Bamboo baby gear: Eco-friendly & safe for your little panda!

January 8th, 2009

Bamboo Velour Changing Mat

Bamboo Velour Changing Mat Satsuma Designs

With the arrival of a new bundle of joy comes a lot of love, but also a hefty amount of concerns. Health. Nutrition. College? Ok, maybe not yet. But as you tackle so many new mommy issues, know that you won’t have to search long and hard for safe, eco-friendly products for your little one. Satsuma Designs has you covered with organic bamboo baby gear that can keep Baby clean, comfy and happy!

Satsuma’s adorable products are made with all-natural materials like bamboo and organic cotton. Onesies are decked out with cute slogans like “Go Green” and “Small Carbon Footprint.” Satsuma’s signature item, the bamboo swaddling blanket, is soft, antibacterial and machine-washable. Most of the products are 100% bamboo, but a few, such as the velour blankets and onesies, are also made with an organic cotton and poly-blend that adds durability and ease of care to the fabric.

One handy product is the Baby Booty Bamboo Barrier (featured above), a changing table pad cover that boasts germ-fighting properties to keep the diaper table clean and fresh. The nursery starter kit comes with this genius item, along with a swaddling blanket and a bamboo jersey infant hat—all for $60.

Satsuma began as co-founder Jennifer Porter’s quest to “turn over a new green leaf” following the birth of her son, Jimmy. Porter “started taking a hard look at buying decisions in every category,” especially “the clothing and accessories that went into our son’s nursery… I felt that organic materials and baby products were both well aligned and started doing my homework.” Armed with a background in marketing and consumer product development experience, Porter decided on bamboo for her company’s products.

“Bamboo is what I consider a super resource for all its positive characteristics, and that’s how things got started,” Porter says.

Bamboo has been getting a lot of press in the last year as the hottest eco fabric on the market. No longer known to just the hippie set, it’s getting plenty of wear in designer collections, from Diane von Furstenberg to eco-fashion labels like Jonano. Some people are surprised when learning that bamboo can be spun into fabric, but it’s more than just a meal for pandas or a clever option for furniture. With its rapid growth rate (1.5-2 inches an hour!), bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world, and arguably the most sustainable plant on the planet. It’s also an eco-friendly and less expensive alternative to conventional fabrics. For more on Bamboo, read our post on Bamboo: The Miracle Fiber and post on the processing of bamboo to make it into a fiber.

Organic bamboo is soft and drapes like silk, yet is even more durable than cotton. As Satsuma’s collection attests, bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, water-wicking, wrinkle-resistant, odor-fighting and hypoallergenic. Plus Satsuma doesn’t use any harsh chemicals or dyes, which is great for sensitive skin. Eco-conscious mommas, are you keeping track? Those are seven less things to worry about!

Check out Satsuma’s cute baby gear at Satsuma Designs. And if you are looking for bamboo clothing for Mommy too, you can find gorgeous bamboo and organic cotton tops, dresses and pants at Jute and Jackfruit.

By Erin Dale

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