Nerd facts about mesh fabric

Nerd: “A person who is deeply interested in a particular subject.” There’s nothing a nerd likes better than detailed decriptions and technical specifications. We’re lucky enough to have a couple of nerds at BABYBJÖRN who are deeply interested in materials science.

A detailed fact sheet won’t enhance the quality of a baby product. But the more you learn, the easier it is for you to make the right choice. You may appreciate your choice of baby carrier even more if you know a few ‘nerdy’ facts about the material we use. Let textile guru Lisen at BABYBJÖRN be your guide!

It all started with a damp patch

The year is 2005 and BABYBJÖRN is letting some families with young children test baby carriers in mesh fabric. The positive reactions from the parents come instantly: “No more damp patches on our fronts!”

Closeness – the most wonderful aspect of carrying your baby – also means the combined body heat from you and your baby may deter you from carrying. It can easily get too warm.

There are countries where the combination of hot and damp climate, body heat and closely woven fabric poses a real overheating problem. In extreme cases, your child may feel unwell and show signs of heatstroke.

Heatstroke occurs when the body’s ability to control its temperature doesn’t work, e.g. during a heatwave. Young babies normally haven’t developed the ability to sweat and this makes them especially susceptible to heat.

None of the mesh fabrics available in 2005 were soft enough for babies. Mesh fabric was mainly used for protective and sports clothing, as well as healthcare products. So we had a soft version, perfect for babies, made especially for us: a soft, 3D mesh. And this was how it all began.

Then we created the perfect sandwich

BABYBJÖRN uses three different types of mesh fabric in its baby carriers. They have different characteristics that complement each other in terms of elasticity, softness and stability. All three kinds are quick-drying, durable, colourfast and creaseproof. And they contain no allergens.

But what makes our mesh fabrics so unique is that they’re soft and child-friendly, yet they allow air and moisture to pass through. Every movement you make with your child in the baby carrier cools you both down. Breathable mesh fabrics!

Our sophisticated 3D mesh

The 3D mesh is the most sophisticated of our mesh fabrics. It consists of three layers knitted in one single process. Yes, the mesh is actually knitted!

The 3D mesh is like a classic sandwich: a top and bottom layer with a filling. But in our sandwich, the ‘bread’ consists of a thin mesh and the ‘filling’ is an extremely fine single-strand fibre. The result is light, airy and soft!

Lamination is another method you can use to join different layers together. But if the layers were laminated instead of knitted, the end result would be more like a very old and dry sandwich: harder, stiffer and much less airy.

It’s the single-strand fibre in the middle layer that makes the mesh so cosy and the knitting technique that makes it so airy. Just feel Baby Carrier We Air – the material is soft and bouncy like a mini mattress!

Soft mesh – for the baby’s sake

Our smoothest kind is a super-soft mesh fabric. Babies have delicate skins; they tend to suck and chew on most things around them. These two considerations make it essential that the material is as soft as possible for baby cheeks and tiny mouths.

So we use a super-soft mesh fabric for areas next to the baby’s skin in our baby carriers.

Non-elastic mesh that’s durable

The third kind of mesh fabric we use is a non-elastic mesh. Non-elastic mesh provides the necessary stability. We use it as the outer fabric on all our mesh baby carriers.

This is a soft and thin, but extremely durable material, which is also used as furnishing fabric. Its durability helps it withstand wear and tear and daily use!