Bamboo clothing has come on the fashion scene pretty heavily over the past years due to a lot of eco-friendly clothing brands realizing how green and environmentally friendly bamboo clothes really are. It’s no wonder this growth has happened though because bamboo is easily one of the most eco-friendly plants, materials, and fabrics the world has ever seen.
When I discovered this, I was already fairly into eco-friendly clothing brands and which materials, including organic cotton, recycled materials, hemp, and soy, were leading the eco-friendly fashion revolution. However, nowadays the top spot almost certainly goes to bamboo, which should come as no surprise to those who already know about its green superpowers. Some even call it “green gold!”
20 Reasons to Wear Bamboo Clothing
1. Soft to the Touch
We all know that you get after feeling a really soft sweater or blanket and thinking we just have to have one just like it. Well, with bamboo clothes that’s always the case! Bamboo clothes are soft to the touch, which is a characteristic all bamboo clothes have, even so-called lower quality brands.
A lot of people will talk up fabrics like Egyptian cotton or silk, but those are usually much too expensive. One of the best qualities of bamboo clothes is that they’re inexpensive compared to these more “luxurious” fabrics and just as soft, if not softer!
2. Stays Dry Even from Sweat
One of the top reasons to wear bamboo clothing is that the fabric absorbs moisture away from your skin much easier, keeping you drier on a regular basis. This is one of the main reasons bamboo clothing has become popular with people who are into sports and live an active lifestyle.
But it doesn’t just benefit them! Since bamboo fabric absorbs 40% more liquid than the most absorbent cotton, you’re guaranteed to stay drier longer regardless of what you’re doing. This not only makes it an excellent candidate for bamboo clothing, but it’s also perfect for bed sheets, mattresses, pillows, and pillowcases.
3. Keeps Its Shape
We all know the look that older shirts and clothes in general start to have after wearing and washing them over time. They start to stretch out at the openings and just don’t retain the original shape they once had. Well, with bamboo clothing this isn’t the case.
Bamboo clothing is famous for being able to keep its shape for longer, so the fit you felt when trying it on at the store stays that way for a much longer time. I’m personally a huge fan of this because I know I don’t have to buy as many clothes as often as I used to when my family and I own bamboo clothes.
4. Strong and Durable
How often have you seen your clothes start to rip at the seams only to notice over time that it’s gotten worse and worse? Or when someone rips the tag off their clothes, resulting in a hole in the seam? Well, a great attribute to owning bamboo clothes is that it’s a tough fabric.
Compared to other materials, like cotton, the bamboo plant and fabric ends up having much longer fibers that are more strongly coupled to one another, resulting in a much more durable cloth. When your bamboo clothing is stronger than your other clothes, you’ll probably own them for longer, so definitely a good investment.
5. Easy to Keep Clean
Bamboo clothes have a great knack for keeping clean longer than other materials. The reasons behind this are that bamboo clothes are naturally odor-resistant and powerful in keeping germs from spreading.
I’ve noticed that spills and stains on my family’s bamboo clothes easily come out after a wash in the laundry or even just a quick scrub under the sink compared to other materials, especially cotton. When you have a lot of activity going on in the house, this can save you a lot of time and worry about keeping things clean and healthy for your family.
6. Longlasting Fresh Smell
How often would you say you or someone in your family wears a t-shirt or a pair of pants before realizing it needs to be washed because it’s starting to smell? Most of us wash our clothes after one use, which makes sense because they can start to stink! However, bamboo clothes are different because they’re naturally antibacterial and antifungal, which means your clothes will stay fresh for longer.
As a matter of fact, a lot of other clothes that state they have antibacterial qualities are actually only antibacterial because they’ve been processed with harmful chemical agents that are absolutely not eco-friendly. This is an easy reason to start moving your wardrobe to bamboo clothing.
7. Colors Stick Around Longer
How many washes do you think it takes for your clothes to start losing their color? Well, I’m sure it’s a lot shorter than we’d hope! One of the many great reasons for wearing bamboo clothing is that bamboo fiber requires less color dye than cotton and similar materials.
