I asked senior staff writer Jackie Reeve, who has covered bedding and towels for Wirecutter for many years, to offer her expert opinion on the craftsmanship of these bibs. Compared with the stitching on similarly shaped terry cloth bibs, the stitching on the KeaBabies bib is neater, and there’s minimal puckering around the neckline, a sign of a more-meticulous sewing, she said.
“It looks like the KeaBabies bib has more stitches per inch at the seams,” said Alexander Aciman, a Wirecutter editor who covers clothing. “Using fewer stitches per inch can increase the rate of production at the factory usually because the sewing machine is moving faster. But the lower stitch density can also feel flimsier and look cheaper, even if you aren’t trained to pick up on those things.”
Alexander also explained that fewer stitches per inch can lead to the seam—and therefore the bib—falling apart faster. “More stitches per inch is a trade-off. It takes more time and yields fewer products for the manufacturer, but it feels nicer and usually performs better for us at home,” he said.
The terry-cloth bib appears to be more hastily put-together, as evidenced by the raised loops of the stitching, versus my preferred bib’s flat knitwork. Jackie also said that, from a sewing/construction perspective, it seems the loops of the terry-cloth bib are blocking out baby food. On the other hand, the KeaBabies bib’s flat knitwork wipes away more food, which explains why the bib is better for cleaning Jade’s face.
I’m also fond of the KeaBabies bib’s closure, which is made of two nickel snaps, not the typical Velcro. The two snaps allow the bib to grow with the baby (the KeaBabies bibs are intended to be used for children up to 24 months) without wearing out.
In trying Velcro bibs, we’ve found that after several months of use and going through the wash, the Velcro loses its stick and my daughter can remove the bibs from her neck with ease. By contrast, after about seven months of regular use and washing, the KeaBabies bibs still look and work the same as they did when I unboxed them.
These bibs are cute, too. They come in myriad colors and patterns. The pack I’ve come to adore comes in eight muted pastels—gray, laurel, blue, salmon, baby pink, lavender, blush, and tan—each a solid color with white trim. Because of the wide range of colors, there’s a match for most outfits. They also come in darker, bolder shades, and for those who love patterns, there are options with everything from simple stripes to wilderness prints featuring elephants and toucans.
