Cloth Diaper Review

The cloth diaper I'm reviewing tonight is:  SmartiPants OS (one size) pocket diaper

* Note: photo courtesy of https://www.smartipants.com/

These are probably my favorite type of diaper I've used so far.  I like the ease of use & that they're easier to spray with a diaper sprayer as well.  They have openings at both front & back for the insert to go into which makes it easy to get it in there flat and everything.  Not to mention, this also means you don't have to remove the insert before washing which is great.  For $14.95 a diaper, I think they're a good deal as well.  They are a convenient one size diaper with snaps for the rise as well as for the width of the baby.  They claim to fit babys 7-35 pounds.  My daughter has been using them since about 5 months old and she is now 15 months old and they work great for us.  Although for the newborn poop - I would still recommend prefolds & Thirsties duo diaper covers.  The leg gussets truly do contain the mess INside the diaper.  With these pockets, I had the occasional leak out the leg. 

Prefolds: The cheapest way to cloth diaper.

If you're just starting out in the cloth diapering world, you ought to be aware of the benefits of cloth diapering with prefolds.  I've already given a review of the prefolds that I use.  I do plan to eventually try out Chinese DSQ prefolds.
Here is why I chose to go with Unbleached Indian prefolds over the bleached kind and over Chinese - based on research I did online before ever ordering any cloth diapers. 
Chinese cloth diapers, raved about in the cding (Cloth Diapering) community, can "pill up" more than Indian prefolds.  Well, I don't think I've noticed any pilling at all in my Indian prefolds.  Holes in the first layer (big ones) yes.  I'm not happy with that.  But they are nice & soft & are very absorbent which is the main goal - to keep baby comfy & dry. 
Here is a link to Cotton Babies website so you can read & understand more about the pros & cons of Chinese vs. Indian prefolds.  http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=277  It's in the product description.  Now, I chose UNbleached because I read that bleached diapers can wear out more quickly than the UNbleached .  So maybe I should mention that I have used a bit of bleach in my diaper washes about two or three times total in the past 10 months.  Just to be fair to the prefolds, maybe that is why a couple of them became holey in less than a year. 
I definitely recommend using prefolds.  They are very absorbent and if a doubler (basically a pocket insert) is used it is even better.  You can get a doubler here http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?products_id=765, here http://www.diaperjunction.com/mother-ease-snap-in-diaper-doubler.html or almost anywhere else they sell cloth diapers.
Read here for more info, including prices.  http://cdingchristiansahm.blogspot.com/2011/01/cloth-diaper-review_14.html 

Cloth Diaper Review

Time for a cloth diaper review.
This time on the Econobums that I own. 
**Note: This picture is courtesy of http://re-diaper.com/images/large/Econobum.jpg

I'd give them 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I certainly don't hate these diaper covers (snaps).  I just don't feel impressed by them.  The good thing about them is that they aren't a "one trick pony."  They can be used to cover a traditional prefold diaper or they can be used as a quick & easy cover over an insert (or disposable inserts sold by Bum Genius for travelling - I have them but have yet to use them).  Or you could even just keep a prefold folded into thirds (long ways) and lay it in there and snap it up like that.  So that is what their draw is for some - as an inexpensive entrance into cloth diapers where you can use them as a cover in different ways.  I just feel like the material is a bit thinner than the Thirsties Duo diaper cover that I like so well.  And I have had some leaks from the leg area when my daughter was an ebf (Exclusively BreastFed) infant.  All in all, they're a good diaper & at $8.95 per cover (http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=138&products_id=2271) they are a good deal if you're just wanting to add a little extra to your stash.  I've had mine for almost a year and I see no signs of wear & tear.  I do not dry them often in the dryer & they dry quickly on a hanger in the closet for a few hours or overnight.
I would recommend these, but to someone who has an older child or a formula fed child whose bm's (bowel movements) aren't so loose & runny anymore.

