When we discovered ZRecs reader Lisa Lukis was getting seriously involved in evaluating cloth diapers in preparations for her daughter's November 2007 birth, we hooked her up with a half-dozen additional diaper brands and had her evaluate 11 different cloth diaper designs for an old-fashioned ZRecs Showdown. Below, find guidance and recommendations for the unitiated and candid reviews for those interested in branching out.
My first interaction with a modern-day cloth diaper user took place at a hip hair salon. The woman cutting my hair was pregnant and planning on using cloth. At that time I was still a couple of years away from having kids and had no concept of modern cloth diapers. I remember my reaction to the stylist - doubt and disbelief. People still do this?! I wondered. Curious, I spoke with another cloth diaper user and I began to think this might be both doable and environmentally responsible.
When I became pregnant, I decided to officially delve into the cloth diaper world. To be honest, the learning curve was steep. It took some time before all the terms and acronyms made sense to me, so I kept returning to websites that rated or sold cloth diapers just to get a feel for everything. They contained a variety of products and many had advice on what and how many to get, how to wash, and so on.
For the first four months of my daughter's life, we have worked with the 11 diapers reviewed below. We used each of them routinely over months to get used to them and see how they performed over time. In the end, I evaluated each diaper on scales of one to five for its ease of use, durability, effectiveness, comfort (perceived), attractiveness, and value.
In addition to reading this review, I recommend familiarizing yourself with cloth diaper types. If something appeals to you, try it. Eventually you might find a favorite. And, to state the obvious, babies are different. While one diaper might not work for your neighbor's baby, it could be perfect for yours.
Useful Terms
- All-in-one: Cloth diaper consisting of waterproof outer layer and sewn in or attachable absorbent inserts, with fasteners built onto the diaper
- Contour: Shaped cloth diaper without fasteners
- Fitted: Shaped cloth diaper that fastens with snaps or hook-and-loop closure
- One-size: A self-explanatory term, this style of diaper is helpful if you don't want to buy new diapers as your baby grows
- Pocket: Cloth diaper consisting of waterproof outer layer and moisture wicking inner; an opening in front or back is the "pocket" for absorbent inserts; fasteners built on
- Prefold: Traditional, rectangular cloth diaper
First, the short version. Here are the brands and styles with the highest scores in this Showdown, with links to purchase them; scroll down for their reviews, in alphabetical order, along with the other diapers I evaluated for this review.
- Top Pick: bumGenius pocket
- Easiest to Use: bumGenius pocket, Happy Heinys pocket
- Most Durable: Kissaluvs Contour, Fuzzi Bunz pocket
- Most Effective: bumGenius pocket, Happy Heinys pocket
- Most Comfortable (perceived): bumGenius pocket, Happy Heinys pocket, Fuzzi Bunz pocket
- Most Attractive: gDiaper, Blueberry stuffable All-In-One
- Best Value: Chinese Prefolds, Kissaluvs Contour
Purchasing gently used diapers can be an excellent way to save some money; I bought a few this way and always had a good experience, receiving "like new" diapers. If you find a reputable vendor who sells used items and you're comfortable with the idea of a used cloth diaper, I say go for it.
I hope this review encourages you to try cloth diapers. Go forth boldly and have fun!
Blueberry Diapers Style tested: Stuffable AIO (all-in-one) front snap, $19.97
Ease of use: 4.5
Durability: 4.5
Effectiveness: 4.5
Comfort: 4.5
Attractiveness: 5
Value: 3
Total Score: 25/30
Extremely cute! I bought the orange dots print and love it. Micro-fleece works well for my baby's skin and helps to wick away moisture to the internal absorbent layers. In all-in-ones, the absorbent layer is built in, which is handy but makes for long drying times. This diaper is stuffable like a pocket diaper which means that you can load it with more cloth for greater absorbency (good for nighttime). The diaper is very easy to use and durable with the snaps. Drawbacks: long dry time and not inexpensive. [Buy|Company]
More AIOs: bumGenius, Bumkins, Imse Vimse, Kushies
bumGeniusStyle tested: Version 2.0 one-size pocket, $17.95
Ease of use: 5
Durability: 4.5
Effectiveness: 5
Comfort: 5
Attractiveness: 4.5
Value: 4
Total Score: 29/30
This is my main go-to diaper. I started off with several of these and added to my stash as the new version came out (old version went on sale). I find the liner to be effective at keeping moisture from baby's skin. Cotton fitted diapers seem to make her bottom irritated even when I'm changing her almost instantly after she's wet.I love the ease of the hook-and-loop closure, although it is showing some wear; for durability, I prefer snaps. The microfiber insert that is included with the one-size pockets is very absorbent and all the baby needs during the day. Version 2.0 comes with one adjustable insert. The new version comes with two inserts - one for newborns and a one-size insert. This change is very helpful and will allow the diaper to fit better at the smaller end of the size range (you can read more about version 3.0 on the company website).
