Why We Didn't Use Bamboo
When I tell people our sleepers are made from TENCEL™ Modal, the first question is almost always: "Oh, like bamboo?"
It's a fair question. Both are silky soft, both are marketed as eco-friendly, and both come from plants. When I was choosing a fabric for Sundays Made, I asked the same thing. The answer turned out to be more interesting than I expected, and it changed how I read every clothing label now.
First: bamboo fabric isn't really bamboo
Bamboo has a great reputation, and some of it is earned. It's often promoted as fast-growing, low-pesticide, antimicrobial and biodegradable. (Competition Bureau Canada)
The catch is what happens between the plant and the pajamas. Canada's Competition Bureau explains that turning bamboo into soft fabric for clothing or bedding takes a lot of chemicals that may harm the environment, and the result is rayon or viscose, which keeps no trace of the bamboo plant or its antimicrobial properties.
That's why, legally, ads and labels for these fabrics have to use terms like "rayon," "viscose," "rayon from bamboo" or "viscose from bamboo," yet they're often sold simply as "bamboo". The Bureau calls misleading eco-claims like this greenwashing and says the practice is against the law.
The Bureau's earlier review made an even more surprising finding: rayon made from bamboo was no more natural or eco-friendly than rayon made from oak and beech trees.
So the plant isn't really the point. A beech tree doesn't make a fabric good any more than a bamboo stalk does. What matters is how the fibre is made, and who makes it.
Why the process matters so much
Viscose-type fibres are made by dissolving plant cellulose and spinning it into new fibres. Done carelessly, that process has a real human and environmental cost.
Investigators from the Changing Markets Foundation visited 10 manufacturing sites in China, India and Indonesia and found severe damage, including water pollution from untreated waste and air pollution. A key chemical in the process, carbon disulphide, has been linked to serious health effects in factory workers, including Parkinsonism, heart attack, stroke and mental illness.
Wood sourcing is another variable. The sustainability of the wood used for viscose differs widely from supplier to supplier.
Most "bamboo" baby clothing doesn't tell you which factory made the fibre, where the plants were grown, or how the chemicals were handled. That's the real problem: not bamboo itself, but how little you're told.
How TENCEL™ Modal is made differently
TENCEL™ Modal is made by Lenzing, an Austrian fibre producer. It isn't made the same way as generic modal or generic viscose.
It's an integrated process. TENCEL™ Modal fibres are made from beech wood through an integrated pulp-to-fibre process that is self-sufficient in energy and recovers co-products from the wood. Lenzing calls this Edelweiss technology. In its words, only at Lenzing do all the environmental parameters come together: pulp and fibre production at a single site, domestic beech wood, recovery of up to 95% of the chemicals used, and purpose-built environmental technologies. performancedaysknittingindustry
The footprint is measured, not guessed. According to the Higg Materials Sustainability Index, TENCEL™ Modal fibre production has at least 50% lower carbon emissions and water consumption than generic modal fibres. tencel
The wood is certified. All the wood used for TENCEL™ Modal comes from certified (FSC® or PEFC) or controlled sources. storyblok
It's independently certified. TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibres hold the EU Ecolabel and OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 Class I, and their wood is sourced in line with FSC® or PEFC standards. fibre2fashion
You can trace it. TENCEL™ fibres carry a molecular marker, an identification technology that confirms they're authentic and traceable even after they've been made into finished textiles. That means a brand can't just claim to use TENCEL™. It can be checked. oliverbonas
What I won't tell you
I care about being straight with you, so here's the nuance.
TENCEL™ Modal still belongs to the viscose family of fibres. Lenzing itself describes it as produced using a modified viscose process. It isn't "chemical-free," and it isn't closed-loop. That term belongs to TENCEL™ Lyocell. The main production method that doesn't release carbon disulphide is the lyocell process. tencel
So TENCEL™ Modal isn't magic. What sets it apart is a high-recovery, integrated process; certified wood; published environmental data; and a fibre you can trace back to one named producer.
Side by side
| "Bamboo" (viscose from bamboo) | TENCEL™ Modal | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Rayon/viscose made from bamboo | Modal made from beech wood |
| Who makes the fibre | Usually not disclosed | Lenzing, named on the label |
| Wood/plant sourcing | Often unknown | FSC® or PEFC certified or controlled |
| Process data | Rarely published | Higg MSI data; ≥50% less carbon & water vs generic modal |
| Certifications | Varies | EU Ecolabel, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 Class I (fibre) |
| Traceable in the garment? | Rarely | Yes, via molecular marker |
How to read a label next time
- Look for the real fibre name. "Viscose from bamboo" is honest. Just "bamboo" is a red flag.
- Look for a named producer. TENCEL™, LENZING™ and similar brands mean someone is accountable for how the fibre was made.
- Look for certifications you can look up. FSC®/PEFC, EU Ecolabel and OEKO-TEX® all have public databases.
- Be wary of health claims. Since bamboo viscose keeps none of the plant's antimicrobial properties, "naturally antibacterial bamboo" on a label should give you pause.
Why we chose TENCEL™ Modal
Our Lulluna™ fabric is 95% TENCEL™ Modal and 5% spandex, and the finished fabric is OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified. I chose it because I wanted something unbelievably soft against my babies' skin. Just as much, I wanted to know exactly where it came from.
Soft is easy to find. Soft you can trace is the part that took the work.
Sources
- Competition Bureau Canada, Don't be bamboozled: the real deal with "bamboo fabric" (2019): canada.ca/en/competition-bureau/news/2019/02/dont-be-bamboozled-the-real-deal-with-bamboo-fabric.html
- CBC News, Bamboo textiles no more 'natural' than rayon: cbc.ca/news/bamboo-textiles-no-more-natural-than-rayon-1.938759
- Changing Markets Foundation, Dirty Fashion report: changingmarkets.org/report/dirty-fashion/
- Ethical Consumer, Campaign: clean viscose: ethicalconsumer.org/fashion-clothing/campaign-clean-viscose
- Lenzing/TENCEL™, TENCEL™ Modal fiber claim proof (2024): tencel.com/images/assets/claims/document/claim-proof-tencel-modal-fiber-snapshot-202410.pdf
- Lenzing/TENCEL™, TENCEL™ brochure 2024: b2b.tencel.com/images/assets/downloads/tencel-brochure-2024.pdf
- Knitting Industry, Lenzing repositions Modal brand: knittingindustry.com/?p=74862