# Arms Reach Products made in China - offgassing/problems?



## faeriecurls (Jul 30, 2008)

We have decided to use an Arms Reach Co-Sleeper and get the organic mattress and sheets for it. We just found out that their products are all currently made in China and their organic mattress/sheets are certified organic in China. This has me pretty concerned - has anyone purchased one since the switch has been made and noticed offgassing or any major problems?

I understand that any product that sells in the US have to meet certain safety standards but for some reason this has me pretty worried.









Am I crazy for worrying?


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## emsideways (Nov 16, 2007)

We have the same worry too! Our baby is due in a few weeks time and we have not figured out yet what to do about the sleeping arrangements - I'm getting a bit anxious about this...

I really like the arm's reach sleigh bed, but am having trouble justifying the cost with an organic mattress and bumper.

We went to BRU and looked at the non-organic mini co-sleeper. My husbands biggest concern and why we didn't end up buying it, was the mattress. It doesn't seem to be very supportive. How does it seem now that you have it home?

Sorry that I'm not much help, just wanted you to know that you are not alone in your concern!


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## Annie Mac (Dec 30, 2009)

I don't think you're crazy for worrying. Who knows what the Chinese standards are, and even if they are acceptable, are they being adhered to? However, most companies are probably honest and accountable, but the few really bad ones have tinged my perception of Chinese-made goods. Plus, to my understanding, even in the U.S. the "organic" label means nothing until it is attached to food. There are no guidelines or enforcing agencies for non-edible items.


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## taffywelsh (Jul 2, 2010)

This is really interesting to me, since I was going to buy one of those little Arm's Reach mattresses. I am having a wooden side-sleeper made for me.
If it is certified organic in China, I'm not going to buy it. I just heard a big article on the radio about how Chinese companies rarely comply with "organic" rules, and most often just think it is a term that Americans like, similar to "high quality" or other cloudy notions. Different Chinese farmers were interviewed by a Chinese-speaking American reporter, and none of the so-called organic farmers had any idea of what the term meant.
It is really the flame retardants that I'm worried about, and a product that is organic is not supposed to have them, but who knows what a Chinese-certified product has in it.
I should check the website or call the company...glad I got this heads-up!
TW
ps. If you want to hear the article, NPR has some stories archived on their website that you can listen to on your computer.


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## faeriecurls (Jul 30, 2008)

Well - here is what happened - DH & I went back and forth a lot and tried contacting the company (trying to actually get someone was NOT easy) and had a discussion with a customer service rep - I first expressed our serious concerns and asked for a lot more information including copies of the organic certifications. She was unable to send me the one for the made in China mattress but did send me one for their organic sheets - which are made in China, but inspected and certified in the Netherlands... I felt slightly better about that.

Later, she called me back and told me that they still had some of the organic mattresses that were made in the USA - and certified here. It was more money, but we decided that would make us much more comfortable, so we decided to get it.

We ordered the co-sleeper from another place (it was way cheaper) and it came today - it's at my mom's and she opened it and is letting it air - she said it barely smelled so that is good.

I would recommend calling the company (even though it is really hard to get someone there) and complaining about the made in China products - it only has been in the past year or so, because they were made in the US in 2008.


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