Finally. Light is now asleep. She’s been crying and being fuzzy the whole day. I think she’s in that stage where she wants attention all the time. She wants to be near ME. She wants to be carried by ME. It used to be cute. Just kidding, Light. 🙂 Oh well…

I’ve recently taken on another online venture. It has been taking most of my time these days. OH BOY! Anyway, I’m starting to feel more like a WAHM now. 😀 I know I have to have a schedule for blogging (as my husband has been insisting) but I want to be able to write whenever I feel like it (not because it’s time or I have to). Topics have been piling up. Geesh, so many to talk about! 🙂

Anyway, I’ve decided to do a product review because I haven’t done it in a while and I’ve recently understood how to handle my cloth diaper stash.  I have been using cloth diapers since Light was a month old. Although I haven’t transitioned exclusively into using cloth diapers (poops are just messy to clean on cloth diapers), I try to use them as much as possible at home. Recently, I’ve been trying out different insert combinations at night to see which ones can last ’til morning. I used to use disposable diapers at night because they hold more pee. I don’t have to change Light’s diaper in the middle of the night and ruin her sleep, especially since she’s been sleeping so well during the night. But her sleeping habits have changed, again, so when she wakes up in the middle of the night (or really early in the morning), and she’s wearing cloth diapers, I change her diapers to avoid leaks, or her bum getting soaked from her pee.

I started building my stash way before Light was born. Since then, I haven’t really added anything new, except these GroVia hybrid cloth diapers I got from my baby shower. For this review, I did two parts. The first part is a product review of the shell. The second part is a product review of the inserts. I’m also going to share with you my combinations of inserts for a lasting wear or an overnight use. 🙂

Part I | Cloth Diaper Product Review – Shells

Having used cloth diapers for some time now, I now know what “features” or qualities I want from the shells. I looked at five “features” and I reviewed the shells based on these “features”. I rated them 1 to 5. 1 being the lowest point and 5, the highest.

Features:

1. Snugness or overall fit on baby Light – This is important for me because I’m confident that with a perfect fit, there would be no leaks. My husband would say that he finds it easier to carry Light when she’s wearing a well fitted cloth diaper, too. It’s also nice to see how beautiful the cloth diaper looks on Light. Sometimes, I feel like it’s such a waste having Light wear a nice cloth diaper at home. She should wear it when we go out!
2. Inner lining wearability – I seldom place the inserts under the pocket shell hoping that I’ll still be able to use the shell even if the inserts have been wet. But sometimes, I do, and wearing cloth diapers with the inserts “inserted” is actually better. Most cloth diaper shells, though, have microfiber inner lining, which I heard is not comfy on baby’s bum. So, this feature is also one thing to look at when buying cloth diaper shells.
3. Easiness of removing stain – Since I do the laundry, this feature is super important. Pee is not much of a problem. It’s the poop that’s a pain in the butt. I found out that there are shells that when soiled, can easily be cleaned and won’t leave much stain, and there are shells that take days of soaking before the stain goes away.
4. Quick drying time – Normally, this isn’t an issue, but with the rainy season about to start, it’s important to have shells that are quick to dry after washing.
5. Multiple use before washing – Since I try to use the shell as many times as possible, it’s important that the shell doesn’t get wet easily. Some shells, even if I use a waterproof insert (one side is waterproof), still get wet.

Bamboo Dappy

• Snugness or overall fit on baby Light – 5
• Inner lining wearability – 5
• Easiness of removing stain – 2
• Quick drying time – 1
• Multiple use before washing – 1

I love Bamboo Dappy shells. The quality is nice compared to other cloth diapers. You can really see the difference with cheaper brands. The fit is perfect on Light. The colors, vibrant. My only problem is that I can only use it once since the inner lining is made of bamboo cloth. It easily gets wet. It’s comfy on Light’s bum, though. At first, I still tried to use waterproof inserts on Bamboo Dappy shells. But they still get wet. In the end, I just gave up. When I use Bamboo Dappy cloth diapers, I already “insert” the inserts inside the pockets for a best fit. It’s also easier to wear on Light that way.

