Parenting is nothing like it was a generation ago. Nowadays, new parents think long and hard about what comes into their house: for the baby, but also for its impact on the planet! Therefore, wooden baby products are experiencing their moment in the sun. They are just the right mix of good design, safety and sustainability. One of these is the wooden baby bouncer, which has quickly become a favourite option. Practical and comfortable, as well as pleasing aesthetically, this is a very rare combination that gives young ones a lovely place to rest as well as peace of mind to new parents.
Once you begin to see the advantages of a wooden baby bouncer, you will soon appreciate that it has far more to offer than appearances. It is something which provides a real reflection of what modern families consider to be important: sustainability, safety and genuine longevity of product.
Cheap, plastic baby items are easily affordable and easy to operate. However, they inevitably come at a cost which we do not usually perceive: chemical contamination, ecological waste, and a very short life span. On the other hand, wooden baby bouncers are made from any kind of available material, which is generally grown in properly managed woods and then coated with safe, natural products. The eco-friendly choice: wood is renewable and doesn't perish so readily, unlike fossil-fuel derived plastics. More carbon-friendly: Many high-end designs use FSC-approved wood and water-based, non-toxic finishes.
Built to last: A good wooden bouncer may be repaired, refinished or passed on — not sent to landfill.
For eco-conscious parents this means less waste, fewer noxious materials and a purchase which is actually in accord with their values.
Parents often describe wooden models as heirloom items — made to last through more than one baby and years of memories long after the babyhood has passed. Wood also has a beauty of its own with age, it may be sanded, repainted or refinished instead of having to be destroyed, hence making each bounce that much more valuable.
In the first few months, babies spend hours every day in the midst of the fabrics and finishes which we choose for them, so it is worth while paying attention to what they are. Wooden baby bouncers generally have water-based, non-toxic paints, oils or varnishes used for finishing. You won’t find any noxious or harmful substances and chemically-smelling things, rather smooth natural looking finishes which are soft to the skin,
Designers of premium wooden bouncers also think of movement. The gentle bounce of a well-designed wooden frame is a duplication of the natural rhythm of a parent, which helps to soothe the baby and ensure a healthy development at the same time.
Many parents experience the same difficulty: so much baby equipment looks so out of place at home. Brightly coloured plastics and cartoon paints seem to clash with calm, considered rooms. A wooden baby bouncer overcomes this difficulty. Its neutral hues and simple lines fit nicely into modern surroundings whether Scandinavian, boho or minimalist.
Instead of being shoved away in a cupboard, between usage, it can stay in the living room or nursery to form part of the décor. This is one of the minor yet powerful advantages of a wooden baby bouncer — it has the effect of looking rather like a piece of ready reconstruction furniture rather than an obstacle to the ready homeliness of the home.
|
Feature |
Wooden Baby Bouncer |
Plastic Baby Bouncer |
|
Material |
Sustainable, renewable wood |
Petroleum-based plastic |
|
Durability |
Strong, long-lasting |
May crack or fade |
|
Design |
Elegant, fits any home |
Often bulky and bright |
|
Eco Impact |
Biodegradable, recyclable |
Non-biodegradable |
|
Safety |
Non-toxic finishes |
Can contain chemicals |
|
Longevity |
Usable for years |
Usually short-term |
Wooden baby bouncers may cost more initially, but the return on that investment shows itself over time. They are not ones that wear out easily, they do not clash with your home, and they do not have to be replaced every few months.
For parents like Sophie - who are concerned with design, eco-friendly production, and long-term value - it is not a case of frivolousness. It is the feeling of buying once and buying well. The benefits of a wooden baby bouncer lie in exactly the right place in that it embraces the quality, ethics and peace of mind one would expect from such a product.
A nice example is Little Hoppa's Wooden Baby Bouncer. This contains all the points we have touched base on. It is made from sustainable products, it has non-toxic finishes, and it possesses a gentle, ergonomic bounce.
It is designed to grow with your child, and every aspect of it (the adjustable seat, the curvature of the frame) shows passion for perfection. It is the ultimate in girl-boy chic to find in the ultra-cool living room, whilst giving your little one the comfort and support they need.
