Grove Collaborative has surged in popularity over the past decade as a marketplace focused on more sustainable and health-minded home and personal care products. The site offers both its own brands and well-known names like Mrs. Meyer’s and Method, creating a broad selection for shoppers seeking greener options.
With greenwashing a real concern for many consumers, it’s reasonable to ask: is Grove Collaborative truly non-toxic and safe for your family? The answer isn’t simply yes or no. There are positives and limits to Grove’s approach, and this review aims to help you decide whether Grove is a fit for your needs.
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In a nutshell:
- Grove Collaborative is an online marketplace offering home, personal, and pet care products marketed as safer and more sustainable.
- Grove Co. has several low-tox and sustainability initiatives, including an Anti-Ingredient List and a goal to be plastic-free by 2025.
- However, Grove isn’t always fully transparent about every ingredient, and some items on the site contain ingredients cautious consumers may prefer to avoid, such as certain preservatives and dyes.
- Grove can be a helpful option for people beginning a transition to a low-tox or eco-conscious lifestyle and for busy shoppers who appreciate subscriptions, scheduling, and free shipping with membership.
- Ultimately, whether Grove is right for you depends on your priorities; this article provides details to help you make an informed decision.
Table of Contents
- A Quick Lowdown on Grove Collaborative
- Is Grove Co. Non-Toxic?
- How Are Grove Co. Products Vetted?
- Is Grove Collaborative All Natural?
- What About Ingredient Transparency?
- Is Grove Really Eco-Friendly? Or Is It Greenwashing?
- Plastic Reduction
- Cruelty-Free (Mostly?)
- What About Third-Party Certifications?
- Where Can You Buy Grove Collaborative Products?
- So, Is Grove Collaborative Worth It?
- Potential PROS
- Potential CONS
- More FAQs About Grove Collaborative
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A Quick Lowdown on Grove Collaborative
Grove Collaborative is an online marketplace selling cleaning supplies, personal care items, supplements, baby and kid products, and pet care. The site features over 200 brands, ranging from larger names like Mrs. Meyer’s and Burt’s Bees to smaller independent brands such as Meliora and Smartypits. Grove also sells products under its own private labels—Grove Co. (cleaning), Rooted Beauty (personal care), Superbloom (skincare), Peach (plastic-free personal care), and Good Fur (pet grooming).
Grove offers an optional VIP membership for $19.99 per year, which includes perks such as unlimited free shipping, full-size gifts, early product access, and other benefits. New members can try VIP free for 60 days. Grove also supports product subscriptions with flexible scheduling. Notably, shopping on Grove does not require membership—anyone can buy from the marketplace without subscribing.
Is Grove Co. Non-Toxic?
Grove’s marketplace claims to follow four standards when curating products: “uncompromisingly healthy, beautifully effective, ethically produced, and cruelty-free.” Those broad principles guide selection, but the details matter.
Grove publishes an Anti-Ingredient List that excludes substances such as parabens and certain phthalates. Grove states that this list applies broadly to products sold on the site, and the site displays an Ingredients tab for each product so shoppers can review what’s included. However, language used by Grove in communications has sometimes been imprecise, which can leave room for uncertainty about consistent application across every third-party brand.
While the Anti-Ingredient List is helpful, it doesn’t cover everything consumers might want to avoid. Notably, bisphenols like BPA are not explicitly listed, yet they are relevant for food-contact and toy products. In addition, some products on Grove still contain ingredients that sensitive individuals might avoid, such as:
- Isothiazolinone preservatives (methylisothiazolinone, benzisothiazolinone), which can cause skin irritation in some people;
- Ethoxylated ingredients that can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane or ethylene oxide during manufacturing;
- Artificial dyes and colorants that may carry contaminant risks depending on source and processing;
- Undisclosed fragrance ingredients (see transparency section).
How Are Grove Co. Products Vetted?
When asked for specifics, Grove described a vetting process focused on safety, transparency, sustainability, and social welfare. They say brand partners are screened for ingredient transparency, preference for plant-based inputs, sustainable and cruelty-free manufacturing practices, and ethical business conduct toward employees and communities.
That description explains the principles but lacks detailed, public criteria or a fully transparent scoring system. Grove’s customer support has offered to request more information from internal teams, but public-facing details about the exact thresholds for acceptance across third-party brands remain limited.
Is Grove Collaborative All Natural?
No. Some products sold on Grove are made from all-natural ingredients while others contain synthetic ingredients. Grove favors products that “lead with organic and plant-based ingredients” when available, which usually means ingredients derived from renewable sources rather than petroleum. Remember that “natural” does not automatically equal safer, nor does “synthetic” automatically mean harmful. Still, plant-based and organic choices can make it easier for shoppers to evaluate safety and ingredient origins.
What About Ingredient Transparency?
Grove publishes ingredient lists on its product pages, which enables shoppers to review formulations before purchase. However, the common “fragrance loophole” remains an issue for many items: companies can list “fragrance” or “parfum” without disclosing the individual chemicals that make up that scent blend. For brands that fully disclose fragrance components on their own labeling, Grove typically reproduces those full disclosures. For brands that do not disclose fragrance components—such as some popular conventional brands—Grove also lacks the detailed fragrance breakdown.
In some cases product listings use terms like “Other Ingredients” without specifying them, which reduces transparency for consumers who need full ingredient details for allergy or sensitivity reasons. Grove’s own-brand products also do not always provide full fragrance ingredient disclosure.