Poop stains don’t get removed easily, but at least it comes off. Eventually. Bamboo Dappy shells have the longest drying time, too.

Baby Leaf

• Snugness or overall fit on baby Light – 2
• Inner lining wearability – 1
• Easiness of removing stain – 4
• Quick drying time – 3
• Multiple use before washing – 1

I’m not very fond of the Baby Leaf shell. They have cuter designs, but I don’t like the micro fleece inner lining of it. I feel like it’s uncomfortable in a hot weather like here in the Philippines. Just like the Bamboo Dappy, this shell can only be used once. There’s no use using a waterproof insert. I’ve tried it and the shell still gets wet. It dries up faster than the Bamboo Dappy, though, and the stain comes off rather easily.

I’m not sure if I bought a different size of Baby Leaf cloth diaper, but the ones I’m using seem too big for Light (even if I adjusted the tabs already). It hasn’t leak yet but I just don’t feel happy about its fit on Light.

Alva 3.0

• Snugness or overall fit on baby Light – 4
• Inner lining wearability – 1
• Easiness of removing stain – 5
• Quick drying time – 5
• Multiple use before washing – 5

The Alva 3.0 cloth diapers are the most affordable diapers I’ve bought. And they’re not bad. This is the shell that I use when I want to save on cloth diapers. It doesn’t get wet easily so I use waterproof inserts on them and just change the inserts when it’s time. Poop stains are easy to get rid off and they dry quickly. The fit is also nice on Light.

This is the shell I use when I know Light is about to poop. It’s a hit or miss (this part of my mother instinct haha).

They have cute designs and the material is light. The inner lining, though, doesn’t feel comfy to the bum so when I do use its pockets, I still place a cotton insert on top of the lining.

GroVia Hybrid

• Snugness or overall fit on baby Light – 5
• Inner lining wearability – 1
• Easiness of removing stain – 5
• Quick drying time – 5
• Multiple use before washing – 5

GroVia Hybrid is another shell that I can use multiple times before washing it. Since it’s a snap on type (you snap the inserts on top of the shell), it doesn’t really matter what the inner lining is made of. Good thing, though, that the GroVia’s inner lining is a sort of mesh. There’s no problem with stain and they dry really quickly. This is also one of my favorite cloth diapers to use on Light. 🙂 You can really see the difference in quality between cheaper brands and pricey ones.

Chino Pino

• Snugness or overall fit on baby Light – 1
• Inner lining wearability – 5
• Easiness of removing stain – 4
• Quick drying time – 3
• Multiple use before washing – 1

I stopped using the Chino Pino cloth diapers when Light turned 3 months I think. I tried to make use of it despite its leakage tendencies (I was warned about this) because it’s cotton and it’s supposed to be comfy and breezy. Unfortunately, it leaked all the time even if I used a waterproof insert (making it really bulky by the way). Eventually, it became too small for Light or Light became too big for the Chino Pino diapers that I just had to stow it away. It just didn’t work for me and Light.

Part II | Cloth Diaper Product Review – Inserts

All the cloth diapers I bought for Light came with inserts, and mostly the inserts were made of microfiber, except for Bamboo Dappy and GroVia. I also bought a few extra inserts thinking I’d need more of it. Like I said, I plan to reuse the shell before washing. I decided to stock up on several types of inserts and experiment on them.

For this I looked at four features, and I’ve rated them from 1 to 5 too. I didn’t put the overnight “feature” because I realize that no one type of insert can withhold that much pee overnight without being uncomfortable (no matter how many layers they are). You really have to mix a combination of inserts. Well, that’s how I do it and so far, Light has been sleeping soundly all throughout the night when she’s wearing cloth diaper.