On top of that, it’s also able to retain these colors longer, so your clothes will stay looking sharp longer if they’re made out of bamboo. That’s great because it’s eco-friendly by not requiring as much dye and it increases the reuse of the clothing. Bamboo clothing for the win-win!
8. Fashionable Year-Round
Bamboo can be used for all kinds of clothing, including socks, shirts, pants, shorts, jackets, sweaters, and much more. It’s great in the winter because it retains heat well, but it’s also breathable for when the weather starts to warm up.
Not only that, but there are a lot more eco-friendly clothing brands out there that are now providing bamboo clothing, which means the creativity of fashion designers will flourish resulting in more seasonal bamboo clothing that looks great. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to bamboo taking a front-row seat to the future of our clothing fabric.
9. Naturally UV Protectant
We may like to get a little tan from time to time, but no one wants to get burned by the sun. Luckily, bamboo is naturally resistant to UV rays, which is a quality that persists even after it’s converted into fabric. As a matter of fact, bamboo fabric removes almost 98% of all harmful UV rays.
This means you can wear it around in the Summertime knowing your skin is safe from the sun’s damage. Not only is it a good option for shirts and pants, but it’s an excellent option for hats, in particular hats for children.
10. Naturally Hypoallergenic
While we now know that bamboo clothes are antibacterial and antifungal, they’re also widely known for being hypoallergenic. That means that if you or someone in your family is more prone to allergies, either skin or nasal, bamboo might be a perfect fabric for them.
It also doesn’t cause skin irritation unlike other materials, which is great for when your clothes are touching bare skin, like a shirt, underwear, or gloves. Also, it guarantees that anyone who wears it won’t get an allergic reaction to it, which makes it one of the safest fabrics on the planet!
11. Stays Static-Free
You know the feeling when you’re folding clothes that are full of static. Even when you use dryer sheets this can happen sometimes. Well, one of the best qualities of owning bamboo clothing is that it has anti-static properties.
This means that they won’t come out of the dryer clinging to itself or other clothes, and it won’t cling to your skin when wearing it. The comfort level that comes with wearing bamboo clothing is unparalleled, and this is just another reason to wear bamboo clothing.
12. Very Breathable
I used to think that organic cotton (or simply cotton for that matter) was the most breathable fabric out there. Boy, was I wrong! Bamboo clothing is incredibly breathable and can make a huge difference in the temperature regulation of your body.
In the Winter, your body stays warmer with bamboo clothes due to heat getting trapped in the microstructure of the fabric. In the Summer, the fabric opens up so that air can easily move through it without a fuss. And since your body temperature is better regulated, you’ll sweat less in the places that count most. Bamboo really is a versatile fabric for clothes.
13. Highly Renewable Resource
Arguably the most valuable quality that bamboo has, as a plant and fabric, is that it’s a highly renewable, eco-friendly resource. Bamboo is able to grow in a multitude of different environments spanning all across the globe, including Southeast Asia, the Southeast United States, Northern Australia, and Sub-Saharan Africa (to name a few).
Nowadays, countries realize how valuable a resource bamboo truly is, so an increase in planting has gone underway, which has a number of positive side effects we’ll get into shortly. We all know our planet needs renewable resources to survive what we throw at it, so investing in more and more renewable resources is a top priority.
14. Not a Thirsty Plant
When it comes to the bamboo plant, it requires far less water to survive and thrive when compared to other plants. As a matter of fact, it needs 30% less water than most other plants that are used for fabrics, which means less wasted water.
We all know how valuable water is to the survival of all living things on planet earth, so any move in the direction of sustainable water consumption will have a positive effect on future generations. And since over 70% of the surface area of the planet is made up of water, we better keep it clean, healthy, and plentiful for as long as we can.
