As a cloth diapering mama, I certainly have my favorite type of products. I tend to favor diapers that are super easy to use, and in the past, that has meant that using prefolds was not my favorite thing to do. Prefolds are larger swatches of material (usually cotton) that you fold in a certain way and either lay inside a diaper cover or stuff into a pocket diaper. Let me be clear: using prefolds isn’t hard. It just requires more effort than an all-in-one diaper, which is every bit as easy to use as a disposable diaper. So they just weren’t my go-to.
Buttons Diapers: Layah’s Pick for Overnight Cloth Diapers
Overnight Cloth Diapers
Every cloth diapering parent knows the difficulty that comes along with finding the “right” fit for your baby in cloth diapers. Typically, daytime options are plentiful, but when it comes to finding an overnight cloth diaper that really does work, especially as your baby gets older and moves to the toddler stage, it is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
With Darah, we experimented with different covers and different inserts until we found the magic combination. Only to have to come up with a new plan a few months later when the old method stopped working. But we kept at it and always found a way to cloth diaper her overnight.
For Layah, to be perfectly honest, we haven’t done much trying. We remember all too well how tricky it is (and how many times you have to wash crib sheets) as you figure out how to keep a baby dry for 12 hours. It is just a lot easier to use a good disposable diaper. Just being honest!
Buttons Diapers
So when I saw the design of Buttons Diapers, I was totally intrigued and thought, “These seriously might work just as they are made!”
And friends, they TOTALLY work overnight. Joy of joys! I haven’t had to add any extra inserts, do anything crazy folding tricks, or wave my magic wand, say a prayer and make a wish in order to keep Layah dry overnight. They are EASY and that’s exactly what we need in an overnight cloth diaper right now. I seriously wish I had 2 more of these in my stash.
Want to see this amazing diaper??? Yeah you do!
The first thing you might notice is that the microfiber inserts for this diaper lay on top of the diaper, rather than being stuffed. The bottom layer actually snaps onto the diaper to ensure that it won’t move around too much. The second insert is the overnight insert, and it actually snaps onto the daytime insert. SO SMART!!! Check out the thickness of these two layers, too!
Is the diaper a little bulky? Yes. But Layah isn’t uncomfortable in it at all. She’s slept great in it every time we’ve used it. And NO LEAKS! That is the key!!!
When you remove the second layer for daytime use, it fits just like any other diaper with an insert. I think these inserts are the bee’s knees, you guys. They hold A LOT of liquid. I’m a big fan.
But as awesome as these inserts are (and they really are awesome!), there’s actually one other feature of this diaper that makes it stand head and shoulders above the competition. Check it out:
Double gussets! These are AMAZING, and they keep EVERYTHING contained. My daughter put this diaper to the ultimate test the very first time she wore it overnight. When she woke up 12 hours later, not only had she peed in the diaper multiple times, but she had also had what should have been a major blowout. Except that it wasn’t! To this day I don’t understand the physics behind how this diaper held it all in, but I know those double gussets played a key role. This is a unique feature I haven’t seen before, and it is rockin’ my world!
So between the awesome inserts with a clever design and the double gussets, Buttons Diapers are something truly special in the cloth diaper market. It is also a family-owned company started by a husband and wife team! I HIGHLY recommend that you give them a try! Covers are just $11.00 and daytime inserts are $3.50, nighttime inserts are $5.00. They are an affordable option that performs like something with a much higher price tag!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Buttons Diaper cover and 2 daytime inserts (winner’s choice of cover color and insert size!).
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.
I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
Swaddlebees Simplex One Size Diaper Video Review
If you are new to cloth diapering, I want to STRONGLY encourage you to get a few all-in-one (AIO) diapers. They work just like a disposable diaper, except of course for the part where you wash them. There’s nothing to stuff. It couldn’t be easier. With this type of diaper, I firmly believe that you will fall madly, deeply in love with cloth diapering.
But all-in-ones do have a major drawback, which is that they take FOREVER to dry. Throwing them in the dryer for more than a few minutes is a no-no because it could damage the outer part of the dryer. So you have to wait and wait and wait and wait. When I have to line dry inside, I find that it takes my AIO diapers a day and a half to get dry, whereas my other stuff is dry within 8-12 hours.
Swaddlebees One Size Simplex All In One Diapers has all the convenience of an AIO, but provides a few fantastic innovations so that the diaper becomes so much more than an AIO. This diaper is, in a word, RAD! Check out my video review to see what this diaper does that no other diaper on the market can offer. I think you’ll be impressed. Actually, I know you will.
