Meet Ali, our founder
Ali started Babu in 2002 after not being able to find the right type of baby bedding she wanted for her son, Jack - nicknamed 'Babu'. Thousands of sheet sets, hooded towels, newborn blankets and mini merino wool hoodies later; Ali is still busy designing, sourcing, and manufacturing.
With a background in wound-care nursing, Ali is a stickler for what can and can’t touch a baby’s skin. If we’ve heard "your skin is your largest organ" in our office once, we’ve heard it 1,000 times. That’s why the natural fibres of organic cotton and merino wool are so important to her. You’ll feel her signature for simple design and superb quality in every Babu product.
Ali pays attention to the small stuff, making sure her products stand the test of time. Longstanding quality is very important to her, so you can feel confident storing your Babu goodies away for your next children, friends, and family- that is, if they haven’t been kept as precious keepsakes.
Above all else, family comes first for Ali and that is carried through here at Babu. Having a community that understands and supports the trials and tribulations of starting a family means so much. When Ali says family comes first, she means it - we are a family here at Babu!
Hers, ours and yours.
- Why choose Babu? (A message from Ali)
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A World of Care
At Babu, kindness matters. Our suppliers are chosen for their commitment to their staff and the environment.
Babu is truly made nicely and with love. From our farmer’s cooperative where we buy our cotton to our team in India who put so much love, care, and skill into everything they do.
At our office in Auckland, your orders get packed, soft toys get hugged, and notes get written before your Babu purchase can start the long journey with you, to share in all the special memories and moments, inside your home and with the families that are closest to you.
Thank you for being part of our Babu family,
Ali x
- Made Nicely
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Solar Powered
Our Organic Cotton facility in India is 100% solar powered and also supplies power to its local community grid.
Solar power is a renewable energy source and doesn’t emit any harmful fossil fuels or greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. It is more efficient than traditional power generation and reduces water consumption and noise pollution.
Carbon Neutral
Beyond being solar powered, our facility is carbon neutral. A carbon neutral factory means all emissions are balanced by carbon removal which results in a net zero carbon impact on our planet.
100% of water used for printing, washing, and producing our garments is recycled and re-used, this ensures no water is wasted or polluting the environment.
Kindness
“Be kind!”, It’s one of the first and most important things we try to teach our children.
Kindness underpins everything we do at Babu- from the suppliers and manufacturers to how we operate in our local Auckland office.
Kindness to people.
All employees here in New Zealand as well as all of our international partners are Freely employed and paid above the living wage. They work in safe and temperature controlled environments that are not locked down.
We are in constant contact with all of our international key team members. We know all of our workers personally, and if you follow along with us you will meet them too.
We purchase cotton from a farmer’s cooperative. A group of local farmers have pulled their land and facilities together to create a communal business in India. Purchasing from the cooperative enables us to support local schools and provide essential bio ovens for cooking and heating in the village.
Kindness to our community.
BabyStart are a charitable trust providing comprehensive care packages to New Zealand babies in challenging circumstances at no cost. Each box contains essential clothing and care items for a baby’s first 100 days. We are proud to be a partner with BabyStart providing warehousing, distribution, and a large proportion of the BabyStart box.
As you know, Babu products do stand the test of time and we have many families out there in need of good quality items for their precious littles. Babu supports many charity initiatives but with our rehoming campaign, we can help match items with people registered needing something specific from our own lists. If you have Babu items with some life still left in them and no-one to 'hand me down' to, we are so happy to be able to do it for you.
Kindness to our environment.
We are committed to using GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) cotton. GOTS is a strict standard that ensures kindness to people and the environment every step of cotton production. Read more in our Organic Cotton section.
We are working to become 100% plastic free. Recycled scrap fabric garment bags and compostable courier bags replace conventional plastic packaging.
- Why Organic Cotton
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Organic cotton is simply better for our planet.
We love that our organic cotton baby clothes are softer, thicker, and smoother than most other baby brands, but that’s not the only reasons we choose GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic cotton. Being a natural fibre, cotton is biodegradable and does not send microfibres out into the ocean that can't be broken down.
Unlike conventional cotton, organic cotton is grown without the use of chemical insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, synthetic fertilizers or defoliates. Healthy soil is maintained through crop rotation. Weeds are removed by hand hoeing and pests are controlled using natural predators, beneficial insects, and trap crops. All seeds are natural, untreated and GMO free.
These sustainable practices used to make Babu’s products ensure our kids can enjoy the planet when they grow up.
Our cotton is certified to GOTS standards. This is the most comprehensive organic standard that not only covers the cotton, but the whole process from ginning, spinning and any colour treatments in the form of prints or dyes. Many other standards are not this extensive. We choose GOTS because it also has employment, fair treatment and workplace standards, which we want for every family around the world.
Organic cotton is soft and amazing for our skin.
All of this to say that the quality of our organic just plain feels good! Once you’ve used the thick interlock cotton of our organic cotton bedding and baby clothing, it’ll be hard to go back to anything less sustainable, ecological and oh, so comfortable!
Grown without chemicals in the form of herbicides, insecticides and GMO, organic cotton has fewer potential allergens making the fabric gentler to your skin, making it perfect for baby's sensitive skin and those suffering from eczema and other skin conditions.
- Why Merino?
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Why do we choose merino wool for babies?
It’s simple really, Merino wool is well known as one of the best quality natural fibres in the world. It is renewable, biodegradable and has unique moisture wicking and temperature regulating properties. It has been clothing humanity since 10,000 BCE and is more in demand in our modern society than ever before. Merino wool ticks all the boxes, making it the perfect choice for those seeking environmentally friendly clothing as well as those wanting soft, warm and luxurious garments.
Merino wool regulates temperature.
Merino is highly recommended for babies due to this quality as infants are less able to regulate their own body temperature. Merino protects your baby from temperature extremes due to its superb ability to insulate and breathe at the same time.
The insulation merino wool provides has made wool synonymous with warmth for hundreds of years. Having a natural crimp in the fibre gives merino its insulation and breathability super-powers. Stay warm in winter and cool in summer. Who could ask for more?
Synthetic fibres trap moisture and humidity of sweat, first causing overheating, then causing a cool chill to come over your body. Thanks to merino wool’s crimped fibre, the moisture is wicked away and the heat trapped so you stay the right temperature all the time.
Merino wool is breathable.
Scientists call breathability “moisture buffering” and this term refers to how well a fabric absorbs the moisture vapour from the microenvironment above the skin. Fabrics with good breathability remove this sweat from direct contact with your skin so you do not feel clammy or uncomfortable. It is highly recommended for babies clothing because of its unique properties, especially since new studies show merino wool helps you get to sleep faster and stay asleep longer. We now how much every new parent needs this in their lives.
How do I care for merino?
With the amount of washing a baby creates, along with our busy lifestyles as parents, we are all interested in having garments that are easy to care for. Merino fibres have a natural protective layer that helps to repel stains and odours from being absorbed, this means the fabric doesn't need to be washed as often as its synthetic counterparts.
Merino wool is less prone to static, and it attracts fewer dust mites than synthetic fabrics, so it’s perfect for any family member suffering from allergies. Plus, the silky component of merino wool is ideal for those with skin irritations who have had to say no to wool in the past.
Machine washable, means you spend less time in the laundry and more with your family. However, soaking wool is not advised because it will deteriorate the fibre. Please do not soak your precious Babu merino!
Merino is naturally elastic and stretches with the wearer, returning to its natural shape afterwards. This makes it perfect for growing babies too.
