and is one of the earliest brands to foray into sustainable children’s clothing. Their production partners pay fair wages, avoid child labor, and treat workers with respect.
6. Little Emperor
For: children
Product range: clothing
Ethical practices and values: Sedex-approved production, locally manufactured, member of 1% For The Planet,
Clothing size range: 2-8 years old
Store location and shipping: Based in Australia and ships internationally
Little Emperor designs unique and durable clothing for kids aged 2-8 with the help of the founder’s eight-year-old daughter. Their pieces feature fun animal prints. The brand offers affordable pieces that you don't have to break the bank to purchase.
The brand partners with OCC Apparel, Australia, and Net paradigm India PVT Ltd, a factory audited by Sedex. These partners have transparent production processes that make it easy to ensure that every worker is paid their due wages and enjoys a safe working environment.
Little Emperor uses organic cotton for its kids’ clothes which is better for the environment than conventional cotton. They use minimalistic packaging with compostable materials. The brand supports environmental non-profits that protect the oceans and marine life through the 1% for the planet platform.
7. Winter Water Factory
For: men, women, and children
Product range: clothing and accessories
Ethical practices and values: locally manufactured, 100% organic cotton
Clothing size range: 0M-18M/ 2T-4T/ 6-8
Store location and shipping: based in the USA and ships internationally
This brand stocks an extensive collection of baby and kid’s sustainable clothing designed with beautiful prints. The prints are mainly inspired by nature and everyday life. The clothing is made from organic cotton.
The clothing brand manufactures its clothes in Brooklyn, USA, which helps support the local economy. Local manufacturing also means that the company can oversee workers’ welfare directly, ensuring they have the best working conditions.
8. Faire Child
For: children
Product range: clothing
Ethical practices and values: recycled plastic, Bluesign certified, Oeko-Tex standard 100, Global Recycled Standard, locally manufactured, low-impact dyes
Clothing size range: 1-12
Store location and shipping: based in Canada and ships worldwide
This company is a clothing brand that makes sustainable outerwear for all seasons. The minimalist designs are manufactured in Canada and have no animal products in them.
They use materials like recycled PET plastic bottles and their innovative Sympatex membrane. This brand does not use any harmful chemicals in its production, and its recycling process is eco-friendly.
The brand has Oeko-Tex and GRS certifications to that effect. Also, the brand’s Bluesign certification assures that they value the safety of everyone along their supply chain. These include their employees and consumers who wear their clothes. It also attests to their use of eco-friendly materials and methods.
9. Little Green Radicals
For: children
Product range: clothing and cosmetics
Ethical practices and values: 100% organic clothing, fair trade cotton, GOTS certified, Soil association organic,
Clothing size range: 0M-5 years
Store location and shipping: based in the UK and offers international shipping
Little Green Radicals went into business in 2005 to produce quality eco-friendly kids' clothing that will survive wriggly newborns, excitable toddlers, and adventurous children. Their ethical baby clothes designs feature flowers and animal prints boys and girls will love.
Their products are made from organic cotton with GOTS certification and have nickel-free poppers. The brand’s products are produced in India, and they assure customers that farmers and workers are well-paid.
Little Green Radicals teamed up with Superloopers in 2019 to give pre-loved clothes a new home. Last year they partnered with Thelittlehoop to rent out clothes to kids that their parents can send back once they outgrow them.
10. Colored Organics
For: children
Product range: clothing and toys
Ethical practices and values: GOTS-certified organic cotton, non-toxic dye
Clothing size range: 0-24M/ 2-4T/ 6
Store location and shipping: based in the US and ships worldwide
You can shop sustainable kids’ clothing for boys and girls aged 0-6 from colored organics. They have a collection of organic baby clothes, including sleepers, bodysuits, joggers, and tees for your little one. They also offer leggings, socks, dresses, overalls, hoodies, and pants for toddlers. Perfect as an eco-friendly kids gift or for your own kids.
The brand makes organic clothing using fair trade organic cotton that has GOTS certification. The sustainable materials they use are free from toxic chemical dyes. They use eco-friendly AZO or water-based dyes instead. For every month of the year, colored organics works with different organizations to give back to society.
11. Warp+Weft
For: men, women, and children
Product range: clothing
Ethical practices and values: recycled materials, eco-friendly production
Clothing size range: ages 2-14
Store location and shipping: New York, USA; international shipping is not available
An ethical fashion brand that makes its jeans from scratch offers premium quality at a fast-fashion price. They operate a vertical production system that cuts out third parties and non-vital markups and results in lower prices.
The brand complies with International Social and Environmental & Quality Standards. They source their fibers locally, making about 20% of their clothing from recycled denim, recycled plastic bottles, and cotton. Warp+weft uses production methods that conserve water and use clean energy.
