In the last installment of Crackers for Cloth, I crunched the numbers and came up with what I thought would be the ideal reusable nappy stash. Eventually we ended up with 25 nappies for our Bean, which we were happy with. Along the way we've put a good number of different nappies through their paces, so I thought it would be good to make a little comparison.
Below I've rated six nappies by six different companies. These comparisons are of course based entirely on my own subjective opinion, but I hope it might help if you're thinking about which nappies to buy.
 | Nappy: Bamboozle Stretch Made by: TotsBots Description: A bamboo nappy with velcro-style tabs, available in two sizes. Comes with a detachable booster. Needs a separate waterproof cover (such as Blueberry Coverall or Motherease Rikki). Positives: Extremely absorbent and, in combination with a waterproof cover, totally bomb-proof. Easily lasts 4hrs. If you add extra absorbent padding (such as the Super Booster by Totsbots) this nappy will see you through 10-12 hours at night. Negatives: Very bulky despite TotBots' claims to the contrary, and very slow to dry. More hassle for daycare providers to put on due this nappy needing a separate cover. P&P Says: The best night-time nappy on the market |
| Nappy: Pop-in +bamboo V2 Made by: Close (formerly Close Parent) Description: Two-part nappy which consists of a waterproof outer and two detachable bamboo inners. Fits from roughly from birth to potty (7-35 lbs/3.2-16 kg). