There are so many different types of cloth diapers that it could make your head spin. Gone are the days of pins, flats, and plastic pants (unless you prefer that route). Modern cloth diapering is as versitle as the day is long. There is something that will fit every budget and it can save you upwards of $2,000 from birth to potty training. Here are some of the different types of cloth diapers.. Diapers that need a cover The following diapers require a waterproof cover. They are simply the absorbent layer of the diaper. These are some of the cheaper options ranging from around $0.97-$24. Flats Like the Orange Diaper Company Bamboo Terry Square pictured above, these are the original cloth diaper. They can be made of cotton, bamboo, hemp, or any blend of the above. They are one large piece of fabric that can be folded different ways and secured on your baby using a snappi or diaper pins. They wash easily, and dry quickly. These range in price from $4.88/5 (Flour Sack Towels at Walmart...in the kitchen section) to upwards of $14, like the large size of the Orange Diaper Company. They are a great option for people who want to cloth diaper on a budget & an excellent way to recycle your cotton flannel receiving blankets. Prefolds Like Flats, prefolds are an old option in cloth diapering. They were probably what your grandparents used to diaper your parents. They are a flat piece of fabric with more absorbent layers sewed into the middle. These, too, can be fastened to your baby using pins or a snappi. They can also simply be folded and layed into the cover. They range in price from $1.50 each to $6 each. The GroVia cotton/bamboo prefold pictured below is my favorite. They are super soft, absorbent, and easy to wash & dry. Fitteds A fitted diaper looks like a diaper. It is shaped like a typical diaper and typically has snaps to hold it onto baby. You still need a waterproof cover for these diapers, but they require no folding or fasteners. They are made from natural fibers and are very absorbent. Many people use them as nighttime diapers. Fitteds run more pricy than flats or prefolds, but there is a lot more work involved in the production. You can find many work at home makers, or most well known cloth diaper brands, like GroVia, will make a fitted. They will range in price from $15 to $50 depending on the maker and material. All in One (AIO) Diapers All in One (AIO) diapers are exactly what they sound like. They are a one piece diaper that contains all of the absorbent layers with an outer waterproof layer. You change this diaper just like you would change a disposable. They are the most user friendly of all diapers that I have found. Since they are so similar to a disposable, they require the smallest learning curve. AIOs range in price from $10 to $30+ depending on the brand and materials they are made from. They can also have different closures. Some have velcro (hook & loop), some have snaps across the front, and some (like the GroVia) have side snaps. All in Two/Hybrids An All in Two (AI2) is a 2 piece diaper. It consists of an inner layer that snaps (or lays) into an outer waterproof shell. The outer shell can be used more than one time per day (unless they get poop on them) cutting down on diaper laundry. The Hybrid option comes in because they have a disposable option. GroVia, Flips, and gDiapers are the most popular brands that come to mind. They are typicially less expensive than an AIO but slightly more than prefolds or flats. Another plus of an AI2 is that you can use it as a cover for your cheap flats & prefolds cutting down on the overall cost of cloth diapering. You also won't need as many covers as absorbent layers. Pocket Diapers Pocket Diapers are a 2-piece system. They consist of a waterproof outer layer lined with a stay-dry (microfleece or suedecloth) material that has an opening at one end. You stuff an absorbent layer into the opening to make the full diaper. You can stuff the pocket with anything from a microfiber insert, to a folded flour sack towel. They are easy to customize the absorbency and range from $5 to upwards of $30 depending on the brand and inserts you use. Wool Wool!!!!!! (I had to overstate my excitement about this) I love wool, LOVE it. It is natures answer to a diaper cover. Wool is warm, it is cool, it is perfect. A wool cover, properly lanolized, can last up to a month without washing it! They are soft, cute, breathable, and very water resistant. Pair a wool cover with your flats, prefolds, or fitteds, and you are almost garanteed a leak-proof diaper. Wool is expensive, but it is something that 1) you dont need many of, and 2) will hold resale value very well. I use wool all the time and I absolutely love it. There you have it! This is a general overview of the most popular types of cloth diapers. Next, I will be posting about the different cloth diaper acessories & what I feel is necessary & what is a luxury. This post contains links. I am not compensated for providing these links. These products are simply products that I believe in and want to share with everyone.
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I cloth diaper. I LOVE my diapers & washing them doesn't bother me in the slightest. The thing that does kinda get on my nerves is that my amazingly awesome diapers take 2 cycles in my dryer to dry. The weather has sucked this year & rainy days has made it nearly impossible to hang my lovely fluff on the line. I started looking around at my options & realized that I already had my solution--RECEIVING BLANKETS!! That's right, using receiving blankets as flat diapers. They are one later of fabric & they wash & dry super easy. I started looking up the different folds online & I AM HOOKED! Receiving blankets & $0.98 flour sack towels might be the answer to all of my problems. I simply fold one, put it on baby, add a cute wool cover (or an awesome GroVia Hybrid Shell) and we are set for a few hours. I can even use 2 flats & The baby man slept for 10 hours without a single leak!!! How awesome is that?? He isn't nursing as often through the night, and now I don't have to change his diaper at random times, YAY FOR SLEEP. I can't tell you about this amazing discovery without showing you the awesomeness, so you are welcome..... |
AuthorAmber Varney is a mother from Eastern Kentucky. She is co-owner of a natural products store. She is the wife of Scott and the mother of two amazing boys, Brycen & Landon. Archives
April 2017
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