27 June 2026 · Veronica Chi
Business & Product Director · Mother of two
Why Use Bamboo Towels for Bathtime
Baby towels are sold on plushness, and plushness is close to the wrong property for a bathroom in Singapore.
What makes bamboo towels softer than cotton?
The fibre is extruded as a smooth round filament where cotton is a flattened twisted ribbon, so there's less friction at the point of contact. On a newborn, whose skin is thinner than yours and whose barrier is still forming, that's a real difference.
It counts most at the moment of drying, which is where towels do their damage. Patting, never rubbing, outranks any fabric choice, because rubbing is the mechanism that turns a warm damp fold into a red one, and a softer towel simply gives you more margin when you're tired and moving fast. How much margin I haven't checked, only that I noticed the difference.
Are bamboo towels more absorbent?
Yes, modestly, and the more interesting question is what happens next.
Bamboo viscose takes up a good deal of water. It also releases it readily, which is the property that counts here, because a towel that absorbs beautifully and then stays wet is a worse towel in this climate than one that absorbs adequately and dries by teatime.
Absorbency claims in this category are routinely inflated. A thick towel takes more water because there's more of it, and that has nothing to do with the fibre. Compare like weights (grams per square metre) before you believe a number.
The rest of bath time
Why quick-drying counts so much in Singapore
Because a towel here has to dry in air that's already saturated, and most baby towels are designed for countries where that isn't the problem. A plush 600gsm hooded towel in a flat at eighty per cent humidity will still be damp the next evening, damp cloth grows things, it'll smell within a couple of days, and a towel that smells is going onto your baby's face. This is the most common complaint I hear about towels here and it's a specification problem. Buy lighter than you think. A thinner bamboo or muslin towel dries between baths, and since a newborn is bathed two or three times a week you'll get a properly dry towel every time. Hang it spread out, wash at sixty degrees where the label allows, skip fabric softener because it coats the fibre and reduces absorbency, and own three so nothing is used damp.
Choosing one that lasts
Four things to check, in the order I'd weigh them.
- Weight. Lighter is better here. Anything marketed as extra-plush is designed for a temperate bathroom.
- OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, Product Class I, which is the class for articles intended for babies and toddlers and has the strictest limits on substances.
- Construction at the edges. Hems and hood seams are where a towel fails first, and a rolled double-stitched hem outlasts an overlocked one by a wide margin.
- The hood. It's handy for the first months for keeping heat in on the way out of the bath, and it isn't necessary. A plain rectangle does the same job.
The version I'd give a friend: get the room warm and have the towel open and waiting before she comes out, because the exit is where a calm bath turns into a screaming one. That costs nothing and it does more than upgrading the towel.
On the specifics
Are bamboo towels good for babies?
Yes. Bamboo towelling is softer and more absorbent than most cotton, gentle on thin newborn skin, and quick-drying, which keeps it fresher in humid climates.
Why do baby towels have hoods?
Babies lose heat fastest through the head. A hood keeps warmth in from the moment baby leaves the water, so they stay calm while you dry them.
How many baby towels do I need?
Two or three works well: one in use, one drying or in the wash, and a spare for travel or swimming.
How should I wash bamboo towels?
Machine wash cool or warm with mild detergent, avoid fabric softener and bleach, and line dry. Bamboo gets softer with washing.
Sources
This guide is general information, written to help you understand a topic and ask better questions. It is not medical advice and does not replace your own doctor, midwife or paediatrician. Anything that worries you about your baby belongs with them.