Last updated on August 20th, 2022 at 09:52 am
When my son was first born, there was no way on earth you would even have gotten me to consider cloth diapering. And in my mind, cloth diapering was something that was done in the “olden” days. It seemed like a big hassle and I couldn’t see the costs outweighing the benefits.
But as my son started to get chronic eczema, I started to look for an alternative. And I realized that there are so many options aside of your standard prefold diaper. Although, a lot of people still swear by them. But for me, it just seemed to be a bit more hassle than I had the patience for. Since I got into the cloth diapering scene when my son was a little older, I settled on experimenting with pocket diapers.
Pocket diapers are pretty easy to use. You have an outer layer consisting of a water resistant fabric, with an inner layer resting against your babys skin that is usually microfleece (which wicks moisture away from the skin), however, there’s also velour and other fabrics that are used. Imagine having a nice organic velour next to your butt? Yes, please. In between these layers is a pocket that fits what’s called an insert. Inserts are generally made out of microterry, hemp, or a french terry. Inserts generally contain many layers for absorbency. It takes a little while to find a system that works for you, but once you do, it’s pretty efficient. And you become fond of baby bubble butt. I’ve given quite a few diapers a whirl, so I figured I’d share my thoughts with you.
Fuzzi Bunz: This was the first diaper that I tried. To be fair, I used the old style, which has since been replaced by a one-size diaper, so I’m not sure how the new one stands up, but the original one I think, was one that you either loved or you hated. The insert, a micro terry fleece, wasn’t overly absorbent, the snaps to adjust the legs and waist didn’t work for my son. They either made the diaper too tight or too loose. I know that there are people who swear by their Fuzzi Bunz, but I wasn’t overly impressed with them. Again, the newer version might be completely different.
Bum Genius 3.0: Bum Genius is one of the most popular one-size pocket diapers. And I can see why. They’re well made. They come with an adjustable insert as well, and the insert is actually pretty absorbent. We had one of those moments the other day where we looked at each other and said “did you change him recently?” I was surprised that he didn’t leak through. And yet the diaper is still trimmer than most pocket diapers. As with most one size diapers, you can adjust the rise on the diaper via snaps, so you can use this diaper on your itty bitty newborn, as well as on your linebacker toddler. I held off on trying this one for so long for a multitude of reasons. But I have to say, I’m impressed. I can understand why Bum Genius fans push people to drink the Kool-Aid. The only thing I will say, is that I wish they came with a side snap option for people who prefer snaps.
Blueberry Diapers: Blueberry diapers are similar in style to Swaddlebees in my opinion. This isn’t a bad thing. I do like the insert flap a little better on these over most as they tend to not bunch up like a lot of them do. There’s nothing more embarrassing to a toddler than having an insert hanging out of their pants, now is there? These are easy to use, and come in a lot of fun and cute designs, including minky, which is apparently the holy grail of pocket diapers. My son personally doesn’t own any minky in his stash, but I hear they’re very nice. The insert it comes with is a split insert, which is also really nice, because they seem to be more absorbent and also dry much faster. The other thing I like is that they also come in one size AND have a snap option as well as velcro. I like when there are more options.
So there’s my lengthy rundown of all the pocket diapers I’ve tried. It’s not every single brand out there, but it’s quite a few. If you’re looking to switch to cloth diapers, here are a few tips that might help you make the switch easier.
- Purchase a few different brands and styles. If you have a hundred bucks or so, research what might work best for you and purchase one of each. You can also look on sites like craigslist or Ebay to see if anyone has diapers you’re looking for for sale or for trade. Some are gently used, but this can be a good thing. They still have plenty of use left in them, you save money, AND they’re most likely already primed.
- Prime your diapers. Technically your inserts. Most diapers only need a wash or two before use, but the inserts might need to be primed (sometimes 5 or 6 times depending on the insert) in hot water and dried repeatedly before they’re absorbent enough. And subsequent washings make them continually more absorbent. You can also boil them depending on the type of insert to help speed up the process.
- Always read the care instructions of your diapers. Cloth diapers are an investment, and if you want them to last, you need to take care of them properly. Most pocket diapers are made with the same material, but there are many other types of diapers and if you take care of them properly, they should last you through multiple children.
- Use a proper detergent. Now that you’ve read the care instructions, simple Tide won’t do. Not to mention Tide, ew. Even detergents like Dreft can cause a build-up in diapers. My personal preference is Charlie’s Soap, but there are quite a few natural and eco-friendly brands that work great on diapers.
Got any other tips? Contact us, and we’ll be happy to add them.
