After months and months of research, pondering and trial and error I have come to a point in my cloth diapering career to post a review. How exciting!!!
Before BoogieYo was born I decided that I was going to raise my children in cloth diapers. If my parents could do it then certainly I could too and I know that 1) cloth is healthier for baby's skin, 2) they are much much cheaper, in the long run and 3) cloth diapers preserve our beautiful planet. What I didn't know was that it would be such a challenge to figure out which cloth diapers would work best at each stage of my childs life. I have tried pockets, fitteds and prefolds. Haven't tried all-in-ones, they are just like the pockets but twice as expensive. You don't have to remove the inserts which means you have double the drying time which equals a waste of time and money...and aren't we trying to save money as well as create a health environment by using cloth? It has taken a while and much frustration but here is the honest verdict....
Best All Around- Bumgenius 3.0/4.0
-No doubt about it these are THE best diaper available. They are one size with stay dry cloth against babies skin, meaning your wallet is happy and so is your baby's hiney. There are some pit falls (stripping and line drying the cover) but the pro's definitely outweigh any cons and the cons are shared by all cloth diapers so there! If you're going to have a problem with these then that problem exists with every other cloth diaper as well. All cloth diapers need stripping occasionally and all cloth diapers will benefit from a line dry. With these I suggest you line dry the cover with maybe 1 dryer session every month or two to reboost the velcro. Bumgenius 3.0/4.0's are easy to use, easy to clean and easy to sell once your little one is potty trained. I really think these things could last forever. And they can fit newborn (8 lbs) to out of diaper age. If you have a tiny baby like mine they will be a bit bulky but when using the newborn inserts they are by far the least bulky. Buy them new, buy them used. Get them however you choose.
Best for Newborns- Kissaluvs fitted w/cover
-Kissaluvs fit a tiny hiney perfectly and they keep in all the mess, guaranteed. You do have to use a cover with these but any will do. I suggest Proraps and Bummis covers. The Bummis come in fun prints and are very durable but Proraps are also a wonderful cover. The newborn sized kissaluvs usually fit up to 12 pounds. My little one is 4 months and I still use these on her occasionally. They are getting snug though. I only bought about 10 of these used on ebay and I had to wash every day, it really wasn't as bad as it sounds, you'll be washing everyday anyway, I promise.
Best Budget Diaper for Baby on Solids-Prefolds and Covers
These are also the least bulky. I just use the gerber prefolds like what most people use for burp cloths (and snappi) with the Bummis, Flip and Econobum covers. I think they will work fantastic when the little one begins solids but right now her runny BF poops can not be stopped without fitted legs. The cover keeps the poops in but it gets all over the cover and the point of using a cover is to be able to use it over and over again. I will definitely be using the prefolds, the Flip inserts and the Econobum inserts (not the organic inserts they are way to bulky to be used...ever) as soon a Boogie starts solids.
There are several diapers available that offer covers and inserts (Flips and Econobum included) and IMO these diapers will work great on babies that are 9 months plus but they are just not suited for newborns, they can't contain the mess. So if you are needing a diaper for newborns stick with a fitted and a cover or the Bumgenious 3.0/4.0 (if your baby is 8 lbs plus).
So there it is. The skinny on cloth. If any cloth diaper maker out there would like to send me free cloth diapers to try out and review I'd be happy to oblige, these diapers aren't cheap! Comment or contact me with your website, I'll check it out and send you my address.