I started using these one-size diapers when baby was about eight pounds and have been using them ever since. I love that they adjust to fit up to 35 pounds, a huge advantage of a one-size diaper.
Because this is a pocket diaper, you will have to pull out the insert before laundering and once clean, re-stuff the diaper before putting it back on your baby. [Buy|Company]
More Pocket Diapers: bumGenius, BumWear, Fuzzi Bunz, Happy Heinys, JamTots
Chinese Prefolds Style tested: DSQ (diaper service quality), $2
Ease of use: 2.5
Durability: 4
Effectiveness: 2.5
Comfort: 4
Attractiveness: 2.5
Value: 5
Total Score: 20.5/30
Traditional rectangular diaper, cost effective, a workhorse. I used the unbleached cotton variety. These must be prewashed several times before they are fully absorbent. They will look fluffy and quilted upon washing. I didn't like the folding aspect and they weren't as absorbent as I wanted, but I appreciate this diaper's simplicity.Note that prefolds require a cover, sometimes called a wrap, in order to be waterproof. I used Bummis Super Whisper Wraps, Proraps, and hand-knit wool soakers.
Prefolds are versatile and have many uses beyond diapering such as burp cloth, wash cloth, and all-purpose rag. [Buy diapers|Buy covers]
Fuzzi BunzStyle tested: Pocket diaper, $17.95
Ease of use: 4.5
Durability: 5
Effectiveness: 5
Comfort: 5
Attractiveness: 4
Value: 4
Total Score: 27.5/30
Fuzzi Bunz has also come out with a new version of its diaper. Check out the website for the new specs. I purchased four of the last version, size small, unused from eBay and paid in the range of $16 apiece.
I reserve these diapers for nighttime and they work beautifully. I stuff the Fuzzi Bunz with its own microfiber insert plus a folded Hemp Babies Little Weeds insert used as a doubler. This combination does the trick for overnight. I find snaps slightly trickier to use than hook-and-loop closures, but they are sturdier. The two rows of snaps allow for more adjustments around the waist and thighs. Another advantage of these diapers is that they dry very quickly. Because this is a pocket diaper, you will have to pull out the insert before laundering, and once clean, re-stuff the diaper before putting it back on your baby. [Company]
More Pocket Diapers: bumGenius, BumWear, JamTots
gDiapersStyle tested: Flushable diaper with cover, prices vary
Ease of use: 4
Durability: 4
Effectiveness: 4.5
Comfort: 4.5
Attractiveness: 5
Value: 3
Total Score: 25/30
gDiapers offers a thoroughly researched and well-designed hybrid diaper. The diaper consists of an inner absorbent pad which nests into a liner which is subsequently snapped into the “little g” pant (akin to a cover). If you're confused by my description, hightail it over to the company's website which has detailed information in an easy to understand format. Many questions you might have will be answered there. And if the website doesn't address your particular question, the company is happy to take phone calls! I found gDiapers to be quite user-friendly.
Learning how to assemble the diaper for use is similar to any cloth diaper. What frightened me the most was the prospect of flushing the liner. It wasn't that I mistrusted the diaper design as much as I feared the plumbing gods. The gDiaper website has much information on flushing and plumbing which encouraged me to give it a go. In order to flush, pull apart the liner. The absorbent pulpy stuff instantly breaks up in the toilet bowl so I knew it would go down easily. The outer part of the liner I found to be trickier because it is a longer papery piece that doesn't just break apart. Nevertheless, on my flushing attempts, all went down with ease. The dDiaper is an innovative, attractive, and trim-fitting option for your baby.
