Cloth Diapering Survey

tamaraaaa · February 2014

I 100% acknowledge I'm a newbie to CD and have a million questions...

Answer at will any (or all) of the following:

1. Which brand do you like best? What brands were the worst for you?
2. Do you use all in ones or pockets? Why?
3. Have you purchased homemade cloth diapers off etsy? Do they work the same?
4. How many diapers do you have total?
5. Favorite place to buy CD?

I'm on some cloth diaper groups on facebook, but good lord... They stress me out. I feel like I'm constantly looking stuff up and still have no idea what half of them are talking about.

tamaraaaa · February 2014

Thanks! Another added question: opinions on Alvas? Why are they so cheap? Are they horrible quality?

thomas930 · February 2014

1. Which brand do you like best? What brands were the worst for you? Bum Genius are my favorite, I use the 4.0's. Grovia comes in second for me (both the all in one and all in 2). Didn't care for Flips, Gdiapers or Fuzzibunz.

2. Do you use all in ones or pockets? Why? I like and use both.

3. Have you purchased homemade cloth diapers off etsy? Do they work the same? Never purchased.

4. How many diapers do you have total? About 28.

5. Favorite place to buy CD? Mostly the brands websites and local shops.

Alvas are cheap because they are directly from China. I have a few to round out my stash and haven't had issues with them. Although, I dont prefer their microfiber inserts.

JJC925 · February 2014

1. Which brand do you like best? What brands were the worst for you? My favs are Rumparoos, although they seem to be a tad smaller than others. Second is bum genius. I have a ton of types, fuzzibuns, sun baby, I think Alva or two? I haven't had any issues with any of them yet 2. Do you use all in ones or pockets? Why? We use pockets because I can stuff them how I want.. I like putting prefolds into pockets. I also loooove the flip overnights with hemp. We have some all in ones and they're fine, I just don't trust them to hold too much. I don't like the bumgenius all in ones when he poops because it's harder to clean off. 3. Have you purchased homemade cloth diapers off etsy? Do they work the same? Nope 4. How many diapers do you have total? Umm, not sure. 25-30? My fav place to buy is a local store. I've ordered from target, got my bum genius at buy buy baby with coupons or re-diaper.com. It's used ones, I don't know if that's gross to you or not but I'm fine with it! It's cheaper. Especially newborn diapers since he won't be in them long

J&NL · February 2014

I haven't officially started CD but I'll answer some!

1. So far I've taken a liking to rumparooz and best bottom hybrids. I like the hybrids because they seem the easiest, other than AIO.
2. I have mostly pockets, one AIO and some hybrids.
3. I've heard good things about WAHM diapers. They're good if you want something custom made. I Know 4ward thinking diapers are popular.
4. I like kellyscloset and nickisdiapers. Haven't really checked out any other ones though.

AcaAwkward · February 2014

Favorite Brand: BGs 4.0. We also tried FuzziBunz and Charlie Bananas -- I felt like I needed to strip those a lot more / took a lot more to get them really clean (we have HE front loaders so getting enough water in there to soak and rinse is a bit trickier).

We use pockets.

Never purchased off of Etsy.

I think we have 26 dipes total but I need to purge the FBs and CBs.

I always purchased off Amazon. I know there are better deals to be had but Amazon is easy

RedDawnsRevenge · February 2014

1. Which brand do you like best?
What brands were the worst for you?

DH will not use any brand but Charlie Banana. Why? They load in the front so he can feel if they're wet. They do work great and fit very well. We hated the Fuzzibunz with minky insert, it just leaked. No problems with Bum Genesius or Happy Hienies, other than they load in the back so DH won't use them.

2. Do you use all in ones or pockets? Why?

We like pockets, easier to care for, the inserts can be machine dried with her laundry and we hang the "shell" also you can change the padding size and quantity.

3. Have you purchased homemade cloth diapers off etsy? Do they work the same?

I was given some WAHM diapers but they were 2nd hand so it's hard to say what they would have been like new.

4. How many diapers do you have total?
We have 50 Charlie bananas, 1 BumGenius, 1 fuzzibunz, 2 happy Hienies, 1 monkey snuggle, 2 WAHM, 1Fancy Pants. We just ordered 2 lil' joeys, we shall see how they work but mostly got for photos. Don't judge it's addicting.

