Gro-Baby Cloth Diaper System

I have to admit, I'm intrigued by these, the Gro Baby Cloth Diapers.  I don't necessarily know that I'd love them to pieces as I am with my pocket diapers.

Something about using the same shell throughout a day kind of gives me the heebie jeebies.  But I've never tried a system that does that, so I don't know.  Plus, these have snaps to keep the liners in place, which might elimate the mess. 

I like that they're one-sized and the colors are pretty.

I'm hoping to follow up my initial cloth diaper review with another run through, this time with a ton of diapers that I hadn't reviewed in my initial posting.  Hopefully the Gro-Baby diapers will be amongst those reviewed!

Are there any parents out there that have tried them?  What do you think?

BumWear Cloth Diaper Giveaway Winners!

First off, thanks so SO much to everyone who entered!  Trust me, I wish everyone could win something.  Without further ado, here is the list of winners with two alternates:

 Jasmine, who said:

I've bought a few fuzzi bunz to use with my daughter (due in a few months), and I'd love to add a few BumWears to the stash. It was a relief to see that the diapers I already had got pretty great marks, too. :) 

Pregnantly Plump, who said:

 That's the most thorough write up I've seen of cloth diapers! Thank you for that.
Hope we win!

and Erin who said:

 Thanks for all of the great info.  I can't wait to get started using cloth... Anyone have any tips for using cloth on a newborn?

 The alternates are:

Schrodinger, who said,

 we bought all bum genius hoping they will last through to potty training, now I'm concerned that they won't make it now :( Thanks for a great review of the other options out there.

and kara, who said,

have found that the diapers you'll love are a matter of fit - Bum Genius one size fit my daughter perfectly and are very economical since they snap open and come with two inserts. I'm very dedicated to the upkeep of the velcro, and pick lint out on a regular basis. Never had any problems. Fuzzi Bunz are cute and have the nicer snaps, but are more expensive and you'll probably buy additional inserts for them. Also, they never quite hugged up around my daughters slimmer thighs, and came up way high in the rise. We love the Bum Genius AIO's for the non bulky fit, and I dry them once in the dryer and then overnight on a rack in the house. I experimented with hemp inserts, but have come to love and respect the cottonbabies inserts. I have about 40 diapers in my stash, and wash twice a week. I'm interested in the BumWear, now! 

Thanks again to everyone!  It's my hope to get another cloth diaper review up and running sometime soon.  Keep posted!

I'll contact the winners by email.  If I don't hear back from them by Thursday at noon, I'll contact the alternates. 

Cloth Diapering 101: Getting Started - Materials

So now that you've got the lingo down, you're either gung ho and ready to cloth diaper every baby from here to Toledo, or you're running towards Target for the nearest case of Huggies.  I'm figuring most people fall somewhere in the middle.

Cloth diapering seems to be an incredibly huge investment at first glance.  So many people are scared away at the prospect of having to dump hundreds of dollars down and not being sure they will like it enough to continue in the long run. 

But it doesn't have to be that way!  

First off, if you're interested but not sure you want to jump all the way in, it's perfectly ok to only buy a cloth diaper or two to try it out.  If you enjoy having one or two less diapers a day to have to buy, you might continue building up your stash. 

But what kind to try first?

A very smart idea for deciding the type of diaper you'd like to use is to go through a website such as Jillian's Drawers.   For $112.84, they will send you a starter pack of diapers.  Go to their website for the variety, but there's at least 6 different kinds, (7 total diapers), with the inserts and fasteners needed.   You use these for 21 days.  Then, if you chose, you can keep any number of them and Jillian's Drawers will take the cost of those diapers out of your refund and you mail the rest back.

This is a GREAT way to try a big variety. 

Another way to start sampling a variety of diapers without spending loads of money is to look at consignment sites.  I bought my first cloth diapers second hand on Craigslist and they are still in excellent shape.  I paid a quarter of what they would have cost brand new.  Ebay, Jillian's Drawers, DiaperSwappers, and other forums are great resources for a nearly new cloth diaper stash. 

If you're still planning to purchase new, use these sites to see what the likelihood of a high resale value would be for the diapers you're choosing.  This might make the difference between two brands if you're wavering.

Now, let's assume that you're ready to take the plunge and cloth diaper for most situations in your baby's life.
In order to cloth diaper your average baby at almost all times without having to wash for two days or so, you will probably need about 12-16 diapers.  This number obviously increases with newborns (who need changing more often), and older babies who might be heavy wetters.   Otherwise, plan on changing your baby about 6-8 times a day.  (Definitely more than a disposable diapered baby would need changing).

