Comfy cotton

Cotton has a long history and if you buy organic cotton or cotton fleece you can be sure that your baby's blankets were made without using earth-damaging chemicals. Not only that, it's reassuring to think that the cloth from which the blanket is made is free from any chemical residues.

If you are opting for a coloured blanket you will want to source ones which are dyed using safe and eco-friendly dyes, particularly non-synthetic and azo-free dyes. Organic cotton can be a superb choice of baby blanket material and there is plenty of variety to choose from.

Cotton comes in many forms - cotton terry towelling, cotton jersey, cotton fleece and brushed cotton are popular types which are all suitable for blankets, either alone or in combination with other materials. One of the advantages of cotton is that it is and easy to clean - just pop it into a normal wash. Cotton is also generally relatively cheap.

However cotton products can need tumble drying and softeners to get that fluffy bounce back into the fibres. One green solution is to add a cupful of vinegar to the last rinse cycle.

Drying in a tumble drier with a drier ball also will help some. If you like to line-dry your baby blankets you will get better results if you dry cottons in the shade. See Laundry tips for more greener laundry ideas.

The wool & organic cotton comforter shown in the illustration, above, is a quality item from Green Nest which should last through years of use.

Supersoft newborn blanket from New Organic

Amazon has a fairly extensive collection of organic baby blankets, including this Miracle Baby Swaddling Blanket which apparently lives up to its name! Cotton fleece is fairly soft and lightweight and quite desirable as a cuddly baby blanket material. It may need a more careful approach to washing and drying than other cottons. A low temperature "woollen" wash cycle is sometimes recommended. Cotton fleece may also suffer from fluffing and pilling.

Brilliant bamboo

Bamboo is one of the most earth-friendly materials. It grows amazingly fast - up to a metre a day - and it requires very little by way of farming inputs. The resultant cloth is exceptionally soft and snuggly and - it gets better - it gets even softer the more you wash it! Because it is breathable, antibacterial and hypo-allergenic it tends to stay fresh for longer than other fabrics - meaning that you probably won't even need to wash it quite so often (barring spills, of course).

It's only real downsides as a baby blanket material, from the view point of parents, are that it can be a little slow to dry. And some parents find that the material, (when used in such products as the Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe ), tends to stretch a little more than wanted. This should not be a problem with more conventional baby blankets made from bamboo. You can get organic bamboo blankets from several on-line suppliers, including Amazon. It is sometimes mixed with other fibres, such as silk. Personally, I'm very impresses with bamboo as a material. Yes, it does take a little longer to dry - but the additional softness makes it worth it. Bamboo is a good choice if there is a history of allergies in your family. As it is hypo-allergenic and naturally resistant to moulds and other pathogens and highly breathable, as well as warm and snuggly, you will be giving your baby the best of all worlds.

Snuggly Polar Fleece

Polyester "Polar" fleece blankets are warm, lightweight and very snuggly. Some are now made from recycled bottles (PET) and other plastics so they are quite environmentally sound. They also last extremely well if you take good care of them and at the end of their useful life you can recycle them as cleaning cloths! They wash well and are hydrophobic - meaning that they do not soak up water easily. This also means that they have great breathable qualities - good for warmer conditions when your baby or child may perspire. Yet they are light and warm in chilly conditions too. A low temperature wash is all that's needed usually. Fleece dries quickly and does not need ironing. Fleece does tend to pick up dust, fluff and hairs because it easily picks up a static charge, so it can look a little scruffy. Fleece is comparatively light - wool is generally much heavier, for example. Most authorities now advise parents to use lightweight blankets to reduce the risk of cot death.