Our Story - Bloom & Nora becomes NORA
Our story originates back to 2000, at a kitchen table in Glasgow. Our founders, Fiona and Magnus Smyth, began their journey into the reusable world shortly after the birth of their second child Maia was born. After using disposable nappies on their son, the couple grew increasingly concerned about the amount of chemicals and waste that the nappies were creating.
They tried several cloth alternatives that were available at the time but couldn’t find a brand that worked for them. Rather than giving up, the pair decided to order 50 metres of towelling and created their very first reusable nappy at their kitchen table. One nappy led to another, and TotsBots was born!
TotsBots continued to grow over the years, with many milestones reached. 2004 was the year that TotsBots created the first ever bamboo reusable nappy which trailblazed it’s way to winning gold in the Mother and Baby awards.
Fifteen years later, in 2015, Fiona’s daughter inspired her once again to help combat a different single use plastic - sanitary products. The huge amount of waste and worrying amount of chemicals motivated the creation of Fiona and Magnus’s next business venture – reusable sanitary pads.
Bloom and Nora was created and having years of expertise in reusable market under their belt, Fiona and Magnus used their in-depth knowledge to create an award-winning reusable sanitary pad.
With a focus on comfort, performance and durability, the pair made sure the fabrics were free from harmful chemicals from the get go.
After a thorough testing process featuring Fiona, the team and plenty of product testers, three core products were created;
- Bloomers – Natural bamboo pads in a range of bold colours.
4 sizes/absorbency levels – Mini, Midi, Maxi, Mighty - Noras – Stay-dry, stain-repellent pads in simple bright white
5 sizes/absorbency levels – Liner, Mini, Midi, Maxi, Mighty - Accessories - Waterproof Bathroom Bag and Waterproof Out & About Bag
In addition to reducing waste and providing a safer alternative to disposable sanitary products, Bloom & Nora pads were also cheaper to use than disposable and could be used up to 150 times over 10 years.
In 2020, the Frugi Group acquired both TotsBots and Bloom and Nora to join their portfolio. Under the Frugi Group umbrella sits Frugi, TotsBots and Bloom and Nora.
Fiona Smyth, Co-Founder TotsBots: “We have spent 19 years developing, manufacturing and selling sustainable and environmentally friendly nappies. We have always looked to make the best products, in the kindest way possible to our planet, inspiring and enabling parents to make choices that have a positive environmental impact for the future of their children.
Frugi, and Lucy in particular, have always been an inspiration to our brand and bringing our company together with Frugi is the best possible outcome for us, our customers, suppliers and the environment. With such close alignment to our own ethical and sustainable objectives, we are really excited for the journey ahead.”
In 2021, the decision was made to continue to grow and build on Bloom and Nora’s 20 years of experience in reusables, and develop into a new brand, NORA.
Introducing NORA, where No Ordinary Rules Apply!
What’s changed?
- NORA aims to engage with consumers at the beginning of their period journey, increasing the positive impact that reusable period wear can have on reducing landfill.
- To be a one-stop-shop for those looking for reusable period wear
- As part of the development into NORA, the reusable period pads have been created to be thinner yet keeping the great absorbency and performance Bloom & Nora customers have come to trust.
- A much wider product range, not just pads, the NORA range includes reusable period pads, period cups and period pants (coming soon!)
