One of the newer fabrics on the market for use in clothing manufacture, bamboo provides natural cellulose, biodegradable textile material.  It can be completely returned to nature, earning it praise as “the natural, green and eco-friendly new textile of the 21st century.”

Like some of the new synthetic fabrics, bamboo can absorb and evaporate dampness.  In the case of bamboo, however, this is because the fiber, when seen under magnification, naturally is fashioned with small gaps and holes, providing both increased absorption and increased ventilation. In addition to the natural breathability of bamboo it also has organically occurring antimicrobial properties that continue to be present even after repeated washing.  The antimicrobial properties of both hemp and bamboo are naturally occurring and, unlike the chemical antimicrobial treatments added to other fabrics, are unlikely to cause skin allergies.  These same antimicrobial qualities also mean that bamboo thrives naturally without the need for pesticide use.  It is seldom eaten by pests or infected by pathogens.

At Blue Penguin we've been planning to use bamboo fabrics for some of our products. We've put our plans on hold, however, until we have the opportunity to learn more about the processing of bamboo. It is our understanding that, because bamboo is, after all, a type of wood, harsh chemicals (and many of them) are used to create bamboo fabric. It may be that this outweighs the benefits of bamboo as a textile for garments, especially baby wear.

Bamboo is an amazing plant and can be used in ecologically beneficial ways, but we need to do more homework before we begin to use it in our diapers!