The Reduce Report

View Original

Patch Bamboo Bandages 2020 Review | Sustainable, Plastic Free, Eco-friendly Alternative to Bandaids

The Top Line: We are mixed on PATCH Bamboo Bandages.

At 10x the cost of other bandage brands, we’re not sure if its worth it—but we appreciate what PATCH is trying to do, and would like to see it become more popular and get to more efficient pricing at scale. We do, however, think this is a buy for anyone that are allergic to traditional bandage adhesives.


We break it down for you:

  • Cost & Products Included: $8.99 for 25 ct. or $19.99 for 75 ct. on Amazon; comes in Natural, Activated Charcoal, Aloe Vera, and Coconut

  • Coupons: None.

  • How ‘Clean’ Is This? Bandages are made of bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource that grows much faster than trees, uses less water, produces more oxygen & requires no pesticides or herbicides. They are also compostable & have tested to break down in the garden soil within weeks. They're latex-free, vegan-friendly & cruelty-free & contain no plastics or toxins.

  • Packaging: Arrived in 100% recycled paper packaging.

  • Purchasing & Shipping: Easy — available through Amazon.


How Well Does It Actually Work?

Overall we found that it worked well but perhaps not as well as traditional bandages. When compared to traditional flexible fabric Band-aid brand bandages, we found Patch to be a bit less flexible and a bit thicker. However, we are impressed by how thoroughly zero-waste the product has been designed to be, and think this is particularly helpful for folks that are allergic to traditional bandages.

Value Comparison

We assumed that an average family of four will use 100 bandages a year, and compared PATCH to Band-Aid and Curad options:


What We Liked:

✔ Strips are made of natural bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource that grows much faster than trees, uses less water, produces more oxygen & requires no pesticides or herbicides

✔ Latex-free, vegan-friendly & cruelty-free & contain no plastics or toxins

✔ Aesthetically pleasing, especially the PATCH Kids Coconut Oil which comes in panda print!

✔ Biodegradable, compostable & have tested to break down in the garden soil within weeks

✔ Packaging is recyclable

✔ Mineral-based pressure sensitive adhesive that gently adheres to the skin. Hypoallergenic & free from plastic & irritating chemicals

✔ Different options that are enriched with activated charcoal, coconut oil and aloe vera gauze

✔ Vegan, ethically produced, hypoallergenic, latex and plastic free


What We Didn’t Like:

Pricey at $8.99 for 25 ct. — we hope these get more popular and prices will come down with scale!

Our Recommendation:
At 10x the cost of other bandage brands, we’re not sure if its worth it—but we appreciate what PATCH is trying to do, and would like to see it become more popular and get to more efficient pricing at scale. We do, however, think this is a buy for anyone that are allergic to traditional bandage adhesives.


We're on a mission to reduce our personal carbon footprint with small, hopefully easy, changes in our home to fight against climate change. This means we're looking for products that may be all natural, ideally zero waste, reusable or compostable -- while still being affordable!