In addition to the diapers, you need a safe detergent to wash them in.  Most people swear by either Charlie's Soap or BioKleen.  Other people just use their regular detergent.  Though it is suggested, (oddly enough), to stay away from any detergent labeled free and clear or free.  I'll be posting about the care and use of the diapers tomorrow. 

Once you have these things, you're pretty set to begin.  Though there are additional accessories that may make the cloth diapering lifestyle a bit easier. 

A Wetbag - If you're storing dirty cloth diapers in a diaper pail in your child's room, you might want to invest in a wetbag.  These are waterproof bags that you can cinch the diapers into containing odor.  When it's time to wash, just turn the bag inside out and wash with the diapers. 

In addition to a big one, some find it helpful to have a wet bag for the diaper bag.  This ensures that you have a place for the dirty diapers when you're out while cloth diapering.  I have one, but I've found that a gallon sized freezer bag works in a pinch.  (The bonus of a wet bag vs. the freezer bag is that you can really clean the wet bag while the freezer bag might get kind of gross after time.

A Sprayer - Once your child has reached that golden age of solid food poops, you'll probably want a sprayer which you can attach to your toilet.  This will allow you to spray off stubborn solid waste when necessary.

Other than that, you're pretty set.  I think anything additional, (aside from cloth wipes and wipes solution if you chose to go that route), is pretty superfluous. 

Check yesterday's entry where we ran down the list of terms used most often in cloth diapering.  Also check out my review of some popular brands and a giveaway of my favorite.

Cloth Diapering 101! AIO, DSQ, Fitted, Pockets, WHAT!?

If you would do a google search for cloth diapering, you would come up enough information to make your head explode.  It's so daunting to some people that they give up altogether before they even get started. 

But it's not as bad as it sounds.

For this week, my goal is to expose the mysteries of cloth diapering so that anyone can read along and come out feeling like that have enough knowledge to make an educated decision as to whether they'd like to cloth diaper their children.

As always, if you have hints or information to add, please comment!  The more the merrier.

As with any niche, cloth diapering comes with its own quirky terminology. 

But before we delve into that, let's talk about what makes a cloth diaper, a cloth diaper.  :)

Nearly every cloth diaper has an absorbant component, a waterproof outer component, and some method of fastening.  There are extras to certain types of diapers, but that's the bare minimum. 

Below are the most popular types of  cloth diapers on the market today:

Diaper Types

AIO - All-in-ones - These are diapers where all of the components are held together to make one whole diaper. Some have a microfiber inner layer to wick away moisture, others are cotton.  (Some AIO diapers are also separated into a more specific catagory:  AI2s, or all-in-twos...  this just means that the layer closest to the baby's skin is more like a flap, allowing it to be positioned in different ways, as well as allowing it to flap around in the wash.  Kushies are good examples of this)  Examples:  Kushies, BumGenius 2.0, Green Mountain, Swaddlebees, Bumkins  Pros:  Easy, easy, easy to put on.  Everything is together so you don't have to do a lot of word to get them on your child.  In the same vein, they're easy to pack and transport since you never have to worry about remembering all of the components.  Cons:  Often expensive (Kushies are the exception), they take longer than other types to dry.

Pocket Diapers - Very similar to an AIO except that the "soaker" layer (see below for definition) is in the form of an insert to fit into a pocket in the diaper.  The pocket is formed by leaving either the seam in the top back or both the top back and the top front open to allow insertion of the soaker.  Examples:  Fuzzi Bunz, Tiny Tush Elite, BumWear, BumGenius 3.0, Happy Heinys, Blueberry, Snap EZ Eco  Pros:  You can customize the amount of absorbency based how big of a soaker you use.  Some newborns don't require an insert at all.  Convenient and dries fast.  Cons:  Also can be expensive, takes time to stuff inserts.  You also have to shake/pull out the inserts for washing, which some people find kind of gross.

Prefolds- These are rectangular shaped diapers that are made of multiple layers of absorbent materials.  In order to use these, you have to fold the sides in towards the middle and fasten with pins or something like a Snappi (see below).  These are the most basic of basic diapers and are often the cheapest.  Sometimes you will see them descibed with three numbers.  3x5x3.  This refers to the number of layers each diaper has in each section.  The first and last numbers are the outside layers and the middle number is the middle of the diaper.  Layers vary based on the size needed.  You can buy prefolds on your own, or you can hire a diaper service which will wash your diapers and provide you with a clean set.  These must be used with a waterproof outer layer to prevent leaks.  Note:  DO NOT USE THE PREFOLDS YOU CAN FIND IN TARGET OR WALMART OR THE LIKE.  These are not quality prefolds and are really more suited for burp cloths.   Examples:  Chinese Prefolds Pros:  They are cheap, cheap, cheap.  They're pretty foolproof with care and often last forever.  Cons:  Can be somewhat difficult to learn to use.  Might be hard to wrangle a toddler into one.  These are fairly bulky.