Little Hoppa's philosophy is simple - make products which are made to last, which are made to look good, and which are designed to give pleasure for family living. Ultimately, it is baby furniture with a purpose.
Conclusion
Buying a baby bouncer may seem a small decision, but the bouncer says a lot about the sort of parent you want to be and the type of world you would have your child grow up in.
The advantages of a wooden baby bouncer - durability, its eco-friendliness, its safety aspects and it's timelessness - are things that will allow you to feel really good about your purchase. By purchasing something that will last and is kind to the planet, you are giving your newborn rest and comfort today and allowing him or her to look forward to the sort of world he or she is going to inherit.
Baby play gyms aren’t just cute they build skills, make tummy time easier, and give you a breather. Discover why wooden, multi-stage gyms like Little Hoppa are parent favourites.
At Little Hoppa we specialise in wooden, eco-friendly accessories and bouncers and of course we are always looking out for the best wooden toys and accessories to recommend to our customers.
With that in mind we have curated our own ultra fast and handy guide list of some of the best wooden toys and accessories out there on the market. Check out our top 12 and naturally some of our accessories we think will surprise and delete you.
Link: Grimm’s Nesting Bowls – Magic Forest Shop (UK)
Summary: Five alder‑wood bowls hand‑stained for stacking, treasure gathering, sorting, and pretend play.
Plant-based oil finish; non‑toxic and safe for toddlers.
Encourages imaginative and sensory play.
Compact and lightweight—ideal for small hands.
Link: PlanToys Penguin Wobble Toy
Summary: A rubberwood penguin that gently wobbles when pushed and rights itself again.
Develops balance, coordination and cause‑and‑effect understanding.
Safe, eco‑friendly materials with water-based dyes.
Nostalgic weighted/wobble design
Link: Little Hoppa Wooden Baby Bouncer – Little Hoppa official UK/EU site
Summary: Sustainable birch plywood bouncer with adjustable height and minimalist design.
Grows with your baby (from 3 to 24 months.
Includes machine-washable fabric and hanging toy compatibility.
Award-winning, durable and stylish.
Link: Mushie Wooden Multi‑Shape Stacker – Mushie (ships to UK)
Summary: A set of 20 geometric wooden pieces in soft tones that teach shape recognition.
FSC-certified wood, non-toxic paint, smooth edges.
Develops fine motor skills and spatial reasoning.
Includes storage bag—great for portability.
Link: Little Hoppa 3‑in‑1 Play System – Little Hoppa official UK/EU site
Summary: A transformative multi‑stage system that transitions with your child from gym to table.
Lasts from birth through 4+ years.
Awarded Red Dot for design; made from sustainable birch plywood.
Sleek, modern aesthetic blends into any nursery.
Link: John Lewis Wooden Stacking Rainbow – John Lewis UK (£22)
Summary: A set of smooth, pastel-painted wooden arches for stacking, nesting, and balancing.
FSC-certified, water-based paint finish.
Boosts coordination, color recognition, and creative play.
Elegant nursery décor and beneficial play tool.
Link: 14‑piece Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks – Lullabuy UK (£47)
Summary: Magnetic blocks that encourage creative building, balance, and exploratory play.
Strong neodymium magnets ensure stable stacking.
FSC-sourced wood with non-toxic finishes.
Suitable for toddlers from 12 months and up.
Link: Grapat 10 Element Treasure Basket – Learning Bugs UK (£19.99 when on sale) Summary: A collection of tactile wooden objects for sensory heuristic play.
Includes rings, balls, spools, coins & bowls with natural wax finish.
Encourages tactile discovery and open-ended learning.
Sustainably produced and plastic-free.
Link: Manhattan Toy Tiger Tunes Activity Toy – WoodWoodToys UK stockist
Summary: A musical board featuring xylophone, drum, cymbal, clacker, and washboard.
Enhances music exploration, hand-eye coordination and rhythm.
Tethered mallet prevents loss; includes wall-mount hardware.
