cloth diaper review

Let’s Talk About Cheap Amazon Diapers

Lindsey JaneLeave a comment

So, if you’re at all like me, you see these super cheap cloth diapers on Amazon and you wonder, “Are they any good?” Plus, they make some awesome prints! I was gifted a few different brands, so I’ll give you the scoop on the ones that I tried.

First, I think a lot of the brands are the exact same. It appears that they are just rebranded by each company. So, don’t fret over Art of Life diapers or Alva diapers- they are the same. Buy whichever you think are cutest. I tried three brands. Art of Life, Alva Baby (with two different labels), and EcoAble. You’ll also see these, these, and these, which all look exactly the same. Now, the AoL and Alva diapers were the exact same since they were both pocket diapers. The EcoAble were a little different since they are All In One style. We’ll revisit those EcoAble diapers in a different post and focus on the cheapie pockets today.

The Art of Life and Alva diapers are identical. The tags are different, but the actual diaper is the exact same. Same dimensions. Same materials. Same efficacy. The Art of Life tagged diapers actually came from a company named “Lil Bit”, or at least that is what the inserts said. I’m telling you, they are all the same. I actually couldn’t find the AOL tagged diapers to link, but I swear they are out there.

How do they compare to a standard cloth diaper? I’m comparing them to a BumGenius pocket diaper because that seems very run of the mill basic to me. You can see from the pictures that the cheapies are much larger. They also don’t have any interior PUL foldover. The inside fabric is similar, but the cheapies are much rougher feeling. The outer fabric on the cheapies is much thicker. It is a TPU rather than a PUL. So it isn’t as thin. It isn’t breathable at all. And it doesn’t feel as soft.

But do they work? Well, yes and no. I tried both the microfiber inserts and the fancy charcoal inserts. I saw zero difference between those two. They both seemed to work the same. The inserts are actually so similar to my BumGenius inserts, that I now can’t tell which is which on my microfiber inserts.

The problem I have with them is that they are using the exact same size insert as the BumGenius pocket diaper. You can see that they are much bigger than the BumGenius pocket diaper. This means that the insert doesn’t cover all the way across. The inserts get bunched and move around a bit more because they don’t fit the space. I have had many leak issues, specifically through the stitch lines around the legs. Same inserts in the BumGenius diapers and they don’t leak.

So, I switched it up a bit. I tried out my Green Mountain Diaper prefolds instead of the microfiber or charcoal inserts. Because I could pad fold them wider, they worked like a charm. Zero leak issues using prefolds instead of the inserts they came with.

So, yes they work, but you need to modify the system a little bit. These also snap a bit different from the BumGenius. Instead of two parallel snaps, they use two snaps side by side on the top row and then a hip snap on the bottom row. I don’t see a difference with the snaps in how they function. They are just a bit different. But other diaper companies use this triangle snap system, so that isn’t weird or new. Just different from the diaper I’m using to compare.

So, is it worth it? It depends on your situation. If I had gotten these when I first started cloth diapering, I would have deemed the experiment a failure because of leaks. You really do have to work a bit harder to get these not to leak. And that means buying prefolds, so they aren’t as cheap as they seem. However, if you’ve got prefolds and are wanting some “easy” diapers for the sitter or grandma or whatever, these are excellent diapers for that use. They don’t make good overnight diapers. These aren’t so bad that I am looking to off load mine. But I am glad I have more than just these in my stash. They do make some really cute prints. These are my out and about daytime diapers and I now stuff them with Green Mountain Diapers prefolds. On the lowest setting, the small prefold fits well. On the largest setting, you’d need a large prefold.

These started fitting Daisy when she got around 10 lbs. They were a little big on her then, but they did work. I’d say 12 lbs. and up is probably the more reasonable size.

** This post does contain affiliate links. Using affiliate links does not cost you more, but it does help me out. I do receive a small commission when you purchase using my links. **

BumGenius Flip Review

Lindsey JaneLeave a comment

I’ve been cloth diapering a long time. So I have seen how diapers evolve. New brands starts. Old brands fade out. Old brands come out with new stuff. The Flip certainly isn’t new, but it took me a while to try it. I’m just going to be up front. The All In Two* concept was a total fail with me. I tried it when those first came out and they just were not my thing. So the Flip always seemed to be a combination of an all in two concept with a prefold and cover concept.

