Benefits of Cloth vs Plastic Bibs
Cloth vs Plastic Bibs – Which Bib is Best for Your Little Ones
Your parents likely used a standard cloth bib while growing up. This simple piece of fabric was and still is the most effective method of keeping your little one’s adorable outfits clean while having lunch.
Baby bibs are simple in design – a cloth or towel like a garment that goes around the neck of a baby and secured by back snap button closure.
Along with baby onesies bodysuits, bottles, and blankets bibs are essential that every parent needs.
Cloth baby bibs are very useful at preventing stains and will continue to be a standard in every baby bag. There are a few more bib types that have been created to make the cleanup process easy.
The plastic baby bibs have decreased the cleanup time and provide a longer-lasting product.
Before you declare the plastic bib a winner, let’s go over the pros & cons of both a cloth vs plastic baby bib.
Cloth Baby Bibs
Pros
Standard cloth baby bibs are typically made out of 100% cotton fabric or other soft material such as a blend of polyester and cotton. These cloth bibs are durable, soft, and comfortable for babies to wear for long periods of time.
Since the bib is made from a soft fabric, there is no irritation around the baby’s neck during mealtime, meaning your baby is less likely he/she will try to pull the bib off while eating. Cloth bibs can easily be folded and stored in small compartments and double as a drool bib throughout the day.
Cons
As great as a 100% cotton cloth bib might be, there are limitations. Many of these fabric bibs can only be used so many times before they require cleaning.
Machine washing may seem like the best cleaning method, but many wash cycles and use can weaken the fabric causing it to fall apart. Hand-washing is recommended, but this adds time to your clean up process.
Plastic Bibs
Now that we know the benefits and disadvantages of a cloth bib, let’s take a look at why parents might choose a plastic bib over a traditional cloth bib.
Pros
Parents truly love how easy plastic bibs are to clean; simply wipe, rinse and they are ready for the next meal. Plastic bibs are available in two styles; standard plain plastic bib and plastic bib with a bottom pocket. These pockets help catch any food and spills from landing on your little one’s lap and the nice clean floor.
These types of bibs give you the peace of mind knowing that your baby will be able to chow down without making a mess.
Cons
Plastic bibs are known for causing irritation along a baby’s neck resulting in a rash. This irritation can cause your little on to make an unnecessary mess trying to take off the bib.
Before purchasing a plastic bib it is important to know the material used to make the bib. Babies have very sensitive skin or may be allergic to different types of plastic material.
Choosing the Best Bib for Your Little One
We have looked at the differences between cloth and plastic bibs. It is up to you to decide on the best bib for your baby. Factors to take into consideration before purchasing a bib are comfort, durability, ease of cleaning and of course style and design. Retail stores carry a large variety of bibs in different styles, material, design and intended use.
Experienced parents, we would love to hear what type of bib you settled on and why? We hope you enjoyed this post and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.