Price may be a drawback. gDiapers currently run $26.99 for starter kit (2 "little g" pants and 10 flushable inserts), $16.99 for individual “little g” pants, $14.49 for 40 size small flushable inserts, and $52.00 for a case of 160 size small inserts. [Buy|Company]
Happy Heinys Style tested: Heiny Hugger fitted, $10.95
Ease of use: 3.5
Durability: 4.5
Effectiveness: 3.5
Comfort: 4.5
Attractiveness: 4
Value: 4.5
Total Score: 24.5/30
Great fabric, sturdy and absorbent, and similar to Kissaluvs' fitted diaper with a more generous fit. Once you've gotten familiar with your baby's size, you may prefer either a generous or a trim fit.
Keep in mind that these diapers (and most fitted diapers made from cotton fabrics) need to be prewashed several times to achieve maximum absorbency. Use with a cover for a waterproof system. [Buy|Company]
More Fitted Diapers: All Together, Bamboozle, Imse Vimse, JamTots, Kissaluvs, Swaddlebees, Thirsties, Under the Nile
Happy HeinysStyle tested: One-size pocket, $18.95
Ease of use: 5
Durability: 4.5
Effectiveness: 5
Comfort: 5
Attractiveness: 3.5
Value: 3.5
Total Score: 26.5/30
A great one-size diaper on par with the bumGenius one-size discussed above, but with some differences. The hook-and-loop closure is comprised of large tabs that can be overlapped and are highly adjustable, which is useful for small waists and bigger waists as your baby grows.
The microfleece inner liner that touches baby's skin is very soft and lightweight. It “rolls out” by design, which means that when the diaper is on, the fleece will be visible from the outside around the edges. Don't try to mess with it and tuck it back in - wetness doesn't go there, it stays on the insert.
The entire diaper is very lightweight and dries quickly. I appreciate the two insert sizes that are included with this diaper. Because this is a pocket diaper, you will have to pull out the insert before laundering and once clean, re-stuff the diaper before putting it back on your baby. [Buy|Company]
More Pocket Diapers: bumGenius, BumWear, Fuzzi Bunz, JamTots
Kissaluvs Style tested: Contour, $6.99
Ease of use: 3
Durability: 5
Effectiveness: 2.5
Comfort: 4.5
Attractiveness: 3
Value: 5
Total Score: 23/30
I found these a bit clumsy to use. While they don't need to be secured by a pin or a Snappi (shown in the photo, sold here), I actually found them trickier to use with a cover than a regular prefold. I also had more leaks with these as opposed to a fitted diaper with elastic at the thighs. Still, these diapers are a great value, use wonderful fabric, have extra fabric where needed, and come in only two sizes (no need to buy three or more sizes as baby grows).
Must be prewashed several times. Use with a cover for a waterproof system. [Buy|Company]
More Contour Diapers: Imse Vinse
KissaluvsStyle tested: Fitted, $12.50
Ease of use: 3.5
Durability: 4.5
Effectiveness: 3.5
Comfort: 4.5
Attractiveness: 4
Value: 4.5
Total Score: 24.5
A sturdy and absorbent diaper with a trim fit. Very good for newborns. Snaps allow for adjustability and a decent size range even with the first size (size 0). My husband likes the fitteds because he can toss the whole deal into the diaper pail instead of messing with taking inserts out of pockets. I prefer the pocket diapers for their absorbency and wetness barrier for baby's skin.
These and most other fitted cotton diapers need to be prewashed several times to achieve maximum absorbency. Use with a cover for a waterproof system. [Buy|Company]
More Fitted Diapers: All Together, Bamboozle, Imse Vimse, Happy Heinys, JamTots, Swaddlebees, Thirsties, Under the Nile
SwaddlebeesStyle tested: Organic cotton velour fitted, $15.95
Ease of use: 3.5
Durability: 4.5
Effectiveness: 3.5
Comfort: 4.5
Attractiveness: 4.5
Value: 3.5
Total Score: 24/30
Similar to other fitted diapers, but tweaked just enough to be perfect for a smallish newborn. The front scoops down to accommodate an umbilical stump. This was the first fitted cloth diaper I ever bought and when it arrived in the mail I nearly melted before its cuteness. I don't find fitted diapers in general all that cute, but when they are so tiny and replete with organic goodness...
