In the hot and sticky summer, when you put a t-shirt on, do you feel breathable and cool or sticky and hot? It’s up to the choice of fabric that has already decided the comfort of wearing a piece of clothing. In recent years, natural health has become the key consumption word; therefore, people often compare these two fabrics, bamboo fabric and pure cotton. Bamboo fabric is noted for its quick-dry and antibacterial properties; pure cotton is regarded as a classic fabric due to its comfort and breathability. Today, we, Aung Crown, a trusted custom hats and apparel manufacturer, will introduce the comparison between bamboo fabric and pure cotton.

Bamboo pulp is processed into a very silky and soft fabric that is often compared to Tencel or modal. However, Tencel and modal remain distinct from bamboo fabric due to bamboo fabric, undergoing a more complex process, including spinning, to be made into fabric. Following bamboo pulp, a very soft and silky fabric, bamboo pulp undergoes a chemical process which dissolves bamboo into pulp.  Bamboo fabric, best described as a disintegrated and regenerated filament, goes through a series of complex chemical mechanisims to dissolve bamboo into pulp.

Bamboo Fabric

Because of its soft, silky texture, bamboo fabric is very suitable for close-fitting garments such as intimate apparel as it is very gentle to the skin and incredibly soft. There are different and various holes and pole breaks on the cross section with super-strong and fast absorption. It is like a natural air conditioner for fabric which can remove heat energy and humid air rapidly. This is why bamboo clothing or bedding remains cool and breathable during the summer. The moisture absorption of bamboo fabric is fifteen to twenty percent superior to that of pure cotton. It can absorb perspiration on the skin and keep it dry without leaving a sticky sensation. Even more, bamboo Kun is a natural and gentle antibacterial agent that can be retained in bamboo pulp which is why the fabric is naturally antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-odor. This is the reason why bamboo fabric is ideal for socks, undershirts, active apparel, and summer clothing. Bamboo fabric focuses more on cool feelings with great breathability, which is poor at keeping warmth and worse than cotton. However, thick bamboo bedding has a certain warm effect. Please note that bamboo fabric is pretty poor at wear resistance and durability, particularly in humid environments, the strength of bamboo fabric becomes weak. Also, please gently wash clothing made from bamboo fabric, and do not scrub too hard because it’s very easy to deform. In addition, bamboo fabric is very prone to getting wrinkles. Therefore, it needs to be tidied after washing bamboo clothing.

On the other hand, bamboo fabric is great at dropping, but its recovery ability is limited. After wearing it several times, bamboo clothing might deform. In general, bamboo fabric is more expensive than pure cotton due to the complex production.

Pure Cotton

Pure cotton is great to the touch, but such a soft touch needs to undergo a washing or combing process to get the best touch. Premium pure cotton like Gossypium barbadense, also called long-staple cotton, is very comfortable to wear, and it’s great at breathability and moisture wicking. However, for the smooth feature, pure cotton is poorer than bamboo fabric. Please note that after absorbing water, water will be locked in fibers, which is very slow to stream up.

When placed side by side, the fast-dry ability of other bamboo fabrics is tangible from that of pure cotton. It is important to note that pure cotton is fantastic at moisture wicking. It’s for this reason that it is widely accepted. But the downside is that it absorbs moisture and takes a long to dry and is extremely uncomfortable as the wet fabric is sticky to the skin and also takes a long to dry and breathability. Additionally, wet pure cotton, is a warm and moist environment for bacteria to multiply. If you are unable to wash them, pure cotton clothing will develop a terrible odor. Conversely, the fibrous structure of pure cotton creates air pockets which insulates and retain heat, making it ideal for the cold autumn and winter months. Its ability to absorb moisture greatly elasticizes and boosts its strength, which makes it extremely durable for washing, vode for its longer lifespans. It is, however, important to note that pure cotton is greatly prone to wrinkles. This is solved through mercerization and other iron-free finishing processes.