Clothing from this brand is not treated with bleaching chemicals; instead, the brand uses Dry Ozone technology.
The brand values transparency and is open about all the details of its production process.
The family-owned brand assures consumers of its commitment to providing good working conditions and paying fair wages.
12. The Good Tee
For: men, women, and children
Product range: clothing and accessories
Ethical practices and values: transparency, fair trade cotton, B Corporation, low-impact dyes, GOTS-certified organic cotton.
Clothing size range: 2T-6
Store location and shipping: based in Canada and offers international shipping
A brand with the goal of humanizing fashion, the good tee brand has cute organic cotton t-shirts and onesies for your kids aged 0-14 years. The brand’s organic cotton clothes meet GOTS requirements. They treat their clothes with enzymes, bio-wash, and pre-shrinking to make them softer and shrink-resistant.
All their products, including the kids’ collection, are 100% traceable. This means consumers can access information about the brand’s processes, from sourcing to sales. As a B Corporation, the brand meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental responsibility.
The good tee is passionate about changing the negative impacts of fast fashion on farmers and garment factory employees in low-cost countries.
Benefits of sustainable clothing for kids
Durability
Sustainable kid’s clothes are made with materials and processes that ensure they last longer and maintain quality. This means that they are more viable as future donations to an online thrift store, an excellent place for pre-loved kid’s clothes, or as hand-me-downs.
And also, kids play a lot which means their clothes need to be washed more often. Sustainable clothing’s durability means that it will withstand the strain of wear and wash without losing all the attributes that made you buy it in the first place.
Less waste
Kids grow so fast, they outgrow clothing quickly, even before the item has reached its end-of-use stage. Therefore, sustainable clothing is a great way to reduce the waste that will inevitably arise.
For clothing that you don't want to recycle or donate, like underwear, it is better to purchase biodegradable clothing. This way, your children's clothing waste will decompose and enrich the soil rather than pollute the oceans and rivers.
Safer
There are about 8,000 synthetic fibers used in the fast fashion industry; they make some of them with chemicals that can harm the skin2. The skin of little children is usually more sensitive than that of adults, so it is safe to assume that such kids’ clothes would affect them more easily than adults. Chemical residue on clothing can cause skin irritation and allergies.
They make ethical clothing for children with fewer chemicals, and less toxic or hypoallergenic fibers.
Earth and people-friendly
By wearing sustainable clothing, your kids get to help protect the earth and garment workers. This is because ethical clothing is more environmentally and socially sustainable compared to fast fashion3.
Ethically made clothing uses fewer pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, toxic dyes, and chemicals. So they do not pollute the environment a lot and sometimes not at all. Also, some sustainable clothing brands making kids’ clothes use production methods that save water and energy. These methods include the closed-loop system and green energy sourcing.
The garment workers who make ethical children's clothing are paid fair wages for their labor. They also work in a safe environment that does not put their life or health at risk.
There are several sustainable kids’ clothing brands. A few dedicate themselves only to kids’ clothes or baby clothing but most brands design for the entire family. This article picks out 12 ethical brands that are true to sustainable fashion.
Wrapping up our best list of brands making kids' clothing sustainably
Above, we’ve got everything from ethically sourced baby clothes to waterproof kids’ jackets. When shopping for sustainable clothes for your children, the manufacturing process matters as much as sustainable fabrics. The sustainable brands suitable for kids listed above avoid toxic chemicals, work with ethical clothes factories, source sustainably, and demonstrate that it’s more than possible for a clothing company to produce clothing for kids better for the planet.
Whereas each super cheap clothing range churned out by fast fashion brands may deliver a cost-saving, they also cost the environment. Shopping from sustainable kids’ clothing brands is one way to push against the ills of fast fashion and protect the planet. You also get to save money on frequent purchases because these ethical products last long, and used clothes can be handed down from kid to kid.
| 1 | Research and Markets. (2020) Children's Wear- Global Market Trajectory & Analytics |
| 2 | Akarslan F., Demiralay H. (2015) Effects of textile materials harmful to human health. ICCESEN 2014. VOL 128. DOI: 10.12693/APhysPo1A.128.B-407 |
| 3 | Ertekin, Zeynep. (2017). The True Cost: The Bitter Truth behind Fast Fashion. Markets, Globalization & Development Review. 2. 10.23860/MGDR-2017-02-03-07. |
Jen’s a passionate environmentalist and sustainability expert. With a science degree from Babcock University Jen loves applying her research skills to craft editorial that connects with our global changemaker and readership audiences centered around topics including zero waste, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity.
Elsewhere Jen’s interests include the role that future technology and data have in helping us solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges.
