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.
Real Nappies
But over the last month I have had a bit of a change of heart. I’ve really fallen in love with a cloth diaper company based out of New Zealand called Real Nappies. Their diaper line is super simple, super affordable, and super easy to use. They also have a GENIUS additional component that I’ll tell you about in a few paragraphs, so hang with me!
But first, let’s take a look at the Real Nappies Cloth Diapers Top-Up Pack I was sent. This kit comes with simple white diaper covers and 6 prefold cloth diaper inserts, each made with 100% Indian cotton (which is very absorbent). The price for this kit is just $44.99. Since the inserts can be removed and the diaper covers used multiple times before being washed, this means you can have up to 6 diapers available to you for this price. And that makes it a HUGE bargain. I love how affordable Real Nappies are, as not everyone (present company included) can afford to have an entire cloth diaper stash of easy all-in-one diapers.
But the other thing I’ve realized over using these for the past month is that they honestly aren’t difficult to use at all. If I want to treat them like my other diapers and put both the insert and the cover in the diaper bag after one use, that’s no problem. Or I can take a few extra seconds to just switch out inserts and use the cover again. I’ve been avoiding doing this type of thing for years, but once I forced myself to give it a try, I realized that it isn’t cumbersome to do this. In fact, it makes a lot of sense! The only thing that I wish was different about the covers is the velcro tabs. These are just like disposable diapers and are actually easier to use than a snap closure, but my daughter is at the age now where she loves nothing more than to rip off her diaper. I can fix the problem by just making sure she has on pants or bloomers. But I find that once they discover how to take off their diaper, life is just a lot easier if you go for snaps. So I’d love to see this company offer a cover with snaps in the future.
I’ve been very impressed with the inserts and how well they are working, too. But even more than that, I am head-over-heels about the Real Nappies Diaper Liners. Honestly, I’ve seen diaper liners before (had a package once when Darah was in cloth). I barely used them. Just didn’t really understand the point. My first child also happened to have fairly predictable bowel movements that were fairly easy to deal with (in other words, they could be dumped in the toilet from the diaper without too much fuss, usually). Layah, on the other hand, can poo at pretty much any time of day without warning, and let’s just say what she produces is really gross and leave it at that. That’s where these Real Nappies Diaper Liners totally save the day.
When we use the Diaper Liners and she poos, Tim doesn’t have to deal with nearly as much mess (he’s the household diaper sprayer, or the diaper pre-treater, and I’m the diaper washer). The liner can simply be removed and flushed, leaving a significantly cleaner diaper than you otherwise would have had. Tim is pretty much in love with these. And for this kid, this is a product that we will be buying again as soon as our current supply runs out. They just make life a little less gross for us, which we very much appreciate.
I also wanted to point out that the Diaper Liner are a great option for you even if you use disposables. Most people don’t realize that you are NOT supposed to throw away poop, but instead, are supposed to dispose of it in a toilet prior to throwing out your diaper. Read any box of diapers and you will see! Diaper Liners can help make this task much easier for you.
So after having tried two great products from Real Nappies, I have to say that I’m impressed with the quality and the price point, I’m converted to the idea that prefolds rock, and I’m dealing with less nasty poo. I’d say this has been a positive experience!
If you or someone you know is interested in starting cloth diapering but doesn’t want to break the bank, I can’t think of a better way to get started than with a kit from Real Nappies!
I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links.