Applied Scenes from Daily to Special Needs

For Sports & High-temperature scenes

• Outdoor sports and exercises: because of special structure of bamboo its moisture wicking ability is 3-5 times stronger than that of 100% cotton and because of its ability to rapidly shed moisture, bamboo is ideal for high performance sports like climbing and running. Experiments have shown that sweat evaporation from bamboo fabric is 30% more than from pure cotton, thus reducing the sticky feeling that comes with perspiration.  
• Commute in Summer: When in environment is over 35℃/95℉, the air condition of bamboo is obvious and can dissipate heat quickly. For example, bamboo fabric T-shirts can keep a cool feeling after sun explosion. After absorbing sweat, pure cotton tees are more sticky on the skin and need to be frequently changed.
• Kitchen/Oily Environments: The oil resistance of bamboo fabric is better than pure cotton. After becoming tainted with soy sauce or oil, washing with clean water can clean the dirty part, which is suitable for making aprons and hand towels.

For Status & Sensitive Scenes

• Baby Clothes: Pure cotton is fine and skin-friendly without irritating skin, which is recommended by many authorized medical organizations for baby outfits. For example, pure cotton rompers can still keep the soft touch after many times of washing. However, bamboo fabric might become hard after being used for a long time, and poor bamboo fabric can generate graininess.
• Keeping Warm in Fall and Winter: The structure of the fabric holds a layer of air which serves as an insulator, thus pure cotton is warmer than bamboo fabric. For instance, pure cotton sweatshirts can maintain 2℃ to 3℃ warmer than sweatshirts made of bamboo fabric (approximately 35.6℉ to 37.4℉).
• Sensitive Skin: The PH value of pure cotton is not far from the skin which is suited for individuals having eczema, or during the seasonal transition, helps as a moisturizer. While bamboo fabric does not lack antibacterial properties, individuals might be sensitive to the bamboo kun.

Home & Personal Scenes

Scenes	Bamboo Fabric Pros	Pure Cotton Pure
Bedding	Summer bamboo mats, bedding: Moisture-wicking, breathable, 75% anti-bacterial.	Fall/winter bedding/pillow cover: Better warmth and not easy to deform.
Underwear	Sports underwear: Fast-dry, anti-odor, and less smell.	Daily underwear: Soft, skin-friendly, and durable
Towels/Bath towels	Fast-dry towels: Absorbing in 3 seconds and 50% faster dry than pure cotton.	Durability: After washing many time, pure cotton towels are not easy to deform and suitable for long-term use.

Special Needs

• Individuals susceptible to perspiration: Socks made of bamboo fabric lowers bacterial colonization of plantar surfaces. According to the study, after wearing bamboo fabric socks for 12 hours without changing, the unpleasant smell was 60% less than socks made of 100% cotton.
• Green activists: The process of producing bamboo fabric is less of a carbon burden, and bamboo cultivation does not need the application of agrochemicals. In contrast, cotton farming uses triple the amount of water than bamboo cultivation.
• Healthcare: The bamboo fabric can be used to make hospital gowns and bedding which reduces the chances of cross-infection. It is also easier to become a cross-infection than pure cotton because pure cotton requires special chemical treatments to be made antibacterial.

Cost-effective & Maintenance

• Bamboo fabric: In general, the high unit price of bamboo fabric is 30% to 50% higher than pure cotton. For example, high-end bamboo fabric bedding is about $120 per set. However, please note that the washing frequency is 50% lower, which is great for long-term use.
• Pure cotton: Normally, it’s $35 for one pure cotton tee, but it needs high temperature (over 60℃/140℉) to kill bacteria to prevent odor smell, which increases the cost of electrical power.

In a word, bamboo fabric is suitable for dynamic scenes and pure cotton is great for status scenes. Blending both fabrics can combine functions and economy, which can achieve the best cost-effectiveness.

In the End

In fact, there is not the only and standard answer for the comparison between bamboo fabric and pure cotton. People who pursue extreme cool can choose bamboo fabric; individuals who prefer durability can choose pure cotton. Bamboo fabric for sports wear for its antibacterial property, and pure cotton for home wear because of its skin-friendly feature. Consumer can choose the right fabric by their real demands.

Reference:

A Brief Introduction To Bamboo Fiber

Summer Clothing Fabrics: A Deep Dive into the Options and Which Is Superior