A Change in Paradigm

Over time, and through months of research, we've come to feel that the problem with product safety really has less to do with where the product is manufactured, and more to do with the company developing and producing the product. The US has fallen asleep at the wheel in regards to looking at our own chemical policies.

After speaking at length with concerned customers, we believe there is a misconception that all products made in China are toxic. Having said that, it is not our first choice to sell products made in China, but many manufacturers have no choice because of production costs. For example, the creators of the Safe Sippy searched endlessly to find an American based company. They repeatedly came away unsuccessful, with outrageous quotes for one lonely sippy cup, making it completely cost-prohibitive. So many companies are forced to choose manufacturing plants in other countries. In our view, the real question is whether the company has made a commitment to ensuring high quality or not.

We make our decision to offer a product based on our knowledge of each individual company. If we made a blanket decision not to carry products made in China, we would not be able to offer high quality products like Klean Kanteen, Think Sport or the Safe Sippy.

The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) states it clearly in their Lead in Baby Bibs FAQ

My baby’s bib (or toy, etc.) was made in China. Is it safe?

The fact that your item was made in China does not make it unsafe. We’ve found many lead-free toys, bibs, and other items that were made in China. We’ve also found lead-contaminated products that were made in the United States. The only way to know if your items are contaminated with lead is to test them.

Why are there so many dangerous Chinese products? What can we do about this?

Huge retailers in our country are always cutting costs. They insist that their foreign and American manufacturers make products as cheaply as possible. This economic pressure favors dangerously cheap production at the expense of consumer safety. Retailers will tell you that they are simply responding to pressure from the American consumer who demands low prices. There are many things you can do about this: support small local businesses, write to the big retailers and urge them to protect consumer health, write to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and urge it to live up to its name. You can also support organizations like Center for Environmental Health.