Cloth Diaper Review

So here's another cloth diaper review. 
Unbleached Indian prefold cloth diapers (purchased through CottonBabies.com).
**Note:  photo courtesy of www.cottonbabies.com

For the ones I have I'd give them a 4 out of 5 stars. 
They are absorbent & do a great job.  They're stained but I hear the sun can take care of that.  I just need to find a way to get them out there so they can hang out in it.  I'm hoping to buy a portable clothes line sometime.  My issue is that a few of them are really torn up after only a year.  Is this normal?  Should I only be able to get one year of use out of these?  I do believe they were DSQ (Diaper Service Quality) but perhaps I remember wrong?  I'm pretty sure that one year of use (less to be honest - about 10 months) is NOT normal.  Now, to be fair it could possibly be the washing.  Although I don't think so.  I use ALL free & clear which was given a 4 out of 5 rating as a cloth diaper detergent by Pinstripes & Polkadots (I do believe I have seen this same chart or one very similar on another site as well).  Detergent Choices chart 
Anyway, I am currently washing them all because they have an ammonia issue that has gone on for about a month now.  It's the worst in the morning after being wet through the night.  Overpowering even.  So I bought some Rockin' Green Fun Rock ammonia bouncer detergent recently & used it for the first time tonight.  So I'm looking forward to sharing my review of that soon.
Overall, I cannot say I'd discourage anyone from buying these prefolds but I also can't sing their praises either.  I like them enough & they do their job.  A few of them just seem to want to fall apart much sooner than it should. They're inexpensive at $2/ea premium size (which is what I go), $1.50/ea infant size & $1/ea preemie size.  http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=277

Cloth Diaper Review

Alright, so here is my review of one of the cloth diapers I own. 
Thirsties Duo diaper cover.
**Note: picture courtesy of http://www.huckleberrybabyshop.com/images/DuoWrap_Sizes_500.jpg

I'd probably give these 4.5 stars out of 5. 
They are the only (at least that I know of and as of now) cloth diapers that have leg gussets like the disposables do.  In my experiences, this DOES make a difference in containing runny, loose newborn bm (bowel movements).  I love that little feature.  They fit great on my daughter & have since we first started when she was about four months old (she's not fourteen months old).  The velcro is very convenient, again like disposables.  The ONLY reason I'm giving them a 4.5 instead of a 5 is because that wonderful velcro - well, the inside laundry tabs on one of my three covers is coming up.  It's almost entirely disconnected from the inside back of the diaper cover now.  So I'll have to get my sewing machine out of its box (it was a birthday present five months ago that I've not used yet), learn to use it & then sew that tab back on.  I'm nervous about that actually.  Wondering if glue would work better. 
All in all, I would definitely recommend buying the Thirsties Duo diaper covers.  In fact, I hope to buy three more to make it easier to use them more.  I also want to try the Thirsties Duo pocket diapers.  They also have those great leg gussets.  You can get them at most places online that sell cloth diapers (including amazon).  They are $12.25 at http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?products_id=2074.  That's really not a bad price at all for how wonderfully they work. 

Adventures In Cloth Diapering

Alright.  So I'm not exactly a "newbie" to the cloth diapering scene but I'm certainly not a seasoned expert yet either.  I'm still learning.
Let me start this blog off right - letting you know what my cloth diaper "stash" consists of.
Bought from CottonBabies.com:
3 Thirsties Duo Wraps (velcro)
20 Indian Prefolds
3 Econobum diaper covers
6 Bum Genius one size inserts
2 Snappis

What I love about Cotton Babies is that they do FREE SHIPPING.  Yes, I know, other sites have this as well.  IF you buy $50+ for example.  Cotton Babies does it for EVERY order no matter how little or how much you spend.  Which is why I bought toddler size Snappis from them later on.

And the last portion of my cloth diaper collection.  Bought from Diaper Jumction.
6 SmartiPants os pocket diapers (snaps)

Now, I like Diaper Junction.  I just didn't like that my only order ever I picked 3 different colors for my diapers.  Two in each color.  Well, they didn't have one of the colors.  They offered to withhold the entire order until the color I wanted came in stock (they were unsure of how long that would be) or I could change my color preference.  I opted for the latter, I just couldn't wait that long to get my first cloth diapers.  I would've preferred they send me all but the two of the color that was out of stock & send me those once they were available.  However, I do understand that this would've cost them more money.  Seriously though, thoroughly satisfied customer is better than partially right?  Despite the extra cost?  Anyway, I digress.  I did like that they contacted me via private messaging on their site.  Convenient.  I didn't like that I didn't get an email notice of this message though.  Luckily for me, I was eager to find out the progress of my order & checked the site daily so I noticed when they messaged me. 

I've had these diapers nearly a year now.  So I think I've had them long enough to give my personal review on the products.  I'll leave that for a separate blog post.