Keep in mind that these diapers (and most fitted diapers made from cotton fabrics) need to be prewashed several times to achieve maximum absorbency. Use with a cover for a waterproof system. [Buy| Company]
More Fitted Diapers: All Together, Bamboozle, Imse Vimse, JamTots, Happy Heinys, Kissaluvs, Thirsties, Under the Nile
ThirstiesStyle: Fab Fitted, $14.25
Ease of use: 3.5
Durability: 4
Effectiveness: 3.5
Comfort: 4.5
Attractiveness: 5
Value: 4
Total Score: 24.5/30
A very cute fitted diaper, due in large part to the great colors of cotton velour outer layers. Microfleece layer touching baby's skin will probably keep your baby drier than other fitted diapers, although it depends what you want touching your baby's skin and what works for your baby. Some may want to avoid synthetic fabrics entirely. Nicely absorbent inner core. Use with a cover for a waterproof system. [Company]
More Fitted Diapers: All Together, Bamboozle, Imse Vimse, JamTots, Happy Heinys, Kissaluvs, Swaddlebees, Under the Nile
More Brands
The market seems to be evolving quickly, with companies turning out new and improved products often; some of the products, like the Fuzzi Bunz and bumGenius, were updated even while I was undertaking my review diapering. In addition, many WAHMs (work-at-home moms) sell their own designs on a much smaller scale of operations; finding one of these that works for you would be a great option as well. The choices are endless. I would love to try every cloth diaper, but I probably couldn't have enough babies for the time it would take just to gather all the types out there!
If the above reviews aren't enough for you, the following is a list of other brands you might explore, linked to Amazon.com (if sold there) or a company web page. There are many more brands which seem to lack websites but are offered in online cloth diapering shops.
All Together | Bamboozle | Better for Babies | Blue Penguin | Bumkins | BumWear | CJ Swag | Dream Eze | Drybees | Imse Vimse | JamTots | Little Beetle | Knickernappies | Kushies | Mommy's Touch | Monkey Doodlez | Motherease | Tiny Tush | Under the Nile |
Cloth Diapering Resources
Directories: DiaperPin | HyenaCart
Forums: DiaperPin | DiaperSwappers | The Diaper Jungle
Used Diaper Exchange: DiaperSwappers
Tools: Cost Calculator, Cloth vs. Disposables | Cloth Diaper Sewing Patterns | Prefold Folding Instructions | Wipes Recipes
Comments are welcome, but please confine them to general diapering comments, tips, or resources, rather than the promotion of individual brands.
40 comments:
Thanks for this review!
I've been cloth diapering my daughter since she was born. But now, as a very active 18 month old toddler, many of the variables of cding have changed. How quickly can I get the diaper on? How easy is it for her to get it off?
If you'd like to do a review for oldering babies I'd be more than happy to offer myself, my daugthers bum, and my washing machine!!!
I used Fuzzi Bunz for my child and I cant recommend them enough - very easy to use, very effective, and lower long term cost than disposable diapers. They also come in many colors and each size category (s/m/l) is useful for quite a while.
John
Ultra helpful! Thanks for the fantastic read!
As usual, a thorough and informative round-up. I love that you guys almost always overwhelm me with info!
Great review!
I have done a bit of research but there is so much information in many different places that it can take weeks to figure it all out.
I'd be curious to have you re-review when your child is older and more active. My 1yo son has learned how to undo velcro or hook and loop tabs through his clothes and fitteds leak a lot more with his activity level. Also, my 7mo nephew has the one-size and he can't bend his body around all the extra belly fabric to sit up or crawl. Thanks for the reviews!
I have been using bumGenius for about a month now and I really love them. They are very easy to use, my daycare even agreed to use them!
I also found a grear WAHM that makes wet bags for those soiled diapers on the go, that are both very well made and very stylish. Her site is www.monkeyfootdesigns.com
I'm still cloth diapering my two year old, tried many of the same styles you did, and still prefer the sames ones you do - even for my older child. BumGenius cannot be beat - although my older ones have begun to get a bit more leaky as they've aged quicker than the Fuzzy Buns (which I too prefer for night time). However, I'm excited that I can still use the same BumGenius diapers that fit my two year old on little baby number two (coming this June).
My BumGenius velcro tabs are starting to wear thin, but the company sent me a free repair kit for each diaper I bought, so I've got replacement velcro waiting for when I need it. The folks at BumGenius are fantastic!
Let me third the request (and offer a bottom!) for a review as the kid gets older. I switched to cd'ing when my daughter was 10 months old, and find that figuring out how quickly I get get in on, how well it stays on (even when dear daughter wants it off) to be extremely important.
