Better Basics for Bringing Up Baby

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Fuzzi Bunz reusable diapers are absorbent and easy to clean; adjustable snaps allow them to grow with baby. KENDALL HEIMAN

If there’s a new bundle of joy in your family, you’ll discover it’s easier than ever to find eco-friendly, natural baby ware without compromising on cost, convenience or comfort. Here are some great products that make for happy and healthy early years.

Dress baby’s derrière in reusable Fuzzi Bunz or Happy Heiny’s washable diapers, which are just as effective as disposables, but without the environmental and economic burdens. Parents can customize these diapers by adding a super-absorbent insert into their pocket openings. Both brands are easy to clean and have soft microfleece inner linings to pull moisture away from baby’s skin, along with reinforced leg openings to prevent leaks. The adjustable waist and leg settings fit every baby’s unique curves, and Fuzzi Bunz have a series of sturdy snaps that let the diapers grow along with your little one. Because a dry bottom needn’t be a dull bottom, both Fuzzi Bunz and Happy Heiny’s come in a rainbow of colors and patterns. ($15.95 to $19.95 each; www.fuzzibunzstore.com; $19.99 to $27.97 each; www.happyheinys.com.)

When they’re not being cooed at and cuddled, babies spend most of their time in cribs — all the more reason to invest in a nontoxic crib mattress. Be sure to avoid polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), the toxic flame retardants often used in mattresses (some states prohibit the manufacture and distribution of products containing these). One safe option is the No Compromise crib mattress, which is cushioned with organic cotton that the manufacturer says hasn’t been bleached, dyed or chemically grown. Its surface is made of nontoxic polyethylene plastic that’s waterproof and stain-resistant, and natural flame retardants such as baking soda and silica replace PBDEs. Firm and hypoallergenic, this mattress lets you rest easy (when you get to!), knowing baby is sleeping safely. ($259; www.naturepedic.com.)