15. Naturally Biodegradable
Whenever my family and I are finished wearing certain clothing items, we make sure that we always consider donating them to charity before any other option. However, it’s not always the case that we can donate them, especially if the clothes in question are stained or damaged beyond repair.
One of the most fantastic qualities of bamboo clothing is that they’re 100% biodegradable, so if you have to throw it away, it’s not the end of the world. Sadly, it may still end up in a landfill somewhere, but you can rest assured knowing that it’ll degrade naturally in due time.
16. Land Efficient
The amount of Bamboo grown around the world has increased over the years once countries started noticing more and more demand for this magical plant. While a lot of investment has been made to increase the number of bamboo plants throughout the world, the fact that it produces greater yields is a major positive.
The important point to make here is that bamboo can produce the same amount of fabric as other similar materials, like cotton, with only using 10% of the land those other materials would need. That means farmers can be more efficient when planning on planting new bamboo crops as well as keeping enough room on their land for other useful plants. That’s amazing!
17. Grows Naturally Without Pesticides
Many plants nowadays require pesticides, fertilizers, and even unnatural seeds. Well, when it comes to bamboo that’s just not the case. Bamboo grows naturally without having to resort to any of these ill-gotten chemicals or genetic modifications, which brings a huge positive effect on the preservation of the planet’s soil and waterways.
For one, we’ll be able to preserve our soil for further growth of bamboo and other plants, and we’ll also be able to preserve the water we and the rest of the species so desperately need to survive. This is just another great reason to wear bamboo clothing.
18. Grows Really Fast
If two plants were to have a growing race and bamboo was a competitor, I’d always put my money on bamboo. Bamboo is one of the fastest plants on the planet and has been knowing to grow multiple feet within a 24 hour period.
While the maximum height of a bamboo plant has its limits, it reaches those limits far faster than almost any other plant on earth. This is massively positive because we can cut down bamboo plants rather frequently without having to wait long periods of time before the next harvest, as opposed to other materials.
19. Soil Sustainability
A major problem with certain plants is that they don’t often improve or sustain the health of the soil they’re grown in. However, bamboo is one such plant that does the exact opposite, mainly because it’s not a tree but instead a type of grass.
What this means is that not only can bamboo grow in all kinds of areas, like hills and ravines, but it actually helps restore the strength of the soil and even helps it from eroding. This has major positive effects in areas where this is a huge problem and it means bamboo can grow in even more places around the world.
20. Cleaner Air for Everyone
We all know that plants ingest carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, but not all plants are as efficient as others. Well, bamboo is by far one of the most efficient plants out there when it comes to producing oxygen.
As a matter of fact, bamboo produces 35% more oxygen when compared to other similar plants, like cotton. That’s extremely advantageous because as the future unfolds, we’ll need to be able to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide from our planet at a faster rate, and bamboo seems to be an excellent candidate to do the job.
Bottom Line
Wearing bamboo clothing is a fantastic way to stay stylish and comfortable year-round, but it’s also a great way to stay green and eco-friendly. The positives of wearing bamboo clothing, compared to other similar fabrics, far outweigh any negatives it could have and has proven itself to be a fast-growing trend in the eco-friendly clothing brand industry.
So the next time you’re thinking about what sort of fabric your wardrobe needs for Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter, definitely consider putting some bamboo clothing brands at the top of your list.
Related Questions
Do bamboo clothes shrink? Similar to other fabrics, bamboo will produce shrinkage if under warmer temperatures of water. If your bamboo clothes are blended with polyester, expect your clothes to shrink very little (if at all).
How do you wash bamboo clothes? Bamboo clothes should be washed at cool to warm temperatures (max 60 degrees Celcius) to retain the qualities that make them unique to other fabrics. Only use a gentle detergent and always avoid bleach.
Does bamboo clothing dry quickly? One downside to owning bamboo clothes is that it doesn’t dry as quickly compared to other similar fabrics. This, of course, mainly depends on the thickness of your bamboo clothes, but this is generally the case.