Features:

1. Wearability – Inserts to me are the cloth that will touch the Light’s bum so it’s very important that the texture is comfy enough that it won’t cause diaper rash. Cotton is the most comfortable type but it’s not really great for staying dry.
2. Absorption – It’s also important that the baby’s bum doesn’t swim in pee. I want my inserts to easily absorb wetness and still stay dry. Ok, semi-dry, since cloth diapers will never get as dry as disposable ones.
3. Easiness of removing stain – I really hate it when Light poops on her cloth diapers. Since I’m the one doing all our laundry, it’s such a hassle getting rid of poop stain (I’ll let you in on my cloth diaper washing system next time.). 😉 It’s the reason why I haven’t fully transitioned to cloth diaper at home. I’m always trying to guess when Light will do the number 2 that I still use disposable diapers on her at home.
4. Stay-Dry – This feature is important for me only at night time when I want to use cloth diapers overnight. So far, though, Light doesn’t seem to be sensitive about it. She can still sleep even when her cloth diaper is a little wet. Of course, I try to change her diaper whenever possible (like when she wakes up in the middle of the night, or I wake up in the middle of the night).

Type of inserts

Microfiber

• Wearability – 1
• Absorption – 4
• Easiness of removing stain – 4
• Stay-Dry – 1

Almost all cloth diapers come with microfiber inserts. Some say that microfiber inserts are just fine on the baby’s bum, but I didn’t want to take the risk of Light getting diaper rash incase her bum wasn’t okay with it. Although it absorbs rather quickly like cotton, and I realize that poop stains remove easily on this type, I still put something gentler to the bum on top of it, like cotton or bamboo cloth.

This is also the insert I put inside these waterproof sleeves I bought from Baby Leaf. So when I want to use the shell again and only change the inserts when it gets wet, I put a microfiber insert in a waterproof sleeve and place a cotton type insert on top. It’s still fairly thin. Light hasn’t complain yet. 🙂

Charcoal

• Wearability – 1
• Absorption – 5
• Easiness of removing stain – 5
• Stay-Dry – 5

I have the 5 layer charcoal inserts. This is composed of 3 inner layers of microfiber and 2 outer layers of bamboo charcoal. I heard that this is one the best inserts to use for long hours or for overnight that’s why I bought a few. I’m not confident with it though, touching Light’s smooth butt, so I still put cotton on top. What I normally do is when I’m using the shell for the last time, I would insert the charcoal in the pocket and put a thin cotton/bamboo cloth on top of the shell lining. It looks bulky but Light doesn’t mind and it never leaks even overnight.

Poop stain also washes away quickly on charcoal. It helps that it’s colored “charcoal”. You don’t really notice the stains if there are any.

Its stay-dry feature is amazing. Sometimes, even after hours, it doesn’t feel that wet.

Bamboo Cloth/Organic Cotton

• Wearability – 5
• Absorption – 5
• Easiness of removing stain – 1
• Stay-Dry – 4

The Bamboo Dappy inserts are one side microfiber and one side bamboo cloth. The GroVia soaker pads I have are organic cotton. I also bought one side bamboo one side cotton or microfiber from Baby Leaf. The bamboo/organic cotton types seem to have the same texture. And I just love the feel of these inserts/soakers.

Of all the inserts, these are the most comfortable type on baby’s bum in my opinion. Sadly, though, it stains easily so I seldom use it. Usually, after Light poops. Sometimes, it takes days of soaking before the poop stain comes off. I avoid it getting stained because, well, they’re one of the pricey ones.

They absorb great, too. Together with another insert, like charcoal, it can hold pee for 8-10 hours. I’ve tried it already. It doesn’t feel as wet as cotton. I read that bamboo cloth has thermal regulating capability, too so it keeps babies at even temperature when they’re hot or cold.

Hemp/Hemp Cotton

• Wearability – 1
• Absorption – 5
• Easiness of removing stain – 3
• Stay-Dry – 5

The texture of hemp doesn’t seem gentle on baby’s bum that’s why I never use it directly on Light’s smooth bum, except the GroVia soaker pads in hemp/cotton. I’m talking about the Fluffy D hemp inserts I bought online. It has a rough texture. I’m not sure if I destroyed it through washing. But according to this diagram I posted a while back, hemp is actually a natural fiber and safe to a baby’s skin. I just never used it directly on Light’s bum.