Told you it was awesome! Basically, this diaper has combined elements of my 3 favorite diapers in my entire stash. So I guess you could say it has become the ultimate supreme diaper. Any cloth diapering parent knows that the order in which you use diapers in your stash when they are all clean tells you a lot about your preferences, and the Swaddlebees Simplex One Size gets used pretty much the second that it is dry. Poor thing never gets a break! That’s the price it just has to pay for rocking so hard. I super highly recommend this diaper. It is pricey at $25.95, but totally worth it. And that’s coming from a frugal gal!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Swaddlebees One Size Simplex diaper! Yay! Yay! Yay!!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of the page.
I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
BabyKicks NEW Premium Pocket Diaper Review and GIVEAWAY!!!
Today I’m pleased to be featuring a new diaper from BabyKicks! It’s called the Premium Pocket Diaper and it has several really impressive and clever features. Check out my video to see just what this diper has to offer!
My personal favorite aspects of the diaper are the air gussets (which I thought was going to be my least favorite!), the JoeyBunz insert and the newborn snap. Great design, BabyKicks!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a BabyKicks Basic Pocket Diaper!
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.
Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
Sunbaby Diapers Review
Attention all cloth diaper users who are on a tight budget! Have I got a treat for you today!
Sunbaby Diapers
There’s a brand of diapers called Sunbaby Diapers, and they are a frugal family’s dream come true! These are one size pocket diapers that are cute as a button and extremely easy on the wallet. Wanna hear just how inexpensive they can be? How’s $5/diaper for you?!
Now for the rub: you have to buy the diapers in larger quantities (group of 12) to get this great price. In fact, that’s the only way you can buy the diapers on the Sunbaby site. But for $60, you get 12 Sunbaby covers, or for $78 you get the 12 covers and 24 microfiber inserts. Shipping is FREE! I challenge you to find a better deal on diapers.
At this point you may be thinking what I was thinking…are these diapers being responsibly made if they can be sold for such a low price? The answer is yes! A wonderful lady named Sun Pei owns this company, and she oversees the production of her diapers. Here’s what she has to say about how the diapers are made: “Sunbaby Diapers are manufactured in Shanghai, China. Our city has strict laws forbidding cheaper labor. People who use child labor will be put into jail or fined huge amount money. So buy confidently! Your diapers are manufactured under fair labor conditions. I am the only seller of Sunbaby diapers in China, I never make wholesale business to retailers in china so that I can ensure that I have a reasonable profit and workers in our factory can get paid well and don’t have to work overtime.”
Sunbaby diapers have a very soft interior for a comfy fit for baby. They also have those awesome snaps at the hip to give an extra snug fit around the legs, which is where most cloth diaper leaks happen. They also have 3 vertical snaps so that the diaper can grow with your baby. Layah is still using the shortest setting at 2 months and it is working very well.
I also like that the one size diapers actually come in two sizes. Size 1 diapers are simply designed for a thinner baby, and size 2 diapers are the best choice for a chunkier baby. The website needs to be a bit more explicit about this information, as it is sort of buried in the site.
I do think that the outer PUL fabric is a bit thinner than some other brands of diapers I have used, but if you consider that the diapers cost about 1/3 (or less) of what other diapers cost, this difference can be overlooked. I have not noticed the thinner fabric to cause more leaks.
I also think the Sunbaby website should show the fabric colors and patterns offered so that customers can get an idea of what their package of 12 diapers might look like. My diaper had a cute Hello Kitty character (Melody) on it, but I had no clue what the diaper might look like before it showed up.
I’m very pleased with the Sunbaby line and would recommend these affordable cloth diapers to anyone! If you need to build a stash super cheap, this is the way to do it. You could also get together with a friend and split an order, too!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Sunbaby diaper!
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.
Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
CoCaLo Reusable Cloth Diaper: The Perfect Bum!
You’ve no doubt heard before about the economic and environmental reasons to switch from disposable diapers to cloth. But today I want to focus on another reason:
THE CUTE FACTOR
Cloth diapered tushies are the cutest thing EVER, and they put every single disposable diaper on the market to absolute and complete shame. They come in a rainbow of delightful colors and patterns, not to mention the fact that their material can be downright luxurious. Tell me, would you prefer your underwear to be made of material eerily close to paper, or of organic cotton? Yeah, your baby feels that way, too.
