Cloth Diaper Experiment

I wanted to cloth diaper (cd) Quin but my husband wasn't for it at all so we just used disposables until he was toilet trained. Once he was day trained I decided to buy a few cloth diapers for night time. Now, this is a stupid time to start cding. First of all, night time is heaviest wetting and cloth diapers aren't always up to the challenge. Second of all, cloth diapers are expensive and if you don't use them for a significant amount of time you won't get your money back (by saving cost of disposables). And lastly, not all cd's fit kids age 3. I started a small stash and liked and disliked different aspects of each product. I have to admit I never dealt with a poop in them so I'm only talkin' pee here. Quin no longer uses these but I did an experiment today to see which holds the most liquid. I was a little surprised by the results.

1) Flip Diaper System
pros: cute colors, snaps, one size, wipe out liner, sturdy, organic cotton insert
cons: expensive, not as cute as some others, not plush, could be bulky on infant
style: This is an outer shell with an organic cotton prefold. You just fold the insert, place it inside and snap it on baby. Very easy to wash and dry.




I found the best results with this cd. It sucked in liquid so quickly that it never beaded up at all. it held 2 cups of liquid before it would have leaked out of the leg openings if a baby sat down. Very impressive!

2) Bum Genious All in One
pros: all in one means no added pieces, very simple for dad/babysitter, trim, cute, well respected name, slot to stuff more inserts as needed
cons: velcro(can buy in snaps), doesn't hold as much liquid as others, sized so would need to replace as baby grows (or could buy one size), difficult to dry
style: all in one (no need for inserts), sized diaper. works just like a disposable except you wash and dry it, It does have an opening in the back that you can stuff an insert if you need more absorption like for overnight


I was surprised with the results of this experiment most. This diaper held the least amount of liquid. At around 3/4 cup of water it would have leaked out of the legs if a baby sat down. I was bummed because I really like the style, ease of use with this diaper. I think I would try the other bum genious options though and not just ruke these out entirely.

3) G Diaper
pros: very cute designs, can buy at local stores, not too expensive, can use cloth or disposable inserts
cons: not very well made, a bit flimsy, snap in liner is tiny and you have to work at it to get it to hold the insert just right, sized
style: this is called a hybrid diaper. Its a combo of disposable and cloth. Youo can use disposable inserts that can be flushed if opened up, or you can invest in the cloth inserts which I did not. This experiment is using disposable inserts that look like giant pads.


The result of this test was what I expected. It held about 1 cup of water before it would have leaked. I just can't love this diaper system as much as I wanted to. Its so damn cute, but its just a hassle and not worthy of investing in (in my opinion).

4) Grow Baby
pros: thick nice quality material, very sturdy, plush,cute colors, one size, comfy, liner stays in place due to snaps, can get a nice fit due to lots of elastic
cons: liner can not just be wiped clean due to mesh fabric lining, velcro, expensive, insert not organic
Style: like the Flip System but this has 2 snaps to hold the liner in. The liner is a body shaped cotton with 2 additional inserts to rest on top.



This product held about 1 cup of water. I was hoping it woulkd be equal to the Flip diaper in absorption but it just isn't.

After using each of these diapers for a few months, and looking at the results of the experiment I'm not sure which system I would invest in if given the choice. The G diaper is definately out of the running for me. The Flip has awesome absorbing power but its just not as comfy as the gro baby. I think I would try other Bum Genious diapers since that has a lot of nice qualities. They now come in organic and have different styles to choose from.