What is TPR, and is it safe?
A reader asked about the soft, rubbery, non-skid parts on baby toys, teethers and bowls — the bits that look like PVC but are labeled PVC-free. Here is what that material usually is, and why it is generally a safer choice.
Short answer · Yes, with a caveat
Yes — a safer soft plastic than PVC
TPR is made without PVC, and so without the phthalate plasticizers PVC needs to become squeezable; the caveat is that nobody is required to label the material at all.
- What it is
- Thermoplastic rubber — soft, grippy parts on baby gear
- Made without
- PVC, and so without PVC's phthalate plasticizers
- BPA-free because
- Soft materials need no hardening agent
- PVC turns up in
- Hollow squeaky bath toys; harder plastic dolls
At a glance
- SafeMama view
- TPR — thermoplastic rubber — is the soft, grippy material used for teether sections, non-skid bases and sippy-cup spouts. It is generally considered a safer choice because it does not require BPA and is made without PVC, and therefore without the phthalate plasticizers PVC typically needs. PVC, by contrast, usually turns up in hollow squeaky bath toys and harder-feeling plastic dolls, and is rarely used in eating gear.
- Easy swap
- TPR (thermoplastic rubber)
The question
Do you know the identity of the soft, non-skid "rubbery" parts that are often included on Sassy or Munchkin products? These seem a lot like PVC to me, but might be silicone. I know they are BPA-free and say they are PVC-free, but then what exactly is the material, and is it safe?
It is a fair question, and an annoying one to answer from a package label, because manufacturers are not required to tell you what a material is — only, sometimes, what it is not.
The answer
We put this to Alicia at The Soft Landing, who knew immediately what it was:
While PVC is sometimes used in various parts of teethers, the dense "rubbery" areas on teethers (and even non-skid bowls and such) are usually made from either silicone or thermoplasticized rubber (TPR). TPR is a great "safer" choice because it doesn't require the use of BPA and is made without PVC (and thus phthalates).
PVC is typically found in hollow, squeaky bath toys or dense, plastic baby dolls with a harder feel (less rubbery) and is hardly ever used in eating gear. Silicone and TPR are both usually BPA-free because they simply don't require the use of a hardening/strengthening agent like polycarbonate plastic does.
Why "BPA-free" is structural here, not a marketing choice
This is the part worth internalizing, because it generalizes well beyond teethers.
BPA is used to make polycarbonate hard and clear. Soft, flexible materials like TPR and silicone do not need a hardening agent, so there is no reason for BPA to be in them in the first place. Their being BPA-free is a consequence of what they are, not a reformulation somebody had to be persuaded into.
The same logic runs the other way for PVC. PVC is rigid on its own, so making it soft and squeezable requires plasticizers — historically phthalates. That is why "soft PVC" and "phthalates" tend to travel together, and why a material that avoids PVC also tends to avoid that question.
On trusting the label
Alicia's last point is the practical one:
If a manufacturer goes the extra trouble of actually labeling a product as BPA or PVC-free, you can usually assume that it's true. They are not required by law to label their products with materials used (or not used in some cases), so if they do, they are laying their reputation on the line.
So: a voluntary "PVC-free" claim is reasonably trustworthy. Silence is not a claim — it usually means nobody bothered, not that something is being hidden. When a soft part matters to you and the packaging says nothing, ask the manufacturer directly. In our experience they answer.
Play dough runs on the same logic one aisle over: the brands worth reaching for are the ones that publish an ingredient list rather than a certification. Our play dough showdown is that comparison, including what Hasbro does and does not disclose about Play-Doh.
With thanks to Alicia at The Soft Landing.
Where PVC usually shows up instead
- Hollow, squeaky bath toys — The classic PVC application in children's products, and the one most worth swapping.
- Dense plastic dolls with a harder, less rubbery feel — The feel is the tell — PVC is firmer and less springy than TPR or silicone.
- Unlabeled soft plastic with a strong plastic smell — If nothing on the packaging names the material, treat it as unknown and ask the manufacturer.
Do this instead
- TPR (thermoplastic rubber) — Does not require BPA, made without PVC and therefore without phthalate plasticizers. Common on teether sections, non-skid bowl bases and sippy spouts.
- Silicone — The other material behind most soft rubbery parts on baby gear, and BPA-free for the same structural reason.
- Natural rubber — Used for pacifiers and one-piece teethers. A latex allergy is the thing to check for here.
- Ask when the label is silent — Manufacturers are not required to declare materials. When they do declare, it is usually reliable — they are staking their reputation on it.
Common questions
Sources
How we check sources- Bisphenol A (BPA): use in food contact application — U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationIn our registry
Cheat sheets for this
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