Pros and cons of bamboo clothing compared to cotton?

Question

I've read that clothes made from bamboo fibers require about 1/3 the amount of water compared to cotton. Also bamboo grows much faster than cotton and it requires little or no herbicides or fertilizer. This suggests that bamboo has a much lower environmental impact than cotton. Is that really the case?

It seems that only a very small percentage of clothing you can buy in the stores nowadays is made from bamboo (at least where I live). If the advantages are really this big, why aren't more clothing manufacturers switching to bamboo? What are the disadvantages of using bamboo?

Answer 1

Bamboo Pros

• Bamboo is a perennial grass.
  • You don't need to put annual effort and energy into it's cultivation.
  • You don't need to disturb the soil, so the soil ecosystem stays intact.
  • NO Soil Erosion!
• Bamboo suppresses the growth of other plants (weeds) around it so it requires NO Herbicides.
• Bamboo is VERY hardy against pests and diseases so it requires NO Pesticides, especially if grown in a polyculture. This is in part a result of the fact that bamboo contains a natural antimicrobial compound called bamboo-kun which defends the plants against fungal attacks.
• Requires NO Fertilizer when growing for fiber. (Note: some bamboo crops grown for the young edible shoots do use some fertilizer and herbicide.)
• Bamboo grows extremely fast.
• Bamboo takes less water to grow, and is drought tolerant.
• Bamboo textiles hold much more water than cotton textiles.
• Bamboo textiles wick water away from the skin much more quickly than cotton textiles.
• Bamboo is a better insulator than cotton.
• Bamboo fiber, when processed naturally, contains a natural antimicrobial compound called bamboo-kun. (Note: Most bamboo fiber is processed using the viscose method, which strips it of the bamboo-kun. Also see comments below for externalities coming from viscose method, which chemically alters the fiber.)
• Bamboo fiber requires less dye than cotton for colored textiles, and results in more vibrant textiles.
• Bamboo fibers are softer than cotton fibers.
• Bamboo fibers do not pill as much as cotton fibers.

Bamboo Cons

• Since Bamboo holds much more water than cotton textiles, it takes much more energy to dry it after washing. If you are using a cloths line instead of a clothes dryer then this isn't an issue.
• Bamboo is sensitive to the timing of harvest.
• Bamboo fibers are less durable than cotton fibers.

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Cotton Pros

• Processing cotton requires less energy and water.

Cotton Cons

• Cotton is a perennial plant, grown as an annual crop.
  • Annual energy and effort devoted to cultivation.
  • Plowing which disturbs the soil ecosystem.
  • Contributes to soil erosion.
• Requires lots of management effort during cultivation as vegetative growth needs to be minimized in order to get a high yield.
• Even Organic Cotton requires pesticides (copper salts).
• "Estimates indicate that cotton is the largest user of water among all agricultural commodities."
• Requires lots of fertilizer.

Answer 2

From a wearing standpoint:

1. Bamboo is extremely stretchy - if the garment you are looking at is made of bamboo, you need to consider if you are expecting any support; because from my experience there is no support. For example: leggings - comfort is great, softness is great but they are not "snappy". I am in fact amazed at how form fitting this fabric can be without causing any compression whatsoever; I am accustom to snap in my leggings.
2. Due to extreme amount of stretch - there is a certain "show through" factor in the sense of form (not skin)- think nipple form through a cami.
3. It is wonderfully soft
4. Due to extreme stretch it makes great non-restrictive work out clothing - however, there is the element of form "show through" even when bamboo clothing is layered, form show through does not seem to diminish.
5. As a base layer in cold situations it is wonderfully warm and it is easy to layer a couple of pieces and feel comfortable and unrestrained
6. I noticed it does not hold up well to washing. My colors fade faster than cotton, and the fabric tends to look older faster, but the clothing item is still very wearable and I'm not certain at this point in time if it will last as long, or even outlast cotton. It does however look older sooner. The comparison here is freshness/vibrancy verses longevity. The bamboo I have purchased does not have good "newness after washing", and I am unsure about total lifetime of the clothing item at this point. It also could be a factor of my washing solution not being compatible with bamboo. The bamboo does get a nice "old" look - think old jeans.
7. One pair of one size fits most bamboo leggings do in fact look like they can fit from a size 6 to 18 (or more) without issue - again this due to the extreme stretch that is available with bamboo.

In the future, I will certainly purchase bamboo as a base layer. It should be noted that an item with lots of seams may not be as good with stretch. I noticed that my leggings (ankle length) are great, but my boy shorts (underwear) have some issues at the leg (cuff), but appear to be able to fit a large range of butt sizes.

I think the fabric is great for some clothing items, but perhaps not the most suitable for others. I'm looking forward to purchasing long sleeve undershirts for winter wear in the future, but don't expect to be buying a bamboo bra for support.

Answer 3

I had bamboo pillowcases before, they are very soft but not very durable. So I have to disagree with the con No 2 in Sempie's post. I do know that bamboo fabric need more water to produce, which increases overall environmental impact. However, since bamboo grows really fast, I am not aware of any producer heavily using fertilizer, which is a pro comparing to cotton.

Answer 4

I will answer you question on the Environmental impact of Bamboo:

As we already know, growing bamboo requires a small amount of pesticides and fertilizers which are great for the environment. However, we should take note that the bamboo has to go through several processes before it is converted into a finished product. There are two methods that are widely used to convert the bamboo into bamboo fibers:

1. Mechanical

Bamboo is crushed and mixed with natural enzymes to aid in the breakdown and then drawn into fibers. This method is eco-friendly but it more expensive owing to the labor involved.

2. Chemical

It is mixed in a cocktail of Chemicals(NaOH and Carbon Disulphide) and heated. This gives out harmful fumes.

As a result,environment-friendliness of bamboo clothing is, mainly dependant on the process involved in the making of Bamboo fiber.

Answer 5

One question that wasn't raised was albedo. Cotton albedo is higher than bamboo and for the thousands of square miles used on these crops this is an important plus. But soil erosion is also a very important factor. Surely if cotton is perennial it shouldn't be necessary to plough and re-sow? At least not every year. The crop could easily be cultivated as an insect and fungus free perennial with a little genetic engineering, which I know is unpopular but which is the worst evil; this, or killing all the wildlife and destroying the soil? If, as you say, cotton fibre is more durable, My vote is definitely COTTON.

Answer 6

PRO

• renewable
• low amount of required water
• fast growing
• no herbicides needed

CONS

• performs very poorly in blocking UV. You could run around naked as well.
• low comfort (rough)
• processed raw bamboo fabric isn't antibacterial, even if some manufactures claim it is.
• low production quantity makes it relatively expensive