I’m in the US and don’t know anyone who has used cloth diapers. I have done research but I’m looking for personal experiences. I would love to hear what people like/dislike, types, fabrics, brands, etc.
Types I’ve found and my pro/con list:
All in one: used most similar to disposable. No prep necessary after wash/dry. Takes the longest to dry. Can’t be put in the dryer, line dry only.
Cover: only used with fitted cloth diapers. Most difficult to put on because it’s essentially two separate diapers to put on/take off. Cloth can be washed/dried in machine usually, cover is line dry only.
Snap liners: can only use liners with snaps from the same brand. Least amount of poop on cover because there is nothing between the liner and butt. Can reuse cover when soiled, but requires more time to remove liner and snap in new liner. Liners can be washed/dried, covers are line dry only.
Pockets: used with just about any liner. Cannot reuse cover once soiled, must be washed between used. Must be prepped with liners. Most similar to disposable for putting on/taking off. Liners can be washed/dried in machine, covers are line dry only.
Can covers be used with liners? If so, wouldn’t the liners move around? Can they be used with anything other than a full fitted diaper?
I’ve asked a few other people online, so far everyone uses pockets due to ease of use while changing and easiest care for cleanup. I’ve heard covers with full fitted with best for heavy night wetters.
Has anyone used these before? Does anyone have suggestions or experience they can share?
We used Bum Genius diapers for all three of our kids. Some were one piece and some were cover/pocket style that you put a cloth tri-fold into (plus another for night). It was maybe 300-500 bucks per child and most would hold up until potty training. IIRC, they had adjustment snaps to grow with the kid. I’d do it again for sure. On vacations longer than three days we would use disposables though.
When you say per child, did they not hold up past a single child? Did you wash and dry them in machines? I’ve heard heat (drier specifically) can decrease the life of the waterproofing. Did you find you preferred the pocket or one piece better? What were your pros/cons? What made you decide on that brand? Did you try any other brands, and if so how did they compare?
I would say maybe half survived from child to child. Usually the velcro would deteriorate and I would install snaps in that case. I do remember the waterproofing wetting out after a while, and IIRC there were restorative treatments. In terms of pocket vs one piece. Pockets were better in general, but especially superior prior to solid food.
I honestly can’t remember the other brands we looked at. It was over 15 years ago when we were testing out the varieties. I just remember that we landed on the Bum Genius brand for build quality and fit.
The pros were mostly on the pocket variety since I believe they were primarily snap-based and you can use a variety or multiple pads depending on the use, plus they tended to contain larger quantities of waste.
The only cons I can think of are on the one piece or velcro varieties. The one piece do not (or did not at the time, anyway) contain runny poop as well. Honestly, they didn’t really have any edge over the pockets apart from being slightly more convenient.
And yeah, you just use your washer/dryer. Dump off as much as you can in the toilet and toss it in the lined bin until you run a wash. Never had funky-smelling clothes, surprisingly. Though we did have a machine that had a silver ion process, so that may have helped a bit. Or not, I dunno. We didn’t use any hardcore/scented detergent either.
Thank you so much! This so so very thorough, I appreciate your insight!
I’ll stick to pockets then, it seems like they might be a bit better if I’m just looking into a single type to deal with. We have an older washer but it seems pretty effective. Most recommended wash regimes are rinse, wash with detergent, rinse again, so I hope that’s enough.
I’ve only looked at ones with snaps, a few different brands but to me they all look the same (online only). There’s different fabrics that go against the skin based on brand but I don’t know enough to know if one is better than another.
I don’t know if leg gussets are really better or just seem like they should be better. More expensive brands have them, the one you suggested does, Nora’s Nursery does too, but as far as I can tell that’s the main difference between higher and lower end brands.
No prob. I always knew this experience would revisit me one day.
Gussets are key to reduce blowouts. They will still happen on occasion no matter what, but they do a lot to keep stuff where you would prefer.
300-500 bucks… what’s that, like 2-3 packs of disposables?