* All In Twos are diapers that have an outer cover but the insert is meant to be changed as needed, reusing the cover. This is usually done by having an insert that snaps or Velcros into place. It differs from the pocket because the Insert sits directly against the baby’s skin and there is no “stuffing” involved.

I was never very interested in the Flip, despite really liking BumGenius diapers and really liking prefolds and covers. But then some Flip diapers found there way into my hands and I figured it was time for me to try them.

Naturally, I’m comparing the Flip to my favorite diaper cover, The Rumparooz cover. That seemed logical to me. Now, I probably should have grabbed a brighter color to take photos of, because this particular color (this is the color Sweet) clearly doesn’t photograph well. I am reviewing both the aplix version and the snap version, but only took pictures of the snap because I hate aplix, though I did try it.

So, the Flip is essentially a diaper cover with a large front flap and back flap for you to place an insert into. You just tuck the insert under the front and back flaps. There are a variety of inserts. I tried the stay-dry insert and the organic daytime insert. I did not try the disposable insert. (I’m just not into half cloth and half disposable diapers. Those aren’t a need for me.)

I did not like either insert. They both leaked, even with a very small baby. Neither were absorbent enough, even after extensive prep. And I gave these things a several month trial. This is not a review based on one use. I tried them with my Green Mountain Diaper prefolds, and those worked a lot better.

The Flip covers are really wide. You can see them here with a BumGenius pocket diaper (the blue patterned diaper) and the BumGenius Freetime (in the color Kiss). The Flip is wider than both. I think they use the same pattern, but the Flip isn’t getting sewn the same way, so you’re gaining a half inch in the width of the diaper. I have very fat, short babies, but the Flip was far too wide in the crotch.

This shows the width of the Flip on the bottom with a Rumparooz One Size diaper cover on top. It is much wider. So, on a small baby, that meant I had to tuck the legs in a bit or the diaper would be from her knees to her belly button.

One thing I dislike about BumGenius diapers across the board is the lack of the double gusset. It was especially problematic on a diaper cover to not have that second gusset to hold in #2.

Also, the Flip only has elastic in the back. (Well, that applies to all BumGenius diapers.) So, there were definitely leaks from having a little too much room in the waist.

They also didn’t work like you think they would. For a small, EBF baby, every time she pooped, it got on the cover. I find this true every single time I pad fold a prefold. It just isn’t my preferred method, I like the prefold wrapped around them so I have double protection from leaks.

Now, in a Flip, you can ignore the front and back flaps and just use it like a regular cover, which is what I ended up doing most of the time. However, the flaps can’t be wiped off like a regular cover, so I found that I only liked using it once or twice before I felt like it was dirty. With other diaper covers, I can usually get 3-4 uses out of them before they just feel dirty. (You wipe them out with a wet wipe after use and let it dry while you use another one.) So, instead of going through 2 diaper covers in a day, I was going through 5 (at least).

Also, I still hate Velcro. I gave the aplix (Velcro is the brand name. Aplix is the generic name. Like saying “facial tissue” or “Kleenex”.) a try. And while they weren’t evil in the wash and kept stuck to their tabs as they should, I still hate the way they wear. Even though BumGenius rounds the edges of their aplix, they are still really stiff and uncomfortable against the baby’s skin. And they will still get snagged on their clothes or yours if they have half a chance. And the aplix starts looking worn out really fast. Snaps look new for a long time. Aplix look ragged very quickly.

Now, the price is where Flip users are usually really happy. Right now, they are running $12.95 to $14.95 a cover. I’m not even going to discuss the inserts, because I think the Green Mountain Diaper prefolds are much better regardless (and they are cheaper). But the covers are a little less expensive that my favorite cover. (Rumparooz are $14-$16 a cover depending on print.) However, I require twice as many Flip covers because they get dirty so much easier and quicker! I can totally get by with 6 covers and 24 prefolds with the Rumparooz covers. However, with the Flips, I would need 10 covers and 24 inserts to be washing at the same frequency. (Every other day.)

