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Just been for a short 2 mile run using a bamboo/cotton tee as a base layer and was pleasantly surprised by how well it wicked. However, it was still a bit clammy when I took it off and it felt like damp cotton, not in a good way.
Has anyone worn one while riding/running/something else active for a decent length of time? And what are your thoughts?
Bought a couple of the BAM lighter weight ("Air") ones for playing football in - same as you, comfortable, but could wring the thing out after. Very unsightly. Poly is better.
(Salomon have some lovely poly ones in the sale at the mo btw)
As above. Feel nice but get a bit damp when you sweat. Much better off with a tech fabric base layer. Good for casual wear, not so much for sport.
What does "bamboo" mean? Not being facetious - I have some "bamboo"/cotton base layers, but they are made of polypropylene that has been made from processing of bamboo so are no different to any other mixed cotton/PP garment. The cotton makes them comfortable but reduces the wicking effect, the PP doesn't know whether it came from sustainable bamboo or dead dinosaur.
I have a few different bamboo tops and each brand performs very differently. I guess it depends on the blend of bamboo and other materials.
Ditto for me. Found they held on to their water. When back to poly.
Same as DezB, bought one out of interest to see what they're like, and the result was; they're like a regular tee shirt only a bit nicer feel. I'm sticking to Merino for walking and so on and poly for MTB and running.
What does “bamboo” mean?
From BAM website:
Our BAM fabrics are made with at least 68% bamboo viscose, which ensures the natural properties of bamboo are also the properties of our BAM fabrics.
We normally mix the bamboo viscose with 28% cotton or organic cotton – to prevent the fabric from piling (bobbling) – and 4% elastane – to ensure the fabric has a little ‘give’ while retaining its shape.
The BAM fabric for socks, however, is made with 78% bamboo plus 20% polyamide and 2% elastane, to ensure just enough stretch and strength.
It's basically Viscose/rayon made from cellulose derived from bamboo. I guess its not as good at wicking as Merino or polypropelene, I've only tried the socks which are nice to put on after running/walking, but seem to get a bit clammy when you're active. I get the impression its a bit of a marketing triumph.
beat me to it Dezb...
my bamboo stuff is lovely and soft, wouldn't say it's as wicking as a proper synthetic base layer (like a smelly helly)
IME bamboo wicks like a wet towel. It makes nice soft casual t-shirts though. Polypropylene works the best for wicking because it dries quickly. Merino just stays soggy, it's OK when you are still moving but gets chilly quickly once you stop.
Bamboo clothing seems a very clever bit of marketing of Viscose. I'm guessing better made from fast growing bamboo than slow growing trees but Wikipedia seems to think other raw materials can be soy or sugar beet not necessarily any worse than bamboo sourced.
one of the Bamboo selling points is anti-pong
"Our BAM fabrics are made with at least 68% bamboo viscose, which ensures the natural properties of bamboo are also the properties of our BAM fabrics."
Sounds a bit like homeopathy to me - what does "natural properties" even mean? As above, it's clever eco-fluff marketing for what is ultimately a generic material.
"one of the Bamboo selling points is anti-pong"
Because it's viscose and not polypropylene that Smelly Hansen use? Or some intrinsic property of bamboo which is somehow retained when it's been processed into a plastic thread? Think my bamboo baselayers went in a charity bag due to them being the worst of all worlds - not as warm or comfortable as merino when dry, didn't wick as well as other synthetics when damp.
Similar to merino wool in my experience. Leaves one feeling damp.
Like the bamboo for walking or doing mildly active stuff, can’t wear merino- I get really itchy.
i have been wearing a craft cool mesh vest under my base layer in the freezing weather with a winter jacket, it allows the moisture to pass through the next layer really well.
Tried bamboo and all other varieties of baselayers and always had the soggy results detailed above. Had these recommended and never looked back. Never too hot or cold and brilliant value. (Good old Northern company as well)
Bought the hype and tried some BAM skids hoping for a wicking non rucking unpadded layer below baggies for longer rides. Useless on the bike, got damp and sore, so back to bib nappies.
OK, that seems like a pretty unanimous verdict!
All that said - I won't wear any other boxers but BAM ones. Marketing fluff it may be, but not found anything else as comfortable on my precious goolies.
not as warm or comfortable as merino when dry, didn’t wick as well as other synthetics when damp.
I think it's best treated as an alternative to Cotton for non-performance use. Seems to make T-shirts and socks that are nice to wear.
What does “bamboo” mean? Not being facetious –
one of the Bamboo selling points is anti-pong
'Bamboo' is just Rayon. Rayon is a plastic that can have any vegetable cellulose as a start point - then theres lots of nasty chemicals - then you have Rayon.
The marketeers of 'Bamboo' clothing are guilty of of associating all sorts of property with the fabric that comes out of that process that are only really true of the material that goes in (antibacterial, wicking properties etc- they make claims that are true of the raw material not of the actual product)
Theres no quality of the bamboo plant as a start point that sets Rayon made with bamboo apart from Rayon made with any other source of cellulose - other than the farming of bamboo itself is perhaps a bit more sustainable than other materials - but given that Rayon can be made from pretty much any old thing theres no need for it to be made from any kind of virgin crop - you could make it from sawdust, straw, vegetable husks and stalks etc. Regardless of the start point the processing is pretty nasty though - for the environment broadly and the people in the factory more specifically.
The result of all that is - 'quite comfy thsirts' and 'quite comfy socks' which take twice as long as cotton to dry on the washing line - often both with a bunch of lies printed on rustic looking swing ticket to encourage you to pay £20 socks made from fabric thats more commonly used as a cheap substitute for cotton.
The upside... we get the wear the fabrics our mums wore without feeling weird about it.
I knew there are a few ways of making bamboo clothing, some of which were less friendly than others.
This made for a quick, interesting read: https://rapanuiclothing.com/bamboo-clothing/
So essentially a 'bamboo' tee is a sort of more natural polycotton. Good to know.
Got a couple of Bamboo T-shirts, ok for a while but actually started to smell a bit.
On the other hand the bamboo padded under shorts I got from Madison have been grand.