Cloth Diapering, Part 2: Choosing your cloth diaper

Hi Again! 

Today we’re going to be discussing types of cloth diapers- this is a great post for the parents who want to cloth diaper, but don’t really know where to start and which type of diaper they’re looking for. While we haven’t used every single type of diaper, we have tried quite a few brands at this point, and I have some pretty strong feelings about a few of them. Like so many aspects of parenting, this really isn’t a one size fits all choice- what works well for us may not be your cup of tea! 

Lastly, this list goes from least complex → most complex in terms of systems. In this case, least complex means most basic, so prefolds are technically the simplest system but require the most ‘effort’ on a caregiver to learn folding, proper pinning, etc. While more complex systems, once you can master them, at least theoretically, put the least effort on parents. I’ll do my best to describe all the options and will link a few of our favorite resources at the end. As always I love both questions and comments/outside opinions, so please let me know your thoughts below! 

Prefolds. These are exactly what they sound like- a rectangular cloth that must be folded and pinned onto your child, either with clothespins, or more commonly with a t-piece. The cloth will absorb the pee and poo, but these diapers do need a waterproof covering, with wool, fleece or synthetic materials. While the cloth itself gets washed with each use, the cover can typically go through a few changes unless it gets soiled. They are typically the most affordable of the diaper systems. 

We have never used these types of diapers personally. I don’t have a photo of them, but here is a link to what they look like. At the time that we were switching to cloth diapers with our first child, we were also brand new parents and feeling overwhelmed, so we opted for more user-friendly systems. That being said, I know two or three families who used and loved this style of diaper. 

Fitted diapers. These are similar to prefolds, in that it’s essentially just a cloth, but this one has elastic around the waist and legs and snaps so it is fitted around the baby’s body without any folding, pins or t-piece. It also requires a waterproof diaper cover. We used these during the newborn phase- the brand we used is called Luladew and they rarely leaked, we loved them! Another popular brand that has gained a lot of attention on social media is Esembly. I haven’t tried them, mostly because I think there’s a trend tax going on and they’re not the best value for your money, but they certainly look very cute.

Pocket diaper. in this system, there is a waterproof cover/outside, a microfleece/fabric interior that goes up against the skin, and a ‘pocket’ between the two. They have the same snaps and elastic as the diaper covers described above, but can also use velcro to close at the waist.

Inside the pocket, you place 1-2 absorbent inserts to absorb pee. These can be disposable, bamboo, microfleece, or another material. When soiled you take the inserts out before washing them. Because of this, they also tend to dry faster than some other styles of diapers.  We used these most frequently from when E was 3 to 20 months old and found them really easy to use. There are many great brands here; when we lived in Massachusetts, Bumgenius was very popular; personally I found them no better or worse than Alva or Nora’s nursery, except that the alva baby opening to place the inserts into was smaller and it took a little adjustment to get good at stuffing the clean diapers with inserts prior to use.

All in one. In this system, the cover and ‘inserts’ are combined into one. Instead of a hole and space between the waterproof cover and the inside for inserts, in these, the insert is built in, either sewed to the back of the diaper or snapping in place. (caveat: in some cases there is still a space for additional inserts, for kids that tend to pee very large volumes.) 

All in one with a snap-on insert. More can be added by additional snaps

All in one with one end of insert sewn to the edge of the pocket. You can add additional inserts as needed.

In theory they’re easier to use, but I personally didn’t find them much easier or harder to use than the pockets. This may be because our oldest is a ‘heavy wetter,’ meaning she peed a lot and often leaked with this type of diaper unless we adjusted them (i.e. added more absorbent layers. We had a few Grovia brands and really loved them! 

Hybrid/other. this term typically describes when you use a cloth diaper cover with a disposable layer, that looks like a pad beneath it. These are very convenient to use but obviously you lose some of the low-waste element there. They will also cost a bit more money since you need to keep buying the inserts. 

A lot of people will use these when out or on the go for convenience. I have never used them, but we’re considering this option for next time around, when we’ll have two kids and maybe need to simplify our on the go cloth diapering situation.

That’s about the gist of it- it’s worth noting that within each category, there are sometimes dozens of different brands vying for your money. I truly don’t think one brand is that much better than the other- some will have good reputations from other parents/word of mouth (hi, Bum Genius!), Others have excellent marketing strategies (Esembly). Ultimately, what worked great for our family might not be the best fit for yours- babies come in all shapes and sizes, and yes, they even pee differently! I hope this bird’s eye view is a helpful starting guide for anyone looking to try out cloth diapers but not sure where or how to start. 

If you’re looking for more info, check out some of the resources below, which we found incredibly helpful throughout our journey (I still refer to these now with our cloth pull ups!) And definitely let me know your thoughts in the comments :)

 Diaper Lab Cambridge- https://www.diaperlab.com/class-list I still reference this shop and website so much. If you’re local to Cambridge/Somerville/Boston, I highly recommend going in person, joining their Facebook group and taking one of their intro to cloth diaper classes. It was incredibly helpful when we were starting out. 

Cloth Diaper Subreddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/clothdiaps/ the folks in this space are a great wealth of information, especially for us novices who are troubleshooting while learning the ropes! 

Eco-parent groups- We had a local group in Massachusetts that I still pop into when I have questions. For this kind of practical knowledge, they really are the best. We haven’t found a similar group down here yet, and I’m finding I’m really missing the awesome low waste-focused group of folks I leaned on in those early days of parenting. 

What questions do you have about cloth diapers? If there is a lot of interest, I'd be happy to make another blog post. As always, thanks for reading <3