cloth diapers

Almost a year ago now I started researching cloth diapers. I'm not sure what triggered this, but I'm glad I did. I was not a fan of all the trash disposable diapers was producing in our house and didn't like the fact that the disposable diapers have so many chemicals in them and my baby was sitting in those chemicals 24/7. I also liked the idea that it would save us money in the long run, we wouldn't have to continually be buying diapers, and I liked that they are cute. I had no idea what I was doing but spent hours researching different kinds and brands and what I would like to try to get us started. Keep in mind that cloth diapers today are not what they used to be.

I started out with Softbums, which are all-in-two (AI2) diapers where the cover is reusable and has snap-in inserts. The diapers are super adjustable with elastic inside the front of the diaper that would adjust to fit a newborn to toddler.


Then I decided to get some prefolds and Thirsties covers. Prefolds are one of the most economical ways to cloth diaper. They can be folded in different ways and then pinned, snappied, or just laid in the diaper covers. I was apprehensive about pins and didn't really understand how Snappis worked, so I opted to just trifold the prefolds in the covers. I chose Thirsties covers mainly because of the leg gussets, but also because it's a highly recommended brand and I liked the look of the white piping on the diapers. I chose the Duo diapers that adjust to several sizes and will last longer.


I also got one all-in-one (AIO) diaper, a Bumgenius organic, and I really liked the fit of this diaper. This diaper is most like a disposable.


My favorite diaper out of all of these was the Softbums. I really like the AI2 designs and also the trimness of the diapers. They were however, not the most absorbent. I liked the prefolds and covers, but didn't love them because the cotton material kept the wetness on the baby and it was more difficult for going out, but loved the leg gussets. I liked the AIO diaper, but didn't like how long they took to dry.

Since I liked the Thirsties covers, I got a couple of Thirsties AIO pocket diapers and a Thirsties Fab Fitted to try. I love the Thirsties AIO pockets and I still use these when going out of the house on Jackson. They are very trim and so cute! I did not like the fitted diaper as the whole diaper would be saturated when changing.


I now felt like I had a good handle on what I liked and didn't like in a diaper, which really helped me pick out diapers when Mackenzie was born. This time around I was going to try snap diapers (because Jackson thinks it's fun to undo velcro). I ordered some Flip diapers (pink), a Smartipants (purple), and an Econobum(white). I knew I wanted one-size diapers that would take her from newborn to potty training. I also knew that the AI2 style was my favorite and I was ready to try snaps as the velcro closures were starting to show wear and you have to fasten velcro to laundry tabs before putting them in the pail to be laundered.


I like the Flip diapers, but don't love them. I like that they are AI2's, but would prefer the inserts to snap into the covers. They are super absorbant and also trim. I like the Smartipants, but they are not the best fit for a newborn. I think as she grows, I will like this diaper more. It's a pocket diaper and I have to stuff the insert into the opening before putting it on her, but don't have to un-stuff it after it's soiled because it agitates out in the wash. I did not like the Econobum and have already sold it (yes, you can sell cloth diapers for almost what you paid for them). The Econobum cover was very thin and I didn't think it would hold up long, plus it was a prefold and cover type that I wasn't a huge fan of. We have a good start on a full stash of diapers now, but we still need some more to completely full-time cloth diaper our 2 kids. Right now we wash every other day (usually at night) and use disposables when we run out of cloth and at night. I have my eye on the Best Bottoms diaper system to complete our stash and be our nighttime solution.