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Two bibs in one. Each has a print on one face and a plain colour on the other, so it turns over when the front gets marked rather than going straight in the wash basket. On a day out that is the difference between packing three and packing two.

It is built from four layers of cotton gauze rather than a single cloth, which is where the absorbency comes from. It fastens with press studs at the back of the neck, and covers the chest and throat on a cold walk.

What you get

One reversible bandana bib in the combination you select. Sold singly, not as a multipack — most people keep several in rotation.

Product details

• Format: triangular bandana bib, worn point-down at the front
• Construction: four layers of cotton gauze, printed one side and plain the other
• Fastening: press studs at the back of the neck
• Not in the design: no waterproof backing, nothing detachable
• Weight: approximately 35g
• Plain pairings: Pink and White, Mustard and Khaki, Sky Blue and Navy, Purple and Dusty Pink, Pea Green and Light Blue, Army Green and Dark Khaki
• Printed pairings: Cream Bear and Mustard, Bear Face and Khaki, Star and Moon with Grey Blue, Colour Dots and Dusty Pink, Little Rainbow and Brick Red, Stars and Dark Khaki, Lemon and Pea Green, White Rainbow and Mustard, Black Leopard and Khaki

Fabric and safety

Four layers is the specification that matters. A single layer of gauze wets through almost immediately and passes damp to whatever is underneath. Four layers let moisture spread sideways through the fibres before it works downward, so the bib holds far more before the top beneath it feels anything. The trade-off is drying time, which is the reason to own several.

The fabric is graded Chinese textile safety class A: the strictest of the three Chinese grades, applied to items worn against infant skin, setting tighter limits on formaldehyde, pH and colour fastness than the grades used for older children's and adult clothing. It is a Chinese national grade rather than a UK or European certification, stated here because it tells you something about the cloth.

Check the press studs on arrival and every few washes. A stud that has worked loose is a small part in the wrong place, and the neck fastening takes the most repeated stress.

Size guide

Fit notes

Two stud positions means it grows with a baby for a while rather than fitting one stage. Use the outer setting once a jumper is going underneath, since a bib fastened over a thick collar sits tighter than the same setting over a vest.

Four layers sit thicker at the neck than a single-layer bib, so it feels more substantial fastened. It should still be loose enough to get a finger under.

Styling

The plain faces are what make these work with anything — Khaki, Dark Khaki, Mustard and Brick Red reverse to a solid that hides marks between washes far better than white. Bear Face, Star and Moon, Little Rainbow and Black Leopard are the print faces to pick for a gift.

Care

Machine wash at 30°C on a gentle cycle with like colours. Wash before first use; gauze softens and opens up after the first wash, which is when absorbency reaches its full level. Tumble dry low or dry flat, allowing longer than for a single-layer cloth. Do not bleach.

What is not included

The bib is supplied on its own. Clothing, comforters, dummies, toys and anything else in the photographs are styling only, as is any second bib shown alongside.