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.
How is Babu Made?
"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.
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.
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.
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 the 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 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 at every step of the way during cotton production.
We are working to become 100% plastic-free. Recycled scrap fabric garment bags and compostable courier bags replace conventional plastic packaging.
We purchase cotton from a farmer’s cooperative. A group of local farmers has 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.