Bamboo tableware is gaining popularity among parents who wish to provide their children with safe, long-lasting, environmentally friendly options. Families who care about the environment will find this natural material to be a great alternative to plastic and other conventional tableware.
Bamboo is popular among parents because it’s lightweight, easily cleaned, and usually devoid of dangerous chemicals like BPA. Bamboo tableware is convenient for daily use, whether at home or on the go, thanks to these features. However, bamboo dishes have advantages and disadvantages that should be taken into account, just like any product.
This post will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of bamboo tableware for kids and provide practical advice on selecting the best set for your child. Knowing the important considerations will help you make the best choice, regardless of whether you’re new to eco-friendly products or simply searching for safer options for mealtime.
| Pros | Cons |
| Eco-friendly and biodegradable | Less durable than plastic or metal |
| Lightweight and easy for children to handle | Can crack if dropped |
| Free from harmful chemicals like BPA | Not microwave or dishwasher safe |
| Stylish and available in fun designs | May absorb stains and odors over time |
Features of production
It should be noted that bamboo sets are not only for children – they are often made for adults. In fact, initially plates made of bamboo fibers were intended specifically for those adults who would like to count on the advantages that will be discussed below. Modern sets for children differ only in smaller sizes and a more attractive infantile design. In order to obtain any kitchen product, bamboo wood is first cleaned of bark and ground to a powdery state. Food coloring of any shade can be mixed into the resulting mass – this allows you to individualize the future product. Then a mixture of wood and dye is sent to a press, inside which the mass under the influence of high temperatures is also baked. In the modern world, many bamboo plates are additionally coated with food varnish.
If you believe the manufacturers, this type of coating is completely safe for anyone to use at any age, but occasionally it’s best to be cautious and avoid using dubious varnishes when selecting dishes that are friendly to the environment.
Children’s bamboo tableware is becoming more and more popular as a safer and more sustainable option to plastic because of its lightweight design, durability, and eco-friendliness. But it’s crucial to take into account possible disadvantages like limited microwave use and wear over time. When selecting bamboo tableware, parents should seek out high-quality items that are easy to clean, devoid of dangerous chemicals, and the right size for their child’s needs, taking into account the effects on the environment, practicality, and safety.
Advantages and disadvantages
- cost – although bamboo does not grow in our country, dishes made from it are still cheaper than porcelain and even glass analogues;
- variability of colors and shapes – contrary to stereotypes, such a product will not necessarily have a wood color, and the powder form of the raw material helps to give the thing any shape;
- weight – bamboo dishes will seem almost weightless to an unfamiliar person, therefore such a souvenir is very popular after a vacation in Southeast Asia: there are no problems with transporting it;
- strength – Despite the apparent fragility, the product turns out to be surprisingly durable and reliable: bamboo fibers in nature are very strong, and hot pressing literally “sparses back” powder;
- eco-friendliness – in this regard, bamboo is much better than conventional plastic, because it is 100% made of natural raw materials.
Toxins won’t enter the child’s body, he will be able to hold a plate in the air with ease, and an accidently overturned dish won’t shatter thanks to this solution.
Even with all the benefits, there are still enough drawbacks; in fact, it’s likely these that keep bamboo dishes from taking over the global market.
- Unlike most other materials, bamboo does not require a specific method of care and maintenance. For example, some manufacturers allow washing in a dishwasher, while others set much stricter conditions, not even allowing a hard sponge and hot water. Imagine that you have to wash the dishes according to the instructions, and they may not be at hand. Of course, you can just wash such plates by hand, with a soft sponge in warm water, just in case, but for some people following such strict conditions may seem like an overly complicated procedure.
- Natural material is not suitable for extreme temperatures that it does not encounter in natural conditions, and it is not from our latitudes, but from the warm south. For this reason, for example, temperatures below 20 degrees are deadly for any bamboo plate – it will simply crumble if you go out onto the balcony with it on a cold winter night to taste New Year"s Olivier salad. In addition, not all products of this type are suitable for heating anything in a microwave. You can also find opposite reviews, which say that such a procedure does not harm natural dishes at all, but this is at your own risk.
- In some cases, environmentally friendly origin has an extremely negative effect on the durability of the dish in certain conditionsх. There are known cases when a plate, for some reason soaked in water for two days, began to decompose rapidly, so that questions arise about their durability. True, you can also find opposite comments, where users say that they have not observed anything like this, but apparently manufacturers simply organize the production of such products differently.
Because of this, a well-behaved child who wants to demonstrate their independence by washing a bamboo plate could easily damage it if they don’t follow the care instructions. The opposite can also occur: the baby may toss the dish into the sink without realizing that it will eventually start to break down. Another drawback for the mother is that it’s dangerous to reheat the soup in the same container if the child hasn’t finished it, which means you’ll have to wash another bowl.
Features of choice
Whole sets of bamboo dishes are frequently made specifically for kids, and they vary in general from one another in a way that is typical of children’s art: they can mimic owls, bees, hippos, ladybugs, or any other kind of animal. Selecting a set of dishes is more cost-effective and useful as it typically comes with a handy bowl, a tray-plate, a cup, and even a fork and spoon.
Keep in mind that the child should enjoy his dishes because, to them, appearance is just as important as functionality. It makes sense to ask the future owner about the design he would like to see in order to ensure that the baby is happy with the new purchase, takes pride in it, and treats it with care. Selecting dishes with a girlish style for boys and a boyish design for girls is inappropriate.
Although bamboo dishes are hailed for being environmentally friendly, as we have mentioned, this is not a uniform product; rather, it depends on the producer and his honesty. The environmental friendliness of the primary raw material is lost when the varnish used to coat the pressed bamboo powder turns out to be toxic in and of itself. You can, of course, take the seller at his word on this, but it’s a good idea to double check if you’re specifically looking for dishes that don’t harm the environment.
The retailer should, at the very least, be prepared to display quality certificates as proof that the product is indeed as safe as claimed by a reliable testing body.
Remember that selecting dishes for a child involves more considerations than just safety and aesthetics. The majority of bamboo products are said to be smooth and pleasant to the touch, but keep in mind that they are still made of wood. Any crack or flaw in the press’s shape could ruin the dish’s appearance, and if it has a sharp edge, it would be easy to cut oneself on it.
Not only is this an unpleasant experience in and of itself, but after this the child might abruptly lose interest in his new dishes. If you purchased it with the intention of helping the baby learn to eat on their own as soon as possible, then this kind of thing has the potential to severely undermine all of your earlier successes.
Psychologists point out that you should consider the child’s behavior when selecting the dish’s shade. It has long been understood that muted colors calm, while bright colors encourage activity.
It turns out that the baby should select dishes with less vibrant pictures if he is overly lively even at the table. Beautiful images, on the other hand, help babies who don’t eat well by stimulating their imagination, motor skills, and appetite. Oppositely, children who overindulge in food and start to experience obesity do not require this kind of design.
Bamboo tableware is a popular option for parents who value sustainability because it provides an eco-friendly substitute for plastic. It is practical and secure for daily use because of its lightweight design, robust construction, and natural material.
Nonetheless, it’s critical to take into account any potential drawbacks. Dishes made of bamboo might not be as heat-resistant as dishes made of other materials, and some might have additional glues or resins that should be avoided. To guarantee safety, parents should constantly look for quality certifications.
Give FDA-approved and BPA-free bamboo tableware top priority when making your selection. To get your child to look forward to mealtimes, look for designs that are both useful and visually appealing.
