The Wam-bamboo concept:
Wam-bamboos are a looped bamboo shaped terry nappy, with around 90% bamboo and 10% polyester (for the weave). If you haven't yet come across bamboo nappies then it's time to catch up, because bamboo is a great material for nappies: significantly more absorbent than cotton, very environmentally friendly (as it has a short growth cycle and doesn't need the help of pesticides and fertilisers), naturally anti-bacterial and very soft. The Wam-bamboo comes with a separate 3-ply booster layer and is available with plain (for use with nappi nippas or pins) or velcro tabs.
Wambamboo cloth nappies in use:
Ease of use
Wam-bamboos are pretty easy to use, although you may prefer a booster layer that is sewn in (as with Tots Bots' Bamboozle): If you like being able to use the nappy without the booster for an even trimmer fit, for example during the day, then you won't have a problem with a loose booster. However, if you always want to include the booster - and the material is so trim anyway that the booster doesn't really make a great difference in terms of bulk, so we'd be inclined to - then inserting the booster layer each time is a slight extra faff. As with all shaped nappies, you'll need a waterproof nappy cover on top.
Comfort and fit
Wam-bamboo gives a very neat and is cut very trimly on the legs. The crossover tabs are very generous, giving plenty of scope for adjustment, and as the material is so trim you don't get a spare tyre effect around tiny waists. The legs are elasticated in part, and again, there's a generous amount of material here (which will mean the nappy lasts longer) but you can get a good fit on even a very slim baby by folding over the top and fastening with a nappy nippa. Whether you prefer velcro or nappi nippa fastenings is a matter of personal preference, but we do find that the nappi nippa fastening is that bit more adjustable. Adjusting by folding over the material doesn't present a bulk problem at all as the material is so lightweight and trim.
We have to say that the Wam-bamboos are the softest, silkiest nappies we've found so far, even compared to other bamboo nappies. You don't get the same amount of 'crunching' you get when you line-dry cotton terry and the nappy fluffs up beautifully with a brief spin in the drier every now and then.
Containment
The Wam-bamboo gives fantastic absorbency as is for daytime, and with a second bamboo booster easily does a 12-hour night shift with no leaks. There's no problem at all with poop, and while we haven't tested on breastfed explosive poohs, you can get such a good fit with the nappy that we doubt that would be a problem.
Washing and drying
The Wam-bamboos wash really well, although you might find here that a sewn-in booster would be more convenient. While the Wam-bamboos do take a long time to dry compared to most cotton and polyester shaped nappies, they're actually not bad for bamboo, and we're not sure whether that's to do with the 10% polyester or the weave and cut of the cloth. If you use a tumble drier you probably won't notice all that much difference in drying time compared to cotton, but line-drying can take twice as long, which is something you'll need to factor in in terms of number of nappies if you use the Wam-bamboo as your main nappy.