CoCaLo Diapers
Today I’m featuring a well-known baby company, CoCaLo, who has just released their first cloth diaper. And they went all out when it comes to respecting the fashion aspect of cloth diapering! All of their CoCaLo cloth diapers in the line are made with super fashionable patterns (look at the denim cuteness!), and the fashion sets, which I had the chance to review, come with matching t-shirts, too!
While I haven’t had the opportunity to put this diaper to the test, yet, I do really like the look of it. It comes with a tri-fold insert that looks highly absorbent. This is the type of diaper where you can simply pull out the soiled insert and put another insert in and then go on about your day, meaning that you won’t be changing your baby out of this super cute diaper cover after just one potty session. Love that! Check out the inside of the diaper for yourself. See how deep the insert holder is? I’ve got a feeling that it is designed to hold up really well against leaks! These diapers are called Perfect Bum, and isn’t that the truth? I found that in the winter months, cute cloth diapers like these meant that bloomers weren’t necessary with dresses at all. In fall and spring, I’d just pair something like this with a pair of babylegs an be good to go!
The Perfect Bum is available now at Babies R Us and other specialty stores throughout the country. The fashion set I reviewed retails for $29.99, or you can pick up the diaper with a liner for just $16.99. Edit: They are now REALLY cheap on Amazon! Hurry!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a Perfect Bum fashion set just like the one I received!
Fleece Diaper Cover from Twinkletoes Diapers
Once you get into cloth diapering and sort of get your bearings on all the different types of diapers out there, you may have a favorite type, but you will likely LOVE to try different styles and fittings, just in case you are missing out on something super cool.
Fleece Diaper Cover
Today I’m bringing you something cool that just might be new to you! Check out these fleece shorties from Twinkletoes Diapers! Yes, yes, maybe you have seen shorties before…what’s the big deal? These are side snapping!!! This means that they are extremely flexible in terms of all the ways that you can use them. They will pair well with flats, prefolds, inserts or they can be put over fitted diapers as a cover. They also have a super secure fit around the legs, if your baby tends to get leaks there.
This is the first cloth diaper item we own that is made of fleece, and we are really enjoying it. Vanessa, the owner of Twinkletoes Diapers uses Malden Mills windpro fleece, which is breathable, waterproof and will keep you warm, yet it is light enough to wear during the day, as well. Darah seems to be very comfortable in her shorties, and I really appreciate being able to lay an insert in the diaper and be on my way. Sometimes I find myself out of cloth diapers (perhaps they are all still drying, or perhaps I just haven’t gotten around the building them, yet). In any case, I find that my Twinkletoes side snapping shorties are so perfect for those situations, as I can literally throw together a diaper in 3 seconds. I can also have confidence that it will work. We haven’t had any leak issues, so far!
Vanessa also recommends these fleece shorties as potty training pants, since a toddler can pull them up and down just like underwear. As we work towards that goal, I’m so glad to have these on hand. How wonderful to find a product that is useful for diapering AND for potty training!
Mandatory entry: Show me one other thing in Vanessa’s shop that is catching your eye, and leave the link in your comment:
My answer: Look at this monster diaper! AAAAAH! So cute!
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2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect
Charlie Banana Diaper Review: One Size Diaper
I have several very dear people in my life who are expecting at the moment. 2011 is going to be a banner baby year for me. I get to have all the fun and none of the pain! 🙂 Hooray for being an auntie!!!
I remember all too well how overwhelming (or even annoying) it can be when someone tries to convince you that they know what is best for you and how you should go about the business of raising your kid. And for those of you out there who are pregnant with your first, just know that such advice doesn’t stop after you have the baby. I’m pretty sure it never stops. Ever!
So of course, I don’t want to be one of those people. But here, on the other side of the fence, it is just so dang hard, sometimes! Especially when it comes to the world of cloth diapering. In the blog world, cloth diapers aren’t really unheard of. They still aren’t used as much as disposables, but if you read blogs, then you most assuredly know someone (at least virtually) who is cloth diapering. But outside of the blogosphere, it seems to be MUCH more rare. I forget that sometimes. Most couples never even consider cloth diapering because they don’t know anyone who does it and don’t have anyone in their lives encouraging them to try it. If anything, they have the opposite, which is parents or grandparents telling them how awful cloth is and how disposable diapers are the greatest invention since sliced bread.
And they do have their place, as I’ve mentioned before.
BUT……
Cloth rocks, and the cloth of today is not the cloth of even 10 years ago, let alone 30 years ago!