5. Favorite place to buy CD?

Amazon. I have ordered directly from Charlie Banana but their shipping is $20 a box! Have bought a few diapers from EcoBambino in SLO and 1 from a shop in SB.

fireflygirl12 · February 2014

1. Which brand do you like best? What brands were the worst for you? We've had good fits with BG 4.0, RaR, Blueberry Deluxe, Fuzzibunz and Charlie Banana. Fuzzibunz and Charlie Bananas were awesome when DS1 was younger (3-8ish months) because he had skinny legs and both FB and CB are super trim so not much bulk. I find the BG's to be a good mid-range absorbency diaper with the regular inserts and RaR and Blueberries to be the most absorbent (great for toddler pee without having to double stuff), but they are a little bulkier. We also started using S'bish fitteds (either snapless or OBF's) with S'bish wool or Blueberry Covers once DS1 started side/tummy sleeping since the pockets would leak out the sides or front.

2. Do you use all in ones or pockets? Why? We started with pockets and AIOs because I wanted our first go-around to be whatever DH would be most likely to stick with. We ended up preferring pockets since you can more easily customize the absorbency with different types of inserts. I also didn't like how much longer it took our AIOs to dry (we had Swaddlebee Simplex) so I sold all of them and got more pockets. He's good with fitteds/cover for overnight, but not really on board to do prefolds or fitteds 100% of the time. Our newborn stash is almost all AIOs because that seems easiest with so many changes/day. We have a mixture of Lil' Joeys, THX (China Little Joey knockoffs for SUPER CHEAP), Swaddlebees Simplex, Charlie Banana XS and Tots Bots tiny fit.

3. Have you purchased homemade cloth diapers off etsy? Do they work the same? No.

4. How many diapers do you have total? Probably around 20 pockets and 6 fitteds/covers. Enough to easily do laundry EOD.

5. Favorite place to buy CD? Abby's Lane

Alvas - I had a few of them when we started and they seemed to work fine, but they were much bigger (bulkier) than my other OS diapers. We also had a few Kawaii's, which are basically the same as Alvas. I heard someone use the analogy of having a Louis Vuitton purse vs. one from Target - they both function as a purse, but the Louis Vuitton is higher quality and will last longer. We want our diapers to last through 2 kids, and I think I will still be able to sell them after that. I feel like Alvas or Kawaiis are more of a 1-baby diaper. But they are super cheap for starting out.

Feel free to PM me with any other questions you come across - I'm a little obsessed with CDs. Andplusalso, that's what LBs are for!!

Rrrrrachel · February 2014

I don't have one favorite brand, I have lots I like. I like blueberries a lot and I'm really looking forward to trying best bottoms with this baby, they weren't around for my first baby. I also like grovia aio a lot, but I don't like their ai2. I also don't like fuzzibunz. A lot of it is just personal preference and how it fits your baby.

I have a mix of pockets, aio, fitteds, and prefolds. Before I started I thought pockets were where it's at, but man does stuffing them get old. I replaced all my microfiber inserts with hemp and bamboo.

3. I have som esbaby fitteds which are sold on etsy and they're some of my favorites. I think like most things on etsy some are good and some are bad. I'm completely drooling over these one love diapers on etsy, too.

4. I have way too many. I got a lot for free from a friend, though, in by defense! I probably have 20-30 not counting fitteds and prefolds and that's AFTER pulling out a ton of them that were girly to give to my sister.

5. Wherever they're cheapest? Jillian's drawers, Kelly's closet, thanks mama . . . Lots of good shops. Diaper junction.

Alvas and the rest are fine. I've gotten a few in grab bags and stuff and I use them. I prefer to spend more to get diapers that are at least mostly made in America, though. I do think they're cheaply made and are more prone to things like delamination (where the water proof part of the pul separates from the fabric part), but lots of people sure love them!

hordol · February 2014

I'm a FTM so my opinion doesn't count for much yet...but I have been doing a ton of research since October so I'll just share what I have chosen/done so far and why.

