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Two kids measuring eachother's heights, wearing neutral unisex children's clothing by Orbasics.
03 Apr
Two kids measuring eachother's heights, wearing neutral unisex children's clothing by Orbasics.

The Ultimate Guide to More Ethical and Sustainable Children’s Clothing

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Shopping for more sustainable kids’ clothing is tricky, so we’ve rated and curated these “Good” and “Great” brands from around the world to make things easier.

From buying gifts to outfitting growing kids, we’ve got you

Staying committed to your ethical fashion values when shopping for an entire family can be a real challenge—especially when young ones grow out of garments so quickly. Big chains offer cheap children’s clothing for children, which could be useful as they grow—but chances are that shopping from these places will compromise your morals as a conscious consumer.

These days, there are lots of great second-hand retailers and community swap shops for kids’ clothes (or you could even exchange items with other parents in your network), but if you’re in need of something new—or perhaps a baby shower gift—then look no further than this guide.

Each brand in this more sustainable childrenswear guide is rated either “Good” or “Great” in the Good On You directory, meaning they’re committed to the ethical and environmental issues you care about. Read on to discover our favourites.

We’ve split this guide into regions so that you can choose the brands that are closer to home, but do note that many of the brands listed here ship worldwide.

Table of contents

 

United States and Canada

Sustain by Kat

Rated: Good
Sustain by Kat kidswear

Sustain by Kat produces timeless organic women’s and children’s clothing, dyed with plants. This is a brand that really cares about the environment. It uses more responsible materials, including GOTS certified organic cotton, and uses only lower impact, plant based dyes, which is better for you and the planet. It’s possible to have clothes that also care for you with Sustain by Kat’s “clothing with a conscience”.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Sustain by Kat.

Nui Organics

Rated: Good
Someone with children dressed in tops and bottoms by Nui Organics.

Nui Organics was founded on a culture rooted in consciousness, community, and intentional design. It creates high-quality, lower-impact Merino wool and organic clothing for families in timeless styles.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Nui Organics.

KIDS WORLWIDE

Rated: Good

KIDS WORLDWIDE is a clothing brand from the US made especially for the kids of today.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop KIDS WORLDWIDE.

Winter Water Factory

Rated: Good
girl wearing blue and white flowery dress from winter water factory

Founded by Brooklyn-based creatives Stefanie Lynen and Todd Warnock, this brand was named by Stefanie as an ode to a childhood business venture in Germany, where she and her sister bottled melted snow and sold it to their parents as Winterwasser or “Winter Water”. Every piece of Winter Water Factory clothing is made using 100% certified organic cotton – crafted in the USA, from start to finish. It also uses a natural fleece, and while it doesn’t specify the source, no other animal products are used. What’s even better? It makes gorgeous women’s clothing, too, so mums and bubs can match in style.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Winter Water Factory.

Shop Winter Water Factory second hand @ Retykle.

Conscious Step

Rated: Good

Conscious Step creates premium fair trade, organic vegan socks and clothes which support great charities. The US brand is committed to lasting social and environmental change and every step it takes in its production process supports farms and factories with fair wages, safe facilities, and lower-impact materials.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Conscious Step.

Mightly

Rated: Good

Mightly makes organic cotton and fair trade certified children’s tees, leggings, dresses, pyjamas, hoodies, and more. Its facilities are Fair Trade USA certified and made from a high proportion of eco-friendly materials including Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) cotton.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), children (3-12) and teenagers (13+).

See the rating.

Shop Mightly.

Shop Mightly @ Cerqular.

Katla

Rated: Good
toddler sitting in white long-sleeved top and pink pants, and kid in white sleeveless top and light blue sweatpants by Katla

With a modern aesthetic where style meets sustainability, Katla is a loungewear brand creating timeless essentials across menswear, womenswear, and kidswear. Stemming from its ethos to minimise fashion’s impact on the environment, it follows anti-waste manufacturing principles in its limited production runs. Using innovative, lower-impact materials, it draws design inspiration from its Nordic roots offering luxurious conscious comfort.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Katla.

