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The Problem Starts With What the Label Doesn’t Say
Pick up a soft plastic teether at a discount store and you’ll probably see one claim front and center: BPA-free. That label feels reassuring — until you realize it says nothing about the dozen other chemicals that might be in the product. Even products labeled “BPA-free” may still contain harmful substances. The gap between what’s printed on the packaging and what’s actually in the material is exactly where parents get caught off guard.
A teether is one of the few baby products that spends most of its life inside your child’s mouth. Babies chew constantly — on gums, on fingers, on whatever they can grip. During teething, that chewing intensifies. So when a product is made from a material that can leach chemicals under pressure, heat, or prolonged contact with saliva, the exposure isn’t theoretical. It’s ongoing and direct.
This is why material choice in a teether matters more than almost any other design decision. And it’s why the conversation needs to move beyond “BPA-free” to a clearer understanding of which materials are genuinely safe — and which ones aren’t.
What Makes BPA, PVC, and Phthalates Dangerous for Babies
BPA (bisphenol A) is a chemical used in the manufacturing of rigid, hard plastics. It is used in some baby toys and pacifiers and has been known to damage cells in breasts, uteruses, and prostate, and can increase developmental disorders such as ADHD and nervous system problems. The FDA banned BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups in 2012 and 2013, but no label is required when BPA is present in other plastic products — including some teethers.
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is the material behind the soft, squeezable texture of many traditional teething rings. PVC is a toxic plastic containing phthalates, chemicals that can interrupt the endocrine system and cause developmental and reproductive problems. And while “phthalate-free PVC” sounds like a safer alternative, it may still contain dioxin, heavy metals, and VOCs. The material’s problems run deeper than any single additive.
Phthalates are the plasticizers added to PVC to make it soft and flexible enough for babies to chew. They are linked to serious health risks, including developmental and hormonal issues in babies. Studies link phthalates to issues with growth, brain development, and reproductive health, and babies and young kids are at greatest risk because their bodies are still developing. In the United States, since 2018, all phthalates have been banned from use in toys. That’s a meaningful step forward, but it doesn’t erase the fact that products made before that ban may still be in circulation — and it doesn’t cover every product category in every market.
What makes the situation more complicated is that children have higher exposure to phthalates than adults, and an assessment by the European Commission Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks reported that the average exposure of children to phthalates is approximately twice that of adults. That elevated exposure is partly because babies spend more time with objects in their mouths — which is precisely why the teether category demands stricter material standards than almost anything else in a nursery.
And the labeling problem persists across all three chemicals. Different products have different regulations, which allow companies to get away with false marketing. Studies on baby teething toys, for example, are not regulated in the same category as baby bottles. So a teether labeled “non-toxic” may meet a lower regulatory bar than the bottle sitting next to it on the shelf.
Why Food-Grade Silicone Is the Right Answer
The case for food-grade silicone isn’t just that it avoids the chemicals above — it’s that the material is structurally suited to the job in a way that plastics aren’t.
FDA-approved food-grade silicone is a non-toxic type of silicone that does not contain any chemical byproducts, making it completely safe for babies to put directly in their mouths, like in the form of teethers. It’s made primarily from silica — a natural substance derived from sand — rather than petroleum-based compounds. High-quality formulations used for baby products are inert, free of BPA, phthalates, PVC, and heavy metals, and when produced and tested correctly, silicone does not react with saliva or food, and resists bacterial growth because it’s non-porous.
High-quality, food-grade silicone can withstand high temperatures without melting or warping, unlike many plastics, and is naturally flexible and resilient. Its polymer structure gives it a “give-and-bounce-back” feel, so it can stand up to squeezing, tugging, and lots of gnawing without cracking or crumbling. That durability matters because a teether that degrades — cracking, flaking, or breaking apart — creates both a chemical exposure risk and a choking risk simultaneously.
But not all silicone is equal. Poor-quality silicone products may contain fillers or additives to cut costs, and these fillers can compromise the safety of the teether, leading to potential health risks. The distinction between food-grade and industrial-grade silicone is real, and a simple twist test (watching for white stress marks, which indicate fillers) is one way to spot lower-quality products. High-quality silicone should be odorless — a strong chemical smell may indicate the use of fillers or low-grade materials.
For parents navigating a market full of claims, the clearest signal is third-party testing against recognized standards: FDA compliance in the US, EN71 in Europe, and CPSIA certification for children’s products. FDA and LFGB testing are environmental testing certifications in the United States and Europe, respectively, and silicone products that pass these two certifications can reach the level of food-grade environmental protection and safety, fully meeting the requirements of maternal and infant products.
How Loulou Lollipop Approaches Material Safety
At Loulou Lollipop, the material standard for teethers isn’t a marketing position — it’s a product development constraint that shapes every design from the start. Every teether in the collection is made from 100% food-grade silicone, free of BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead, and cadmium. The silicone is made from natural silicone found in sand using a manufacturing process that meets the highest environmental standards, free from harmful chemicals and featuring 100% water-based and food-safe inks that are injected into the silicone instead of applied on top.
That last detail — inks injected into the silicone rather than printed on the surface — matters more than it might seem. Surface-applied dyes can wear off with repeated chewing and cleaning. When color is part of the silicone itself, there’s no coating to degrade and no pigment transfer into your baby’s mouth.
The silicone teether collection includes single teethers, teething rings, teething mitts, and teether sets — all built around the same material standard. The Silicone Teether Single, for example, features nubby textures on both sides that massage sore gums while giving little hands something to grip. Loulou Lollipop is the original designer of silicone donut teethers, ice cream cone teethers, and macaron teethers — shapes that have since been widely imitated, but that started with a design philosophy rooted in both safety and delight.
Being a certified B Corp also means Loulou Lollipop is accountable to environmental and social standards beyond what product safety regulations require. The silicone sourcing and manufacturing practices are part of that broader commitment — not an add-on.
For parents who want specifics: the teethers are rigorously tested to exceed safety standards, and the brand’s 10+ years of product development in the baby category means these aren’t design choices made lightly. When 99% of products are rated four stars or above, that consistency tends to reflect material quality as much as aesthetics.
What to Actually Look for When Buying a Teether
Shopping for a teether with material safety in mind comes down to a few concrete checks — not a long list of certifications to memorize.
First, look for 100% food-grade silicone explicitly stated on the product page or packaging. The word “silicone” alone isn’t enough; the food-grade designation indicates the material has been formulated and tested for oral contact. Only 100% food-grade or medical-grade silicone that is free from BPA, PVC, phthalates, and lead should be used.
Second, check the color. A strong chemical smell can be a red flag for phthalate contamination. Similarly, if the teether arrives with an obvious plastic odor, that’s worth paying attention to — food-grade silicone should be essentially odorless.
Third, consider the design. A one-piece mold reduces choking risk significantly. Teethers with glued-on beads, fabric attachments, or small decorative parts introduce failure points that even the safest silicone can’t compensate for.
And finally, be skeptical of vague claims. “Non-toxic,” “natural,” and “eco-friendly” are not regulated terms in the baby product space. Third-party testing against FDA, CPSIA, or EN71 standards is a more meaningful signal than any marketing phrase. Quality materials and safety testing justify higher prices for products your baby will use extensively.
Teething is temporary — typically running from around four months through the second year — but the products you choose during that window go into your baby’s mouth dozens of times a day. Getting the material right isn’t overcautious. It’s the baseline.