Cloth Backed Vs Plastic Backed Nappies

[Frogboy]

Evening all

We are all aware that disposables come in one of two varieties... Plastic backed and cloth backed. Every disposable nappy I've had so far has been plastic backed, which is great for the authentic 80's baby crinkle, but I can't help but feel that I'm missing out on the 21st century baby experience by not at least trying the cloth backed ones.

So my questions are as follows:

a. Why are the cloth backed disposable nappies so out of favour with the AB/DL?

b. Which ones are the bulkiest? and where do I get them from.

thanks

Froggie

xx

[Guest YkDave]

The first questions answer is quite obvious, we all grew up with plastic backed diapers (or cloth w/ rubber pants), the cloth backed disposables are kind of 'new' and though i dont recall the exact timeline of their release i dont think anyone that is young enough to have grown up wearing them, is old enough to be on this site!

Not to mention that i find the cloth backed disposables to chafe really bad and are less comfortable...

As for a bulky cloth backed disposable, your best luck there is likely the abena xplus 'air plus', they are supposed to be the same big bulky diaper as the regular xplus, but have the cloth backing

[loopy]

I have to agree with YkDave on that, when growing up all the adverts/nappies I remeber seeing were for plastic backed ones, and thats what I wanted. Theres just something about the way they look, feel, and most importantly rustle that makes me love them . Saying that I haven't actually tried cloth backed nappies (well my teddies have...) so I don't know how they'd compare. I don't think they're out of favour, just us 80's kids aren't into them . Some of the younger people into this seem to like cloth backed nappies, since its what they grew up with seeing in the stores.

I don't believe our choice of nappies is dictated by what we wore as an infant, its more dictated by what we saw around us when we realised these feelings. I was in cloth for at least some part of my babyhood, and I'm mostly a disposible kinda guy .

As for bulk, I'd go with the abenas as well, or molicare (I think they do clothbacked now). Don't know where you can get em from in the UK, not seen em on my usual purchasing sites :X.

[Frogboy]

Cheers guys...

I noticed all of tadpoles disposables are cloth backed and they seem to do a pretty good job. They also feel like they would be comfier around the waist too. I guess I just got to wondering about why we're all plastic backed fans (myself included, don't know why, I grew up in cloth).

Froggie

x

[loopy]

Cheers guys...

I noticed all of tadpoles disposables are cloth backed and they seem to do a pretty good job. They also feel like they would be comfier around the waist too. I guess I just got to wondering about why we're all plastic backed fans (myself included, don't know why, I grew up in cloth).

Froggie

x

Like I said, I reckon its because of what we saw babies in when we were growing up. Say from the ages of 7-8 upwards. I was exposed to nappies mainly through advertising really, like alot of people I'm betting. And all those adverts were for plastic backed nappies, and they made them look so nice and comfy . Plus with cousins and what not, they were in plastic backed nappies at that time. I guess it all those memories build up and insert them selves into our "fantasy" babyhood if you will. We don't remember being babies, so even if we crave to go back to that time we have to reproduce it from what we see in terms of other babies, tv, etc.

I do find it silly when people say that they wear a particular type of nappy cause it was the ones they wore as a baby, when its more likely due to what they saw as they got older.

[Frogboy]

You're very insightful Loopy! Growing up I was surrounded by little cousins etc and I remember them being in plastic backed nappies! I guess you're right in that it's that image of the plastic backed nappy with the sticky tabs that really yells babyhood at me.

Being around tadpole and his cloth backed disposables must be shifting my perception of baby nappies... Which would explain my sudden intrigue with the nappies of the cloth backed variety

[Angela Bauer]

It was the invention of a new kind of plastic polyethylene during WWII that made the original pioneer-pre Pampers disposables possible. For this reason technically there are poly-plastic and cloth-like. Cloth-like can be made to stretch better and most poly-plastic.

The original reason for cloth-like baby diapers was that it feels nicer to the mother holding a baby on her arm. There is no evidence the baby can tell the difference or would care if she could!

