Natural or synthetic fibers?  which materials are absorbent? You will find below all relevant information to choose fabrics for your cloth nappies.

Natural materials:

Cotton:  is particularly susceptible to pests and disease, the production requires heavy use of pesticides. (I opted for the organic cotton because it is better for the environment.)

- Cotton is easy to wash and dye.

- Strong and durable

- Cotton is hypoallergenic and does not irritate skin.

- Cotton is absorbent and removes liquid from the skin.

Bamboo: is environmentally friendly!

- Strong bactericidal and fungicidal properties.

- Bamboo is very absorbent. (more absorbent than cotton fabric)

- It dries very slowly.

Hemp: Hemp is one of the purest plants on Earth.

- Hemp fabric is stronger, more durable and more absorbent than cotton fabric.

- It also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

- It is grown without pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and other chemicals.

- It dries more slowly than cotton and bamboo.

Wool: is ideal for baby’s sensitive skin or suffering from erythema.

-Wool is naturally watertight.

- Allows plenty of air to circulate.

- it does require special care (wool shampoo) you will need to lanolise every 2 or 3 weeks.

Tencel: is an eco friendly fabric!  Made from the natural cellulose found in wood pulp, the tencel  is fully biodegradable.

- Soft, light and comfortable.

- It is stronger than cotton and more durable than polyester.

- Tencel absorbs 50% more moisture than cotton.

Synthetic materials:

Polar or microfleece: is a synthetic fabric made from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It can be made out of recycled PET bottles

- Microfleece is a soft, lightweight, warm and comfortable fabric.

- It is hydrophobic ( it wicks moisture away and keeps baby dry.)

Suede cloth: is a 100% polyester fabric that works similar to microfleece.

- It is hydrophobic ( it wicks moisture away and keeps baby dry.)

- it resists stains better than any other materials.

Microfiber:  is a very thin synthetic faber made from polyesters and polyamides.

- It is breathable and absorbs very quickly.

- It dries very quickly.

 Polyurethane Laminate, or PUL: is a waterproof and breathable fabric.

- PUL is perfect for nappy covers and AI1/AI2 or Pocket nappy outers.

Minky: is a plush, microfiber fabric.

- It is incredibly soft and smooth to the touch.