Is Grove Really Eco-Friendly? Or Is It Greenwashing?
Sustainability exists on a spectrum, and Grove has taken multiple positive steps while still leaving room for improvement. Here are key sustainability initiatives and how they measure up:
Plastic Reduction
Grove currently operates as “plastic neutral” through partnerships that collect an equivalent amount of plastic to what customers purchase, working to keep waste out of waterways and natural areas. While plastic neutrality helps mitigate impact, Grove has set a more ambitious goal: become fully plastic-free by 2025. Achieving that will require continued progress across product packaging and supply chains.
Cruelty-Free (Mostly?)
Grove states that products on the site are cruelty-free, but not every item carries formal third-party cruelty-free certification. “Cruelty-free” typically refers to the final product not being animal-tested, but it does not always guarantee that raw ingredient sourcing and early-stage processes are animal-free. Some brands sold on Grove note the possibility of animal-derived inputs used early in enzyme production or ingredient sourcing.
What About Third-Party Certifications?
Grove Collaborative is a certified B Corporation, which indicates the company meets certain social, environmental, and governance standards. Individual products sold through Grove may have additional certifications—EWG Verified, USDA Organic, Leaping Bunny, and others—so it’s important to check each product page for those credentials.
RELATED: The Best Brands for Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
Where Can You Buy Grove Collaborative Products?
Grove is primarily an online marketplace with a mobile app for shopping and order management. Recently Grove has expanded its retail presence through partnerships that place some Grove-branded items in stores like Target.
So, Is Grove Collaborative Worth It?
Whether Grove is worth it depends on your priorities. Below is a concise summary of potential benefits and drawbacks to help you decide.
Potential PROS:
- A broad one-stop shop for safer products across home, personal care, kids, and pets.
- Convenient subscriptions, scheduling, mobile app, and membership perks for busy shoppers.
- Accessible option for people beginning a low-tox or eco-conscious lifestyle.
- Company-level sustainability efforts including an Anti-Ingredient List, plastic reduction initiatives, B Corp certification, and a focus on plant-based ingredients.
- Optional VIP membership for free shipping and other perks, with no membership required to shop.
Potential CONS:
- Some products still include ingredients that sensitive or highly conscious consumers may avoid, such as isothiazolinone preservatives and artificial dyes.
- Lack of full fragrance disclosure for many products due to the fragrance loophole.
- Not yet fully plastic-free, although Grove has set a 2025 target.
- Shopping experience can include automatic suggestions or enrollment in subscriptions, so you should review your cart before checkout.
More FAQs About Grove Collaborative
What companies are similar to Grove Co?
Competitors and comparable retailers include Public Goods, Thrive Market, EarthHero, Blueland, and general retailers like Target and Amazon. Key differences are whether the retailer is a marketplace versus a single-brand seller, product focus (food-heavy vs. household/personal care), membership requirements, and pricing model. Some alternatives focus exclusively on their own products, while others operate broad marketplaces like Grove.
Is Grove chemical free?
“Chemical-free” is misleading because everything is made of chemicals. If you mean “free from certain synthetic chemicals,” Grove excludes many problematic ingredients such as phthalates and formaldehyde on its Anti-Ingredient List. Still, many items contain other ingredients that some consumers avoid, such as undisclosed fragrance components, certain preservatives, and colorants.
Does Grove Collaborative save you money?
Savings depend on what you buy and how you shop. Grove offers price matching in some cases and membership perks like free shipping, which can save money for frequent shoppers. Be aware that initial orders may auto-enroll customers in VIP and subscription options, so review and cancel any unwanted enrollments to avoid charges.
Are Grove products made in the USA?
Some products sold on Grove are made in the USA and others are not. Manufacturing origin varies by specific product and brand, so check individual product pages for country-of-origin details.
Do any stores sell Grove products?
Yes. Beyond Grove’s online marketplace and app, some Grove-branded products are now available in retail stores such as Target.
Is Grove and Mrs Meyers the same company?
No. Mrs. Meyer’s is a separate company whose products are available on Grove’s marketplace. Grove sometimes includes free samples or gift sets featuring brands like Mrs. Meyer’s for new customers, which may cause confusion.
How much does Grove Co. cost?
Browsing and shopping on Grove is free. The optional VIP membership costs $19.99 per year after a 60-day free trial and includes benefits like unlimited free shipping, full-size gifts, and early access to new products.
Is it hard to cancel grove collaborative?
Canceling the VIP membership or editing subscriptions is straightforward via your account settings on Grove’s site. If you are charged the annual VIP fee and cancel within 30 days, Grove offers an automatic refund for that charge.
Who owns Grove Collaborative?
Grove Collaborative is a publicly traded company that went public in 2022. It continues to operate independently and was founded by Stuart Landesberg, who has been involved in company leadership.
Where is Grove products located?
Grove Collaborative is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Does Drew Barrymore own grove?
Drew Barrymore is not an owner, but she has invested in Grove and has served as a brand and sustainability advocate for the company.
Does Grove actually disinfect? Is it anti-bacterial?
Some products sold on Grove are disinfectants or antibacterial cleaners; others are general cleaners that do not disinfect. Look for labels that explicitly state “disinfectant” or “antibacterial” or search using those terms to find products with those claims. Always follow label instructions for proper use and safety.