1. Which brand do you like best? What brands were the worst for you?
I'm not completely finished with my stash yet, but I own 13 BumGenius 4.0s, 2 Nicki's Pocket Diapers, and 3 Flip covers (these are all OS). My mom also bought me 6 newborn BumGenius All-in-ones. I bought the BG all on sale and saved a ton of money (they retail for 17.95 each and I got them for 12.95 each). Nicki's were on sale for 9.95 each. Flips I bought from a cottonbabies seconds sale for $7/each. I went with BG for the majority of my current stash because they seem to be the most universally well-liked. Also, they are trimmer than lots of others. I don't have a worst yet since I haven't started but I know I don't want anything too bulky, so I haven't bought any Alvas or Kawaii because they just seem so fluffy, but from the cloth diapering fb groups I'm in and the CD board here on the bump, it seems like lots of people love them. They are economical and seem to work well.

2. Do you use all in ones or pockets? Why?
I have some AIOs for newborn, but otherwise we are mostly going with pockets because they are cheaper and so that we can customize absorbency.

3. Have you purchased homemade cloth diapers off etsy? Do they work the same?

No but my mom and I are going to make some newborn ones ourselves! If those work out, I plan to get crafty with some bigger ones, too.

4. How many diapers do you have total?
Just 18 OS and 6 NB right now. My first goal is to get 27-30. Then we'll see.

But I'm CDing primarily to save some cash so I don't want to go too crazy.

5. Favorite place to buy CD?

I loved nickisdiapers.com, and all the BG sales I have taken advantage of have been on cottonbabies.com, so I love them too.

Airynn Chica · February 2014

WE use Sunbaby and love them! We don't have experience with any other types. They were within our budget (small small budget) so we jumped at that chance.

They are pockets--I love that they go on just like a disposable but the snaps keep my 16month old from getting them off!

We have 24 pockets and I wash about every 3 days now. We didn't start using CD until DD was 6-8 weeks old.

We do strip them every 3-4 months I would say but we also have a front loader and the machines here in our country are not as good at cleaning as US machines. And we use regular soap--no special Cd soap available here in Botswana.

MamaFantastic · February 2014

1. GMD prefolds were awesome, and we loved BumGenius Elementals for our bigger sized diapers. hated kissaluvs fitteds, and Grovia AIOs were too tight of a fit.

2. Prefolds and covers for newborn stage, AIOs for the adjustable rise one-size stage

3. Haven't purchased any WAHM diapers, but i LOVE my WAHM cloth wipes!!

4. I think we have about 28 AIOs for the bigger kid phase. Now we have 3 dozen newborn prefolds and a dozen yellow edge prefolds. I have various AIOs and pockets for the newborn and inbetween phase too - probably 10-15 of each for newborns and smalls.

5. i've purchased from all over.... swaps, local stores, directly from friends, cottonbabies, random other CD online stores. i buy wherever is cheapest, and/or i also try to support my local diaper store when possible.

Lovelife14 · February 2014

1. Which brand do you like best? I like bumgenius best; 4.0's for pockets, elementals for aio's. I have some fuzzibunz, but they seem to run small and my 18-month old is already on the largest setting, and it's snug. 2. Do you use all in ones or pockets? I have some of each, and they both have their benefits. It's nice to wash aio's because there are fewer steps, but I have more control over absorbency with out pockets. Recently dd1 started drinking more, so I've been adding a thin doubler to her pockets at daycare to increase absorbency. 3. Have you purchased homemade cloth diapers off etsy? Do they work the same? I have not. I do have a couple of bagshot row bamboo fitteds for nighttime, and they're pretty great. 4. How many diapers do you have total?i have a ton of pockets, some aio's, a bunch of prefolds for weekends, and fitteds for overnight. Maybe 55-60? 5. Favorite place to buy CD? If I were going to try to build a stash of bg 4.0's, I'd probably try to catch them on sale. I got some right from the cotton babies website on Black Friday. I've never taken advantage of the cotton babies seconds sale, but next time I see 4.0's I'm going to grab some more.

katiedidthat · February 2014

1. Which brand do you like best? What brands were the worst for you?
We use primarily Alva's and some Sun Baby diapers (which are almost identical to Alva's with a different tag). I also bought TrendLabs for awhile but hated them. We're buying some Rumparooz now but I still prefer my Alva's for my toddler but think I'll like the RaR ones for a newborn since they fit trimmer than the Alva's.
2. Do you use all in ones or pockets? Why?
We do a kind of hybrid. We bought them as pockets and we use them as pockets if we're going to be away from home, but we use them as all-in-twos at home. We lay an insert in and reuse the cover unless its poopy or soaked. If its just a little damp along the edges we put it aside to dry and use it again later. We also use prefolds and flats for inserts to customize absorbancy.
3. Have you purchased homemade cloth diapers off etsy? Do they work the same?
Yes, we have a few fitteds from Etsy but I don't like the way fitted diapers fit. That sounds ridiculous, I know, but DS is too skinny for them to work if the rise is big enough.
4. How many diapers do you have total?
We have between 30 and 40 covers/shells and over 100 different inserts or insert type materials that we use with DS. I wash every third day. So far for the next baby we have a dozen RaR covers and 36 prefolds.
5. Favorite place to buy CD?
Mostly direct from Alva and on Amazon. We've recently purchased a few things from Kelly's Closet.

