Choosing Cloth Diapering System!

Our baby girl turned 5-months old! We have been trying out cloth diapering for the last three month. Personally the reason and motivation are quite obvious: I don’t have to keep buying disposables and there are no more plastic going to the landfill. However, the idea on what to use was not so forthcoming.

We started researching the topic months before the baby was born. Suffice to say there are no shortage of blog posts, databases and YouTube videos online that gives detailed run-down on the terminologies and use of cloth diapers, as well as numerous helpful reviews recommending what diapering products to buy. These I won’t repeat here. However, the torrent of information available are quite overwhelming at times. If you’re one who seeks economy and prefers minimising household clusters like me, you will not want to spent too much on trying out every single cloth diapering systems. In order to make it clearer which diapering system suits one’s needs, I have visualised the selection process in a simple flow chart.

Put simply, the deciding factors are:

ECONOMY VS CONVENIENCE

Though not mutually exclusive to each other, the more convenient the system the more costly it tends to be. 

Economy – 

If low cost is an absolute priority, nothing can beat the covers + cotton flat/prefold combo. A set of 6 quality covers plus 24 flat/prefold comes to about $7 per unit. There are also more budget-friendly covers on the market that, when used with alternative absorbent layer like the highly coverted Flour Sack Towels (FST), brings the cost well under $4 per unit. Old cotton t-shirts and rags can also be used as absorbent layer to make it even more affordable, or use higher absorbency layers like hemp or bamboo inserts made for other systems if it’s required. The flexibility is great with this system. The only down side of the system is that some folding of the absorbent layer(s) will be required, especially for younger babies with more runny breastfed poops. It is not complicated but some prior learning is needed. 

Most Convenient –

Without question All-in-one (AIO) system is the most convenient way to cloth diaper; You simply change out the whole diaper each time like one does with a disposable. The disadvantage in this system stems from its maintenance and cost. Some sewn-in version are hard to dry on the line, meaning more units are required to cater for a given period of time. Although to address such issue, there are open version where the absorbent layer(s) are only attached on one or two sides, allowing more air flow between layers and a faster drying time. Secondly, in order to keep the diaper sufficiently clean and stain-free, washing in hot water is required at least occassionally. Unlike other systems where the waterproof shell can be removed and washed seperately and more gently, the waterproofing in AIO may deteriorate quicker due to the heavy-duty washing. Subsequetly the diapers may need replacing sooner than one would other systems. Together with the $25 per-unit cost upfront, full-time use of AIO can be out of most people’s budget.

How about both? –

If one has a little more budget and/or finds folding flats and prefolds tedious, pocket diaper or All-in-Two (AI2) are the happy in-betweens of both economy and convenience.

Both systems utilise inserts of various materials instead of flat/prefold* as absorbent layer, making them easier to handle. Pocket diapers are usually lined with a polyester microfleece contact layer that gives a drier touch than natural fibers. Though it may be a positive (if one prefers dry-touch) or a negative attribute (if one prefers natural materials against baby skin) in your desicion of choosing this diapering system. AI2 uses proprietary inserts that snap onto the waterproof shell which makes the cost a little higher but maintain the trimness of an AIO system. Other than that, AI2 can be used as one would a cover + flat/prefold system, pairing it with a variety of absorbent layers. (Some AI2 can also be used with disposable inserts)

Cost-wise, pocket diapers are about $20 per unit, and AI2 are roughly $13 per unit (because AI2 shells can be wipe clean and reused immediately like a cover, though the cost of proprietary inserts varies greatly amongst brands) including basic inserts (often microfiber). Note that there are some budget-friendly brands like Alva Baby that are selling pocket diaper at a highly competitive price of $6 per unit, making it a serious contender for those with economy in mind but can’t be bothered with folding flats. 

*One can still use flats and prefolds as insert inside a pocket or AI2 system, or tri-fold them and use in cover like one would in an AI2. This simply further highlights the versatility of cover + flat/prefolds.

OTHER CONSTRAINS

Time & Skills – 

As mentioned previously, using cotton flats or prefolds do require some prior learning. It may therefore not be ideal for situation where outside help is needed. For example, when placing children in group care, occasional care, or care by unskilled person where training is not possible, many parents would opt for pocket diaper, AI2 or AIO. Other scenario, such as nighttime changing when shorter handling time is desired, can also be benefited from these pre-prepared systems.

Storage space –

For those restrict by space, the reusable shells of cover + flat/prefold system or AI2 reduces the amount of items needed to store. It should be considered by anyone living in small apartment, travelling with limited luggage or simply desire a more streamlined living.

MIX & MATCH IS TOTALLY OK!

You really don’t have to commit to one system only. Oftentimes a mix of two systems work best. For example one for daytime, one for nighttime. Or one for at home and one for going out. Because the benefit of each systems do overlap, one might feel compelled to try several in order to find the right fit. By following our flow chart, you can more easily figure out what product suits your priority and save quite a bit of money and effort.

A CASE STUDY

Here is my decision making process: With an every-2-days laundry routine, I decided that 24 units of cloth diapers is what I will need. Since I am staying at home, so 1) Cost is a big consideration, and 2) I am the primary carer that handles most daily changing. 

Following the flow chart above, I decided that the cover + flat/prefold system already satisfy my cost-conciousness and I do not mind folding prefolds. So I began my trial with half of what I need, leaving space for adjustment later on. My initial purchase was:

• 3x Rumparooz Covers (One size)
• 12x Cloth-eez Unbleached Prefolds (Medium)
• 3x Snappi fastener
• 20x Cotton reusable wipes (various brand and sizes, some were given to me as gifts)

This batch of supplies works for a little over a day of diapering. After trying them for 2 weeks, I found that:

1) I definitely want enough units to last for two to three days, so as to not needing to wash daily.

2) My husbane, who often helps with nighttime changing, was struggling with folding the prefolds quick enough at night.

3) My baby’s bottom was a bit red after sitting in wet cotton prefolds overnight.

So at the second purchase, we added to the inventory with the following:

• 6x Alvababy pocket diaper (including 12 microfiber inserts)

This increases our diaper set to 18 units. Because we still have a fair amount of disposables on hand, we have been using them when going out. This allows my 18 units of cloth diapers to last 2 days at a time. We plan to go cloth full-time once our disposable stash is finished. I would therefore add a third purchase as followed:

• 3x Covers
• 6x Prefolds
• 2x Wet bags for going-out

Let us know how you choose your cloth diaper system ~