Link: Chad Valley Wooden Block Set – Argos UK (£10)
Summary: Brightly painted wooden shapes ready for stacking, building, or imaginative play.
Includes storage bucket; safe for toddlers 12+ months.
Encourages creativity, shape/color recognition and motor skills.
Durable and budget-friendly classic.
Link: Tender Leaf Sailaway Boat – The Kid Collective UK (£31)
Summary: A solid wood sailboat with two animal characters, fabric sails and decorative bunting.
Made from sustainable rubberwood with non-toxic paints.
Inspires narrative, pretend play and motor exploration.
Compatible with other Tenderleaf wooden figurines
Link: Little Hoppa Rainbow Mountain Hanging Toys – Little Hoppa UK/EU site
Summary: Three fabric-and-wood mini rainbows designed for interaction with above toys.
Encourages visual tracking, touch and reach.
Machine-washable fabric; minimalist design.
Perfect match for Hoppa gym or bouncer.
Disclaimer: Products listed in this article are non affiliate links, we do not make money from any products listed, other than our own. Prices will vary depending on sales and discounts.
The countdown to Christmas has officially started and we are starting to get that festive feeling. The holidays become just that more special when you celebrate it with a small child. Gifting something special for the little ones is not an easy task – you want it to be meaningful, something they love using but stylish at the same time.
So here are our top tips we put together that might help you in your search:
Smaller Babies (under 15months)
Babies won’t grasp the concept of presents yet, however they will probably pick up on the buzzing holiday atmosphere. Maybe the best thing to get a baby for Christmas is something that they (or their parents) can actually use for longer and in different ways. But being practical about it doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of cute gifts out there!
Here are a few ideas for Babies and Toddlers:
Something to stimulate the senses
One of the things that’s pretty handy about young children is that, well, they can be entertained by more or less anything! So when you’re looking for a gift for your kids, think about what will be both engaging and help them in their development. There are great sustainable wooden options you can buy that will help their fine motor skills and keep them fascinated at the same time
Something they can use every day
A high quality play mat that is comfy and engaging will make their tummy time and play sessions so much more fun. For toddlers, indoor gym options are looking pretty stylish these days – and provide hours of fun on a rainy day!
Something that sparks the imagination
Kids can really show their creative nature with a toy that works as a blank canvas – sometimes literally!
Something that gets them moving
Little One’s also enjoy the endorphin rush that movement brings us and lots of exercise helps them train their gross motor skills and appreciate and active lifestyle
For those who don't know, my family and I are currently in the process of a rather messy renovation project (you can come and see more of the chaos at ThreeBoysAndaPinkBath). We moved into our sad and very much unloved Victorian coach house in Nov 2020. Our boys (Teddy aged 5 and Reggie aged 3) had nowhere nice to play or sleep :-( so we decided to focus all our energy on transforming just one room in the house, creating a space for our boys that would need to work extra hard as both a playroom and a twin-bedroom our boys could share.
* A rather kind estate agent picture of the before!
When you are not blessed with tall ceilings, good old-fashioned white paint is always going to be your friend, it will open up any space, creating the illusion of height. It's also great if like us, you are trying to patch old and dirty walls as a temporary fix.
We painted over the wallpaper in this room which was quick and easy (eventually the whole space will need to be re-plastered once the ceiling has been removed). By painting the walls and woodwork white, the room instantly looked fresh, clean and brand spanking new, we hope you agree?
Once the white paint had done it's thing, it was time to inject ALL the colour, personality and fun into this twin boys bedroom. There are so many ways to add colour without covering your walls in it!
Here's our top tips for adding colour to a white space:
1) Consider block colour flooring.
This flooring works perfectly in a kids bedroom, it adds all the fun factor and a massive injection of colour but without closing in the space like painted walls would have done. It's also so much more practical than carpets too! It's from Online Carpets and this is their Honey Yellow shade!
2) Upcycle your old furniture by using a lick of paint (or get searching on eBay like we did).
This wardrobe was an eBay bargain, it was pitch-pine orange, and cost us a grand total of £15, we picked it up from a few miles away and transformed it in an afternoon with just a lick of paint. This beautiful soft sage green works perfectly with the mustard shades in the room and we are now the proud owners of wardrobe that is truly unique to us, winner winner!