Holy smokes diapers have come a long way. I used the plain old white rectangle ones for my daughter 15 years ago (I think they're only sold as burp cloths now). We still have 20 or so around the house and use them for just about anything.
The Blueberry Stuffabale AIOS (as well as most stuffable AIOs) can be easily turned inside out and then they dry A LOT faster.
Great review. I have an 18mos old and one on the way and we have been using prefolds with litewrap covers since the beginning, adding in micro-terry doublers and rice papers when he started wetting heavier and having solid waste.
I've tried the BumGenius and just didn't like them very much - very expensive, needed too many to not have to wash every day and he leaked out of them - I think it's important to note that the diaper you end up loving is based a lot on the baby wearing the diapers - how active they are, whether they have skinny or chunky thighs, etc.
Also, it depends on your budget and love of laundry - we have small budget and hate laundry, and have enough prefolds to make it about every three days for a load of diaper laundry (we use a diaper champ pail and it is full about every three days). But not matter the budget, cloth is always cheaper than disposable and, once you get used to it, so easy!
For those looking into it, it can be overwhelming as there are so many sites and so many of them are not very well designed, but I love Nicki's Diapers - very clean and concise and the FAQ section is fantastic.
Your timing is great -- I've been thinking about trying cloth diapers, but I didn't know which brand to try. This is really helpful!
I too love Bumgenius pocket diapers. I only use the cotton inserts for my daughter at night and use a hemp liner during the day. The Hemp liner takes the bulk out of the diaper, but is super absorbant. I like Joeybunz hemp liners from a company called Babykicks. They are a great company each liner is made in the US.
Great reviews. I have a 2.5 year old that I've been CDing for the last year. We use and love some of the very ones you picked for the same reasons.
Most of our stash is used and they still work great. There are also a lot of WAHMs out there that make great diapers!!
I wish that a diaper service had been one of the options you tried. I'd be curious to see how having someone else wash them for you effected your experience. I ended up opting for a pre-fold diaper service because I couldn't stand the thought of washing poopy diapers. (pre-soaking? double washing? double rinsing?) I was scared that I'd feel like my washing machine was never clean enough without double washing and double rinsing. I'd be curious to hear about your experience with washing and how the evolution of the poop changed the experience. I'd also be curious to know if the rumors are true that cloth diaper babies potty train earlier because they understand the relationship of going to the bathroom and how it feels.
We've used gDiapers for almost a year now, since DS was 15 months. I truly love them! Aside from their attractiveness, they are much more environmentally-friendly than 'sposies. gDiapers is also a Cradle to Cradle certified company, which is huge in my book. They are about the same cost as 'sposies, overall, but there's less laundry (and less poop in your washing machine).
I'm so glad that you did this. I've often wondered why there weren't any cloth diaper posts. Thank you!
For pp
You don't need to presoak in the washer. You also don't store diapers in a wet pail or anything. It's considered a hazard because a baby could potentially fall in the bag.
We use bumgenius and honestly I put hte diapers in and they do have a bit of poop on them (I just dump what dumps and if it don't dump, I don't stress and I definitely DON'T put them in the toilet)
I promise after the VERY FIRST cold wash, ALL THE POO is GONE! I didn't believe it myself. Then, you follow it up with a hot wash and two rinses so that's two more cycles to get it out if you are worried. But the Poo doesn't stick to the BumGenius AT ALL!! It's like microfleece - ever tried to get something sticky to stick to microfleece? It doesn't stick well for long!
Also, most new moms dno't realize that they WILL be washing poo anyways because babies in disposables leak poo. That's just the way it is and you will be washing poo off their clothes as well as spit up and all manner of stuff that gets on those cute clothes! That washer will see quite a bit in the first few months of the little one's life! :)
I wanted to mention a GREAT site for info and for recipes for homemade wipes and a history of cloth that I didn't see on this review. I found it an awesome website overall with lots of information and it is too bad it isn't in your review! It is...
http://diaperjungle.com
pp - diaper services tend to be very expensive and you would only use them for the "prefold" kind - diaper services don't deal with any of the modern diapers that were mentioned in this review (besides the prefold). There is a great comparison of costs including diaper services on motherease.com
pp - I have a VERY VERY active curious 10mo who has not been able to undo the BumGenius tabs yet AND I can get them on him quickly. If you get a repair kit from BumGenius - the tabs they send are the ones 0for the BG3.0 diapers (Winter 2007) and they are much stronger than the tabs on the prevoius version of BG! If you are concerned about tabs - you can always go with Blueberry's one-size minky diapers - we have two and I practically have to use TWO hands just to get the hook and loops undone.