So, not a fan of the BumGenius Flip covers. They aren’t terrible. They work for the most part. Are they the first diaper I reach for? No. Are they what I would recommend? No. Are they the cheapest option? No.

* I used small Green Mountain Prefold diapers with the Flip snapped down small. When it is unfolded all the way, a medium Green Mountain prefold is what I found to fit.

** This post contains affiliate links. I do earn a small amount of money when your use my affiliate links to purchase items using these links. **

BumGenius One Size Organic All-In-One Diaper Review

Lindsey Jane1 Comment

The Pastor and I disagree on this one diaper. Typically we have the same opinions on diapers, but for some reason he hates this diaper. He hates it more than any other diaper we own, which is crazy to me! Just an example of one person’s favorite being another person’s trash!

The bumGenius One Size Organic All-In-One Diaper will cost you about $24.95 a diaper, new. The interior is layers of unbleached organic cotton. The exterior is PUL with snaps. Only the inside of this diaper is organic! If you want a completely organic diaper system , you’ll want to go with Bamboo or organic cotton fitteds. (And if being natural and organic is a big priority for you, you’ll probably want to go with wool covers.) But the part of this diaper that is on your baby is organic. Since the interior is just a knit cotton (think T-shirt material) it does not wick moisture away from baby’s skin. It feels wet against them and for that reason is not the best choice for a night time diaper. I do love that it has snaps and not the blasted bumGenius aplix.

That blurry picture is an attempt to show you the breakdown of the interior that has occurred after a little over a year of use. There are holes in the outer layers (in various places) of the interior fabric. None of them go all the way through, it is just simple breakdown caused by daily use and washing.

The above photos show the bumGenius One Size AIO Organic Diaper with newborn fitted diapers. (The top is with a Nanipoo Newborn Fitted Diaper. The bottom is with a Graham Bear Wear Newborn Fitted Diaper.) The bumGenius Organic One Size AIO is not going to fit a small newborn. I suppose if you have 10 lb. babies, they will work from birth. Realistically, these diapers fit from about 8 lbs. (a rolly 8 lbs.) to about 30 lbs. They do not fit my 38 lb. 3 year old.

These diapers take a little longer to dry than pocket diapers. They take me about 2 and a half cycles in the dryer to dry. If your whole stash is built from these, the extra drying time would make little to no difference. If you have a few of these in your stash, it can be maddening to take all your diapers out of the dryer and have to return these for another cycle or half cycle to finish drying. They also don’t hang dry well. It takes them a very, very long time to dry.

They have the ingenious bumGenius feature that keeps the interior from rolling out. They sew a small strip on the PUL into the top front of the interior, so if anything “flips” out a little, it is just this little bit of PUL. Which is great to prevent wicking.

Do I recommend these? Well, with the all-in-on you get a very easy no fuss diaper that is ready to go once you eventually get it dry. It is a very convenient diaper for babysitters, church nursery workers, and grandparents to use. There is little room for error. In addition, there is no pulling inserts out, so when it is dirty you just toss it into your diaper pail or wet bag. So, it is easy. They are also very trim. It is a little awkward to add doublers into it, but you absolutely can if you need to. If convenience is what you are going for, then this diaper would be a nice choice. They are pricey and they seem to have a shorter life span than other diapers I’ve tried (though still longer than their brother, the bumGenius 3.0), but you may be willing to trade that for the convenience factor. If you have to use a daycare for your child, you can sometimes get them to use cloth diapers if you have something very simple like these! So keep that in mind! The Pastor would tell you to steer clear of these completely, but I disagree. I think they have their market and their uses. If you are not so concerned with convenience, then you may find yourself frustrated with these, since convenience is the main thing they’ve got going for them. If you need something cheaper, try Tweedle Bugs– they are a similar fit, though they are a pocket diaper and they are half the price!