I’ll just stop there, because do you see what I’m saying? It is SO HARD not to get on a soapbox and yell, “Just try it! You will love it! Promise!”
Charlie Banana
So for now, I’ll just introduce you to an absolutely fabulous cloth diaper company and let their cute dipes speak for themselves! The company is called Charlie Banana, and they have many fabulous organic baby products, including a one size (OS) cloth diaper, which is what I’m reviewing today.
Charlie Banana diapers do not contain any chlorine, perfume, chemicals or gels, which is just part of what makes them so much more wonderful than disposables. Their entire line is made with 100% certified organically grown cotton. Only the best for your little bunny’s tush!
Charlie Banana diapers are called 2 in 1 diapers, which means that they are designed to be used with either reusable or disposable inserts. Very handy! You can use a Charlie Banana disposable insert for those moments when you might have reached for disposable diapers in the past (such as a visit to Grandma’s house). The insert is just thrown out after use, and the shell can be used again and again (unless it gets really messy, and then you might want to change the shell). You can also put a reusable insert inside the sleeve of the diaper, which is what we do.
We have found the fit of Charlie Banana diapers to be terrific, and the color selection to be fabulous. They even have some adorable prints! My only complaint is that the insert sleeve for the diaper is at the front, which can make it a little bit harder to make sure that you have full protection all the way to the front. All my other diapers have a sleeve in the back, so I’m used to making sure that I get the inserts all the way to the front. With Charlie Banana diapers, that same move puts my inserts all the way in the back, and depending the specific insert I have grabbed, could leave a bit of space at the front. The Charlie Banana inserts don’t leave any gap, by the way.
If you are someone who likes the idea of cloth, but finds yourself reaching for disposables more than you’d like, Charlie Banana diapers are definitely the way to go! Even if you are in full-time cloth, they are still a very reliable diaper. I don’t hesitate to grab this diaper out of the pile at changing time!
Buy it!: Charlie Banana diapers are available for purchase individually through Target, or in packs of 6 from Amazon. You can expect to pay around $22 for 1 diaper, or around $115 for a pack of 6.
Edit: Giveaway is closed
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need Reader is going to win a OS diaper in your choice of color from Charlie Banana! The contest will run until February 1 at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.
Mandatory entry: Tell me the color/print you would choose AND tell me the #1 reason you love cloth!
my answer: I love cloth because it saves us a whole lot of money, which means we can breathe a little bit easier every month.
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Charlie Banana on Facebook and post on their wall that Stuff Parents Need sent you!
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS or email
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links included at no cost to you.
Eli Monster Cloth Diapers: High Fashion Meets Function
I’ve got another fabulous cloth diaper for all my great readers today, and this one is definitely the most fashion-forward diaper I’ve yet to review. When I think of cloth diapers, I think of cuteness, for sure (fluffy butts are to die for!), but I don’t exactly think “fashion-forward!”
Many companies put out really cute colors, but any time I have tried out a diaper with a pattern on it, the material has been cotton, and the result has been that moisture always came right through the side of the diaper and worked its away across the front or back of the outer layer. Those diapers were always officially useless after an hour, max. Uh, no thanks.
But The Eli Monster is a WAHM company run by a great woman named Stephanie with an eye for design and with the desire to not compromise functionality in order to have something SUPER cute. Check out my video to learn more about how Eli Monster combines fashion and function to make one snazzy diaper!
As you saw in the video, we tried out the new pocket diaper in the Eli Monster line, and we totally love it. While I haven’t personally tried the AIO diapers or the fitted diapers, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one because the craftsmanship of this diaper is outstanding, and I’m guessing the same holds true for all the products at Eli Monster.
Buy it!: The Eli Monster pocket diapers are $21.50 and come in the most delightful selection of prints you have ever seen! They can be ordered in Velcro or snap!
Win it!: You have a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to Eli Monster! That means you’ll be able to pick out the item that best suits your little monster! 🙂 The contest will run until October 24th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.
Mandatory entry: Tell me about a piece of clothing you or your child wears that combines high fashion and function. For Darah, her Babylegs footless tights are amazing. They keep her warm and are so cute. For me, it’s got to be my purple “leather” flats from Wal-Mart. I got them on clearance for $3.00, they have NEVER hurt my feet and they are such a fun, trendy color!
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” The Eli Monster on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
Be sure to check out my other current giveaways, listed on the side bar of my home page.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.