Contour Diapers - These are similar to prefolds except they are shaped and don't require folding.  They still need fastening with something like a Snappi and they also need a pair of waterproof pants on the outside. Examples:  Kissaluvs.  Pros:  Easier to use than a prefold, and yet still cheap.  Cons:  Still require the ability to use a fastener. 

OS - One Sized Diaper - This refers to a diaper that has snaps to allow for a one size fit.  The user is able to snap the diaper in a particular way to set it to large or small.  Pros: These diapers are that they can last from birth onwards, (most types).  Cons:  They can be a bit expensive to start up and they can also be a bit bulky in the beginning.  Examples:  Tiny Tush, BumWear, BumGenius 3.0, Green Mountain, Prefolds, Happy Heinys, Cuddlebuns

Some diaper types require some extra materials:

Extras and Terms


Snappi - This is a fasteners made of plastic that are used with prefolds or contour diapers in place of pins. 

Soaker - This is the absorbent part of the diaper.  In an AIO, the soaker is attached.   In Prefolds, there is no technical seperate soaker, so this refers either to the middle layer or to the wool pants used on the outside of a prefold.  In pocket diapers, this is the multi-layer absorbent pad that you stuff into the diaper to hold the liquid.  You can also put a seperate soaker in any kind of diaper for extra absorbency.  There are tons of differnet kinds and shapes, so you have to either get one in tandem with your pocket diaper or search around to find one that works for you.


Hook and Loop or Aplix - For most diapers, the actual Velcro brand velcro is not used because of its roughness.  Thus, to prevent confusion, many will refer to their enclosure as hook-and-loop instead.  Aplix is a softer brand of hook-and-loop closures.

Liners - Either a piece of washable material or disposable material that is used to line the diaper so that waste is captured before hitting the main part.  This allows for easy disposal of solid waste.  Kushies Liners are a good example.  The disposable liners can be flushed as they are biodegradable but they are NOT safe for all septic systems. Convenient, yes.  Necessary?  No. 

DSQ - Diaper Service Quality - This refers to prefolds that are made with the best materials available to stand up to many uses and washings.  If you chose prefolds, it's advised to search for diapers of this quality to ensure the best performance. 


Diaper Cover- This an outer layer that is put on after a cotton diaper such as a prefold or a contour.  (There are some one sized cotton diapers like the TinyTush as well).  These pants are either a waterproof material or wool.  Wool is made to absorb moisture, while the regular diaper covers are made to keep it from leaking outwards.  (Wool generally doesn't leak).  You can use these more than once before washing, particularly the wool ones. 

You should now have enough of a working knowledge of cloth diaper terms to be able to browse around on some cloth diaper bulletin boards or websites. 

Stay tuned tomorrow for "Getting Started:  Cloth Diapering Essentials (And then some!)"

Also, check out my cloth diaper review and giveaway here. 

Cloth Diaper Showdown and GIVEAWAY!

***  Edited to add - If you have any questions or comments regarding cloth diapering, email me at rollingthroughlooneyville@gmail.com and I'd be glad to answer them for you.

Also, here's another comprehensive review that involves several other diapers.  So if you're interested in learning more, this is a great place for more comparisons.

And due to the overwhelming amount of comments from those who are considering cloth diapers but finding the choices and methods unclear or unreliable, I'll be posting a Cloth Diapering 101 post in the next week

One more thing:  If you're interested in purchasing any of these diapers, click on their name in the review and it'll take you to a retailer

Keep commenting and good luck!  ***

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Before I had kids, I chalked cloth diapers up to be complicated, messy, and gross.  Surprisingly, I've come to find that none of the above is true.  We've been cloth diapering C since she was about 3 months old.  Initially, on recommendation from a friend, we bought a few to try and found that they were remarkably easy.  So we decided to get some more to round out our cloth diaper stash.

And woah, there are some serious varieties out there.

Cloth diapers run the gamut from basic prefold diapers with waterproof pants, to one piece numbers that are as easy as disposables.   Most of the ones we tested are pocket diapers.  The outer layer is a waterproof material and the inner layer is most often fleece which wicks away moisture.  The two layers are open on one end to form a pocket where an insert can be placed.  The insert is what holds the liquid.  I also reviewed one cotton diaper with a liner, and two all-in-ones where the insert is sewn into the diaper.