Mine had NO issues with extra fabric preventing crawling and btw - I have a very slim baby and we have had NO LEAKS with BumGenius.
I'm also suprized no one mentioned the 15 day try-it or send it back guarantee for BumGenius! :)
Love, love BG 3.0 diapers! Takes a little practice to figure out the perfect amount of detergent to use for the liners, you really only need a very small amount. Great fit on my long, slender boy.
Thanks for the input, everyone. We're working on a toddler diaper piece based on your suggestions.
@anonymous: Thanks for pointing us to The Diaper Jungle - it's another great resource. We have added a few deep links to the site in the "Resources" and added their forum as well. Great stuff for the DIYer there - multiple wipes recipes, cloth diaper sewing patterns, etc.
These reviews are terrific. I'm still trying to figure out whether I'll use disposables, cloth, or a combination of both when my baby is born in October. If I didn't have a septic tank and an electric hot water heater, I think the choice would be easier. I'm certainly going to register for some cloth and give them a try, though I may wait until I'm over the total sleep deprivation stage.
We have tried many of the same diapers mentioned here- we primarily use Fuzzi Bunz now, though. One thing that might be really important with the older baby is that the velcro can be easily removed... by the child! Thats a huge reason we like our Fuzzi Bunz- they snap.
Another really great resource for cool, funky, and hip diapers and covers is www.ZoomBabyGear.com
Very good write-up. I'm expecting my first and we plan on using gDiapers. I like what you wrote about them, except you stated about how you have to flush them. The inserts don't HAVE to be flushed! The gDiapers website even recommends that if you don't have time to flush the inserts, or if you find it to be tedious, that the inserts are biodegradable and can either be composted or just simply thrown away. They biodegrade within a couple of months. The writeup you did for them is okay, but I think that failure to mention that could sway those who are interested in them another way. There was also no mention of how the diapers fasten to the back, making it harder for "little hands" to pull the diaper open. I see a lot of comments here about how kids can pull the cloth diapers open, but since gDiapers fasten to the back, it makes it a lot harder. There are many features to the gDiapers that weren't mentioned, but I saw that bumGenius got very high praise and mention of all of their features because you use them. All in all good review, but I don't think the gDiapers writeup really provided enough information on the product.
@Tiffany: Thanks for your comments. The composting option is a huge plus, but please note the important exceptions, for your family's health:
1) Human faeces (poo) should NEVER be composted at home as they can contain bacteria and viruses that may survive the composting process and present human and animal health risks. Poopy Flushables should only be disposed of in the toilet where proper treatment can be done in your local sewage treatment or septic system.
2) If you use a diaper cream that contains zinc: Because zinc is a heavy metal, flushables that have come in contact with zinc-based creams should not be composted.
3) For curbside composting, please check with your local sanitation department for guidelines before putting flushables in your curbside bin.
That page (on gDiapers.com) then goes on to list some great resources for home composting. Such a cool company!
Yay, ZRecs, I am so thrilled you did a cloth diaper showdown! I'm ready for you to give away some cloth diapers now!
We have recently transitioned to using cloth diapers, and it has been seamless and surprisingly easy. For those of you that are completely grossed out by fecal matter, don't worry, it's not that bad at all! You can purchase a diaper sprayer that looks similar to a sink sprayer. It attaches to your toilet line in just a few minutes quite easily. Look into this--you can spray the offending matter right off the diaper and into the toilet without touching it. Most cloth diaper stores sell them. They certainly aren't necessary, but they do make life easier.
We are using BumGenius 3.0 diapers and love them, but we find them quite bulky on our 17 month old. I see a pp is using hemp inserts to reduce bulk. Is there another way? When wearing her BumGenius diapers, my thin toddler looks like Peggy Bundy from Married With Children in all of her pants! We are just using the regular insert that comes with the dipe. I've considered using the infant insert, but I haven't tried it. It appears to be pretty thin for toddler use without the other insert. She is not a super soaker. We also have some CottonBabies microfleece doublers--will these work in lieu of the longer BG inserts?