What I like about the Fluffy D hemp I got is it’s thin but absorbs really well. The surface also feels dry even after hours of use.

Plain Cotton

• Wearability – 5
• Absorption – 5
• Easiness of removing stain – 5
• Stay-Dry – 1 (Chino Pino cotton inserts – 4)

One thing I’m sure about cotton is it’s very comfy. I have the cotton inserts from Chino Pino and the extra hand me down muslins I got from my in-laws which I’ve folded to become inserts. These two are what I usually place on top of whatever insert I’m doubling. The muslins I use at daytime, and the Chino Pino I sometimes use for overnight wear.

My original plan of using some of the muslins as shells didn’t work. It was just such a hassle assembling it to become cloth diapers, and with all those inserts to make sure it wouldn’t leak, it ended up too bulky. Even with that, they still leak. So, I just use them as inserts now.

The muslins are great on poop stains, too. Even the Chino Pino ones. I just hate cleaning up so I still use disposables hoping my mother instincts will work and Light will poop while wearing a disposable diaper. But when poop does end up on either my Chino Pino inserts or the cotton muslins, as long as I wash it immediately, poop stains will be gone quickly.

Waterproof-Microfiber

• Wearability – 1
• Absorption – 4
• Easiness of removing stain – 3
• Stay-Dry – 3

I got these waterproof inserts/sleeves from Baby Leaf because I wanted to “save” on shells. It only works well with the Alva 3.0 shells, though, since the inner lining of it doesn’t feel as wet as when I use the Bamboo Dappy or Baby Leaf shells. My problem has always been the sides. They still get wet even if I use this insert. They get scrunched up at the middle. The inserts are also a bit thicker so I just partner it with the muslin cotton inserts at daytime.

One side of it is microfiber but somehow, maybe because of its thickness, it doesn’t feel wet as ordinary microfibers when peed on.

Overnight Insert Combinations

I’ve tried several combinations at night and these are the insert combinations I found that are great for overnight use. Usually my last diaper change for the night is around 9 pm and I’ll change her again in the morning around 9:30 – 10 am.

Disclaimer: I believe that Light’s bum is not sensitive so not changing her cloth diaper at night for 10-12 hours is okay for her. As much as possible, I don’t want to interrupt her sleep that’s why I don’t change her diaper at night, but when I do get the chance, especially when she’s wearing cloth diaper, I’d rather change her half way so her bum won’t be soaking on pee.

1. Charcoal – Bamboo Cotton

2. Charcoal – Cotton (Muslin or Chino Pino inserts)

3. Hemp (Fluffy D) – Bamboo

4. Hemp (Fluffy D) – Chino Pino insert

5. Organic Cotton (GroVia) – Chino Pino insert

6. Bamboo cotton (inserted in the pouch of a Bamboo Dappy shell) -> This doesn’t work anymore. We’ve had a couple of leak incidents when using only bamboo cotton overnight. I hate it when leak happens! So from then on, I make sure I double it up with another insert.

Update!!! December 8, 2015

For about 2 months now, I’ve been inserting the INSERTS inside the pockets of the shells. Inserting them will really assure the stay dry feature of the shell. Light’s soft bum seems to be okay with it, but I still make sure to change her as soon as needed. I also do this at night time.

I’ve also transitioned into fully using cloth diapers at home. Cleaning the poop is still annoying but as long as you clean her diaper immediately, the poop will come off easily when washed. Check this post if you want to know how I wash her cloth diapers. 🙂

I’M SUPER EXCITED to review to share my review on the new cloth diaper/pocket diaper we got from Tiny Bum. I did a separate review of it since this post is already full hihi.

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Mommy

Management at LeapFroggr Inc.

Mom of Light. Homemaker and a homebaker | e-Commerce Mom (join me on my waist training journey.) | Web designer (Want your own blog? Check out Designs by Leapfroggr.)

@ceena_ong

Mommy