Which Dolls Contain PVC?

by on November 10, 2008 in Phthalates, PVC

UPDATED 1/21/10 (see Madame Alexander)

After highlighting Safbaby’s research on PVC-free doll options, we had a lot of parents asking a more specific question, “What about the good old plastic dolls with hair instead of yarn?  My daughter really wants to be able to brush and play with her doll’s hair.”

Because we love our readers, we started our search right away.  Just as quickly, we realized that the perfect safer doll would be yet another elusive challenge.  Here’s what we found . . .

Fisher Price/Mattel

Q:  Do the American Girl, Barbie, Talking Dora, Little Mommy dolls contain PVC?

A:  All of our products meet or even exceed the standards recommended by the FDA  (okay, by now we can repeat that tired old response in our sleep).

Q:  So, do the dolls contain PVC?

A:  Our material lists are proprietary.

MGA Entertainment

We’ve never had such a difficult time locating a number to reach such a large, widespread company.

Q:  Do the Bratz, Bratz Babyz, Zapf Creation Baby dolls contain PVC?

A:  We don’t use PVC in any of our dolls.

Q:  You don’t use PVC at all, not just phthalate-free PVC in ANY of your dolls??

A:  That’s correct.

We were so hopeful, but when we hopped over to HealthyToys.org, we found test results on a Bratz Kidz Jade doll in June 2007.  They found PVC almost everywhere.

We’ll be following up with MGA again to see if we can talk with someone from their Q.A. Dept. to verify what the story is on their materials.

UPDATE 12/3/08:  We found several more dolls in the new Healthy Toys 2008 Guide finding PVC here and here.

Hasbro

Q:  Do the Baby Alive dolls contain PVC?

A:  Yes, they do contain PVC in several areas.

How refreshing!  We were bummed out, but at least we got an immediate and straightforward answer!

Carpatina

Q:  Do Carpatina dolls contain PVC?

A:  Our dolls are latex-free, but they definitely contain PVC.

Well, one more honest answer.

Madame Alexander

Q:  Do Madame Alexander dolls contain PVC?

A:  My information says that any of our dolls made with PVC are phthalate-free.

Q:  Can you tell us which dolls contain PVC and which don’t?

A:  Our Project Manager is out of the office, so I’ll have to refer it to him when he returns.

We’ll be checking back in soon and will update this brand as soon as possible.

*IMPORTANT UPDATE 1/21/10:  On 12/3/08, we were told on two separate calls (speaking with different reps and eventually the Project Manager) that the entire line of Madame Alexander Sweet Baby Nursery dolls were specifically made without PVC (and thus phthalates) because they are meant for babies who will mouth the dolls.  We were told that the other collector dolls may contain PVC, as they are not are not intended for young children who may chew on the dolls.  They asked us to be clear about the fact that none of their lines (other than the Sweet Baby Nursery dolls) had been tested for PVC.

Today we received an email from a blog reader stating that they had been told that all Madame Alexander dolls are made with PVC.  We made a follow up call today to re-confirm and were sadly disappointed to learn that this is true!  The staff member we spoke to said emphatically, “There is no such thing as a PVC-free doll.”  She did confirm that all of their dolls are phthalate-free.

If you have purchased a doll based on the information we provided here, we apologize.  Please be sure to take all new vinyl dolls out of their boxes for an extended period of time to off-gas before giving them to your children.

Keptin-Jr

Q:  Do the Tiny Baby Dolls with plastic head, hands and legs contain PVC?

A:  Yes, they do contain phthalate-free PVC.  They are also made with fair trade organic cotton bodies filled with polyester.

Keptin-Jr is definitely on the right track, but still not PVC-free.

Overall our search was unsuccessful.  We’re still hoping to connect with several other companies, and we’ll update our list with any new findings.  In the meantime, you may want to stick to the list of PVC-free dolls provided by Safbaby.

It’s our hope to see a major shift in the market next year as parents insist on more PVC-free options, just as we’ve witnessed with the decrease in use of BPA in baby feeding products.

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  • http://www.EcoWellnessTeam.com Stefanie Stricker

    I was wondering if you had any information about a company called Corolle. I believe they are a French company. They make a doll called LILA that giggles and cries and comes with a pacifier. My girls have this doll and she is a favorite. My mother-in-law loves the dolls this company makes but now I am concerned about the safety issue. If you have any information, please share. Thanks for all you do to help us stay informed. You are the best site for gathering information quickly.

    • Mser

      Corolle is the only doll I will buy for my daughter – they are made to higher than USA standards. Also beautiful and long lasting!

