Category Archives: Bamboo

Bamboo. Bamboo cotton. Bamboo rayon (viscose). Bamboo lyocell. Bamboo linen. As you might be able to tell, navigating the world of bamboo fabric can be tricky, but don’t worry, we’ve done all the hard work for you.

After what seemed like an eternity of research, we at After Tan Co decided to move away from traditional fabrics for our collection and gear ourselves toward that of bamboo. The reason for this was that we wanted to create a complete collection that catered for every single part of your tan plan in the most comfortable, practical and fashionable possible. Bamboo has helped us achieve this and here’s why.

Our products are made with a custom blend of bamboo and cotton. The bamboo keeps the fabric soft and light, whilst the cotton provides strength and durability. Our thinking was that durable and silky smooth clothing and bedding was a no brainer!

So here’s your crash course in the gorgeous and luxurious fabric that is bamboo.

There are currently four varieties of bamboo fabric on the market.

ONE: 100% Bamboo Rayon (Viscose)

Currently, the majority of bamboo sheets on the market are made of this. Some characteristics of this fabric are its silky smooth texture, its high absorbency and its non-resistance to wrinkling – so you’ll need to make sure you keep that iron handy! Also, a word of warning, there are so many different processes for creating this form of fabric, with some coming nowhere near to being considered eco-friendly. Ensure that you buy from manufacturers with strict ethical and eco-conscious policies and procedures. Often, serious environmental damage results from the improper disposal of chemical waste that is produced throughout the manufacturing process. We didn’t want to take the risk here.

TWO: 100% Bamboo Lyocell

This fabric certainly ranks higher than 100% Bamboo Rayon in terms of its eco-friendly production methods and its strength. It has all the properties of bamboo that we love, such as the ability to regulate body temperature, prevent growth of bacteria, protect the skin from irritation and maintain water balance. But we felt this preparation of bamboo fabric provided an absorbency rate that was a little too high – we’d rather keep the fake tan on you rather than absorbed into your sheets!

THREE: Bamboo blend with cotton         

This is where we feel you get the best of both worlds. You get the strength and durability from the cotton and then the wonderful antimicrobial and silky smooth properties that bamboo brings to the table. Yes a bamboo cotton blend won’t be exactly as silky as the aforementioned bamboo materials, but it gets pretty darn close we can tell you that! We have ensured that our manufactures are eco-friendly and treat this beautiful plant and the resulting product with upmost respect. Bamboo is not only wonderful for us as a fabric; holding the title as the world’s fastest growing grass it is also extremely beneficial for the environment by way of absorbing greenhouse gasses, producing very little waste and doesn’t require fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides.

FOUR: Bamboo linen

As for this final preparation of bamboo fabric, bamboo linen just didn’t stack up for us. Although sustainable, it is not very soft and wrinkles very easily. We have found that you need to spend a lot of time dedicated to keeping your bamboo linen at its best. It requires CONTINOUS ironing after washing and this is something we didn’t want to have to burden you with!

So what are you waiting for – check out our collection today, you won’t regret it.

Let’s get social!

@aftertanco