MATE the Label

Rated: Great
child wearing mate the label's childrenswear collection

MATE the Label creates clean essentials made with GOTS certified organic fabrics and low-impact dyes. Its goal is to offer women, and now children, everywhere a clean product that is just as beautiful as it is sustainable. It is proudly female-founded and is predominately operated by women. This US brand also manufactures locally to reduce its carbon footprint.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop MATE the Label.

tentree

Rated: Good
two kids wearing childrenswear collection by tentree

Canadian brand tentree believes big change starts small. Small as in bringing your reusable bag to the grocery store, making fewer, more thoughtful purchases, and choosing to purchase more sustainably when you do. The brand plants ten trees for every item purchased to help regenerate ecosystems and provide planting jobs in communities around the world, and has already planted over 65 million trees.

All tentree’s products are created with an Earth-first approach, meaning they’re made in fair, safe working conditions, and constructed using lower-impact and recycled materials.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop tentree.

éclipse

Rated: Great
Kids' sun sleeves by Eclipse.

Children’s Sun Sleeves – Ships internationally from the US

éclipse creates climate control UPF 50+ clothing essentials and accessories to help keep the whole family sunsafe. It manufactures locally to reduce its carbon footprint, and its entire product range is vegan-friendly.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop éclipse.

Threads 4 Thought

Rated: Good
two images of kids playing in clothing by Threads 4 Thought

Threads 4 Thought uses a range of lower-impact materials including TENCEL™ Modal harvested from the limbs of beech trees. This process means that the trees are never cut down and 95% of the production materials to make the yarn are recovered and reused. The brand’s manufacturers are a combination of Fair Trade USA certified and Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production certified.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3), children (3-12) and teenagers (13+).

See the rating.

Shop Threads 4 Thought.

The Good Tee

Rated: Great
two kids wearing white organic tee by The Good Tee

Canadian brand The Good Tee is on a mission to be a positive example of responsibly made basics for the whole family, and strives to humanise the fashion industry by producing Fairtrade, GOTS certified fashion, tracing its entire supply chain, and auditing suppliers.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3), children (3-12) and teenagers (13+).

See the rating.

Shop The Good Tee.

Jackalo

Rated: Good
boy wearing jackalo ethical outfit

Jackalo creates organic and ethical playclothes for kids. It uses a high proportion of eco-friendly materials including Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton, and reuses all of its offcuts to minimise textile waste!

Sizes available for children (3-12) and teenagers (13+).

See the rating.

Shop Jackalo.

Shop Jackalo @ Cerqular.

European Union

Sense Organics

Rated: Good
boy wearing blue sense organics t-shirt

Sense Organics is an established German brand that has been dressing kids in its colourful organic cotton range for 18 years. We give it a ‘Great’ rating for its commitment to eco-friendly materials and its treatment of garment workers, including ensuring suppliers pay a living wage.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Sense Organics.

Orbasics

Rated: Great
Two toddlers wearing neutral matching sweatsuits by Orbasics.

Orbasics is a stylish and simple German clothing brand that turns the softest organic cotton into gorgeous clothes that last. Born from a desire to seek out high-quality, gender neutral organic clothes for her daughter, founder Lilija took matters into her own hands. Orbasics thoughtfully chooses more ethical and responsible options from harvest to production, using 100% GOTS certified cotton and certified local production partners.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Orbasics.

Mini Rodini

Rated: Good
kids wearing mini rodini outfits in garden

Mini Rodini offers more sustainable baby and kids clothes, accessories, and more. It is certified by OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 and is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Mini Rodini @ LVRSustainable.

Shop Mini Rodini Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Shop Mini Rodini Pre-Owned @ Retykle.

Shop Mini Rodini.

Josette la Chouette

Rated: Good
woman carrying baby in cloth

Josette la Chouette is an online store that designs beautiful baby wearing scarves and organic cotton t-shirts for kids, combining quality workmanship with graphic originality.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Josette la Chouette.

La Queue du Chat

Rated: Great
kid wearing khaki la queue du chat tshirt

At La Queue du Chat, the entire production line from cotton blossom to weaving and sewing is GOTS certified in order to guarantee healthy products without chemicals or toxic residues.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop La Queue du Chat.

Coq en Pâte

Rated: Good
baby wearing yellow coq en pate tshirt

This children’s accessories and fashion brand places ethics in the heart of all creative processes. It uses a high proportion of lower-impact materials including GOTS certified cotton, and most of its supply chain is either independently audited or visited by the brand.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Coq en Pâte.

Infantium Victoria

Rated: Great
young POC girl wearing preloved green velvet dress by ethical vegan brand Infantium Victoria

Infantium Victoria offers beautiful vegan luxury for all ages. This German brand scores highly across the board. Its products are certified by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and it sells previously owned products to minimise textile waste.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), children (3-12), and teenagers (13+).