3) Use multiple shades of your colour scheme throughout the space.
We focused on adding several different shades of mustard yellow and sagey greens into the space. Using multiple tones like this (and not being too matchy-matchy) really adds extra interest, depth and style in that 'oh this old thing...we just chucked it all together' effortless vibe.
* Bedding La Redoute
* Floor cushions Vertbaudet
As well as us wanting to inject colour and fun, we needed to try and zone the space effectively, with each of our boys feeling like they had a part of their room that was JUST theirs. To achieve this we needed to distinguish between sleep and play, a tall order, but this is how we tackled it ...
1) Use a play mat or rug to create a clear 'play zone'.
We LOVE our friends Totter and Tumble play mats, they are such great quality, reversible and come in many stylish patterns and shades. This one is their captain play mat which has a rusty orange and a leopard side, both look amazing on top of our mustard flooring. The play mat creates the perfect 'play-zone' for out Little Hoppa.
* Our Little Hoppa Baby Bouncer in the 'play-zone' looking right at home.
2) Use curtains, drapes or canopies to create privacy in sleep areas.
We placed the boys beds on opposite sides of the room and purposely made each of their corners feel quite different and uniquely theirs . We used a large canopy to be able to zone off the sleep zone and remind the younger Reggie, that this corner is just for sleep and not for play!
And there you have it, in one long weekend, with a little paint and a lot of love, we transformed what was a sad and dusty bedroom, into a multi-functional kids space that our boys just LOVE. It works so well as a dual bedroom and play-room space, and to be honest, we will be VERY sad when the bulldozers arrive and we have to say goodbye to the mini-makeover twin-bedroom that turned out so much better than we ever could have dreamed.
Here's a few more details and tips for you:
* If you have vaulted ceilings like us, peg hooks will allow you to add details to walls where you can't put up art.
* Painted MDF boards in our green and mustard colour scheme break up the white walls further and look great just resting on drawers or on the floor (no need for nails either).
* This hanging chair is the boys favourite thing in the bedroom, they literally spend hours spinning and swinging in it, not only is it beautiful but it's also sooooo much fun!
* Layering flooring, rugs, play mats and blankets creates super comfy reading and relaxing zones. Our Mono Mountains play mat is always a firm favourite for stories and chill.
* Plants maketh a room! And if you aren't green fingered, go faux fabulous like we have ;-)
We hope you enjoyed the tour? and can't wait to share more of our kids interior room-tours over the coming months. Please drop us a reply if there's anything you'd like to ask or like to see next time.
Love Sofie
x
When I found out that I was going to be a mum, I was thrown into the land of parent decision making...a land where there are sooooooooo many decisions to make! Decisions about things I had never even thought about before!
Which buggy should we choose?
Which cot would work for now an in the future?
Should I breastfeed or bottle feed?
Should I return to work or stay home?
My mind was literally blown, and the 9-month clock was ticking!
So if you have just started this journey - we totally get it! Your brain is probably boggled right now! We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get everything right for your little one, and I’m certainly not in the business of dictating what parents should and shouldn’t do, or even passing judgement.
This is a safe space.
Here at by Sofie, we are champions of choice! We know that ultimately, you must do what’s best for you and your family.
So this blog comes only as a useful guide for anyone starting to explore the subject of eco-baby products, as I did myself 4 years ago!
So.....
here I was, surrounded by all these choices. For the most part, I didn’t really know where to start. But, there was one thing I made up my mind pretty quickly on, though: I wanted to avoid as much plastic as possible when it came to the little people in my life.
Choosing plastic-free baby essentials
There were SO many reasons why I wanted to minimize plastic, but these were the two biggies for me.
First, plastic waste has an impact on the planet and secondly our health too. Most types of plastic take thousands of years to break down. Isn’t that crazy?! It really played on my mind. What’s even crazier is that the chemicals in plastic can also affect us - even when we’re being told they are “safe” materials. (I was so shocked when I saw recent studies suggested that BPA-free plastic can be just as hazardous as its predecessors).
