Loom bag and PVC

[sareva]

Well, I don't know what to do. I've emailed Johanna. Before I bought a Green Loom at diaperbags.com, I emailed her re: the materials used to make the bag. I am trying to reduce my use of PVC although I realize I can't avoid it (e.g., don't have money for solid wood crib and organic mattress). When I originally wrote her, this is what she said:

>Thanks for your email and your interest in the Loom Marsupial!
>The Solid colors are all made of a ballistic nylon. The interiors of all the bags are a rip stop nylon. The printed bags - that is the orange print and the red + turquoise print are printed canvas coated with a PVC.

Well, my bag, which has blue logo on front, is PVC. The interior and the clutch and the stuff sack are all PVC. The tags are marked clearly: 100% PVC. I'm not up on my chemistry, but last I looked, nylon and PVC are not the same. I'm really disappointed and can't decide whether to keep the bag. At this point, I'm just going to use a plastic bag from the supermarket b/c this search is becoming way too overwhelming and time-consuming. I'm just sad -- thought I'd finally found something near-perfect.
Sarah
EDD 3-24-04

[etwahl]

i can't comment on this except to say i've emailed johanna TWICE and never heard back from her. It was to question a few things about the bag i received and i'm pretty irritated at not having heard back from her. NOT good customer service AT ALL. I'm really ticked right now.

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[Dscvrlifewith3]

Are Looms hand made in the USA or in a plant?

Just curious.

Sorry about your bag, I would probably return it and tell her it is because of the misleading information she gave.

[Mom to Brandon and 2 cats]

I never had a reply via e-mail either. I had better luck calling the office. Had to leave 2 messages before I got a reply, though.

-Jennifer

[jec2]

I had a great response from her a couple of weeks ago about the comparison between the marsupial and fleurville mothership. She emailed me back promptly in response to several questions I had.

[jasabo]

This is probably a dumb question, but is PVC dangerous? Just wondering why you're avoiding it, and if I should be avoiding it too!!

I received my moss colored Marsupial yesterday and am going to return it. It was much bigger then I thought it'd be and I wasn't real crazy about it. I emailed diaperbags.com to find out how to return it and they responded very quickly and told me where to mail it. They were very nice. So if you do decide to return it, you shouldn't have any problems.

Sorry you don't like your bag. I know how disappointing it is. There are tons of options out there though, so hopefully you'll find something you like if you don't keep the Loom.

Lisa - mom to 9 month old twin boys

Oh, and I really am curious about the PVC...

[supersparkee]

If I remember correctly from college (I'm a mechanical engi-nerd by education), PVC is not dangerous in its final form (so it's not dangerous in "diaper bag" form), but there are "environmentally unfriendly" by-products associated with its manufacture. Actually the "V" in PVC stands for Vinyl and the C stands for Chloride, which is the unfriendly part. Almost all outtake water pipes (drain pipes, etc.) from sinks an toilets in houses these days are PVC - so it's a fact of daily life for most of us.

[sareva]

My bag's tags say that it's made in China, so I assume it is from a factory there.

Well, having worked in public health and done clinical research, it's difficult for me to sum up the PVC issue. Just to clarify, I never specialized in environmental health issues so there's a lot of science that I don't know. But, I'll be honest, environmental health is just one of those areas where it's difficult to get a straight answer. A lot of research is funded and promoted by large corporations and government agencies that have a strong interest in finding nothing wrong with certain products, and, of course, there are many other organizations, including folks like Greenpeace, that have their own agendas that one must take into account. It all impacts the research and makes it hard to be an informed consumer. My concern is phthalates -- a family of industrial chemicals that are used as softeners in PVC plastic and as solvents in cosmetics and other products. Apparently, they can leach out of products and into our bodies, but I want to emphasize: there's been very little good research. The thing is: when I lived in Europe, I learned that there are a lot of chemicals used widely here but banned there, and the main reason that their use persists in the U.S. is due to strong lobbying at the state and federal levels. And having worked in public health, I'm pretty well aware of the mechanisms that impact policy and the writing of state and federal regulations. So I have to admit that it's something I've become concerned about in recent months. The manufacturers and plastics people will say it's all crazy nonsense, and the environmentalists say it's not. I think if you were to spend some time Googling PVC and phthalates, you'd find a wide range of opinions. I'm not going to go crazy about this issue b/c I don't have a lot of money and can't afford to live in an organic, nontoxic environment. But, since PVC is basically everywhere, I figure that when I can, I should try to make choices to reduce my and Baby's exposure. So I buy non-vinyl toys -- but I don't throw out the gifts people give me if they contain vinyl. I don't use plastic in the microwave and am careful about storing food in certain plastics. In the small, everyday decisions that I have to make, I try to take it into account when it's feasible. Since I was going all-out on a pretty expensive bag -- sort of budget-busting for me -- I wanted to make sure that PVC wasn't in the picture. I thought I made a good decision, but I guess my information was incorrect, so I'll probably return the bag. I have to admit that I'm disappointed b/c it's a waste of my time and money. Johanna had responded very promptly to my first email so I had felt very positive about the purchase. Argh. Well, I hope I'm making some sense b/c I'm due soon and my brain isn't functioning so well. If something is totally not making sense, just post and I'll try to clarify.
Sarah
EDD 3/24/04

[jasabo]

You made total sense - and don't worry....my kids are 9 months old and I still have baby brain :)

I know what you mean about conflicting studies. I was a nurse before I quit to be a SAHM and have always been amazed that for every study saying something is bad for you, you can find one that says it's good for you. So I'm a little skeptical where most research is concerned. Like you said, you really need to find out who funded the study and why. Everyone has their own agendas, and lobbyists and money can go a long way in getting regulations passed (before I got my nursing degree, I worked in DC for a long time and did PR for a while, so we had a lot of that going on).

That said, your information is interesting. It certainly can't hurt to make changes where you can. I didn't realize that the PVC in the Loom is the same as the PVC pipes we use for plumbing, etc. I guess I just never thought about it. Now that I'm a mom, I should probably start thinking more about what I expose my kids to.

It's too bad that you have to return the bag. But hopefully you'll find one that works for you. Have you thought about just a fabric bag like the Ella or ISM or Whimsical Wears - can't beat $45 for a bag, and they look really cute. And Kim has been fabulous to work with so far.

Looks like you have just a few days left until your baby arrives! How exciting! Good luck! And thanks for the PVC info!

Lisa

[Teekee]

Well, I'm really sad to see your post because I share your concern over PVC. The search for a diaper bag has been difficult because most have some sort of vinyl/PVC component. I checked the Loom website and read the exterior and interior were nylon, so I ordered a green Marsupial as well. I haven't gotten it yet, but plan on returning it if mine is lined with PVC (which I fully expect it to be now.).....The search continues....

[papal]

Sarah, I am sorry your search for the perfect diaper bag continues.. i know how frustrating and overwhelming all the choices can be!
Have you considered a custom Ella bag? I am not sure a tote is your style but i have been using mine for a couple of weeks and am incredibly happy with it. It is smaller, lightweight and yet fits a ton of stuff. Also, unless you ask for vinyl inside you can get a pure fabric bag.. no plastic components that i know of. Just wanted to throw that out there. And at around $50 for a basic bag, you will be saving some $$ also.
Hope you find a bag you like soon! Wishing you a speedy and painless delivery!

[sparkeze]

Out of curiosity, did you end up finding a diaper bag? It seems like most diaper bags are either stain resistant, water-resistant, or both - and that basically means they're PVC coated and I've even read that Fleurville uses a teflon coating.