Pure&Simple Baby Blog

Cloth diapers are not what they were even 15 years ago.  Gone are the days of pining diapers on babies or using rubber pants.  The cloth diapers on the market today can be as simple as using disposables.  The most difficult part about cloth diapering may just be choosing the style that works best for you and your baby.  There are so many variations and styles that we are going to try to help you weave thru all of the differences so you can determine which cloth diapers will be best for you.  However, we do want to caution you that you may have it all figured out on paper but when you actually begin using cloth diapers you may find that what you thought would be the best for you is not.   Unfortunately every mother is different and like snowflakes no two babies are the same so we can not, nor would we try  to tell you which cloth diaper style is best for you.  That will have to come from trial and error.  With that said, it is best to sample a few different styles before jumping in and stocking up.  So, without further a due, here are the different cloth diaper types:

One Size Cloth Diapers:

One Size Cloth Diapers are designed to grow with your baby and have snaps that allow you to adjust both the waist and length of the diaper. Good quality one size diapers will not only last from when the baby is born through potty training, they should also last through multiple children. Important to note however, that most one size cloth diapers will only fit babies 7.5lbs or greater so they may not work for newborns or preemies.

The one size diapers category is a broad one as they come in a variety of styles including pocket diapers, all in one diapers, hybrid diapers and more (all explained below).

One size diaper brands include(Click on the name for pictures): Bumgenius, Fuzzibunz, Grovia, Happy Heiny, Oh Katy, Imse Vimse and Incredibum.

Pocket Diapers:

Pocket diapers have a waterproof layer on the outside and a stay-dry microfleece, organic cotton or hemp inner layer. The two layers create a pocket that can be stuffed with an absorbent insert, prefold diaper or flat cloth diaper.  Once stuffed, pocket diapers are like an all-in-one diaper and are very easy to use.  Because you stuff the pocket with the insert of your choice, you can adjust the absorbency to meet baby’s changing needs. Pocket diapers are quick to dry because the insert and the diaper are washed separately. Pocket diapers and inserts need to be washed after each change.

Pocket diaper brands include:  Bumgenius 4.0, Fuzzibunz One Size, Fuzzibunz Fitted, Happy Heiny One Size, Happy Heiny Organic One Size and Oh Katy One Size.

All in One Cloth Diapers (Also known as AIO diapers):

All in one cloth diapers rank high when it comes to convenience. All in one diapers most closely resemble disposable diapers in comfort, fit and ease of use.  They are usually similar in style to pocket diapers but instead of having to stuff a pocket with your preferred diaper insert, the insert is built into the diaper.  All in one diapers have both positives and negatives.  A positive being that you wont need to spend a lot of time preparing all in ones for use since you don’t have to stuff the diaper.  A negative would be that they take longer to dry since you are basically drying the insert and diaper together and after all, they are designed to absorb a lot of liquids.  All in one diapers need to be washed after each change.

All in One diaper brands include: Bumgenius Freetime, Bumgenius Elemental Organic, Grovia All in One and Imse Vimse All in One.

Hybrid Cloth Diapers:

Hybrid cloth diapers also known as shell diapers are the most versatile cloth diapers available.  They are called hybrid because you have the option to chose either reusable cloth inserts or disposable inserts.  These diapers are great for parents who want to use cloth diapers but don’t like the idea of carrying a soiled diaper around with them out in public.  Another good feature of hybrid cloth diapers is the fact that you can change out the insert and as long as the diaper shell is not wet or soiled.  If slightly wet you can let it air dry and use it again at the next diaper change instead of having to wash it before reusing it.

Hybrid diaper brands include:  Grovia diapers and Flip diapers.

Prefold or Flat Diapers:

Prefold or Flat diapers are folded and fastened around baby with pins (snappis) and then covered with a separate waterproof diaper cover. Prefolds are rectangular-shaped diapers divided lengthwise in 3 sections. The outer sections usually have a thickness of 4 layers. The middle section can have 6 or 8 layers. This gives pre-folds absorbency in the middle, where it is needed most. You will often see prefolds defined as 4-6-4, 4-8-4 or more rarely 2-4-2. These numbers refer to the layers of cloth in each section from left to right.   Prefolds do take a little practices to get them right.

Prefold brands include: Econobum, Hemp Babies and Imse Vimse.