Since cloth-like is a combination of a super-thin poly-plastic and a non-woven synthetic outer layer, it has even more plastic than the traditional poly-plastic, meaning it is no greener!

Shortly after making premium-priced baby diapers with cloth-like and Velcro-like repositionable tabs, the R&D teams discovered to their delight the shelf-life of the finished diapers increased a whole lot. A downside to sticky tapes is when the adhesive dries out, it does not work and the diaper is useless. This commonly limits the shelf-life to 24 months. Also cloth-line can be compressed tighter in the package without rish of puncture pin holes which are a traditional problem with poly-plastic disposables. When correctly adjusted, diaper machines have less break-downs making cloth-like.

Bottom line is that the first cloth-like baby disposables were marketed in 1987, so babies growing up in them are 22 today. Many moms switched older diapered kids to cloth-like when active, still the ideal use of cloth-like, so there are people almost 30 who wore cloth-like as a kid if not infant.

Fortunately poly-plastic and sticky tapes have an advantage when people are sleeping in bed. Poly-plastic slides on bedding while cloth-like clings, pulling gaps that leak. Consequently for patients in bed professional care givers still need adult poly-plastic diapers.

Parents need to cover cloth-like diapers with a Onesies or other garment to reduce clinging in bed. That is a good deal for Gerber and clothing makers. Perhaps there is a deal to encourage cloth-like.

In 1990 when I found the ABDL world I preferred pinned gauze diapers inside soft vinyl panties, like 90% of the older ABDL. At the time I had been wearing Attends since 1981 and never found the Attends helping my AB fantasy. To me only gauze diapers help me relax as an AB. I wear cloth-like and poly-plastic adult disposables for the utility. If history repeats, in another 10 years ABDL will be asking for cloth-like decorated adult diapers.

[Guest YkDave]

Hmmm, never knew they were out on the market in 1987!

Thats when i was born! And funny thing is, i remember having only the plastic backed diapers, heck even when i was out of diapers i still only remember seeing the plastic backed ones. I dont recall them becoming too mainstream until at least the mid 90s

[bedwetter73]

I just like the plastic feel when wet. The cloth just doesn't feel right nor does it sound right for me. I have tried the cloth backed ones and they are ok but just something about them doesn't feel right. But since I am a cloth and PP wearer I can see why I like the plastic feel. I am sure that someday the plastic backed diapers will be gone and we will all be left with the cloth backing. I am hoping that there is some time for all us plastic "likers" to go out and buy a ton before the change over. I bought like 10 packs of Luvs before they changed to cloth backing so I have some from like 15 years ago. I still like to play with them but save them like gold.

Thank you Angela for your expertise.

[BitterGrey]

Like I said, I reckon its because of what we saw babies in when we were growing up. Say from the ages of 7-8 upwards.

Loopy's point is quite insightful. Many of us desire what we thought we wore. However, we often don't remember our own infancy, so we have to reconstruct it based on the babies around us. This causes a shift in the diaper types. Loupy's estimate of 7-8 years is pretty close to the average survey result of around five years. (This was calculated using data from the second AB/DL survey and presented in "AB/DL diaper preferences".)

Bottom line is that the first cloth-like baby disposables were marketed in 1987, so babies growing up in them are 22 today. Many moms switched older diapered kids to cloth-like when active, still the ideal use of cloth-like, so there are people almost 30 who wore cloth-like as a kid if not infant.

Would you happen to know which brand? The mainstream market seems to have shifted in 1994, starting with Huggies and Goodnights.

[loopy]

Loopy's point is quite insightful. Many of us desire what we thought we wore. However, we often don't remember our own infancy, so we have to reconstruct it based on the babies around us. This causes a shift in the diaper types. Loupy's estimate of 7-8 years is pretty close to the average survey result of around five years. (This was calculated using data from the second AB/DL survey and presented in "AB/DL diaper preferences".)

