Best Cloth Diapers

Have you ever held a newborn? They are such teeny weenie delicate things. Have you ever held a naked newborn?

A naked newborn is just like a newborn, but without half of its body mass which is normally just the bulk of cloths and wraps and such.

Now, imagine putting a diaper on just one part of this itsy bitsy squirming human and getting it right. Don’t worry, it can be done. And here are a few pointers to get you started on newborn cloth diapers.

All-in-ones

All-in-ones are the easiest to use as they are a one-step process to put on and take off. They come with aplix/Velcro straps or snaps. Aplix/Velcro straps can rub on the umbilical cord stump, so you have to watch out for this. However, aplix/Velcro fit better around the waist and can be used as your baby grows older because they are easily adjustable.

Flats and prefolds

Flats and prefolds are super at absorption and have the added advantage of not being restricted to the newborn phase; you can continue to use flats for 2 – 3 months, depending on your baby’s growth curve. However, they are a bit trickier to get on, especially once your baby starts to really wriggle and play air soccer. And there is the issue of the safety pin, although nowadays you can opt for cloth diaper fasteners.

Fitted Diapers

Fitted diapers are super absorbent, and you will find that the higher the cost, the better the quality of material used. You have to opt for the right balance in cost and quality. Fitteds have the advantage of keeping in poo pretty well. You can use them as is or with a diaper cover.

Diaper Covers

Diaper covers will be needed if you opt to use flats or prefolds. They can also be used with fitted diapers. Diaper covers come with the aplix/Velcro or snaps option. Natural fibers diaper covers (like wool) offer better breathability – which is good for your baby’s skin – than artificial cloth (like PUL).

1. bumGenius One Size Pocket Diaper 4.0 (Snap) Grasshopper Review

As a brand, I like BumGenius because they offer great consistency in the quality of their products. Here is what I think about the bumGenius One Size Pocket Diaper 4.0 (Snap) Grasshopper.

Our Rating: (4.6 / 5)

Pros

Cons

2. Kawaii Baby Newborn Cloth Diaper 6-22 Lb. With 2 Microfiber Inserts “Light Blue” Review

Pros

Cons

Are you an aspiring cloth diaper mama? Then you should know what you need as much as you need the actual diapers are cloth diaper covers.

Without them, you will be doing about ten loads of laundry a week and there will be a pervasive smell of baby pee in your bed, on your carpet, your clothes, your upholstery and a gazillion other places.

Cloth diaper covers keep the mess contained until you can get rid of it.

How Many Cloth Diaper Covers?

Depending on the ease of care for your diaper cover, six to eight covers will do. If you are using wool covers, you may need more as they take longer to clean and dry. As your baby grows older, you will need fewer diaper covers because there will be fewer diaper changes in a 24-hour cycle.

Rumparooz Cloth Diaper Cover Snap, Peacock Newborn Review

Isn’t it just amazing when you find a clothing item for your little munchkin that offers cutesy adorableness and great functionality at the same time? I still have my babies’ Rumparooz cloth diaper covers, despite the fact that my boys outgrew them a long time ago. Too cute to let go.

Our Rating: (4.4 / 5)

Pros

Cons

Kawaii Baby Heavy Duty Hd2 One Size Velcro Cloth Diaper

Kawaii Baby Heavy Duty Hd2 OS Cloth Diapers come with 2 microfiber inserts are a good bargain for a mom on a budget who does not want to compromise on quality. The diaper is a one size fits all, and is meant for babies weighing between 8 and 36 pounds, according to Kawaii’s weight chart. It is a durable and light diaper and not very bulky.

Pros

Cons

What You Need To Consider When Purchasing Your Cloth Diaper Covers:

Adjustability and fit

Generally, quality cloth diaper covers will last between six months and a year. Within this time span, your baby will have grown a great deal. While it is hard to get a single diaper cover that will fit perfectly over this time span, purchase diapers that are adjustable so that they will take you longer before you have to move on to the next size. Also, make sure the fit is right around the waist and thighs. If it is too tight, it may hinder blood flow and hurt your baby. If the cloth diaper cover is too loose, be prepared for leaks and blowouts which are absolutely no fun

Breathability

While diaper covers are impermeable for obvious reasons, it is important to consider how breathable a material is so your baby’s bum can stay aerated. PUL, TPU and nylon are some of the more common artificial cover options that are available with varying degrees of breathability. Wool is a natural fiber that offers great breathability, though it may leak when saturated.