And if I had to be really honest, as a design lover, who had spent many years creating a family home that was beautiful and functional too, I also really just disliked the design of plastic, mass-produced baby products.
I am a firm believer in never having to compromise when it come to design, be it on products or in your home!
There are lots of alternatives out there that look the part, are functional and kinder to the planet and our babies too!!! Surely that should always be the goal?
It took me a while to research the best products. So if you’re looking to make one or two easy changes to your home and be kinder to the planet, this is a great place to start! Every little helps as they say.
Just think, if all parents made ONE little change with one of these alternatives, together we could make a huge difference.
The best eco-friendly baby products
Bottles
With concerns about the health and safety of BPA-free plastic bottles, many parents are now switching to safer, non-plastic alternatives. Medical grade silicone and tempered glass options don’t leak chemicals, don’t change the taste of the drink and are more hygienic due to their non-porous nature.
The Kid Kanteen range is so trendy right now, and it’s not hard to see why. They are lightweight and sturdy, dishwasher safe and also offer different teats to grow with your little one.
If you prefer something a little more traditional, Peace with the wild offer a great glass alternative. I really love the rubber surround you can buy for when they’re a little older and want to start grabbing at the bottle themselves. It’s genius if you ask me!
Teethers
Teethers are one of those toys that kind of need to integrate with playtime, so they can have a quick chomp down when those gums start to get sore. Our mountain tree teethers are made from natural rubber, so free from any nasties. Plus, their cute shapes mean they can be used as standalone toys or with our Little Hoppa bouncer and activity table.
Changing bags
When it comes to changing bags, I’m all about the backpacks. It means you can stay hands-free when you’re out and about, without having to put anything on the floor in public bathrooms. Tiba + Marl’s eco elwood backpack is made from 100% recycled materials, and is also wipe-clean to keep it looking fresh as the years go by.
Toys
So as I said earlier, the thing I really didn’t like when I was a new mum was that most toys availbe were plastic and in garish, clashing colours. They just looked so out of place in my home and made me shudder when I saw them! There were so many of them too, they just seemed to accumulate over time and my kids grew out of them pretty quickly. That’s why I designed Little Hoppa. It’s a 3-in-1 solution that transforms from a baby gym, bouncer to an activity table along with a range of interactive toys that can be used independently of the system too. Made completely from sustainable materials, it grows with your little one from birth to 4 years.
I also really love the really beautiful and practical toys and lifestyle pieces featured on Natural Baby Shower. They bring together some of the best plastic-free baby toys on the market, while keeping playtime fun.
High chair
The Stokke Tripp Trapp chair is the ULTIMATE high chair for your little one. It’s made entirely from wood, it’s been named a “chair for life” as it truly grows across each different phase. I am in love with the beautiful Scandi design - it really blends in seamlessly to your kitchen decor, don’t you think?
Nappies
When you’re looking after a newborn, you soon realise that they go through a lot of nappies! You’re sleep deprived during those night changes, so you need something that’s quick to change and easy to handle. But you also are increasingly aware of the sheer amount of waste that’s produced through disposables. This part of the eco baby product world has come a long way in the last few years and I must admit this is news to me.
If you want to go down the cloth nappy route, I can definitely recommend Babipur. My little ones loved the bright colours and cute prints - it made changing them so much more fun. You can either choose an all-in-one version or wraps with absorbent inserts, depending on your preferences. I found the poppers and velcro straps are particularly handy to make sure they’re fitting perfectly as they grow. Babipur also does training pants for older children, so the range grows with them until they are fully toilet trained. Hurrah!
If you like the convenience and swift clean up that disposables offer, why not try Kit and Kin nappies? These hypo-allergenic nappies are highly absorbent and work in just the same way, but are made entirely from plant-based and sustainable materials. This means they will degrade much quicker than a traditional nappy, without releasing harmful microplastics into the environment.
It started with a list on a scrap of paper
And so, right there, whilst feeding my baby on the sofa, I wrote a list of all the things as a Mum with a keen interest in design, and a desire to invest in more natural, planet friendly products, I could not find!
