Cloth diaper recommendations?

[Pernax]

Ive been looking to get cloth diapers recently both due to the long term savings, but also cutting back on the amont of trash produced by using solely disposables, however as i have never even held a cloth diaper in my hands before, I am fumbling in the dark.

So i am turning to you fine padded folk of the internet to share your recommendations and input

Im not hugely fussy about prints, i would love them, but if o can sacrifice them for a higher quality diaper overall i'd likely do that

Also as i am a sode sleeper, if there are any that are particularly capable of catching that, it would be a super plus (all the disposables ove had are terribly leaky while on your side)

Also what are other things i should be aware of as far as cloth diapers go? Do i have to use plastic pants with them? Are they naturally absorbant or do i need to add boosters in order to make em so? 

Oh also, if anyone can recommend some good quality, reputable stores  preferably in Australia, that would be an awesome plus! 

[rusty pins]

I was raised in cloth diapers.  I now use disposables almost 99% of the time when I wear.  Here are some things to consider.

If you wear cloth diapers you will need to wear plastic or waterproof pants over them.  Without them, your clothes, furniture and everything will be wet as cloth diapers are just that - cloth with no outside waterproofing to keep wetness away from clothing and furniture.  Look at it this way - if you wear a cloth diaper without any waterproofing over it, such as plastic pants, then whatever you wear over your diaper will become an extension of that diaper.  Your jeans will just continue to absorb the wetness from your diaper.

People do say that forthose who sleep on their side, cloth diapers do a better job (with plastic pants over them) than disposables.  There are a few reasons for this.  Cloth tends to wick the wetness throughout the diaper instead of locking it away in one area like disposables with SAP.  Think of it this way.  Lay a Kleenex or paper towel in the middle of a small puddle of water with plenty of extra Kleenex or towel overlapping in the dry area around the puddle.  You will see the Kleenex draw water from the center where the puddle is and absorb it all and wick it's way to all the dry areas until the Kleenex is wet throughout.  Cloth diapers tend to do the same thing.  Secondly, unlike when adult disposables first came out, most disposable diapers do not have any padding in the side panels, only down the center.  Cloth diapers have cloth padding in the side panels that will help absorb wetness when it wicks throughout the diaper.  The cloth in the side just gives you that much more usable material for absorbtion.

People say that you should always wash new cloth diapers a few times first before using them as it helps them absorb better.  Do not use fabric softener on them as that will hinder their absorbency.  Read the forums here for more advice on washing cloth diapers.  I have a friend who is a cloth diaper wearer and he has some great tips.  Some places sell various thicknesses of cloth diapers including very thick ones for over night usage.  The thing with that is they are so thick they take a very long time to dry after washing.  What my friend does is use thin cloth adult diapers and layers them so that he can adjust the thickness and absorbency for whatever his needs at the time will be.  In the day thinner diapers and at night, more layers.  That way when he washes them, they dry quickly because each diaper is thinner, even though he may be wearing 2 or 3 at the same time.  He also uses actual baby diapers as inserts for the same reason.  That way the baby diapers are much smaller and he can layer 2 or 3 in the areas of his adult diaper that need it the most.  If your a guy walking around or sitting in a chair, why have half the bulk of your diaper way at the top in front and back where the crotch area is where it's needed the most?