Durability

Your diaper cover won’t last forever, but you want it to last you a while as diaper covers can be quite pricy. It is advisable to invest in quality covers that will last longer without cracking, snaps falling off or developing leaks as this will save you money in the long run.

Ease of Cleaning

For synthetic diaper covers without any inner layers, it is mostly a matter of spray and wipe down between two uses. The easier it is to clean your diaper cover, the less work for you.

When it comes to cost, disposable adult cloth diapers are outrageously expensive, and if you have to buy them continuously for health issues such as incontinence, disposables become a recurrent expense that can be quite a financial drain.

Adult cloth diapers are made from natural fabrics such as cotton and hemp, and are intended to wear for about two hours each. With proper care, they work just as well as disposables and last longer. To minimize leaks, it is recommended to wear them with plastic shorts.

New designs on adult cloth diapers have really cut down on their bulky size and they can comfortably be worn under clothes.

LeakMaster Night Weight Gauze Prefold Diaper – Medium (602G)

Are you filled with trepidation every time you have to ride the bus, or go on a shopping excursion that will take more than an hour? Then the LeakMaster Night Weight Gauze Prefold Diaper – Mediummight just be the answer you need. This diaper is built for comfort and extra absorbency. While it is indicated for night time use, it makes good wear for longer daytime excursions that will be stress-free.

Our Rating: (4.1 / 5)

Pros

• This diaper offers great absorbency that will guarantee dryness for up to 2 hours.
• Since it is made of gauze, it is less bulky as compared to other diapers with the same level of absorption.
• It is very comfortable to wear as it is cushioned. Has a good fit too in both front and back.
• Washes well because of the gauze material that is easy to clean.

Cons

• The cost, these diapers are a bit on the pricier side. However, if you think of it as a long term investment, it is a bearable cost.
• The Shrinkage: after the first wash, this diaper will shrink. A lot. It is advisable that you buy one size up so that you can live with the shrinkage.
• The bulk. With a 1.5” thickness, this diaper can be quite bulky. However, if you cannot live with the bulk, buy the day weight option instead and restrict the night weight option for night use only.

Newcomer cloth diaper moms have one hundred and one questions. My partner and I had about a gazillion when we went the cloth diapering way:

‘How do I fold this big handkerchief thingy (flat diaper) and make it fit on the baby’s bum?’

‘What’s this other smaller handkerchief thingy (liner) and does it go over or under? What does it do anyway?’

‘How do I stick this safety pin into the diaper without sticking it into the baby (Yikes!)? Why is it called a safety pin anyway, it does not look safe to me.’

Believe me when I say we were both more clueless than a snowman in the Sahara desert.

But to keep it short and sweet (although diapers and sweet do not belong in the same sentence), today I will answer ten of the most commonly asked questions in our Cloth Diapering 101 class.

1. How Many Diapers Do I Need?

The number of diapers you need primarily depends on the age and weight of your baby.

Newborns go through more diapers than toddlers. With a newborn, you will need a minimum two dozen diapers, but as few as one dozen will be sufficient for a toddler.

Other factors that will come into play are whether your baby is a heavy wetter, the absorbency of your diapers, and the materials from which your diapers are made.

2. How Do I Strip My Cloth Diapers?

Stripping is one of those necessary evils of being a cloth diaper mom. Hate it or love it, you MUST do it every now and again.

When stripping, keep in mind that you should NOT add any detergent to your diapers, as this beats the purpose – you want to get traces of detergent out.

When stripping, you should also know whether you have hard or soft water as this determines what you can add to your load (stain remover, baking soda, vinegar, etc.) and how effective it will be.