Wild Child For Babies Diaper Review

Lindsey Jane1 Comment

I purchased 12 Wild Child For Babies All in One diapers before Emery was born. I paid $100 for the dozen, so the price was great! The Pastor was not sure about the fitted diapers, so I bought some All-in-Ones for him, since he said he would prefer that.

These diapers were very large for newborn diapers. In fact, they are closer to a size medium Prowrap cover than a newborn. (They could be a small, but I never had a small cover, so I couldn’t say.) I kept trying them on Emery because I wanted them to work. They have no umbilical snap down or scoop. They are large. Around 8 lbs, they began fitting Emery, but I had such trouble with leaking. I ended up using them as a fitted because I never could get them to not leak. They fit from a rolly 8 lbs. to 15 lbs.or more! Maybe a thinner, but large baby would have had better luck. I’m not sure.  I put one on 25 lb. Aidan one day & they fit him though they were a bit low rise. And they did not leak on Aidan. I was super quick to change him, but I can say they did not leak. I may pull them back out and see how they work on Emery now. I tried them again when he was around 16 lbs., but they didn’t fit well. They were tight on his thighs and still leaked.

A side by side comparison of a Newborn Wild Child For Babies All-in-one and a bumGenius One Size Organic All-in-one. Both on their smallest settings.

Side by side comparison of a Newboren Wild Child For Babies All-in-one and a Newborn Graham Bear Wear Fitted. Wild Child is on the smallest setting and the Graham Bear wear is on the “medium” setting.

Wild Child for Babies newborn all-in-one diapers have cotton velour interior. Mine had the cute cotton knit fabric on the outside. These diapers are not very trim. They take FOREVER to dry. In fact, The Pastor used to complain about how long it took our bumGenius organic all-in-one to dry, but once we started using these, he was wishing they dried as fast as the bumGenius all-in-one! Seriously,  these took me 4 dryer cycles to dry. If you hang them, they’ll be hanging for over 24 hours before they are dry! These do not have a scoop or snap down, so you have to wait until the baby’s umbilical cord stump falls off before you can use these.

Do I recommend these diapers? I can’t. They did not work for me. If that changes, I’ll let you know. And here is where I insert a disclaimer. Not every diaper works for every baby. Some people adore the diapers I hate. Some people hate the diapers I adore. Wild Child for Babies may work perfectly for some. They just didn’t work for me.

Graham Bear Wear Diaper Review

Lindsey Jane8 Comments

Emery is our first baby to cloth diaper from birth. I knew my one size diaper stash would not fit him at birth. (Though have since tried WAHMies one size diapers and they would have easily fit him from birth.) We decided to go with fitteds and covers. I really like fitteds. They are a great option for newborns. Why? Well, newborns have that runny, explosive poo and the fitteds keep that inside the diaper where it belongs! If ever the poo escapes the fitted, it still remains securely inside the cover. We never had a single poo leak with Emery in fitted diapers. (Disposable diapers always allowed explosive poo leaks with the older two!)

At first, I ordered 6 Graham Bear Wear diapers. They are so trim and so cute! These are extremely well made diapers! She uses Zorb and they are so trim because of that. These also have a snap down in the front to protect the umbilical stump. Graham Bear Wear diapers have cotton velour interior (often hand dyed to match the outer fabric you choose). The outer is the cotton of your choice. She has so many lovely fabric choices! I have no two Graham Bear Wear diapers that are alike! Talk about fun! And each diaper comes with a matching liner!

After Emery was born, I ordered 6 more because they were such great diapers! The Pastor even liked these diapers, though he was initially very hesitant about fitteds and covers.

You do need a cover, since fitted diapers are not waterproof. Graham Bear Wear diapers easily fit my 6 lb. 13 oz. boy and would have easily fit my firstborn (5 lbs. 2 oz. at birth).  These easily fit under a Prowrap newborn diaper cover. These fit Emery until he was about 11 lbs. and ready for our one size diaper stash!

Photot of a Graham Bear Wear Newborn fitted diaper beside a bumGenius one size oraganic all-in-one to show you the size. The Graham Bear Wear diaper is set on its “medium” setting. The bumGenius diaper is as small as it gets.