  • http://www.EcoWellnessTeam.com Stefanie Stricker

    I was wondering if you had any information about a company called Corolle. I believe they are a French company. They make a doll called LILA that giggles and cries and comes with a pacifier. My girls have this doll and she is a favorite. My mother-in-law loves the dolls this company makes but now I am concerned about the safety issue. If you have any information, please share. Thanks for all you do to help us stay informed. You are the best site for gathering information quickly.

  • http://www.safemama.com statia

    I see Fisher Price hasn’t changed their ways. Hence the reason I refuse to buy any of their toys. Which is really hard when Elmo is your kid’s idol.

  • http://www.safemama.com statia

    I see Fisher Price hasn’t changed their ways. Hence the reason I refuse to buy any of their toys. Which is really hard when Elmo is your kid’s idol.

  • http://www.thesoftlanding.com softlanding

    Hi Stefanie,

    SafBaby did some great in-depth research on Corolle dolls. They found that some of their cloth dolls are PVC-free, but most plastic dolls by Corolle seem to contain PVC.

    We did find some test results gathered by HealthyToys.org showing that there Corolle dolls are in fact made using PVC here, here, and here.

    I wish we had details on your specific doll. I would suggest you contact the company directly to find out whether it does contain PVC.

    Corolle’s contact info:

    email: info@corolledolls.com

    phone: 1-800-668-4846

    Alicia

  • http://www.thesoftlanding.com softlanding

    Hi Stefanie,

    SafBaby did some great in-depth research on Corolle dolls. They found that some of their cloth dolls are PVC-free, but most plastic dolls by Corolle seem to contain PVC.

    We did find some test results gathered by HealthyToys.org showing that there Corolle dolls are in fact made using PVC here, here, and here.

    I wish we had details on your specific doll. I would suggest you contact the company directly to find out whether it does contain PVC.

    Corolle’s contact info:

    email: info@corolledolls.com

    phone: 1-800-668-4846

    Alicia

  • Rachel

    Hello! This may sound like a stupid question, but wouldn’t ALL cloth dolls be PVC free? This is my assumption. I am particularly interested in these Pottery Barn dolls, which are all cloth and come claim to be “non-toxic”, as seen here: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/hd450/index.cfm?pkey=cgirls-toys|k

    Would cloth always be a 100% safe option?

    Thanks!!

  • Rachel

    Hello! This may sound like a stupid question, but wouldn’t ALL cloth dolls be PVC free? This is my assumption. I am particularly interested in these Pottery Barn dolls, which are all cloth and come claim to be “non-toxic”, as seen here: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/hd450/index.cfm?pkey=cgirls-toys|k

    Would cloth always be a 100% safe option?

    Thanks!!

  • http://www.thesoftlanding.com softlanding

    Hi Rachel,That is not a stupid question at all!Safbaby actually addressed that very question in an update to their article on PVC-free dolls. They’ve found that many soft cloth dolls are filled with plastic pellets made from PVC. So it’s not as straight forward as you would think.Also, we’ve found that many manufacturers use flame retardants in their cloth dolls too.Nothing is ever easy, is it??Alicia

  • http://www.thesoftlanding.com softlanding

    Hi Rachel,

    That a stupid question at all!

    Safbaby actually addressed that very question in an update to their article on PVC-free dolls. They’ve found that many soft cloth dolls are filled with plastic pellets made from PVC. So it’s not as straight forward as you would think.

    Also, we’ve found that many manufacturers use flame retardants in their cloth dolls too.

    Nothing is ever easy, is it??

    Alicia

  • Pepper Gallagher

    Hi,

    What about the cabbage patch kids? I assume they are made of PVC and have just e-mailed the company to find out. Does anyone know for sure? Also my daughter was given an american girl doll last year (2007 edition never opened) bitty baby and I am trying to find out if it contains pvc. The company says no, but say that it does contain vinyl…well isn’t that a yes then? Yikes! I feel like a prisinor to PVC! Help!

  • http://softlanding Pepper Gallagher

    Hi,

    What about the cabbage patch kids? I assume they are made of PVC and have just e-mailed the company to find out. Does anyone know for sure? Also my daughter was given an american girl doll last year (2007 edition never opened) bitty baby and I am trying to find out if it contains pvc. The company says no, but say that it does contain vinyl…well isn’t that a yes then? Yikes! I feel like a prisinor to PVC! Help!

  • Theresa

    have you tested Kathe Kruse Baby Bath Dolls? Do these have PVC free?

