Cloth diapering can seem like an incredibly daunting challenge when you are already facing the new routines and exhaustion that come with adding a baby to your home. There are some great new choices in cloth diapering, as well as the old flats and pins, and there is no real way to know what system will fit best into your lifestyle without doing some heavy reasearch. Most people find that their ideal system is a mix of diaper types, and can often change and baby’s activities change.
First, you should know that there are quite a few different types of cloth diapers, and each one has its benefits and drawbacks. I will, in brief, cover the majority of them and hopefully offer enough basic information for you to figure out how they will or will not fit into your lifesytle ( all without having to follow a hundred links all over the internet!)
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Flats - Remember those? Probably not. Your grandmother (and maybe Mom) probably used plain cotton gauze flats with diaper pins. Flats are exactly as the name implies: a flat piece of fabric that you fold and pin in place. While this may sound like a huge pain, flats are extremely versatile and are very handy to have on hand. They are generally very affordable and come in many fabric choices these days. You can still find traditional cotton gauze flats at many large stores like WalMart, Target and BabiesRUs. Now you can find flannel flats, bamboo flats and organic flats. They come in an undyed white or natural, or in gorgeous hand dyed colors. They can be pinned or kept on baby with a Snappi fastener. They can also be used as extra absorbency in other diaper styles, make very handy burp cloths, and awesome cleaning rags later. Hubby would LOVE them for buffing the car to a gorgoeus shine.
Upside: fairly inexpensive, easily made if you choose to make them yourself, have a long and useful life and dry very quickly.
Downside: there is a learning curve to getting a good fit, and you could end up needing two or three on an older baby. They also, in general, do not have much of a resale value ( not including the newer organic or bamboo flats.)
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Prefolds – Prefolds are , also, as the name implies. They are a flat diaper, prefolded for you. All you essentially have to do is find the most effective way to put it on your baby, add a closure and a cover, and you are done. Prefolds are relatively inexpensive and have a very long life.. even after diapering. Putting them on baby involves a small learning curve, because there are a few methods of fitting them to your baby, but they are really simple to use. You can still close them with pins, but most cloth diapering Moms use something called a Snappi Fastener. It is a “Y” shaped piece of rubber with little plastic gripping teeth in three places. It goes on quickly and easily and holds the diaper on remarkably well. They are generally made from a cotton twill in layers and fluff up when washed. Now, you can also find prefold diapers made from organic or sustainable fabircs, too. They are all absorbent and make great doublers later on and even better cleaning rags down the road.
Upside:They are affordable, easy to find and have some resale value. They can be dyed and embellished in almost any way imaginable if you don’t like the natural color. They are also versitile in how you put them on, so that you can make sure the fit is best for your baby. They have plenty of uses, even after you are finished using them as diapers.
Downside: If you buy them new, they need to be washed 5 – 6 times to reach maximum absorbency before use. They take awhile to dry in the dryer and require a separate closure (pins or Snappi). They also require a separate cover and the resale value is not that high, especially if you have to ship them. They are heavy!
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Fitted Diapers – If you are looking for a reliable, squishy diapering system ,that is relatively affordable**, then fitteds may be for you. They are shaped like a diaper should be, and almost always have either snaps or a velcro-type closure. They are highly adjustable, usually very absorbent and come in a style and size range to fit any baby. Some are marketed as a “one size fits all”, where there are adjustments that can be made to the rise ( overall length of the diaper from back to belly button). Fitted diapers are very popular among those wanting to use more natural or sustainable fibers, but who do not want to have to deal with adding a Snappi or pins. Fitted diapers, no matter h0w they are made, have one thing in common: they need a waterproof cover!
Upside: They are effective and easy to use, since you do not need to worry about a separate closure. They come in every possible fabric combination, pattern, and sizing that you could possibly want. Depending on pattern, style and manufacturer, you have a better than average chance of getting much of your investment back from the resale of fitted diapers. **Pricing depends on several factors, and can be both a pro and a con when it comes to purchasing and reselling fitted diapers. Fitted diapers can be made for a relatively low cost from recycled materials and with less sewing skill than you might think! Used fitted diapers are readily available all over the internet!
Downside: Fitted diapers need a cover to make them waterproof. This can sometimes add bulk and make finding clothes that fit over both the diaper and the cover difficult. Many people have gotten around this by using their covers AS clothing! Hand knit and sewn wool diaper covers are very popular and often serve as both cover and clothing! Fitted diapers also have a WIDE price range. I have purchased used fitteds for as little as $4 each, but have also seen some of the more popular and sought after ( see my post on cloth diaper addiction!) go for more than $50!
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All In One Diapers – All In One’s ( AIOs ) are the cloth diapering world’s answer to the ease of using a disposeable diaper. They are a wonderful choice for those who would like to use cloth, but want to keep it as simple as possible for themselves and others who may be changing diapers. AIOs are usually an absorbent inner with a water proof outer layer and close with either snaps or a velcro type closure. They are quick to go on, like a disposeable, and are *almost* foolproof. Some AIO diapers are sold with a doubler, to add absorbency, if you need it.
Here is the *almost* part of the statement above: In the last six or seven years, the Pocket AIO diaper has become increasingly popular. It is the answer to many a cloth diapering Mom’s prayers! It is an AIO style diaper, but rather than having an absorbent soaker built into the diaper, you add an absorbent insert into a pocket! The diaper itself is a trim and lightweight shell, usually just two layers, with an opening called a “Pocket”, hence the name!
Upside: AIO diapers are very simple to use and remove. Almost anyone can do it with no training and they are the closest thing to using a disposeable, as far as the mechanics go. They are widely available 0nline and have a better than average resale value. AIOs are simple to launder, because they are all one piece (except for Pocket AIOs, of course). Pocket AIOs are fairly easy to launder and prepare for use, but the trimness of them makes laudering and drying times SUPER fast.
Downside: AIOs are typically more expensive. Even Pocket AIOs are are the high end of pricing ( although generally a little less than traditional AIOs). Pockets may dry quickly, but tradional AIOs do not as a rule. If you use AIOs exclusively, you may find it best to have enough so that you launder less frequently, or hang them to dry!
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I hope the information above is helpful, but be sure that it doesn’t cover every option for cloth diapering that there is. Many families find that their likes change as their child changes and that they end up using a mix of types rather than one system for the entire time their child is in diapers. Some find that they only want to use organic, or recycled materials and choose their system accordingly. I am always more than happy to chat about cloth diapers, so please feel free to email me or find me on Twitter , if you have a question or comment!
The fun is in the trying… of them ALL!