A side by side comparison of a Graham Bear Wear Newborn Fitted Diaper with a Nanipoo Fitted Diaper.

Would I recommend Graham Bear Wear fitted newborn diapers? Absolutely! And I do! These are my favorite newborn fitted diaper! They are still in excellent condition after one newborn. I bought them for $50 for 6. Talk about a great deal! The only downfall is that you may not get as much money back if you plan to sell them once your newborn is out of them. Graham Bear Wear is a relatively new shop, so the word is not quite out there about what wonderful diapers they are. I am keeping mine! Hopefully I will get to use them again!

My newborn diaper stash.

Nancie was easy to work with. She made and shipped my diapers quickly! She even threw in a couple velour wipes with one of my orders! (And those are lovely if you are in the market for cloth wipes and don’t make your own!) She had so many cute and fun fabrics to choose from and hand dyed the velour to match many of my diapers.

**UPDATE: While I still adore my Graham Bear Wear diapers, it appears that they are no longer around. Which means that NONE of my newborn diaper making folks are in business anymore. If you come across them on diaperswappers, know they are awesome diapers. But it looks like for the time being, you can’t get GBWs.**

***UPDATE: She’s back! You can get them on Etsy again! Yay!***

Nanipoo Fitted Diapers

Lindsey Jane2 Comments

When deciding how to cloth diaper a newborn, I settled on fitted with covers. I knew none of my one size diapers would fit my little bitty babies. (Though since then have tried out WAHMies one size cloth diapers, and they would have fit my little bitty boy.) I had heard such lovely things about Nanipoos, so I thought I would order some and give them a try. I ordered 6 custom newborn size Nanipoos. There was a slight delay with getting them, since the sweet lady that makes them lost her husband the day after I ordered. But she was lovely to work with and kept in contact, even during such a difficult time. I appreciated that and waited on my diapers. They arrived the week Emery was born, so I had them in time!

These diapers do require a cover since they are not waterproof. Nanipoos have snaps and an umbilical scoop in the front to protect baby’s little bebo. (If you haven’t read the Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton to your little ones, you should. It is cute.) They easily fit my 6 lb. 13 oz. newborn. I imagine they would have even fit my first and she was 5 lbs. 2 oz. at birth! These work really well with Newborn Prowrap covers. Nanipoos are a bit more fluffy that my Graham Bear Wear diapers, but they work well! These easily fit until Emery was about 11 lbs. and big enough for most one size diapers.

Side by side comparison of a Graham Bear Wear Newborn Fitted and a Nanipoo (on right).

Side by side comparison of a Nanipoo Newborn Fitted Diaper and a bumGenius One Size Organic All-in-one (on smallest setting).

The interior is a nice cotton velour (think Swaddlebees) and the outside is the fabric of your choice. If you choose knit fabrics, your diapers will have a bit more stretch and fit a little longer. If you choose a woven cotton, your diaper will have a bit less stretch, but will fit until about 10 lbs. still. They take a little longer to dry than a pocket diaper or a Graham Bear Wear Fitted diaper because they are a little more bulky. (Usually 2 and a half cycles in the dryer.)

Would I recommend Nanipoos? Absolutely! They are very affordable ($8.50 a diaper) and very well made! These held up well and will hold up to use on more than one child. You can also resell these on DiaperSwappers.com and usually get $5 (sometimes $6) a diaper back! I chose to keep mine since we are hopefully not done having children yet. (We’ll see what the Lord has in store for us.)

My Newborn diaper stash.

Gro Baby Diapers

Lindsey JaneLeave a comment

You’re confused, right? What on earth is The Pastor’s wife doing with an All-in-Two diaper? She’s a One Size Pocket girl! Well, yes, I am a One Size Pocket girl, but these Gro Baby One Size All-In-Two diapers were generously donated to The Parsonage (Thank you, Melissa!). So, I have tried them out (meaning I’ve used them over 100 times each) and are letting you know what I think.

A side by side comparison of a Gro Baby One Size AI2 (left) with a Haute Pocket One Size Pocket diaper. Both on larger setting.

