Cloth Diaper Reviews: The good, the rash, and the bulky!

Cloth diapers. Most people hear those two words and cringe. Whether they have kids or not, it's always the same reaction. Cloth diapers? Gross. Good luck. You don't want to do that. I had a friend who used cloth diapers and they all died. DIED!

Because of these reactions I vetoed cloth diapers from the start. I was so concerned with getting breastfeeding right that I couldn't have one more thing to figure out. Thankfully our family stocked us up on disposable diapers, enough to last us a little past the 5 month mark. As our supply dwindled I began to do the math on disposable diaper cost. Damn. It's expensive. Not to mention the giant diaper logs that came out of our diaper genie were now sitting in a landfill somewhere NOT decomposing. Just sitting. Thus, the research began.

The first few blogs that I found were so overwhelming that it would typically end with me closing the laptop and rubbing my temples. So much information and SO many diapers to choose from. I couldn't even comprehend where to begin. Then I found this:

http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2012/04/24/cloth-diaper-review-whats-the-best-cloth-diaper-for-you/

This woman reviewed 25 styles of diapers and did this amazing comprehensive breakdown on each one, including videos for each on how to put them on, take them off, re-size them, and much more. She even devised a scoring system for each and showed how they worked for her "chunky" baby (sound familiar) and her 3 year old. If it wasn't for this blog I would still be lost in cloth diaper hell.

I read and re-read this blog for weeks, narrowed it down to 6 of my favorites, then watched and re-watched the videos on those 6, and narrowed it down to four. The winners were:

Motherease all in one
Sprout Change
Tuck and Go
Go Green Champ

I ordered a few from each brand and let the cloth diaper games begin.

What I got to start out:

Wet bag- that same blog that I read had reviews on wet bags. Wet bags are actually dry, but are waterproof on the inside so that you can throw soiled diapers into them, then dump the diapers into the wash and throw the wet bag in as well. This saves you from having to wash out a dirty pail. I got the Bumkin wet bag for on the go use because it has a nifty strap that allows you to snap it to the outside strap of your diaper bag and a zipper to keep dirty diapers in. For home use I got the fuzzibuns hanging zippered diaper pail bag. It is much larger than the Bumkin bag and has elastic around the top so that you can line a hamper with it. It also has two loops on the outside so you can just hang it from your changing table or hamper.

Drying rack- these are cheap and very helpful! I keep this next to the changing table and not only hang inserts and covers to dry on it I also store all of my cloth diapers on this. That way they are all hung up and it's easy to see what I have clean, rather than them being cluttered together in a basket or drawer. It will be great to use in the summer when I can hang my inserts and covers outside to dry. I have also found that some of my inserts are still a little damp after a full cycle in the dryer so they will need to be hung up anyway to allow them to dry fully.

REVIEWS:

Before I start, these reviews aren't NEARLY as in depth as the blog I posted earlier. So if you want more info on each of these diapers, including video, please check out her site.

Motherease All In One: $17.95

Brent calls these the "Oops I Crapped My Pants" diaper.

These diapers are great for night time use or if you are just hanging around the house with a naked baby. I don't use them when we go out mostly because they are HUGE and don't fit under clothes well.  For the most part they are easy to put on, with multiple snaps for multiple sizes. I will say that it is hard to line up the right snaps for the right size when you are in a dark nursery at 3 in the morning. However, I think it will get easier the more I use it. With no inserts or stuffing it makes it very easy to grab and snap on in the middle of the night.

Night 1: Put on at 7:00pm, Will woke up to nurse at 3:30am and there was no leaking. I put on a new one and when Will had woken up at 8:00am it had leaked pretty badly. I think it was an error on my end though, I had only washed them once and they say that you should wash multiple times to reach maximum absorbency. Also, I don't think I got it tight enough because of the aforementioned confusing snaps.

Night 2: the first diaper went on at 7:30 and lasted until 2 with no leaks, 2nd one went on at 2 and lasted until 6:30 with no leaks. I'm impressed.

I also used this diaper while we were just hanging around the house. Once again, it is too big to fit under clothing well, but it did great with just a t-shirt on. Will seemed comfy and there were no leaks the entire time he had it on (about 3 hours total with a nap).

Final Thoughts: This diaper is my favorite for hanging around the house. With no insert it is easy to throw on and he is comfy while he plays. I wouldn't use this one out and about just because it is so bulky.

