Diaper Changing 502 - Cloth Diapers

For the last week or so, Jeff and I have been experimenting with cloth diapers. We love the idea of creating less waste to pollute the environment, and even more, we love the idea of saving money. Cloth diapers are not what they used to be, but even those received rave reviews from our parents and grandparents. Today, cloth diapers are as easy to use as disposable, and the only extra step is a load of laundry.

A while back, I bought 4 Grovia shells and 8 inserts when they were on sale. From there I wanted to try the bumGenius! diapers, which I read are the most popular on the market. I bought one snap closure, and one Velcro closure. A while later, Rumparooz went on special with their adorable new covers. I snatched a couple of those and received a free Fuzzibunz diaper with my purchase.

The Grovia diaper is a “hybrid” diaper that has a waterproof cover and inserts which snap into place. The other three brands we tried are called pocket diapers.  Pocket diapers also have a waterproof cover, but they also contain a pocket in which you stuff a washcloth-like piece of fabric (which is the equivalent of Grovia's snap-on insert). The shell of the pocket diaper wicks away moisture from Baby, and the inserts absorb it, keeping moisture from seeping out the sides and back.

After a week experimenting with all four brands we have had zero leaks or accidents. This is a hard claim to make with disposable diapers, even when following the hidden instructions to a T.

We will definitely be buying more of the bumGenius and Rumparooz for now. It feels like we have enough of the Grovias, but will probably be purchasing more when Everett is a little bigger. Although we like the Fuzzibunz diaper, we do not prefer it at this time.

And guess what...those prefold diapers our parents used are still around and can save you even MORE money than the ones I'm about to talk about. Just don't get the ones from Babies R Us...

Disclaimer: it was E’s naptime when I shot the photos. His mood was not the best.

Disposables

According to my research and recent purchases, Pampers cost about $0.26 per diaper, and the Kirkland Signature brand runs at about $0.22 per diaper.

Pros

• Easy! You don’t need to do laundry to have clean diapers.
• Can take them with you wherever you go.
• Trimmer than any cloth diaper we tried.
• Have a wetness indicator so you do not need to touch the diaper to see if it’s wet.
• More babysitters and daycares are willing to deal with disposables over cloth.
• No stuffing or prep, just buy your diapers and you’re ready to go!
• You don't need to put poopy diapers in your washer and dryer.

My Response to the Above After a Week

• You have a child, which means you are doing more laundry than you would like anyway. Why not do one more load?
• If you want cloth diapers on the go, simply pack a couple, then put any soiled diapers in a wet bag. I have 2 wet bags I cycle through when I leave the house. Throw the wet bag in the laundry with everything else when you get home.
• There’s no getting around the bulkiness of cloth diapers. However, Baby’s little bottom is so fun to pat when he/she is wearing them.
• I wish cloth diapers had a wetness indicator. But with Everett his diapers are ALWAYS wet. I am never in doubt.
• My mom used the cloth diapers when she was babysitting Everett and was surprised at how easy they were (FYI Jeff thinks they’re easier to put on than disposables…because with disposables you have to follow all these hidden steps you never knew about). Like I said, she just took off the soiled diaper, put it in the wet bag, and put on a new diaper. She really liked the bumGenius! Velcro closures, but has yet to try the buttons. As far as daycares, I am assuming the daycare named Clown Town around the corner from our house does not prefer cloth. However, if you are passionate about cloth, chances are your daycare selection will be in line with your beliefs anyway, and no one normal believes in a daycare called Clown Town.
• I can honestly say the prep work for cloth diapers has been about 5 minutes each morning. You bring the laundry up, dump it out, stuff, and then put in a location close to the changing table. To me this is easier than driving across town to Costco every other week, dodging people down the aisles who are racing to sample tables, and standing in those annoying lines. 
• What parent has never put poop-soiled clothes in their washer?

If you are interested in a short review of the four diapers we used, please feel free to read on! Otherwise, know this blog post is here if you are interested in learning more in the future. We will continue to update it with our cloth diapering experiences.

For an update on our cloth diaper adventures, click here!

Grovia Hybrid Diaper

Approximate price per diaper: $16.95 for the shell, and $17.95 for 2 inserts ($18.95 for the organic cotton inserts). This diaper can cost as low as $12.98 per diaper if you are able to reuse the shells between changes. And it’s even cheaper if you can use the shell more than 2 times each day (which I have yet to do).

Is it worth it? The diaper will pay for itself after using 59 disposable Kirkland diapers, and 49 Pampers. That is 5-6 days’ worth of diapers!