Some diapers are sized and some are one-sized with snaps to fit to your baby's needs.

A lot to consider, no?

So, in order to find out which we liked the best, we acquired about 6 additional brands to test.  Our month long review consisted of repeated wears by our little one as well as many, MANY washings.

I rated each diaper on an A-D scale on the basis of five categories:  performance, ease of use, appearance, ease of care and durability.  (A is obviously the best and D is the worst). 


BumGenius All-In-One - $15.95   

Performance - B+
Ease of Use - A
Appearance - A
Ease of Care - C
Durability - B- 

These diapers are super cute.  They are almost as trim as a disposable, which is a major boon in our book.  The velcro closures are always a hit with my husband, but I don't like them as much.  Despite having wash tabs, where the sticky sides can go during a wash load, I did find that the velcro began to lose its stick a bit.  A fact that I can imagine will get worse with time.  This diaper didn't leak, though I always felt that I had to adjust it to be sure that C was completely comfortable.  Perhaps this had to do with sizing, though the medium was far too big, so I can't assume that.  I hated drying these diapers as they took FOR-EVER.  Even in the dryer, I often had to run the cycle twice to get the dampness out of the diaper.  In the sun, they by far took the longest of all diapers.  Left at all damp, as with any clothing, they would start to give off a musty odor.
Overall Rating :  B- 
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Q Diapers Pocket Diaper - $8.99 (included insert)

Performance - D
Ease of Use - C
Appearance -B
Ease of Care - B+
Durability - D

I can't even find a link for this diaper anymore.  I bought it on Ebay while searching for new, lesser known diaper brands to try.  Well, apparently there's a good reason for that.  Superficially, they're cute.  However, upon closer examination, the stitches appear hastily done and crooked and the workmanship is overall sub par.   This diaper leaked constantly.  I couldn't seem to get a good fit with the small pieces of velcro, and even when I got it snug, it still leaked.  Despite the velcro, I felt that this diaper took a significant amount of wiggling to fit onto the baby. It was relatively easy to wash and dry, though an absence of wash tabs generally made this diaper stick to whatever it ended up next to in the dryer.  I stopped using it altogether.   
Overall rating:  D
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 Fuzzi Bunz Pocket Diaper Sized Medium $17.95 (with insert)

Performance - A
Ease of Use -B+
Appearance -B
Ease of Care - A-
Durability - A

 These were the first cloth diapers I owned and used on both of my kids, so they have a little bit of a soft spot for me.  They're very cute to see the baby wearing, though they do tend to be quite bulky despite being sized.  My daughter was well within the weight range for the diaper but it came up really high which seemed to make sitting uncomfortable. This remedied with time as she grew taller, but it was still a pain while it lasted.  I also had some problems with the insert hanging out of the back of the diaper.  This wasn't necessarily a problem now, but as she grows and wets heavier, I expect that some wicking will occur when this happens.  They're as easy as any other pocket diaper to clean:  remove insert, wash, dry according to instructions.  No velcro means no sticking to other diapers.  The snaps are easy to figure out, though I often found that it was tough to get a good fit when she seemed to be in between snap positions.  They're super durable and one actually survived a dog chewing.  Not too shabby.   
Overall rating:  B+/A-
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Tiny Tush Elite One Size Pocket Diaper - $18.95 (with insert)

Performance - A
Ease of Use -B+
Appearance -B+
Ease of Care - A
Durability - A

This is one of my two favorites from doing this review.  I loved the one size aspect.  The snaps allowed for multiple sizes to wear the diaper, ensuring that it could go from a newborn to a toddler with no trouble. I did find the snaps mildly confusing as there are a ton of them.  However, you can leave the diaper snapped to the size that you use it while washing, cutting down on time spent figuring out the snaps.   There was ample room within the diaper for a thick insert, though a smaller insert stayed put quite nicely.  They're cute, though they can be a bit bulky with a larger insert.  I found that this diaper, when snapped correctly, always gave a snug fit and never leaked.  They have an overlapping piece of microfleece in the back to ensure that the insert remains snugly in the diaper, a feature I found to be valuable considering the FuzziBunz problems with this.   
Overall rating:  A-
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Tiny Tush Trim Organic Cotton One Size Fitted Cloth Diaper $16.95