I feel Honoured , I just recently over the past few weeks properly read your site. Made me think alot about my self and my abness, which is always good .

I only said 7-8 because thats about how far back I have proper clear full memories, before them its more isolated incidents or blurry. It is interesting what your survey shows, and goes along with my thinking on the whole subject of babyhood. We don't remeber our own babyhood (I don't actually know when our long term memory "starts") and our own versions of babyhood is built up from what we percieve around us.

As I said in an earlier post I was in cloth, for at least some part of my childhood, I have a picture of me at around 18 months standing in a big cloth nappy, and plastic pants. But growing up, and realising I was an AB I always always desired disposables. They where the pinicle of my dream at the time (ahh simple times....).

I haven't had any real experince with babies since I was younger, we always lived away from extended family, and most of my cousins are only a few years younger then me. So I'm still mainly basing my AB experince on that 80s way, with the plastic backed nappies and everything.

I think this is happing to some degree with frogboy, he's reexperincing babyhood through his son, which is shifting certian things around that mental version of babyhood us AB's have (ie wanting to try clothlike disposables). Making the "playtime" more authentic, taking the things that look fun and incorperating them into that fantasy world. (Frogboy: Sorry for talking about you as if you're some kind of subject to study :X )

It would be interesting to hear from other AB dads and see if having a children effected the way they approached their own "babyplay".

[Dubious]

cloth is boring and just dosent have that same feel

[Frogboy]

Frogboy: Sorry for talking about you as if you're some kind of subject to study :X )

We frogs don't mind being studied... It's the dissecting we object to!!!

cloth is boring and just dosent have that same feel

I hope not... Just ordered me some cloth backed molicares!

[timmyc]

I know from pictures I wore cloth when I was in them, but it was the Pampers when I was about 5 that sparked my interest. I might have been in disposables occasionally, but they would have been pretty new in those days. Cloth has never gotten my attention as for wearing as an adult.

[BitterGrey]

Bottom line is that the first cloth-like baby disposables were marketed in 1987, so babies growing up in them are 22 today. Many moms switched older diapered kids to cloth-like when active, still the ideal use of cloth-like, so there are people almost 30 who wore cloth-like as a kid if not infant.

...

If history repeats, in another 10 years ABDL will be asking for cloth-like decorated adult diapers.

Thought I'd add a note about this interesting projection. So far we've discussed introduction dates between 1987 and 1994. (It is possible that both dates are right: the survey analysis would use the mass-marketing date, as opposed to the introduction of the new technology.) We've also discussed leads of five to eight (30-22) years. If we approximate the start of an AB/DL's market demand at age twenty, then we can do some math and form some expectations: The market demand of AB/DLs into cloth-like disposables would then be expected to start somewhere in the range of 1999 (1987+20-8) to 2009 (1994+20-5). Of course, there are other factors that this extrapolation doesn't consider.

Two come to mind:

1) One factor driving the expression of AB/DL demand for plastic-backed disposables was the shift of the mainstream adult diaper market away from the plastic backing. Given the abundance of adult diapers with a cloth-like backing, Bambino might shy away from the market for cloth-like decorated diapers for a while. (Ten years seems a reasonable estimate.)

2) With later potty training and pull-ups, babies are staying in diapers longer. As a result, more of them will be able to remember wearing diapers. This might affect their development and tastes as AB/DLs.

[curiositykilledthecat]

Adult underwear is cloth, why would i want my diaper to be?

[Dubious]

Adult underwear is cloth, why would i want my diaper to be?

exactly

when wearing a cloth diaper, it just dosent feel like a diaper

only reason i wear cloth sometimes is cause i didnt think they were cloth and/or ordered wrong

when putting them under clothes its not so big deal, its more a inco product than a ABDL one imo

cloth also dosent seem to keep odor inside for some reason, thinner plastic maybe?

havent realy checked

[Guest 13obalicious]

The one thing that often worries me is when the generation of plastic backed diapers will phase out. For those that need them I am sure they would prefer the more discreet cloth backed. When the next generation of ABDL people come of age the demand for Plastic backed diapers will drop and the will become harder to find.

