Heatherlady's Cloth Diaper Recommendations

Way back before all the drama happened in my life I promised to let you know what I thought about the different cloth diapers we tried and which were my favorites. I know that some of you probably aren't interested in all this but I figure I will write it up for those who are-- and who knows maybe someday you will consider doing cloth and then this might be helpful. If you aren't interested in everything you can skip to the bottom to see what we decided to do, how much it cost, and what I would recommend if you just want to get some for your emergency kits.

So here are my reviews of the types we tried, I put stars next to them to show how much I liked them-- the more stars the better.

Prefolds *

I WON'T be using these. They were WAY too hard to put on and were WAY WAY too bulky for my fashion preferences. I have to admit that it was a little fun to figure out how to put them on (which we figured out thanks to YouTube) but they aren't going to work for us. We ordered the largest size and they wouldn't wrap all the way around Asher's waist-- and he is a skinny little thing! Maybe we were doing it wrong, but even so I didn't like them. After using these diapers I can see why our mothers were so excited for disposables! Oh, but these Snappi clasps are kind of cool--

but they don't snap so don't get confused. Oh, and prefolds are NOT prefolded... yeah I don't get it either. Just another reason for me not to use them.

Fitted Diapers**

Better than prefolds, but still WAY too bulky for me and I don't like the added trouble of putting a diaper cover over it. I'd rather just have one step, especially when I have a wiggly toddler who doesn't want a diaper on. I kept this one though because it is good for nighttime and I don't mind if Asher has a bulky diaper on under his PJs.

All in Ones ***

I thought that I would like these a lot because they are basically just like a disposable-- you just put it on and take it off... no stuffing, no diaper cover, no snappi clasp. And while these are really easy to use they weren't my favorite because 1) they take longer to dry (but I found that if you turn it inside out it dries faster) and 2) because they are still kind of bulky and there is no way for you to control how bulky it is. Even so, I still liked this one and decided to keep it-- but we will probably just use it at night.

Diaper Cover with an insert****

Don't worry this isn't the diaper we put Asher in, but I picked this picture to illustrate that one of the best things about diaper covers is that they come in SO many different colors and styles. There are some REALLY cute ones out there. I liked using the diaper covers because they weren't bulky at all. You just put a microfiber insert, a prefold, or some other type of padding, into the diaper cover and then put it on. The only downside to this method is that it is harder to keep the insert in place than in a pocket diaper and the inserts don't "wick" the moisture away from the baby's bottom like the pocket diapers do. But diaper covers are cheaper than pocket diapers so that makes them a good option.

Pocket Diapers *****

My FAVORITE!!!!! By far. I like that you can control the bulkiness on these ones by how much padding you stuff in them. I've found that Asher really only needs a thin microfiber insert during the day and that it will last several hours. In fact, I have been surprised that they hold as much as a disposable and that he can wear it as long (if not longer) than he could a disposable diaper. I also like that they "wick" the moisture away from his bottom and the insert absorbs everything. They also dry fast, clean up easy, and are really slim fitting. When Asher has one of these diapers on-- even with a thicker insert-- he doesn't look bulky at all. They work good for naps and nighttime as well if you put more padding in them. They have one-size ones that fit from birth to potty training as well as small, medium and large sizes. I found that even though Asher is almost 2 years old he still can fit in a medium sized diaper better than a large. I read somewhere that most kids only need small and medium diapers, unless they are really big for their age.

What We Decided To Do:

I kept all of the diapers I got from the trial program, but will mainly just use the BumGenius and Fuzzi bunz ones. I like the one-sized pocket diapers because they will adjust to fit from birth to potty training. But I found a woman nearby who was selling her stash of Fuzzi bunz diapers (only used for one baby) and she had small, medium and large sizes. I was really excited about this because the sized diapers are suppose to be slimmer fitting than the one-sized (not as much extra material) and she was selling her whole stash for less than it would cost me to get one-sized ones. Also, I've heard and read that the Velcro on the BumGenius diapers eventually won't stick. So even though I really like the convenience of the Velcro and the snaps on the Fuzzi bunz are a bit more tricky to figure out, I decided that since we are doing cloth diapers with the intent to use them for the rest of our kids I should get ones that won't wear out. I also got a lot of white diapers (mostly because that was what the woman I bought them from had) which I REALLY like. The colors are SUPER cute but the white ones are a bit more discrete under clothes. The first time I put a white one on Asher I exclaimed "Oh, he looks like a little missionary!" To which Jon scoffed and asked me when I had EVER seen a missionary in a cloth diaper. Um.... I haven't... but the white diaper just looked so cute and so clean on him. I like the colored ones too though-- especially the little girl ones.

What Did it Cost?

Jillian's Drawers Trial Program

1 diaper cover
1 fitted diaper
1 BumGenius All in One
1 BunGenius pocket one-size (2 inserts)
1 Fuzzi bunz pocket one-size (2 inserts)
1 All in One
2 prefolds

Total: $110 (with shipping)

Lady Selling Stash

10 small Fuzzi bunz (with inserts)
8 medium Fuzzi bunz
3 large Fuzzi bunz (with inserts)
8 cloth diapers-- to stuff inside the mediums

Total: $170 (about $7-8 a diaper)

Grand Total: 29 diapers= $ 280

I know some of you probably think that is a lot of money-- and well... it is, but I calculated it up and right now we spend $30 a month on diapers and wipes just for Asher who goes through one pack of size 3 every two weeks. A new baby will add an extra pack of diapers each week which will mean that we will spending AT LEAST $50 (probably more) a month on diapers and wipes for the two of them-- and that is if I only buy the cheap brands. I calculated it up and I found that after using cloth diapers for only five months I will already have recouped what I spent on them. So it may be a bit of an investment upfront but I won't have to buy diapers or wipes again EVER! Well, except to have a few for trips or crazy days. When I think about how much we've already spent on Asher's diapers that are just sitting in the landfill, cloth just makes more sense to me. And now that I've found that they aren't so bad to use, I am pretty excited about this switch.

What Should I Get for my Emergency Kit?

I think that if you wanted to get some just for your 72 hour kit or food storage I would recommend getting some one-sized BumGenius or Fuzzi bunz diapers. This way you will always have a diaper that is the right size, no matter what age your baby happens to be. They are REALLY easy to use, unlike the prefolds which take some practice to use. But no matter which ones you get for your emergency kit I would REALLY recommend trying them out first so that you know how to use them and how to wash them. Then if something really did happen and you didn't have disposables you would be prepared to use them.

I hope that this helps all of you who are thinking about using cloth diapers sometime in the future!