Pros

• No need to stuff, snaps right into place, which makes prep insanely easy.
• Can potentially reuse the shell by snapping in another insert if it does not get soiled, which makes it an incredibly good value.
• Inserts are very soft.
• Snaps overlap, making for a snug fit. Jeff prefers these snaps to any of our other diapers.
• Dirty pads are incredibly easy to clean, especially since they snap off.
• No muss, no fuss when rinsing messes off. This was by far the easiest diaper to clean off. UNLESS, you got a spill off the pad, which meant you had to rinse two pieces of the diaper rather than just one.
• Made in USA! In Bozeman, MT actually, which is one of my favorite places.

Cons 

• Super bulky on our little guy.
• Inserts take FOREVER to dry, especially the organic cotton ones.
• Cover is not machine dryable.
• Hasn’t leaked yet, but it is hard to get the gussets tight against E’s legs since he is so tiny.
• Newborn clothes absolutely do not fit when this diaper is on.
• Inserts stained after one use, even with a thorough rinse; this does not concern us though.

This diaper is much more utilitarian than the others we tried (no cutesy prints or frills). The fabric reminds me of my dad’s hiking shirts, and the inserts are straightforward. I really wanted to love this diaper, but I just like it for now. I am thinking it might be a better diaper for us once E is a little bigger. We are not giving up yet!

bumGenius! 4.0

Approximate price per diaper: $17.95 for the shell and 2 inserts.

Is it worth it? The diaper will pay for itself after using 82 disposable Kirkland diapers, and 69 Pampers. That is 7-8 days’ worth of diapers! If you use these diapers every day, they will pay for themselves within 3 months.

Pros

• Easy to stuff.
• Wicks away moisture well.
• Cover does not stain.
• Diaper is super trim.
• Velcro closure is similar to disposable diaper, making it easy and familiar for babysitters/daycares.
• Snap closures are straightforward.
• Can be bleached once a month, which makes me feel like they are more sanitary than the others (none of which can be bleached).

Cons

• Inserts have stained after only a few uses. Again this doesn’t really concern us since all cloth diapers can be dried in the sun and the stains will be removed.
• You have to remember to put the Velcro snaps down before washing, which Jeff and I both have a difficult time remembering when there is poop to deal with.
• Inside is not as soft as the other diapers we tried.
• Velcro wears down over time.
• Cover cannot be put in the dryer.
• Velcro can rub against the baby’s skin, making it a little irritating when you have an active baby. In conclusion, the snap closures are better than the Velcro closures.

I LOVE this diaper.   A note: the Velcro fasteners were better for getting around E’s tiny waist and was easiest to adjust of all the diapers, but we will definitely go with snaps.

Fuzzibunz One-Size Elite

Approximate price per diaper: $19.95 for the shell and 2 inserts.

Is it worth it? The diaper will pay for itself after using 91 disposable Kirkland diapers, and 77 Pampers. That is 7-9 days’ worth of diapers! The diaper will pay for itself within 3 months if used every day.

Pros

• Very soft on the inside.
• This is definitely the trimmest diaper we have, which I love since he can still wear his newborn clothes when wearing this diaper. I have a sentimental attachment to his little clothes, so it makes me sad when he cannot wear them with the bulkier diapers.
• Does not stain.
• The snap closures on this diaper were definitely my favorite, as you could adjust the waist in 3 different places as opposed to one (bumGenius! and Rumparooz) or two (Grovia) places. However, Jeff found this diaper to be the most challenging to fasten, so it is not husband friendly.
• This diaper has the best “one-size” fit, as you can adjust the elastic around the legs and waist rather than snapping down the buttons. You also get extra elastic with each diaper you purchase –ensuring you will use this diaper for many years.
• The entire diaper can be put in the dryer, shell and all.·        

Cons

•  Its trimness makes it incredibly difficult to stuff.
• The soft fabric on the diaper is hard to get messes off.
• Elastic adjustment to fit the baby's growth seems a little annoyig to me. I prefer the button down method from a working-mom perspective.

Rumparooz G2 One Size Diaper

Approximate price per diaper: $23.95 for the shell and 2 inserts.

Is it worth it? The diaper will pay for itself after using 108 disposable Kirkland diapers, and 92 Pampers. That is 9-11 days’ worth of diapers!

Pros

• By far these have the cutest prints.
• They fit E even at his smallest. The company claims it will fit newborns as small as 6 pounds, and I believe it.
• There is an extra inner gusset to help contain messes.
• SUPER soft against baby's skin.
• The diaper claims to be more absorbent than others on the market with the 6r soaker pads. We haven’t utilized this yet, so I cannot comment on this claim.
• The entire diaper can be put in the dryer, shell and all.
• I trust this diaper most when putting E down for a nap.

Cons

• Inner gussets are so good at containing messes that there is still poop in them after a wash if they are not rinsed off well.
• They are pretty bulky for a little guy.
• They are the most expensive diaper we tried.

I love this diaper. The prints are adorable, and the leg gussets fit trim against Everett’s tiny legs. Although they are expensive, I would definitely invest in more of these for nighttime and long naps.