A side by side comparision of a Gro Baby One Size AI2 Diaper with a Haute Pocket One Size Pocket Diaper. Both on small setting.

So, here is how these diapers work. The outer shell has a mesh (think basketball shorts) interior and two snaps. The inserts snap onto the outer shell and you can set a doubler on top of that. I was given 2 shells, 4 inserts, and 2 doublers. The theory is that when your little one wets the insert, you simply remove it and insert another, reusing the outer shell. That absolutely works out for older babies and toddlers. It does not work so well for little ones. When they are little (the babies, that is) they poop every time they eat. This means that they soil the shell and you can’t just pop in a new insert. Eventually, they get to where they only poop 5 times a day, which still doesn’t work out well for an all-in-two system. Then somewhere around 3 or 4 months old, they begin pooping only once a day (or once every three days). Then this system works pretty well.

Interior of Gro Baby One Size AI2 Diaper. To the right of the diaper is the doubler for it.

Interior of Gro Baby One Size AI2 Diaper with no insert. The inserts attach using the snaps on the shell. You can also see the mesh inside of the shell.

So, here you see the aplix tab. Gro Baby has very gentle aplix tabs and the entire upper part of the diaper is the “loop” portion of the aplix. It is very gentle. It does not gather fuzz or lint and is not too very grabby in the wash. The laundry tabs don’t always stay closed, but they usually end up hooked to themselves and not snagging my other diapers, so I won’t complain too much about that. The aplix is easily opened by a toddler, though. It does not take much effort to open it. It actually feels more like a disposable diaper tab. I have many, many problems with the weakness of these tabs.
These diapers are pretty small. They are very short, but kind of wide. They are similar in fit to a Rocky Mountain One Size or Tweedle Bugs One size, but a bit smaller. These fit Emery (17 lbs. and round) well. They seem the barely fit Aidan (26 lbs. and average to thin). They don’t fit Imogene at all. Realistically, I’d say the range on these is 6 lbs. to 30 lbs. Kind of crummy, since an all-in-two works best for older babies and toddlers. The weak aplix makes it impossible to keep on a child if using them on the larger setting. The tabs just let go when they are under any strain at all!

They are absorbent and work as a night diaper with the doubler, provided your child is a back sleeper. They leak with side sleepers and larger tummy sleepers.  I do have the “old” version (I think new ones are coming soon), so I’m not sure if they will make the shells bigger with the new version. I love that the snaps aren’t white. It just looks cool. It makes them look nicer.

Do I recommend Gro Baby One Size Diapers? Hmmm. Yes, I had to think about it! On one hand, they look nice and work well for 4 months through 2  years. On the other hand, they don’t fit an older toddler and cannot be used as intended before 3 and a half to 4 months old. (Though they do “work” in the sense that they fit and don’t leak. You cannot reuse the shell when a little baby explodes poo all over it. So, you’d have to buy enough to change the shell every time. So, it doesn’t “work” for using one shell for every 2-3 inserts.) They are easy to get on and off, so an ECer may like them a lot for that.  So, I guess I sort of recommend them. Just so long as you are aware of their limitations and the deviations from the all-in-two plan. Don’t cry to me when you buy 8 shells & 24 inserts for a newborn, only to find the shells only get you through half a day. And don’t cry when you love them, but your 3 year old is still not wanting to potty train but just does not fit in your beloved Gro Baby diapers anymore. They are pretty neat diapers, but could use a lot of work! (Manufacturer of Gro Baby, if you’re reading this, make them bigger! Make the inserts a bit longer! Make the aplix stronger, or better yet, switch to snaps entirely!)

**Update**

After using them for about 150 washes, the elastic is getting much less springy. The back elastic on all my Gro Baby diapers is completely shot and the leg elastics are all making their way toward that end. So, less than 6 months of good elastic use. This could be due to squeezing my average size two and a half year old in them (which should be fine). I think I could have gotten another month or two out of the elastic if only the baby was using them. Which, the baby is the only one using them now, since the 29 lb. 2 year old no longer fits in them.