See the rating.

Shop Infantium Victoria.

NIKIN

Rated: Good

A tree is planted every time you purchase a NIKIN product. And with the brand’s Kids Collection, your little ones are well equipped to develop a love for nature at an early age.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop NIKIN.

Dedicated

Rated: Great

If you love a great graphic print, Swedish label Dedicated has you covered. Dedicated is a more responsible brand for men, women, and children. All cotton used in its clothes is 100% organic, and most pieces are Fairtrade certified, which means that you don’t have to sacrifice your ethics to dress in style.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Dedicated.

Shop Dedicated @ Earthkind.

Kampos

Rated: Good

Kampos is a luxurious Italian brand that believes in creating a world with integrity and conscience—now and for future generations. The brand aims to raise awareness of overfishing and marine pollution, and makes clothes from recycled plastic bottles, fishing nets, and other lower-impact organic fabrics.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Kampos.

NOAH

Rated: Good
three children wearing noah espadrilles

NOAH creates cruelty-free and 100% vegan shoes and accessories. The vegan, non-toxic, and sustainable kids’ shoes from this German brand are manufactured under fair working conditions in Italy.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop NOAH.

Shop NOAH @ Immaculate Vegan.

TWOTHIRDS

Rated: Good
TWOTHIRDS kidswear

TWOTHIRDS describes itself as a brand for people who are awake and aware of the immense value of our oceans, but also have a thirst for style and substance. It manufactures all its products locally to reduce its carbon footprint, and it audits all of its final stage of production.

Sizes available for children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop TWOTHIRDS.

Wildling

Rated: Good
Cropped shot of a child wearing Wildling eco slip on shoes.

Wildling is a German footwear brand that encourages novice and experienced walkers alike to rediscover pleasant, natural walking.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3), children (3-12), and teenagers (13+).

See the rating.

Shop Wildling.

United Kingdom

Beaumont Organic

Rated: Good
BEAUMONT ORGANIC baby clothes

Beaumont Organic is a UK-based slow fashion brand that blends simple style with more responsible production practices. Founded by Hannah Beaumont-Laurencia, the brand also has its own charitable foundation which supports people in Fiji.

Sizes available for babies.

See the rating.

Shop Beaumont Organic.

Pop My Way

Rated: Good

Pop My Way is a GOTS certified brand that features mix-and-match baby essentials designed to “pop” onto the garment. This UK brand’s modular and versatile designs take the stress out of getting your little one dressed with elements you can switch in and out.

Sizes available for babies.

See the rating.

Shop Pop My Way.

Frugi

Rated: Good
Two children in a garden wearing bright floral ethically made dresses by Frugi.

Frugi is a British label that specialises in bright, wearable organic clothing. There are plenty of playful designs as well as classics. Frugi has you covered for maternity wear and nursing clothes, as well as baby and children’s wear. We love the distinctive designs and commitment to putting the planet first.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Frugi.

Shop Frugi second hand @ Retykle.

Little Green Radicals

Rated: Great
baby wearing little green radicals navy jumpsuit

Little Green Radicals creates “organic clothing for free-range kids”. Its adorable range of childrenswear is always made from 100% organic, Fairtrade certified cotton, so you know the brand cares about the planet, workers, and your little one, too.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Little Green Radicals.

Shop Little Green Radicals second hand @ Retykle.

Burberry (Pre-Owned)

Rated: It's A Start

Pre-Owned Burberry Kidswear – Ships internationally

Burberry is a British luxury fashion house known for its timeless beige trench coats. The brand has good policies to monitor suppliers, but it still uses exotic animal products. Shopping Burberry second-hand allows us to add items to our wardrobe without using additional resources in the manufacturing process, to keep clothes out of landfills, and to (re)discover Burberry’s unique and special pieces along the way.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), children (3-12), and teenagers (13+).

See the rating.

Shop Burberry @ Vestiaire Collective.

Stella McCartney

Rated: Good
second hand kidswear by stella mccartney

Pre-Owned Stella McCartney Kidswear – Ships internationally

A member of the Ethical Trading Initiative and Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Stella McCartney has set some excellent environmental standards across the luxury fashion industry. Stella uses some lower-impact materials, including recycled polyester and organic cotton, and has a strategy in place to reduce waste across its entire supply chain. It has also adopted the ETI Code of Conduct that includes a living wage definition.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3), children (3-12), and teenagers (13+).

