Daruma Green Store · Kids Gear & Materials · ~850 words · 4 min read
Written by Marcia, co-founder of Daruma Green Store
Our adult Gis are 100% hemp. Our kids Gis aren't. Parents deserve to know why.
If you've read Why Hemp, you already know hemp is the backbone of every adult Gi we make. So the question we get most from parents browsing the Kodomo Collection is a fair one: why isn't the kids Gi made of hemp too?
The honest answer is that hemp and bamboo, at the weight and finishing a technical Gi needs, are expensive to produce well. Passing that cost onto a Gi a growing child will outgrow in a year or two didn't make sense to us. We'd rather be transparent about that than dress it up. So for the Kodomo Collection, we chose the material that actually fits a kid's body and a parent's budget: 100% organic cotton.
Why Organic Cotton Is the Right Call for Kids — Not a Downgrade
Organic cotton isn't hemp's cheaper cousin. For children specifically, it's arguably the better-suited material, not a compromise on the way to one.
We'd rather build one honest, well-made kids Gi in the right material than stretch a premium fiber to a price point that doesn't serve families.
What Organic Cotton Actually Gives a Kid's Gi
- Grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Conventional cotton is one of the most heavily treated crops in the world. Organic cotton removes that chemical load from a fabric that sits directly against a child's skin for hours of close-contact training.
- Softer, less abrasive next to sensitive skin. Kids grapple in closer, more constant contact — face, neck, forearms — than most adult recreational rolling. A softer, untreated fiber matters more here, not less.
- Full durability, no compromise on the mat. The Kodomo Gi is built to the same reinforced-seam, competition-ready standard as the rest of the Daruma line. Organic doesn't mean fragile.
- Lower footprint than conventional cotton, even if it isn't hemp — less water stress on soil, no synthetic residue running into water systems.
Built for the World They'll Inherit
The Kodomo Collection carries the same philosophy as everything else at Daruma — Fall seven times, rise eight. 🔴 — just aimed at the next generation on the mats. For you. For the world you'll inherit. A kid's first Gi is also, quietly, their first lesson that the choices behind their gear matter as much as the gear itself.
- 100% organic cotton
- 0% synthetic fiber or finishing
- 380gsm pearl weave, IBJJF approved
- 2 colourways — natural white and black
FAQ: Kids BJJ Gi Materials
Is organic cotton as durable as hemp for a kids Gi?
Yes, for the way kids train. The Kodomo Gi uses reinforced stitching at the same stress points as our adult line, and organic cotton at Gi-appropriate weights holds up well to regular youth training and competition. Hemp's main advantage is longevity over many years of heavy adult use — a factor that matters less for a Gi a growing child will size out of.
Why doesn't Daruma make a hemp kids Gi?
Mainly cost and practicality. Hemp and bamboo fabrics at technical Gi quality carry a higher production cost, and children outgrow Gis quickly — so we chose the material that makes the most sense for that combination: organic cotton, at a fair price, without cutting corners on construction.
Is organic cotton better for children with sensitive skin?
Generally, yes. Without synthetic pesticide residue or harsh chemical processing, organic cotton tends to be gentler against sensitive or reactive skin — a common concern for parents given how much skin contact a Gi has during training.
100% organic cotton. Built for kids, not scaled down from adults.
Kodomo Gi — White and Black. IBJJF approved. Ships EU in 24h.