Many thanks, ZRecs, for getting this information to your readers. I am pleased to learn many people find success with the diaper we are using. I appreciate the reviews of other diapers and comments from other readers as well. Now I won't need to buy numerous styles of diapers just to make certain these are our favorites!
I want to second the recommendation for using a diaper service. We've been using a diaper service since our 17th month old was born and are really happy with it. We still wash our own covers. We mostly use wrap style covers but you can use the pre-folds to stuff pocket diapers. While washing diapers yourself isn't as hard as it might sound, it would be a lot more laundry. Another thing I love about cloth diapers is that instead of buying another disposable product from another giant corporation, I get to spend my money at a local company (the diaper service) and most of the covers I've bought are sewn by other moms. My favorite covers that haven't been mentioned are the Dancing Bears Fleece Soakers.
I've used Fuzzi Bunz size medium and Bum Genius One Size 2.0 diapers for my son from the time he was 7 months to the present and he is 18 months old.
I really like both. I like the one-size aspect of Bum Genius, but I like the snaps on Fuzzi Bunz better. Although, with Fuzzi Bunz, the mediums last a long time. I expect that they will last until he is out of diapers, so if I had started cloth diapering earlier, I would have needed small. The stretchy tabs on Bum Genius pill after a short time. It doesn't effect the use, just the looks.
I also tried gdiapers and I have to say that even though they are trimmer under clothes and take up less room in a diaper bag, pocket diapers are easier to use because the whole thing gets thrown in a dirty bag. A positive about gdiapers is that they velcro in the back so they are harder for a child to take off. When out and about and changing a wet gdiaper, it is no problem, but changing a dirty is pain because you need to separate the plastic liner from the cloth outer and then get rid of the insert. I tried gdiapers because I thought I could get rid of the need for disposables while traveling. Even though I liked the gdiapers, I think you should do either cloth diapers or gdiapers and use disposables sparingly when necessary. I know there are people who will wash diapers on vacation, but I am not one of those people. For weekend trips when I am driving I still use cloth, but for longer trips and especially international flights, I like disposables.
Cloth diapering is a lot easier than it seems to be. A few tips though:
1. If you are a first time mom, especially, if you plan to breastfeed, consider getting mothering/breastfeeding under control before you venture into cloth diapers (maybe the first 6 weeks to 3 months).
2. After they start solids, you can use flushable liners. I used Imse Vimse liners.
3. If you are using cloth diapers, use cloth wipes. It is easier. You might want to have disposable wipes for when you are out, but at home, it is easier to use cloth with cloth.
4. Cloth takes up more room in a diaper bag, so be reasonable about how many diapers you need. If you are running to the grocery store, you really only need one, I still take two, but you definitely don't need 6. Another solution is to put two in your diaper bag and have a tote bag that you keep in the car with more if you are going to be running around all day. That way you will have plenty but don't have to carry all of them all day.
5. When you child gets older, even with the liners, there will be times that you have to (or at least should) dunk them in the toilet. As mentioned before, you can get spray hoses that attach to your toilet and there is also a gadget called the Diaper Duck (about $10) which you attach the diaper to it, dunk it and then it squeeze the excess water out so it is less messy. I don't have either, but know people who do and like them.
I think if I have another baby, I will probably buy a set of small Fuzzi Bunz and then use the Fuzzi Bunz/Bum Genius diapers that I have for my son when the second child outgrows the smalls.
If you have friends that cloth diaper and can see them in person, that is probably the best thing.
I'm slightly delirous from lack of sleep, but I do have one tip that I don't think I saw mentioned- you can use cloth with Gdiapers! Just trifold an infant-sized prefold or numerous other inserts in them. Super easy. I mostly use cloth, but I also use the disposable inserts- so I get the best of both worlds! -Sylvia
Just a follow up comment about gDiapers and composting... Septic systems are basically giant underground compost systems for rural area toilets. Flushed contents biodegrade on their own in the giant burried tank and the effluent filters out into the surrounding soil.
SO - it stands to reason that one could also dig a hole in the ground and compost poopy diapers, too.
This is what we are planning on doing - with no intention of ever using the compost for fertilizer for our garden - but just as a water free (toilet free) and landfill free way of disposing of the inserts. The wet diapers we plan on composting in the garden compost as per the suggestions on gDiapers site. We will also be adding in the compostable cat litter to the poopy diaper hole - so all icky things should be in one isolated spot.
