About Cloth Diapering Systems

So you are looking at cloth diapers? Thank you for your choice to use cloth!

There are many different types of cloth diapers on the market, and most are a far cry from the old-fashioned pins & plastic pants (though those are still available and can be had super cheap!). I offer several different diaper system options and what system you choose will depend largely on your family's situation and your personal preferences. You will probably have noted that there are many "mommy wars" in the online diapering community about which system is best, but here is a brief rundown of each system so that you can decide, and then some specifics about my diapers:

Here are some basics with pros/cons and common name brands so you can look them up to see pictures:

• Pocket Diapers: (bum genius, fuzzibunz)

Pros:

~ Easy to put on

~ can use snaps or velcro

~ can easily be made as a one size

~ tend to last longer than other diaper systems because they are lightweight and generally made of all man-made materials.

Cons:

~ Removing the "stuffer" after an icky poop! Yuck! Nearly impossible to do without getting dirty (except with my front-stuffing pocket diapers!)

~ restuffing after washing

• All-In-Ones: (Kushies)

Pros:

~ Easy to use

~ most like disposables

        ~ no pieces to lose

        ~ no dissasembly/reassembly required

Cons:

~ can be bulky, especially as a one-size

~ can take a LONG time to dry because of sewn in layers

~ do not come as clean because of sewn in layers

        ~ may not last as long because of their weight and the         fact that the fabric may not dry all the way through the        diaper, leading to mildewing and fabric weakness

       ~ absorbency is not customized

• All-In-Twos: (Gro-Via, SoftBums)

Pros:

~ Easy to use                         ~ go on like disposables

~ absorbency can often be customized to reduce bulk or hold more as needed

~ because the soaker part comes out it gets cleaner and dries faster than All-In-Ones

Cons:

~ requires 2 pieces to keep track of

~ soakers are generally NOT interchangeable with other diaper systems as they snap in

~ re-assembling after washing

• Two-Part Systems (cover and diaper): (prefolds, gerber, bummis)

Pros:

~ Most versatile system for sizing, absorbency, and multi-purpose use (such as swim diapers)

~ can use prefolds, snappis, pins, velcro, snaps, fitted diapers, contour diapers, or just POC (plain old cloth)

~ covers can often be reused without washing, just changing diaper portion to reduce number of covers needed

~ because these are generally simpler systems they often hold up longer working for multiple children without worn out parts/fabrics/elastics

~ covers can pull-up or wrap on, and be a variety of materials from PUL to wool to fleece, nylon, rubberized plastic, etc.

~ frequently the least expensive system to invest in and maintain

Cons:

~ two-part system requires keeping track of more parts

~ some people HATE pins or even snappis

~ does require two steps when diapering on squirmy babies (diaper then cover)