Tarakristinelou · February 2014

Not cloth diapering yet. But sloomb looks awesome and they were votes the best leak proof cloth diaper. There are so many options out there. Companies like Cutie Poops and Bottoms has rental packages so you can figure out what you like.

pdilly2b · February 2014

1. Which brand do you like best? What brands were the worst for you?
2. Do you use all in ones or pockets? Why?
3. Have you purchased homemade cloth diapers off etsy? Do they work the same?
4. How many diapers do you have total?
5. Favorite place to buy CD?

1/2. For the newborn phase, I used Kissaluv size 0 fitteds or GMD prefolds with covers. Decision to do this largely driven by cost because I didn't want to invest a ton for just the newborn phase. We used one-size pockets almost exclusively after the newborn phase. I like that they are 1 piece to put on which is easier for us and babysitter/daycare-friendly, and can adjust absorbency. Being one-size means the investment stretches a long way. My favorites are anything with bamboo instead of microfiber for the layer in the crotch area because in my experience they never repel. But they are more expensive. I did just buy a number of bamboo Kawaii ones that are pretty cheap and I'm really excited to try. I really like Blueberry, TotsBots (from Amazon) which self-unstuff in the washer, and also BumGenius 4.0. Fuzzibunz were my least favorite because they ran so small and we had a lot of repelling issues at various points. I like Rumparooz except they stained really bad and even sunning didn't help. Fuzzibunz would be good if you had a super skinny baby though.

3. I have not purchased home made.

4. For newborn, we had about 12 fitteds, 12 GBM prefolds, and 4 covers. For the one-size pockets, we have probably 30, but because they are cute and fun to buy - don't actually need that many to be able to wash every 2-3 days.

5. Favorite sites are Abbys Lane and Sweetbottoms baby (used to really like Nicki's Diapers and Jillian's Drawers, but better deals at the first two lately).

RebeccaY1 · February 2014

There is a whole cloth diapering thread that you might be interested in looking at. It'll probably have answers to your questions.

There is also a really good YouTube video called Cloth Diapering 101 that has 7 sections that talks all about the different types of diapers and how to use them. (No I'm not affiliated or have anything to do with the video, it's just a good one to check out).

DaisyJanie · February 2014

1. Which brand do you like best? What brands were the worst for you?We use almost exclusively Bumgenius pockets. I had a lot of leaks with Thirsties pockets and Kissaluvs Marvels AIOs, and the one Fuzzibunz sized pocket I had never seemed to fit right.
2. Do you use all in ones or pockets? Why? Pockets. I started off with a lot of AIOs, but after several months they started leaking. I suspect that detergent built up on the diapers and I felt like I wasn't able to get rid of it as well as I could with pockets since the inserts are separate. I was already using pockets for overnight, since I could stuff an extra big hemp insert in there.
3. Have you purchased homemade cloth diapers off etsy? Do they work the same? I bought one from a woman I know - I like it, but just not quite as much as I like the Bumgenius. I know she sells a lot of custom diapers with cute prints & such, but I don't really go crazy over prints, CDs are pretty utilitarian for me, so I just stick with the ones I'm used to and seem to work the best.
4. How many diapers do you have total? I started with 24, I'm sure I have picked up a few more over the years. 32 maybe?
5. Favorite place to buy CD? There's an online store that's local to me - modernclothdiapers.com. Since she ships to my area for free, I go there first. Other than that I just look for the best deal. Nicki's Diapers, Jillian's Drawers, Sweetbottomsbaby, and Cottonbabies are all stores I compare prices at. Oh, and Amazon.

Want a personalized experience?

Cloth Diapering Survey

Re: Cloth Diapering Survey

Choose Another Board

Search Boards