See the rating.

Shop Stella McCartney @ LVRSustainable.

Shop Stella McCartney Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Shop Stella McCartney.

Australia and New Zealand

Dimples

Rated: Good

Dimples is a New Zealand-based brand that offers a large range of specialist baby and mother care products. The brand uses the highest quality New Zealand merino, and organic cotton to make a wide range of baby clothing, blankets, and accessories.

Sizes available for babies and toddlers (1-3).

See the rating.

Shop Dimples Pre-Owned @ Retykle.

Shop Dimples.

NICO

Rated: Good
Little Elinor by Nico kidswear

Established in 2012 by Lis Harvey, NICO celebrates minimalism and understated luxury. The brand brings high quality basics and underwear to the Australian fashion landscape, featuring clean lines and luxe fabrics. NICO’s factories are signatories to The Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Accord and are compliant with BSCI and certified with WRAP.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop NICO.

Oobi

Rated: It's A Start
little girl wearing blue and pink flower dress by oobi

Oobi is an Australian girl’s fashion, swimwear, homewares and lifestyle brand. In addition to creating stylish clothes for children, the brand uses lower-impact non-toxic dyes throughout its range. It doesn’t use animal products. Oobi uses sea freight to transport products to reduce its climate impact.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Oobi.

Shop Oobi pre loved @ Retykle.

Bam Loves Boo

Rated: Good

Bam Loves Boo is an Australian childrenswear brand that is all about making beautiful clothing for the little people you love.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Bam Loves Boo.

Elle Evans

Rated: Good

Founded in 2013 in Australia, Elle Evans Swimwear creates beautiful, lower-impact swimwear and activewear for people who care about fashion and the future. The brand uses post-consumer waste fabrics and traces all of its supply chain.

Sizes available for babies, toddlers (1-3), and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Elle Evans.

Little Emperor

Rated: Good
girl wearing pink little emperor t-shirt

Little Emperor creates functional, and hard-wearing clothing for children. Its clothing is made from organic cotton, and every garment is made in a Sedex approved factory, ensuring living wages and safe working conditions for factory workers. Named in honour of the Emperor Penguin, Little Emperor is a member of 1% for the Planet, meaning 1% of sales are donated to environmental non-profits, helping protect the penguins’ homes.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3) and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Little Emperor.

Thunderpants NZ

Rated: Great
matching red and blue patterned underwear and basics for the family from ethical brand Thunderpants BZ

Thunderpants is a New Zealand brand that makes clothing for the whole family, designed to fit and built to last.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3) and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Thunderpants NZ.

East Asia

Loop Swim

Rated: Good
child wearing purple patterned sustainable kids rashguard by Loop Swim

Founded by two women from the US and India and headquartered in Shanghai, Loop Swim is a brand on a mission to close the loop on waste and promote circular design. It transforms post-consumer plastic bottles into phenomenal REPREVE UP50+ sun protective swimwear for men, women, and kids. Its trendless, high-quality designs are developed to retain shape and colour swim after swim.

Sizes available for toddlers (1-3) and children (3-12).

See the rating.

Shop Loop Swim.

South Asia

SeamsFriendly

Rated: Good
SEAMSFRIENDLY children's clothes

Offers

SeamsFriendly – Site-wide

Handcrafted tailor-made clothing for women, men and kids of all body types, sizes and heights. Exclusive 15% off with code SF-GY15 (Sales items excluded) (Ends: 12 NOV)

Checkout code: SF-GY15
Shop now

SeamsFriendly celebrates all sizes and creates beautiful tailored pieces for all body types. It focuses on function and utility in its designs and uses lower-impact materials like organic cotton and linen. What’s more, the brand’s clothes are fully customisable, so you can change up the neckline, sleeve or garment length, and much more across its whole array of clothing.

The brand’s children’s sizing range is bust: 18″-28″, waist: 19″-26″, or you can order custom sizing at no extra cost.

See the rating.

Shop SeamsFriendly.

Discover more ethical children’s clothing brands in our directory

Editor's note

Feature image via Orbasics, all other images via brands mentioned. This article was first published in 2016 and updated in April 2024.

Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. We love to recommend some of the best sustainable brands, rated "Good" or "Great". We also encourage shopping pre-owned as another great way to reduce the impact of our fashion choices. Use our directory to search thousands of rated brands.

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