3. Which Are the Best Cloth Diaper Brands?

There is no ‘best’ just what works well for you and your baby. When choosing diaper brands, consider size, absorbency, washing, lifetime of the diaper and your budget. If you are just starting out, you can buy a few of each brand and then buy more of what works best for you. Some popular diaper brands are: Osocozy, BumGenius, Kawaii and Rumparoos.

4. How Do I Choose My Cloth Diaper Detergent?

If a detergent is indicated to be safe for your baby’s clothes, it is not necessarily safe for his or her diapers.

Choose a very gentle, natural cloth diaper detergent that is free of any additives.

If your baby gets a rash and you suspect it is because of your detergent, change it. You should also try using less detergent when washing your cloth diapers.

5. Is it Advisable to Use Cloth Diapers through the Night?

Yes it is! You may worry that since cloth diapers wet faster, your little one may not sleep comfortably all night because of leaks.

With newborns, you will need to change the diaper three or four times which is okay because it will probably correspond with his or her feeds too.

For older babies who sleep through the night, add a double under the diaper and you and your baby get a restful, dry night.

You can also choose more absorbent diaper brands (like one with a suede or fleece booster and a wool cover) to guarantee a dryer night for your baby.

6. What are the Differences between Flats and Prefolds?

The most basic diaper is the flat; it is the big white handkerchief-like thing your parents probably used.

You fold it into a triangular shape, fit the baby’s bum into the center of this triangle, gather the ‘points’ of the triangle at the baby’s front and then pin it into place (with safety pins) at the baby’s hips.

A prefold is just like flat, but liminates the folding stage because this has already been done for you and sewn in place so that it does not unfold.

The primary advantage of prefolds over flats is that prefolds have more layers at the center where absorbency is needed the most to keep your baby dry.

7. What are the Differences Between All-in-Ones and All-in-Twos?

An ‘all-in’ diaper combines the diaper itself and the waterproof cover so that you do not have to put them on the baby separately.

The diaper and the cover come sewn together and you just have to snap it or Velcro it in place on the baby’s waist.

All-in-ones have the inner absorbent cloth and the outer waterproof cover and that’s it. All-in-twos are fashioned such that you can remove the inner absorbent cloth from the outer waterproof cover.

Its advantage is that you can re-use the waterproof cover with a fresh diaper and it makes for easier laundering.

8. What are the Differences Between Inserts and Doublers?

Inserts are used with pocket diapers for extra absorbency. Pocket diapers are basically like all-in-twos but with an allowance beneath the inner absorbent layer and the outer waterproof material where you can add another layer of cloth (the insert) so your baby can go drier for longer.

Doublers are thick, rectangular cloth pads that are also added for absorbency and used with the traditional flats or with prefolds. They are fixed between the diaper and the waterproof diaper cover.

9. How Do I Wash My Cloth Diapers?

Wash your diapers every two to three days. In between washes, keep your diapers in a diaper pail and add a sprinkle of baking soda into the dirty diaper pail to keep away the stunk.

The standard diaper wash is: one cold wash, one hot wash with your cloth diaper detergent, and then a cold and warm rinse. You can add an extra rinse if you still see bubbles in the wash.

10. How Do I Treat Diaper Rash?

If your baby has never, ever had a diaper rash, I salute you; you are officially the Best Mom in the universe. Also, would you please let me in on the secret? Now, to the rest of us ordinary moms, to limit the probability of your baby getting diaper rush, you can take these preventive steps:

• Change your baby as soon as they get wet. This does not mean that you can feel or see the wetness on may start crying or fidgeting when they are wet. Check every two hours for newborns, and at least every four hours for older babies.
• Use alcohol-free wipes as they may cause irritation on baby’s skin. Choose baby-friendly wipes or use cloth wipes instead.
• Dry baby’s skin well before putting on a diaper. Humidity encourages bacteria and formation of rash/yeast infections.
• Use a cream or ointment on baby’s skin with every diaper change. Plain petroleum jelly or zinc oxide work well. Your cream of choice should be mild and baby-friendly.
• Clean diapers very thoroughly and make sure to rinse out all detergent with every wash. Left over detergent can irritate baby’s skin.