With a Tiny Tush Diaper Cover $11.95  

Performance - A
Ease of Use -B+
Appearance -B+
Ease of Care - A
Durability - A





I was rather shocked to find out how much I really liked this diaper.  It's made of organic cotton which allows for a natural fiber to be next to the baby's skin.  This is a must for many people, though I found that this was one of the main reasons I wouldn't necessarily chose this type as my main diaper.  I change my daughter as often as I feel she is wet, though I don't   always get to her right away.  Thus, she's often with a wet diaper next to her skin as cotton doesn't wick away moisture.  Maybe not such a big deal during the day, but for naps and bedtime, I put the baby in a diaper with a microfleece layer.  The other reason that I would be hesitant to use this diaper is the cost.  Although I imagine that you can reuse a wrap more than once, you would need to purchase a few in addition to your stash of diapers which makes for a rather expensive venture.  However, the diapers are GOOD, and excellent quality, so if it's natural fibers you're looking for, these are the diapers for you.  Each diaper is one-sized to fit from newborn to toddler.  In addition to the diaper, each has a snap in layer for extra absorption.  (And they are massively absorpant to begin with).  The site suggests that you can even use this snap in layer alone inside a liner for small babies and newborns.  This diaper NEVER leaked and always held a ton.  I liked the reinforced side gussets on the cover.  I totally felt like any blowout would be easily contained.   
Overall rating:  B+
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Kushies Ultra All-In-One Medium $11.95 single or $45.00 for a five pack

Performance - B-
Ease of Use -C
Appearance - B-
Ease of Care - A
Durability - B

These diapers are made with a waterproof outer layer, several layers of absorbant cotton, and a cotton flap inside the diaper (which you can double up in certain areas for different genders).  The outside fastens with velcro.  There are laundry tabs which helps with the care factor.  In fact, these are the easiest diapers to take care of as they clean easily and dry quickly.  I am not a huge fan of the cotton inside layer as it allows moisture to sit against my daughter's skin.  These diapers are also extremely awkward in how big they are in some areas.  The velcro allows for a significant amount of adjusting; however, I was never able to adjust well enough to really close the leg holes snugly.  And I have a chunky legged little one.  They've leaked a few times, which I'm chalking up to a bad fit rather than poor absorption.  The outer layer is extremely durable and looks brand new but the inner layer is starting to pill badly.  Not a huge deal, but not as comfortable as the initial wearings.  They're super cheap for all-in-one cloth diapers, so if you're looking for a few to have on hand for baby sitters or for a relative who isn't familiar with cloth diapering, these are a steal.   
Overall rating:  B-
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BumWear One Sized Pocket Diaper $17.95 (insert not included)

Performance - A
Ease of Use -A-
Appearance - A+
Ease of Care - A
Durability - A

Definitely my favorite diaper of the bunch.  First of all, this diaper is CUTE!  There is absolutely no denying that fact.  The gorgeous printed outer layer is accented by a pretty fleece layer in a contrasting color.  I love putting this on my daughter.  In warmer weather, this is a cute bottom all on its own.  But aside from the cute factor, this diaper preforms fabulously.  After many wearings and washings, this diaper has yet to leak or to pill.  The outside looks as new as the day it arrived.  The snaps took a bit of getting used to, but there are less than on other one-sized diapers which lessened the confusion considerably.  I loved the fact that this diaper had elastic on both the back top and the FRONT top.  This is highly unusual, but something I craved in a cloth diaper.  I found that on many diapers, the rise made it slightly difficult to sit upright when the diaper was snugly fastened.  I learned to loosen the tops of most diapers for a more comfortable upright fit, but with these, I didn't have to.  The elastic allows the diaper to stretch against my daughter's baby belly without causing discomfort.  The diaper itself allows for small inserts or large inserts depending on your needs.  This diaper also folds to be the smallest one sized diaper I tried.  If you fold down the top of the diaper, the inner layer of the fleece has an additional row of snaps for the tiny baby.  I thought that these snaps might bother my daughter, but she never complains when wearing this diaper.  I will gladly buy more of these.   
Overall Rating:  A
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Now, for the fun news!  A GIVEAWAY!  Actually, three!  For three lucky readers, BumWear has graciously offered to give away one of their fabulous pocket diapers reviewed above AND an insert!  Woot!


If you're new to cloth diapering or you're looking to change brands, I can't recommend these highly enough, so enter for a chance to win!


In order to enter, please comment on this post with a valid email address.  If your email address is not included, I will have no way of contacting you and will have to move on to another winner. 
Winners will be RANDOMLY chosen using a random number generator. 

Close of the contest will be December 12, 2008 at 11:59pm.
One entry per person.

If you would like additional entries, please do one or both of the following:


Blog about and link to this giveaway and comment with a link back to your blog entry
or
Subscribe to this blog via RSS and comment that you have done so.  


Thanks everyone and good luck!

Cloth diapers!  They work for me!  For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer