Walk into any baby department and you'll find cotton, organic cotton, bamboo, fleece, merino and muslin, each promising to be the softest, kindest thing for your baby. They can't all be the best.
So here is an even-handed look at the most common fabrics for baby clothes: what each one is genuinely good at, where it falls short, and which jobs it suits. We make everything in organic cotton, and we'll tell you why, but we'll also tell you where other fabrics do a better job.
The short answer. For everyday baby clothes and anything worn next to the skin, cotton is hard to beat: soft, breathable, absorbent and easy to wash. GOTS certified organic cotton adds limits on the chemicals used in growing and processing. Wool is excellent for warm outer layers, and synthetics earn their place in waterproofs, but are rarely the best choice against the skin.
Baby clothing fabrics compared
| Fabric | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional cotton | Soft, breathable, absorbent, cheap and easy to wash. Fine for almost anything. | Grown with synthetic pesticides; processing can include chlorine bleach and easy-care finishes. |
| Organic cotton (GOTS) | Everything cotton is good at, plus restrictions on chemicals through the whole supply chain. Ideal for base layers and sleepwear. | Costs more. Check for GOTS certification rather than the word 'organic' alone. |
| Bamboo (viscose) | Very soft and drapey, with a cool, silky feel. Often blended with cotton and elastane for stretch. | Usually a regenerated fibre made with a chemical process, not raw bamboo. Can pill and lose shape faster. Treat green claims with care. |
| Polyester and fleece | Hard-wearing, quick-drying and cheap. Useful for waterproofs and outerwear. | Less breathable; can trap heat and sweat against the skin. Sheds microfibres in the wash. |
| Merino wool | Warm, breathable and naturally temperature-regulating. Lovely for hats, cardigans and outer layers. | Expensive and fussier to wash. Some babies find wool itchy next to the skin. |
| Cotton muslin | Light, open weave that breathes well. Perfect for swaddles, blankets and summer. | Not warm, and creases easily. |
Cotton: still the everyday workhorse
There's a reason most baby clothes are cotton. It is soft without any treatment, it lets heat and moisture escape, it absorbs the spills and leaks that come with small babies, and it is happy being washed several times a week at 30°C. For sleepsuits, bodysuits, leggings and tops, cotton does the job better than almost anything else.
Organic cotton vs regular cotton
As a fibre, organic and conventional cotton feel much the same once they are spun. The difference is in how they are grown and, crucially, how they are processed. Organic cotton is grown from non-GM seed without synthetic pesticides or fertiliser, and GOTS certification adds rules about the bleaches, dyes and finishes allowed in the factory.
For layers worn closest to the skin, that last part is the useful bit: fewer chemical finishes and no residue to rely on washing out. We cover the full comparison, including which popular claims don't hold up, in organic vs conventional cotton: is it worth it? and the skin question in is organic cotton better for babies?
Is bamboo or cotton better for babies?
Bamboo baby clothes have become very popular, and plenty of parents love how they feel. It's worth knowing what you are buying, though.
Most fabric sold as 'bamboo' is actually viscose (also called rayon) made from bamboo pulp. The plant is dissolved with chemicals and the cellulose is spun into a new fibre. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission has taken action against bamboo labelling claims, requiring these fabrics to be called 'viscose' or 'rayon made from bamboo' and noting that claims of natural antibacterial properties are unlikely to survive that process.
That doesn't make bamboo viscose a bad fabric to wear. It is soft, it drapes well and many blends feel lovely. But on the claims that tend to sell it, cotton holds up better:
- Softness: bamboo viscose often feels silkier; good organic cotton is soft too, and gets softer with washing.
- Durability: cotton generally keeps its shape and resists pilling better over many washes, which matters for hand-me-downs.
- Environmental claims: the bamboo plant grows quickly, but the viscose process is chemically intensive unless it is a closed-loop process like lyocell. Organic cotton's credentials are easier to verify through GOTS.
If you like bamboo, look at the composition label. A blend of bamboo viscose with organic cotton is common, and certification of the whole garment tells you far more than the word 'bamboo' does.
The best fabric for each job
Next to the skin: bodysuits, vests and sleepsuits
Soft, breathable cotton, ideally certified organic. These layers are on your baby for hours at a time and go through the wash constantly. Shop organic cotton vests and bodysuits and sleepsuits and baby grows.
Sleep
Breathable natural fibres help your baby stay at a comfortable temperature, which is why cotton sleepsuits under a cotton sleeping bag are such a common combination. Our guide to what to dress your baby in at night has a room temperature and TOG table.
Warm layers
Cotton sweatshirts and cardigans layer well indoors; merino is lovely for hats and outer layers in real cold. See our organic baby winter clothes.
Outerwear
This is where synthetics earn their place: a waterproof shell over a cotton hoodie is hard to beat for a toddler in a puddle. On dry days, a heavier cotton hoodie and joggers are often all you need.
Summer and swaddling
Lightweight cotton jersey and open-weave muslin, which let air move freely.
What we use, and why
Every Lucy & Sam piece is made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton. We chose it because it is the most practical fabric for the layers babies live in, because certification means we can show you how it was grown and processed rather than just tell you, and because it lasts long enough to be handed on. We don't make bamboo or synthetic baby clothes, so if you need a waterproof or a merino hat, we'd happily point you elsewhere.
Shop organic cotton
Common questions
What is the best fabric for baby clothes?
For everyday clothes and anything worn next to the skin, cotton is the most practical choice: soft, breathable, absorbent and easy to wash. GOTS certified organic cotton adds restrictions on the chemicals used in growing and processing.
Is bamboo or cotton better for babies?
Both can be soft and comfortable. Most bamboo fabric is viscose made with a chemical process, and claims about natural antibacterial properties are unlikely to survive it. Cotton generally keeps its shape better over many washes, and organic cotton's credentials are easier to verify through GOTS.
Is polyester bad for babies?
Not bad, but less breathable than cotton, so it can trap heat and sweat against the skin. It is useful for waterproofs and outerwear rather than base layers or sleepwear.
Is wool good for babies?
Merino wool is warm and breathable and great for outer layers and hats. Some babies find wool itchy directly against the skin, so cotton underneath is a good idea.
Is organic cotton better than regular cotton?
The fibre feels much the same. The difference is how it is grown, without synthetic pesticides, and with GOTS certification, how it is processed, without chlorine bleach or formaldehyde-based finishes.
Every Lucy & Sam piece is made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and designed in the UK to be worn, washed and handed down.
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