Adventures in Cloth Diapers

We decided to start using cloth diapers. It's definitely a bit of learning curve in the sense that it takes a while to work out a good system. Although, we did go through the same thing with disposables in the beginning. I am still trying out different brands to find which work best for us. I still don't own enough diapers to be full time cloth yet. However, so far I really like it! If anyone is thinking of changing over, do it! It's really not much harder than disposables. Of course our baby is not on solids yet, so that could be interesting. It will save you a ton of money in the long run, it's healthy for baby as disposables have so many chemicals in them, and it's environmentally friendly! 

For storing the dirty diapers, we ended up buying a separate diaper pail with a washable liner, so everything goes into the washing machine. We now have one diaper pail for cloth diapers and another pail for wipes and disposable diapers (until we are done with them). When using the diapers I add a biodegradable liner that catches most of the mess and can be flushed down the toilet. This makes clean up much easier before the diapers go into the wash.

One down side I have noticed is a lot of her clothes don't fit over the larger diapers. Although people tell me I'll get used to the big fluffy bum. And as she gets bigger the diapers will fit better too. Plus they come in cute patterns and colours so they could work on their own.

Brands Tried

Bumgenius
The most popular cloth diaper out there. It is known as an all-in-one, which means it's just like putting on a disposable. The snaps make it adjustable for babies of all ages, up to potty training. I like that the waist has elastic in the back, and that the closing flaps are also elastic which makes it a good fit. The only thing I'm not big fan of on these diapers is that when she sits up they are bulky and dig into her belly. They are also on the expensive side.

Thirsties 
We have an all-in-two from this company. I love their patterns! The all-in-twos have a snap up microfibre diaper and then you add a waterproof cover overtop. The great thing about these is they come in lots of sizes, so they are more trim. However, economically not the best as they will outgrow one size and you will have to buy more. They also have other options like an all-in-one which could be good to try.

Giggle Life
A cheaper all-in-two cloth diaper. They fit like an all-in-one with snap sizing, that will fit babies up to potty training, much like bumgenius. Then you need to add inserts to absorb liquid. You can add more inserts for heavy wetters or overnight. Even though this is more work I really like these ones. Since you remove the inserts to wash them, they dry much faster. When they come out of the dryer I just pre-stuff them so it's not something that needs to be done at the time of changing. They fit really well, and cost a fraction of other brands.

Kushies
This all-in-one diaper is huge, without any options to make it smaller. Maybe it would fit a bigger baby, however, the middle of the diaper is narrow, which seems like it would allow mess to escape. It has a velcro closure which is super easy to put on, but my baby has already figured out how to take it off! I wasn't happy with this one, and probably won't end up using it. I have other Kushies products that I really like, just not their cloth diapers for me. 

Brands to Try

Apple Cheeks
This is Canadian company that looks quite easy to use. We actually have a swim diaper by them that we haven't used yet. 

Sun Diapers
We have ordered some of these diapers. Very similar to Giggle Life, with the snap cover and inserts. They are cheap and come over from China. Yet the website states they are not made in sweat shops and use natural materials. We shall see how they are. Thought I would try them out as I read a lot of people liked them, and there is not much to loose at $7 a diaper. Plus they had some super cute patterns!

Grovia
This is another popular company that I would like to try. Also looks easy to use.

Giggle Life