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This time we are going to talk about the bib, an essential accessory to prevent your baby from staining their clothes at feeding time, or getting their breast wet and catching a cold when they take a bottle.
As it is such a popular product, you can find a wide variety of models, designs, sizes, materials, formats, brands and prices of bibs on the market, adapted to the different stages and needs of your little one.
Throughout this article we will tell you about the main characteristics of bibs, and what aspects you should bear in mind when choosing the right one for your baby. Pay attention to all the details, as they will be of great help to you in making the best purchase choice.
Contents
Summary
- Bibs are pieces of cloth or plastic designed to cover your baby’s chest and prevent them from getting stained while eating, or getting wet when drinking from a bottle. They also prevent the transfer of moisture from their own drool, which can cause them to catch a cold.
- There are different types of bibs, from the more traditional ones with classic children’s designs, to the more modern bandana style. There are also bibs for eating, which are larger and easier to clean, and bibs with sleeves for slightly larger children.
- Among so much choice and variety of bibs, it is important to take into account certain fundamental factors before buying, such as the materials they are made of, the sizes, and the types of fastenings, among other aspects.
The Best Bib: Our Picks
Buying guide
This section is designed to give you a more in-depth knowledge of the product you are interested in buying. That’s why we’ll tell you about the main features of bibs, including their advantages and disadvantages, so you can choose the right one for your baby.
What are bibs and what are their advantages?
The bib is an essential accessory for baby’s meals, especially after the age of 6 months, when the little one starts to incorporate more food and more regularly. This is why this item is a practical and hygienic solution to prevent stains and dirt on clothes.
The main advantage of bibs is that they help you keep your child’s clothes clean, which also saves you the extra effort of having to scrub to remove stubborn stains, such as fruit stains for example, which are often permanently fixed to the fabric.
Traditional, feeding, bandana or sleeved bibs – what should you look out for?
Traditional bibs. These are the classic half-moon shaped bibs, used mainly to contain the baby’s drool. They are mostly used in the stage when the baby starts to cut his teeth and drools a lot and constantly.
These bibs are very important to prevent the baby from wetting his chest and catching a cold, either from his own drool or from the milk. They come in different sizes and models, and the most common fabrics are cotton and towel, which are more absorbent.
Feeding bibs. As their name suggests, they are designed for baby to use while eating and are therefore easier to clean and care for, so they come in plastic-coated materials that make them easier to clean and do not absorb stains.
Bandana bibs. These are more modern bibs, very popular nowadays. The model is similar to traditional bibs, but they are much more original and fashionable, as they have the design of a neckerchief, and come in different patterns and colours.
Bibs with sleeves. These bibs are used by older children who are already eating on their own. They are usually made of plastic, although there are some made of other materials, and they cover the entire back of the child, preventing them from getting stained when eating or doing an activity with paints.
| Traditional | For eating | Bandana | With sleeves | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | varied | big | small or medium | big |
| Shape | half moon | square, rounded, elongated | half moon, scarf type | apron type |
| Material | cotton or towel | plastic, cloth | cloth | plastic |
| Age | small babies | from 6 months | different stages, depending on the model | children from about 2 years old |
Buying criteria: factors that allow you to compare and rate different bibs
In this last section we will talk about the factors you should look at before buying a bib, as it is an accessory with multiple models, designs, sizes, etc., and it can be a bit complicated to choose the right one for your little one among so much variety and assortment.
- Materials
- Zip
- Size
- Cleanliness
- Materials
The materials used for bibs are mainly associated with the specific stage our child is going through. Therefore, you should first evaluate what use they will make of this accessory, and choose the right material based on that, for example:
Fabric. Fabric is the most commonly used material for bibs. The most common are cotton, which has a soft texture and does not cause allergy or skin irritation, and towel bibs, which are a little rougher but very absorbent and effective.
Although cloth bibs are used for different stages, they are generally designed for the first months of a baby’s life, with the aim of absorbing drool and breast or bottle milk. They are usually small, crescent-shaped and flexible.
Plastic. Plastic ones are used when the baby starts to incorporate more foods, apart from milk, and more frequently. It is an easier material to clean, as it only requires a damp cloth to be spotless again; it is also waterproof.
These bibs are rigid or semi-rigid in texture, and wider than cloth bibs (although cloth feeding bibs are also available in smaller quantities). Sometimes they can be a little uncomfortable for little ones, so choose one that is comfortable for your child.
The conclusion is that there is no one material that is better than another, but rather materials that are more or less suitable according to the stage the child is going through. The ideal is that he or she feels comfortable with the bib, and that it does not cause discomfort.
Zip
The fastening is a very important point to take into account, as there are different mechanisms to adjust the bib to the baby’s neck. Below we will describe the most common systems so that you can choose the most suitable one for your child.
Loop. The loop is the most classic and common closure for bibs, based on two cords that are knotted together behind the baby’s neck. It is a very effective system, but you must always make sure that it is neither too tight and hurts the baby, nor too loose and does not cover enough.
Velcro. This system consists of a Velcro fastening at the back of the neck, or at the side. They are easier to put on and take off than ties, in fact children often do it themselves, but they are less tight than ties, and if they are not well fitted they can rub the skin and irritate it.
Snap. The snap fastener is widely used in children’s garments, especially for T-shirts and baby gowns. The best thing about this method is that it does not come undone or loosen, although it tends to break easily when fastened and unfastened regularly, especially if it is not of good quality.
Elastic. There is a one-piece bib model that has an elastic neck through which the baby’s head is inserted. It is a very practical and effective system, as long as it is not too tight around the neck and squeezes the baby’s head.
Size
Another important aspect is the size of the bib, as it must be adapted to the size of the baby’s neck, since if it is too small it will be too tight, and if it is too big it will not cover enough and may stain. It is important to pay attention, because sometimes the difference is imperceptible.
The same goes for the size of the piece of cloth or plastic: if it is too small it will not cover the baby’s whole torso, and if it is too big it will be uncomfortable for the little one. The standard size of a bib is about 16 x 25 cm, depending on the model and function of the bib.
Cleaning
As we mentioned before, it is important that the bib is easy to wash, as babies get them dirty all the time, so the plastic ones have the extra benefit that they do not need to go through the dryer, but the cloth ones do. We will explain how to wash them:
Ideally, if you wash your bib in the washing machine, it should be at a temperature of up to 30 ° and in short cycles, as this will guarantee a deeper clean. Try to use natural products that do not cause allergic reactions and that care for the integrity of the cotton or towel fabrics.
(Featured image photo: dolgachov / 123rf.com)
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