All parents want the best for their children. With a newborn – especially if it’s the first child – parents are doing a lot of research, looking for the best option for their kid. And there is a lot of information online that isn’t always easy to navigate. With all the labels of “organic”, “healthy” and “natural” being thrown around, who can you trust? So if you were looking for the best fabrics to wrap your baby up in, you’ve probably come across bamboo as an option. If you’ve never touched or used it before, you might be unsure whether it’s the right choice, so here’s all the info you will need on it.
-
How’s it made
When you think of bamboo, you don’t really think of something soft, as you would when you think about cotton which literally grows fluffy. But the bamboo fabric is actually very soft to the touch – softer than cotton! The fibers are extracted from the bamboo and ground into a mush, which is then woven back to a thread, to finally become fabric. This means that the materials are processed, but nothing is necessarily added during the process, so it is completely safe and natural.
-
Is it safe for babies?
Absolutely! Not only is it safe, but it’s also better for them than most other materials. Let’s start listing off the benefits: Firstly, bamboo fabrics are incredibly soft. A baby’s skin is too soft and delicate that even the smallest abrasion can pose an issue. But the softness of bamboo makes it the perfect pairing for babies with extra sensitive skin. Secondly, unlike cotton which soaks up moisture, bamboo fabrics whisk it away. This is a key difference in the materials and a reason why bamboo is so popular with summer baby clothes. There’s nothing that will irritate your baby more (both mentally and physically) than damp clothing, and bamboo will solve this issue for you.
Next, the fabric itself is thermo-regulating, so it will keep the baby cool in summer and warm during winter. The fabric, while it’s soft, is also very strong, so ripping won’t be an issue. And most importantly: bamboo fabric is hypoallergenic, meaning that it will not under any circumstances irritate your baby’s skin. On top of that, it’s antibacterial, so when there’s a mess, you can feel safer than if you were using a different material. Of course, it’s machine-washable, so there’s no extra hassle around keeping it clean.
-
What should you use it for?
While clothing is the obvious first answer, there are a lot of products that are made from bamboo fabric, and the more you start using, the more you will want everything to be made out of it. Bedsheets and blankets, towels, slippers, caps and even soft toys are being made from this. However, it’s still not something that is readily available everywhere, and it’s the perfect example of voting with your dollars: if you support the companies who make products out of organic bamboo fabrics, they will have more products and more variety. And once you start seeing how soft and gentle it is, you’ll want bamboo products for yourself as well!
-
Is all bamboo fabric organic?
Unfortunately, it’s not. Just like every other plant, bamboo has to be grown, harvested and processed. Sometimes, that process needs help from chemicals, rendering it non-organic. However, bamboo can be grown without any pesticides, and the entire process of the stalk to a thread can be done without any additional chemicals. That’s of course not where it ends, and all other things that are used, such as the thread that keeps the pieces together, the dyes that color it, etc. all need to be organic for the finished product to be organic. So while, no, not all bamboo fabric is organic, a lot of it is, and if it is, the company will state it, so you can sure you’re getting the real thing.
Caring for your child is never about getting them the most expensive things and newest trends: it’s about making sure that they are safe and happy. So while you don’t have to buy them every single item made from 100% organic bamboo fabric, giving them a good night’s sleep in an itch-free onesy is a small price to pay.