I hope that I will never live to see the day where I cant find plastic backed diapers. Lets cross our fingers that that day will never come.

[Guest 13obalicious]

Thought I'd add a note about this interesting projection. So far we've discussed introduction dates between 1987 and 1994. (It is possible that both dates are right: the survey analysis would use the mass-marketing date, as opposed to the introduction of the new technology.) We've also discussed leads of five to eight (30-22) years. If we approximate the start of an AB/DL's market demand at age twenty, then we can do some math and form some expectations: The market demand of AB/DLs into cloth-like disposables would then be expected to start somewhere in the range of 1999 (1987+20-8) to 2009 (1994+20-5). Of course, there are other factors that this extrapolation doesn't consider.

Two come to mind:

1) One factor driving the expression of AB/DL demand for plastic-backed disposables was the shift of the mainstream adult diaper market away from the plastic backing. Given the abundance of adult diapers with a cloth-like backing, Bambino might shy away from the market for cloth-like decorated diapers for a while. (Ten years seems a reasonable estimate.)

2) With later potty training and pull-ups, babies are staying in diapers longer. As a result, more of them will be able to remember wearing diapers. This might affect their development and tastes as AB/DLs.

BitterGrey, Seems you beet me to this point. You also articulated it far better then I have.

I remember your site back in the 90's when the web was just starting. At that point I was just a confused adolescent. Your site was a lot help to me in understanding my proclivity for plastic backed absorbent undergarments. I send you many thanks for doing the work you have on that site.

Robert

[Dubious]

how to make a cloth diaper:

put on a normal plastic diaper

put on a boxer or any other cloth underwear

voila, u got a cloth diaper..

basicly the same principal

[loopy]

Zpeed, we get it you don't like cloth backed nappies.

Cloth backed nappies aren't your idea of a nappy, but for some people (and like BitterGrey has shown, it will increase) it is their idea of a nappy.

[Thickndry]

In my experience, plastic backed diapers don't leak as much as cloth backed ones.

I use Tranquility ATN and Slimline, which are plastic, but I see that Tranquility just brought out a cloth-backed Slimline.

Bulkiest diaper, i believe, is Molicare Super. They make you waddle!

[bedwetterdan]

I had bought some plastic backed diapers for that authentic crinkle, which it has but I find that it causes me to sweat more since they do not breathe like the cloth diapers. I am not sure which I really prefer but I am leaning towards the cloth diapers.

[ColoradoIceman]

My major issue with the "cloth" backed disposiable diapers is the fasteners. They tend to pop off a lot. Plastic diapers you can add additional packing tape to reinforce a tape or replace one which has ripped off. I too have had problems with leaks from the cloth backed diapers but some plastic back ones can leak through pin-hole holes. The difference I found is that the holes are hidden much more in the cloth backed ones.

The cloth backed diapers are cooler on the hips but where there is padding, there is insulation and heat. Add moisture and you have humidity too. Not the most comforatable - no matter what diaper is worn. Ideally, you should wear as little as needed when you are out where you might sweat. And wear cotton to help absorb sweat and keep you cooler. And this is coming from someone who is now living in the southern U.S. where the humidity is high enough that you sweat but it does not evaporate... Less is best. But in the winter - get the best quality diaper (your preference) and go for it.

Now a tangent:

I know some people swear by normal cloth diapers as being cooler but need plastic pants over them to contain the heavy wettings which makes them a diaper sauna. If you can go plastic pant-less, they might be more comfortable. This might be an option around home.

I used to use cloth diapers under disposiables because the cloth would wick the wetness to ALL the disposiable. The cloth would remain damp but I found it to be a wonderful liner. But they required laundering, which my wife suggested would offset the increased absorbancy.

So I would have to suggest it's all a factor of quality, convience and personal preference.