We started using cloth diapers on Layah just a few days after we got her home from the hospital. We had a stash of 24 diapers thanks to the cloth diaper rental program at Earthy Crunchy Mama. If you missed my first post on why I decided that renting makes the most sense for newborn diapers, be sure to go back and check it out.
Cloth Diaper Rental: Worth It?
Now that we’ve been using the diapers, I wanted to share my thoughts about how it is going.
Here’s the short answer: FABULOUS!
Now for the more detailed response.
The first 24 hours that we used the diapers were not so fabulous. We had leaks out of the legs every. single. time. we put her in a cloth diaper. That was frustrating, and of course, made for a huge laundry pile (clothes, blankets, sheets, etc.). I contacted Jen, the owner of Earthy Crunchy Mama to seek her advice. She promptly got back to me and said that it is not an uncommon problem, and usually the culprit is that parents aren’t putting the diapers on tight enough. She encouraged me to go tighter and see if it helped.
And she was exactly right! The leaks have completely disappeared, and now the cloth diapers are holding their own against disposables, even with that fabulous, runny baby poop that we all know so well. Having access to a personal “help” line with Jen is one added benefit of using her service; she is there for you and will do everything she possibly can to make your experience with cloth a positive one!
I have also really enjoyed getting to try out several different types of cloth diapers. This has been my first experience using FuzziBunz, for example, and I’ve been really impressed with them. I’ve also enjoyed the Mini Maestro brand (pictured on Layah below). I’d never heard of this brand AT ALL before using this service, but now I know them and love them, and would definitely buy more of this brand. And my love for BumGenius products has also been re-affirmed while using them with Layah. Those are just some seriously good diapers!
Now I want to talk with you about the cost for renting the cloth diapers. Post one had all the information about what,exactly, is included in the package, so be sure to review that. The cost for the program can vary, depending on your particular wants and needs. Here’s the breakdown from the website:
$125 up front deposit gets you:
- cloth diaper safe detergent and rash cream stick, cloth wipes, and diaper liners to keep
- 1 pail liner and wet bag
- 24 new and gently used newborn diapers (GroVia, bumGenius, FuzziBunz, Bummis, and/or Thirsties)
- $25 starter kit
- $15 if you choose to keep the pail liner and wet bag
- $15/month for Store Credit OR$35/month for Cash
So, you need to send in $125 (via credit card is fine) as a deposit. This makes sense as you are being sent hundreds of dollars worth of products. Once you return the diapers (and shipping is already covered for that expense! Yay!), you will get your deposit back, minus a $25 starter kit fee (which covers all those awesome things you get to keep), and minus $15 for the month if you choose to get your remaining deposit back in store credit (so you can buy diapers you need for the next size, of course!) or minus $35 for the month if you choose to get cash back. I know this seems a little bit confusing, but here’s a scenario for you to help you make sense of it.Let’s say you want to rent the diapers for one month and you want to get back store credit so you can buy some great one size diapers once you are finished. You also want to keep the pail liner and wet bag because they rock (and they do rock…I’m pretty sure I’m keeping mine). Once you return your diapers, you will then have a credit of $60 to put towards diapers ($125 minus $25 for the starter kit, $15 for the liners, $15 for the store credit route). So you cloth diapered your newborn for a month for $65, which is probably less than what you would have spent on diapers (because they DO go through 10-12 diapers each day, I promise). AND your remaining $60 can be put toward great new diapers, and you will have the experience of using different brands so you will know what you want to buy. PLUS, you’ll have your wet bag and pail liner, cloth wipes, some detergent and some baby balm.
All this is to say, this is a really good deal. I’ve been very pleased with the quality of the products and the quality of the customer service. I think what is offered is a tremendous value and gives you a jump start on cloth diapering that for me, at least, would not have been financially feasible without a program like this. Thank you so much Jen and Earthy Crunchy Mama!
If you are hoping to use cloth from the beginning, please consider Earthy Crunchy Mama’s diaper rental program. I know you will be pleased with the experience! If you tell her that I referred you, I will also get a $5 credit to her shop, which would totally rock!
Please let me know in the comments if you have any additional questions about cloth or about the cloth diaper rental program. If I can’t answer your question, I know Jen can!
Disclosure: I received a complimentary one month subscription (minus a $15 fee) in exchange for my honest review, which I have provided.
I’ve always been curious about how you handle this whole cloth diaper thing when you are out and about. So, you’re there at the museum, or the mall, and baby makes a stinky poop. What do you do with that diaper?
Great question! If the poop is easy or even semi-easy to remove from the diaper, it’s best to flush it in the toilet so you don’t have to tote it around. If it’s the type that isn’t going anywhere without being sprayed, then you just put it in your travel wet bag and deal with it when you get home. the wet bags help mask the odor a fair amount. If I was in the midst of running errands, I would just leave the wet bag in the car in between stops for the rest of the trip.
FYI, the rental fee has increased to $175, $20/mo store credit and $40/mo cash back. I was considering if for the fee you paid but I think the price now doesn’t really make sense. I am new to cloth so this sounds like such a great idea. I have purchased the material to sew my own diapers and already have about $120 in it. I can probably make close to 40 inserts, 30 diapers as covers, AIO or pockets. I just don’t know how they will fit yet so I am a little nervous that we will be stuck with disposables until I figure it out.
My mom clothed diapered my brother and my sister and I. I used disposal ones with my two girls, I want to have another baby, a son, real bad. My husband doesn’t, hes had two sons previously so its possible, and people get pregnant on accident all the time right?! Anyways, I have questions about clothes diapering, what do you do with the waste, put as much in the toilet? Then bag it? I live in the country so maybe I can wash it in a garage washer? I understand if you dont have time to get back to me! Cute little baby mama!
We order most of our CD’ing products from Earthy Crunchy Mama and just love the customer service. I have yet to try the newborn rental but can’t wait to try it when baby #2 comes along.
LOVED my rental from Earthy Crunchy Mama too, great review.