Cloth Diapering - Diaper Review

When E and I were preparing for Tristan's arrival, there was no question that we'd be using cloth diapers. The only question was what kind. It was so very daunting how many different types of cloth diapers there were to choose... All in ones, prefolds, fitted, and there were so many different brands of each type on top of that! So, I asked for some advice from the few friends that used cloth, registered for a few different kinds, and hoped for the best.

I decided that I needed to make 2 posts about this, one for a diaper review and one for a 'how to' kind of guide. So, here's the first, the diaper review.

First, a short dictionary for those that don't know cloth diapers.

Pocket diaper - A waterproof shell with a micro-fleece inside that creates a pocket. You put an absorbent insert inside the pocket. The baby stays dry because the micro-fleece inside wicks the moisture away.

Prefolds - Your parents cloth diapers. But they're better than they used to be. They're made up of many layers of cotton (4 on the outer edges, 8 in the middle for more absorbency) and are very absorbent. They have to be held closed with something (now-a-days, Snappis, something like an ace bandage 'pin') and need a diaper cover.

Diaper cover - The waterproof cover that goes over all diapers that don't have a built in waterproof layer. These covers are what makes cloth diapers so much better than what our parents used. They're light weight, semi-breathable, and very waterproof. They go on over the cloth diaper like a disposable diaper, not underwear, which makes them easier to use then the old style rubber pants.

Fitted diapers - Diapers that are made to 'fit' the baby, so you don't have to fold it. These usually look a lot like disposables. They also usually have a thicker middle section to help absorb more liquids. All of the fitted diapers I have need a diaper cover.

And now for the different types of diapers:
KaWaii Baby One Size Heavy Duty Pocket Diaper
Best diaper ever. It's a pocket diaper, and they're easy to use, with Velcro closures and snaps to size them to the baby (supposed to work from 8-30 pounds). They come with an extra insert for heavy wetting/night time diapering. And the pocket has a flap to keep the inserts in place, which incidentally also makes rinsing the poop out of them easier than other diapers. They're very similar to the BumGenius (below), though they are better than the BumGenius in the flap closure and full size extra insert.

The only con for this diaper is the price. At $7 for one diaper, they're not as cost effective as others, but they're not too bad either.

I only have one of these, because I found them after I'd stocked up on the BumGenius (below). But if I need to buy more diapers, these will be what I get. You can find them at the Kawaii web site.

BumGenius 3.0 Cloth Diaper
I believe this is the 'original' of the Kawaii diaper above. It's almost exactly the same, so it's almost the best diaper ever, except...

The cons for this diaper are the price (really, $16 for one diaper when I got them, and now I see they're up to $18?!?), the pocket closure is funky and doesn't work as good as the Kawaii flap, and the extra insert is a 3/4 length, 1/2 thickness insert. When Tristan was wetting at his heaviest, I needed to put in 2 extra inserts, which made the diaper very bulky.

I got some of these as a gift, and the others I bought from DiaperJunction.com.

Diaper Rite Prefolds and Bummis Super Wisper Wraps
The Diaper Rite prefolds are very absorbent. Before Tristan fit in the BumGenius diapers, I had him overnight in these. I bought the prefolds as a package with the Bummis Super Wisper Wrap diaper covers. I use an 'angel' closure with the prefold, meaning I fold the diaper in thirds in the front, but leave it fully out in the back. Then I use a Snappi (another in the best inventions ever category) to keep the diaper in place. Supposedly you can just fold the diaper in thirds and put it into the cover, but that didn't work with pre-solid-foods poop. Maybe now it would though...

The pros for this combo is the price (worked out to $3.23 to $3.79 per diaper when you factor in the diaper cover) and the absorbancy.

The cons are the bulk of needing 3 things to do one diaper and that they are definitely not as easy as disposables. I've gotten really good at using these, and wouldn't consider this a con for myself, just not sure I can leave Tristan with someone with these diapers without having them practice using them for a bit.

Since these diapers come in sizes, I've gotten the newborn, small and medium sizes as Tristan grew. I got the packages at DiaperJunction.com.

Kissaluvs Fitted Diaper
I only used this a short time, as it was the newborn size and only fit Tristan for a month or less.

The pros (which I didn't grasp at the time) are the ease of use. They go on similar in style to disposables.

The cons, they don't hold as much as a prefold, making you change the baby more often, and and they cost more than the KaWaii diapers without having the waterproof layer.

I got this diaper as part of a diaper sample package from DiaperJunction.com.

Thirsties Duo Wrap Diaper Cover
I hated this diaper cover.

The cons, it just didn't fit over the prefold diapers, they stuck out at his legs and got his clothes wet. I might use it for the next kid if it fits over the Kissaluvs diaper. Or I might get rid of it.

I got this diaper cover as part of a diaper sample package from DiaperJunction.com, though I see that they now are offering the Bummis cover with the package instead.

Thirsties Fitted Diapers
I got these diapers at a second hand store, and I don't see that they make them anymore. But I'll still review them. They're pretty good diapers.

The pros, I can give them to anybody to use without worrying that Tristan will end up soaked and I don't have to have a Snappi handy.

The cons, they don't absorb as much as the prefolds and they cost (new) more than the KaWaii diapers without having the waterproof layer.

And that's it for the diaper review! Hopefully it was helpful for somebody. And stay tuned for the 'how to' guide...