    Would you say then that the safest doll is Madame Alexander? Even more so then the KEptin Jr?

    I am interested to know. I have been searching for hours for a baby like doll for my 2 year old

    Thanks

    Theresa

  • http://PVCFREEDOLL Theresa

    have you tested Kathe Kruse Baby Bath Dolls? Do these have PVC free?

    Would you say then that the safest doll is Madame Alexander? Even more so then the KEptin Jr?

    I am interested to know. I have been searching for hours for a baby like doll for my 2 year old

    Thanks

    Theresa

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  • http://www.thesoftlanding.com softlanding

    Hi Theresa,No, we don’t test any of the products we discuss here on our blog. We communicate with the manufacturers of those products to confirm their ingredient lists and share that info with parents.We haven’t spoken with the Kathe Kruse Company, but safbaby.com has, and you can read their findings here

    Alicia

  • http://www.thesoftlanding.com softlanding

    Hi Theresa,

    No, we don’t test any of the products we discuss here on our blog. We communicate with the manufacturers of those products to confirm their ingredient lists and share that info with parents.

    We haven’t spoken with the Kathe Kruse Company, but safbaby.com has, and you can read their findings here.

    In our opinion, the safest option we could find is made by Madame Alexander. Their Sweet Baby Nursery Dolls are made without PVC/phthalates specifically for babies who mouth their dolls. You can find the whole list of dolls on their website by clicking the link above in the article.

    Alicia

  • http://leeloveshottrends.com/dora-links-doll-now-available-for-pre-order lee

    i'm buying this new dora links doll for my little girl on christmas.

  • IRKIE68

    I contacted North American Bear re: their Rosy Cheeks dolls, asking if they were PVC, BPA, phthalate, and lead free, and what materials are used in production. (Such sweet, soft, cloth dolls.) Their answer: “Doll body is soft polyester velour, the clothes are cotton jersey knit, the diaper is soft fleece, and the filler is 100% ployester filled, and is CE certified for safety. They did not specifically answer my question. Should these products be safe?

  • IRKIE68

    I contacted North American Bear re: their Rosy Cheeks dolls, asking if they were PVC, BPA, phthalate, and lead free, and what materials are used in production. (Such sweet, soft, cloth dolls.) Their answer: “Doll body is soft polyester velour, the clothes are cotton jersey knit, the diaper is soft fleece, and the filler is 100% ployester filled, and is CE certified for safety. They did not specifically answer my question. Should these products be safe?

  • Jen

    WOW! Thanks SO much for this information! My 19 month old really would love a doll and will now finally get one ;-)

  • Michelle

    Hello,

    I contacted Madame Alexander myself after reading the claim here that their Sweet Baby Nursery line of dolls are both PVC-free and phthalate-free. I wanted to ensure this was the case as I thought it strange this information was not posted on their website (and because Beau James, from Corolle dolls, informed me that ALL vinyl baby dolls are made from PVC). I was disappointed when the customer service representative told me that all of Madame Alexander's dolls ARE, in fact, made from PVC.

    Just wanted to let readers know that the information posted here about M. Alexander's dolls either seems to be out-of-date or inaccurate.

    I contacted Alicia @ The Soft Landing directly, but did not receive a response.

    I hope parents haven't received a false sense of security in buying from Madame Alexander's Sweet Baby Nursery line of dolls based on the recommendations found here.

    Michelle

  • Michele de Jesus

    Hard to believe that no one has been able to come up with a PVC-free doll yet??? But it's my understanding that simple cloth dolls are better for young children anyways since they're soft and cuddly instead of hard plastic. Children identify with their dolls so plastic really gives the wrong message. But of course these can't go in the bath and can get pretty dirty in outside play. Thanks for the tip on plastic pellets inside cloth dolls. Something I hadn't thought of. My boy received an heirloom quality cloth “The Earth Friends” doll (Raji) for Christmas and loves it. Its made from hemp, organic and recycled fibers detailed on their website and I recommend these dolls to anyone. Wait is it possible for recycled fibers to have PVC too? Thanks for clearly updating your readers on changes in the chemical or PVC status of products reviewed in your posts and guides. Much appreciated! Keep it up.

  • Mihaela

    To also clarify, the Carpatina dolls contain phthalate-free and lead free PVC.
    Any vinyl doll will contain PVC (hence the name Polyvinyl chloride).
    There are some new researches and developments for a biodegradable/ environmentally friendly PVC but, so far it isn't available for manufacturing the dolls.
    The best we can do is to make sure our dolls are made in conformity with all the standards of safety for children.

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