Burp cloths and bibs are not the same thing

These two get bought interchangeably and they are not interchangeable. The difference is who they are protecting and, consequently, what shape they are.

Different jobs

A bib goes around the baby’s neck and catches what comes down the front. A burp cloth goes over the adult’s shoulder and catches what comes up during winding. Using one for the other’s job works badly in both directions.

A bib on a shoulder slides off; a burp cloth around a neck is too long and gets in the way of hands.

Shape and size

Burp cloths are typically around 10 by 20 inches — long and narrow, so they cover a shoulder and hang down the back far enough to be useful. Bibs are wider and shorter, with a neck fastening.

A rectangular cloth that is closer to square is a face cloth rather than a burp cloth, whatever the packet says.

Contoured designs

Some burp cloths are shaped with a curve to sit over the shoulder without sliding. They are genuinely more secure, and they are worth having two or three of even if the rest of your stock is plain rectangles.

The plain ones have the advantage of being useful for a dozen other things.

Two-in-one with snaps

Burpy bibs with snaps fasten around the neck as a bib and lie flat as a burp cloth. They do both jobs adequately rather than either job perfectly, and for a changing bag where space matters that is a good trade.

Check the snaps are on the strap rather than in the middle, where they can press on the baby.

One on each shoulder

At the winding stage, keeping a cloth on both shoulders means you can switch sides without going to find another one. It looks slightly ridiculous and it saves a change of clothes several times a week.

The same logic applies to keeping a stack in every room you feed in.

Absorbency matters more here

A burp cloth deals with a larger volume in a shorter time than a drool bib does, so layer count matters. Six layers or a terry-backed cloth is the sensible choice; a thin single-layer square will simply pass it through.

Where a listing gives grams per square metre as well as layer count, the higher figure is the more absorbent cloth.

After the newborn stage

Burp cloths outlive their original job by years. They become face cloths, changing-mat liners, high-chair wipes, and eventually car cloths. Buying good cotton ones is worth it because of that second life.

Muslin in particular gets softer and more useful the longer you own it.

A sensible mix

Eight to twelve burp cloths, of which two or three are contoured, alongside your bib stock. Sizes, layer counts and pack quantities are on every listing on the shop page, and the counter on 12th Avenue can show you the difference in the hand.

Protecting your own clothes

A burp cloth over a shoulder covers about a third of what actually gets hit. The rest lands on the hip, on the lap, and down the back when a baby is held upright against you. Nobody needs a full apron, and it is worth knowing where the gaps are.

The practical answers are a larger cloth, a second cloth on the opposite shoulder, or simply choosing what you wear for the first hour after a feed. A dark top and a cloth on each shoulder is the usual compromise.

Reflux and heavier posseting

Some babies bring up considerably more than others, and where that is the case the useful change is a larger, more absorbent cloth rather than more small ones. Terry-backed cloths and larger sizes exist for exactly this.

Frequent, forceful or distressed vomiting is a question for a health visitor or a GP rather than a shop, and we would rather point you there than sell you a bigger cloth. What we can do is make sure the cloths themselves are up to it.

What else a burp cloth ends up doing

Long after the winding stage, burp cloths remain the most useful cloth in the house. They line a changing mat away from home, wipe a high-chair tray, dry hands, cover a car seat strap on a hot day and mop up whatever has just been knocked over.

That second life is the argument for buying decent cotton ones rather than the cheapest available. A muslin cloth bought for the first six months is frequently still in use three years later, by which point its cost per use is negligible.

The short version

• A burp cloth protects the adult; a bib protects the baby.
• Burp cloths are longer and narrower for a reason.
• Two-in-one designs with snaps do both jobs adequately.
• Keep one on each shoulder at the winding stage.

From our shelves

• Tatuo 8 Pcs Baby Muslin Bibs & Burp Cloths 6 Absorbent Layer 100% Cotton Unisex Baby Bibs — $15.99
• Muslin Burp Cloths with Snaps,Multi-Use Burpy Bib 100% Cotton for Spit Up & Drool — $19.99
• Newcotte 12 Pcs Baby Muslin Bibs and Burp Cloths Set Cotton Ruffle Absorbent Drooling Bibs — $26.99

Where to go next

Browse the full range on the shop page, read the frequently asked questions before ordering, or check delivery timing on the Shipping Policy page. If you would rather ask a person, contact us — the phone reaches the counter.