Sprout Change: $16.95 for cover, $4.75 for inserts (Note that cover can be used multiple times before washing)

These diapers are cute AND easy. I was leery of them because the insert doesn't snap in or go in a pocket and I was worried about how well they would stay in place. It was the cover in the end that won me over. So far it is the easiest to take on and off and the fabric is wonderful. Waterproof, fits well around the belly and legs, reversible, and I can use the cover 3-4 times before washing it.

Day 1: Once again, this isn't as accurate as it should be because I am impatient and only washed the inserts once before using. The first time I put it on it lasted 2 1/2 hours with no leaks. The second time I changed it after 2 hours with no leaks, and the third time it leaked after only an hour. Interested to see how long they last with multiple washes.

Day two: I love this diaper! It is so simple and Will can go hours with no leaks. I typically change him every 2-3 hours because I worry about diaper rash. With these inserts I have been hand washing them with dreft detergent because pee doesn't bother me at all. I get peed on all the time at work so this is no biggie for me to grab and wash quickly, then throw in the dryer. I'm not sure what hand washing does for long term cleanliness, so we will see if they start to smell funny. I don't think it will be a problem since they are still being washed in the washer every other day no matter what.

Final Thoughts: I think I am certain enough to say that this one is my favorite. When used with the inserts that came with it I can go 2-3 hours without changing him with no leaks. I also LOVE that is is so thin and fits easily in clothing.

Tuck and Go: $15.00 a cover and $25.00 for 3 inserts

These diapers are pretty cool. Brent likes them a lot, but so far they aren't my favorite. They have a special insert that "tucks" into the diaper to help hold it in place. They are easy to put together, and easy to put on since they have Velcro instead of snaps.

I like the inserts, I like the colors they come in, but I am not a fan of the Velcro. If it isn't on just right then the Velcro rubs his tummy and causes a red spot. Brent tends to have less trouble then I do with them. I also feel like the insert isn't the most absorbent and I have had many leaks with it. Brent says he has not had too many leaks, and I think this is the only diaper that we do not agree on.

Final Thought: I was ready to write this one off the first time he had a rash on his tummy. However, I am willing to give them another try since Brent is so fond of them. The blog lady was also pretty fond of them, so I will keep using them and see if they end up working for me.


Go Green Champ 3.0: $15.95

Cute, cute, cute! My big draw to this diaper was the way it looked. It is a pocket diaper, meaning you stuff the insert into a pocket. I like this brand because the insert snaps in to place, and instead of having to pull the insert out before washing you can just throw the whole diaper in the wash and it self agitates itself out. Super cool.

I have had this diaper leak quite a bit, but I still really like the way it fits. It is easy to put on and take off. Based on the review from the super blogger all of these diapers did better the more they were washed and dried. I'm wondering if these will leak less the more we use them. This diaper also has a TON of snaps for sizing on them, so it may be a matter of us not putting it on him quite right.

Final Thoughts: I really want this diaper to work because I feel like it fits so well and I do like the inserts. I have also had a few poo-splosions in these that have not leaked, which is always a plus.

To make a long story short....

So which one so we like the best? I think my favorite so far is the Sprout Change. It really does not get easier to put on, I love that there aren't a million snaps on the outside and that adjusting the size is easy. I also love that it is slim fitting which makes putting clothes over it a sinch. And I swear this thing RARELY leaks. The only time I have had it leak was the first day I used it and when I used a tuck and go insert with the cover instead of the one that came with it. I also love that I can reuse the waterproof cover without washing it. If it gets pee on it I rinse it off in the sink and throw it in the dryer or hang dry and I can reuse it. So simple. Brent's front runner is the tuck and go. He had a bad leak with the sprout change a few days ago so he wants to give them a few days before we declare a winner.

Overall our experience has been great. I think it's easy to keep up with the laundry and I HATE doing laundry. If we can do it, anyone can! I typically do a load once a day or once every other day. I admit that I use disposable night time diapers at night. The Motherease did really well, but I hate the thought of having to get up more times than I have to for a leaky diaper. I'm a chicken. A sleepy, sleepy chicken.

I really wish that we had used cloth diapers all along. We still have disposables on stand by for babysitters and just in case we blow through our stash. Once we pick a favorite we plan on buying a few more, but even with only 13 we can last 2 days easy.

Hope this was somewhat helpful! Check out the blog I posted earlier if you need more info on the diapers I talked about here. Good luck!