Our take on this, being in the water challenged deep south, is that this is a better alternative than washing cloth and with no flushing involved, should reduce our impact even more. Not to mention my hubbys fear of poopy cloth diapers... =)
I wonder about the overall environmental impact of cloth vs disposables vs gDiapers. Does anyone know of any type of scientifically based comparision based on water/energy/fertilizers/input...? For those of us in drought areas, laundry impacts are a significant concern, even with line drying.
As a cloth diaper user (for both of my kiddos since they were born) and cloth diaper making mama, this is a good review. When I first starting thinking about using cloth almost 5 years ago I had NO IDEA the array of different styles out there!
You've written a good review for those parents who would like to use cloth but have no idea where to start. I understand how much info there really is to take in. I was overwhelmed and it took me weeks literally to become comfortable with the terms and yet still they are evolving daily :o).
And while I don't share all of your likes about some of the diapers :o), different reviews are always great!
I personally think one size diapers are way too big on newborns and infants and don't always save money because I really don't think they can be effectively used until about 18 lbs. I have found because of the extra bulk of material the pocket and All In One style leaked a lot because it didn't fit the lower pound ranges well.
So glad you're helping the earth one diaper at a time!
I was glad to see that some one said you can use a cloth prefold with the Gdiapers because I want to try them and use my prefolds from my diaper service. I have been using cloth diapers with a diaper service for my son since he was 6 months old and he is now 2.5 (Unfortunatly not potty trained yet!). I would have started earlier but could not seem to make them work with his breastmilk poops.
I now have an 8 month old and am having the same problem...
Does anyone have a review for a diaper that can contain breastmilk (runnier) poops?
Oh how I wish that I had had this when I was wading through the piles of info on cd! How helpful! However, I ended up w/ the same result so that's pretty cool. Anyway, I'll keep this on hand for friends who are looking to cd! Thanks for all of the info!
I've cloth diapered my son from 3 months to 3 yrs and I am currently cloth diapering my youngest son who is almost 6 months. I love that you are reviewing cloth diapers but there are different diapers that work for different shaped babies. I wouldn't agree with your review though. Their are better ways to do a prefold and you didn't review inserts which can make all the difference in diaper use.
Anon In my opinion the best diapers for containing breastmilk poops are fitteds like kissaluvs or thirsties fab fitteds. It can be done with prefolds but you have to do a certain fold with a premium prefold (blue stitching) and use a snappi.
Late as always, but I would like to remind people to look for the wonderful WAHM-made diapers out there. I've used cloth on my triplets since birth (25 months) and have become a devoted user of WAHM diapers. The only mass-produced diapers in my stash are prefolds. Of course, check feedback, but please try some wonderful WAHM diapers.
i would also recommend cloth wipes to go with cloth diapers. at first i thought that would just be way too much work, but it turns out that it is much easier than separating the disposable wipes from the washable diapers. i have also found that cloth wipes do a better job cleaning up (fewer wipes per change) and are less drying for baby's skin. and, i'm doing laundry anyway, so why not throw these in? i got mine (flannel wipes, standard size to fit in regular wipes cases and warmers) on amazon.com and make my own solution with baby oil and dr. bronner's.
Great post, very helpful! Thank you.
I was reading the comments and I use Kushies brand (which were not reviewed) and they are great. They only cost about $10 per diaper including shipping, have very cute patterns, and they work great. It makes it affordable to use cloth diapers. We use the Kushies Ultra (all-in-one) and Kushies Classic (formed with a velcro closure, but don't prevent leaks as well). I never hear many reviews about them and I don't understand why because they are great and affordable. The Kushies company also sells other types of diapers, washable lines, covers, and flushable liners. I buy them at babybungalow.com.
@Jenni - We called every major brand we knew of and asked for samples, and Kushies either did not respond to our request or said no (sorry, can't remember which). They were definitely on our call list, though, because that's the brand we used! We really liked them too - still have them (used for one child) and need to pass them on to someone in our area. Thanks for the note.
Loved this review and decided to do my own with several additional brands of diapers: BumWear, Kushies, QDiapers, Tiny Tush, and then we repeated BumGenius and Fuzzi Bunz.
Check it out here if you're interested:
http://rollingthroughlooneyville.blogspot.com/2008/11/cloth-diaper-showdown-and-giveaway.html
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