Which Cloth Diaper Is Better

[Billiardnut]

I have been wearing disposables for some time now and I must admit that I really like them. However, cost is starting to become a factor since I only wear quality diapers like Abena and Attends. I hate the cloth outer covering since they seem to sag as they get wetter and worn a little.

I am wanting to get some cloth diapers for night time use. I have looked around and honestly cant decide. I have seen flat, contour and semi-contour cloth. Not to mention the thickness of them all. Day weight, night weight, etc, etc, etc. Argh .... so many choices! So I am coming to you folks for some guidance, which cloth diapers are better. I like the thickness and absorbency of Abena X Plus and I want my cloth diapers to be the same if not better/ thicker (but manageable and practical) then those.

Many thanks for your help

B

[Angela Bauer]

There is absolutely no way to answer your poll as written, nor to say a certain style of diaper is "better"

The first question you need to answer by yourself is: Do you have discreet access to a washing machine and a dryer at an affordable price? No kind of cloth diaper can last unless it is correctly washed fairly soon after use. Traditionally this becomes a cost/time issue for folks only wearing an occasional cloth diaper. The cloth diaper cares less if it is washed along with a bunch of its friends. Depending on how the cloth diaper was used, it might well contaminate a washer load of regular clothing. Even in your own washing machine it is expensive to run a cycle for just a single cloth diaper.

Okay, assuming you have access to washing equipment. Can you discreetly store used cloth diapers until you are ready to wash them every couple of days?

Next decide: What kind of cloth to use in your diapers? There are so many choices. I personally prefer gauze for the outer part of my adult cloth diapers and Birdseye weave cotton for the inner soaker. Neither gauze nor Birdseye are practical to cut and sew in the curve shapes needed for anything except traditional square or rectangular flat diapers. Cotton flannel and terry cloth can be sewn into contour shapes. Same for the newish micro-fleece.

Washing flat gauze or Birdseye cloth diapers is easier than other fabrics, but using a modern washing machine this is not an important factor. Many pocket and contour diapers use Velcro fastening systems, all of which can cause problems in washers and in dryers. Therefore some firms make pocket diapers which fasten using plastic snaps.

Flat pinned diapers generally do not have any elastic, because they will be covered with waterproof pants which do have elastic at the leg holes and waist. Gauze and Birdseye, as well as micro-fleece, stretch somewhat. Flannel and Terry do not stretch. Learning to pin on your own cloth diapers requires practice. Self-diapering using snaps can be difficult for folks with less than maximum flexibility and dexterity. Velcro fastening is easier for folks with limited dexterity and flexibility.

Read the above and answer the questions for yourself. Then check prices on various websites. Finally do the math. Remember to factor in the cash value of your own time. It can turn out when all factors are considered disposable diapers are not more expensive.

In my case I wear gauze diapers when I can do so discreetly because I find them more comfortable and more effective. Back in the days when I was a young attorney needing to bill maximum hours I could not consider devoting precious spare time to washing diapers at a coin laundry. Now that I am married with a home and our own washing equipment, I can start a load, do some productive legal research while that is running, pause my research when moving the washed diapers to the dryer, then resume research while the dryer is doing its own thing. Folding the cloth diapers immediately after they come out of the dryer is lost time I must justify as my private recreation. My alternative would be to use a diaper service, but none in my area wash adult diapers.

Good wishes for your own diapering.

[Billiardnut]

Wow - I had no idea cloth diapering was so involved. Thank you for the informative response

[Guest dragonmaster4066]

i would have to agree with Angela on this. cloth diapers are something i to enjoy but only when i'm home or can get away with it like in the winter with thick coveralls on. i would not wear cloth if i did not have my own washer and drier because who wants to carry a load of dirty smelly diapers to a public laundry? i also like the birdseye and gauze fabrics best. i am incon as is angela so it is cost effective for us but if you only wear for fun then yes, do the math. cloth diapers are expensive to buy. plus you will need good plastic pants to go over them. the plastic pants wear out in a couple of months if you use them every day and i have not as yet found a way to keep them soft so they dont crack, the reason they do this is because of the oils in your body plus any rash creme you use. cloth diapers are great but you really have think hard about are they really worth it to you.

[Honu]

Cloth diapering is both involved, and yet quite simple. I voted for the flat diaper, which could be a true flat diaper or a pre-folded one, as the contour diapers cut material away from where you need it the most. Sure, the diaper might feel more comfortable without all the bulk between your legs, but that's what cloth diapers feel like!

The simplicity is that it doesn't get much simpler than a single ply sheet of absorptive cotton in a supportive weave (Birdseye is durable, gauze is breathable and flannel is soft), pins or a snappi toddler size and vinyl baby pants. The diaper will last the longest. A snappi lasts longer than pins because the pins get dull. Baby pants have the shortest life so just be prepared to replace them regularly. There are different ways to fold the flat diaper, all available on line, and they help show you how to customize it for your comfort and protection.

The involved aspect of cloth diapering is when you fast forward from mid-twentieth century diapering to current trends. The goal today is to make cloth diapering as easy and effective as the disposables available. Polyester fabric is used for a lining to transfer wetness to the cotton/bamboo/hemp/microfiber soaker which is contained usually by polyurethane laminated (PUL) fabric.

I’ve tried numerous models of these modern cloth diapers and can’t use any of them with vinyl baby pants. I’m working on my own model of a modern cloth diaper that doesn’t leak on me, but there are always so many other things to do.

Thank you for creating a post about cloth diapers. They do save you a lot of money if, as Angela states, you have the ability to wash and store them. They are not nearly as discrete, but you can’t beat them if you sleep on your side!