Frequently Asked Questions

We don’t have any of our own shops. However there are a few independent retailers in the UK and Europe that we have started working with, mainly selling socks, and mostly online.

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.

We recommend to wash your BAM garments on a normal 40° cycle on your washing machine with similar coloured garments.

For longevity we recommend not to tumble dry your garments, not to dry clean them, not to bleach and if they need ironing do so on a medium heat.

To preserve the moisture wicking feature, don’t use any fabric conditioners. However, over a long period with constant washing, some of the natural properties, such as the anti-bacterial nature of the fabric, are likely to diminish.

Generally no, with the exception of our heavier weight sweat fabric.

We have cut these garments a little bigger to allow for the 5% shinkage which occurs. These garments include sweat pants and hoodies. We recommend not to tumble dry and lay them on a flat surface to air dry.

The Moso, or phyllostachys pubescens, bamboo that we use for BAM fabrics currently comes from the Yunnan Province in China. Initially bamboo was used for building, but in 2001 Beijing University discovered how to use bamboo to make textiles.

Bamboo happens to be the fasting growing grass on the planet, growing about a metre each day and spreading rapidly over large areas. The bamboo used for our fabric is planted and grown as a crop – in addition to the naturally growing bamboo that pandas live amongst and eat.

No – bamboo thrives naturally without using any pesticides or fertilizers. In fact, as the bamboo grows it absorbs greenhouse gases.

Making the bamboo fabric does currently involve a chemical process – multi-phase bleaching, which uses caustic soda. However, research is ongoing to try and find other ways of carrying out this process with less harmful chemicals, and ideally without using any chemicals at all.

We use the lowest impact dyes that are available. All the dyes used in our fabrics meet the European standard Oeko-tex (an independent testing and certification system that ensures harmful substances are not used in the manufacture of textiles) and the dying is carried out in a European dye house.

Our fabrics are dyed on the roll, before being transported to our garment manufacturers for cutting and sewing.

The environmental benefits of using bamboo are an added bonus to the benefits wearing our clothing brings to our customers. However, as a company BAM believes that we should do all we can to help minimise the impact our business has on the environment.

We are continually looking at ways in which we can continue to offer an exceptional service to our customers while being mindful of the environment and adhering to the international standard for environmental management, ISO14000, and for quality, ISO9000, as well as only working with Oeko-tex and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certificated suppliers.

In addition, we continue to support the research and development initiatives of our bamboo partner in China.

The BAM ethos is that we want to be successful, and that we want all our partners and customers to benefit from our success too. So we have developed good working relationships with all our suppliers.

For example, our Turkish garment manufacturers exceed the Social Accountability International SA8000 criteria, which is based on acceptable working practices outlined by the International Labour Organisation conventions, the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

We ensure, through regular communication and contact, that our suppliers are paying their staff above the national minimum wages and offering good working conditions.

There are many natural properties of bamboo that make it an amazing textile for clothing, not least its durability yet softness.

There is scientific evidence to support some of these properties, most of which are also self-evident to the wearer.

For more information, please refer to our Bamboo Facts page.

We have had our regular BAM T-shirt fabric tested for UV protection, the regular 160gms fabric that is 68% bamboo viscose, 28% organic cotton and 4% elastane, to ensure it meets the legal requirements in Europe (BS EN 13758-2 European Standard for the Classification and Making of UV Protective Apparel).

Based on these independent tests, we are able to claim the maximum ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 40+, which means the BAM fabric blocks out at least 97.5% of the harmful rays.

Testing was carried out in 2014 by SGS, a leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company.

So long as you follow the instructions provided for your BAM clothing, then the natural properties will be retained for longer.

We advise that you don’t wash your BAM clothing at any more than 40 degrees and don’t use a tumble drier.

To preserve the moisture wicking feature, don’t use any fabric conditioners. However, over a long period with constant washing, some of the natural properties, such as the anti-bacterial nature of the fabric, are likely to diminish.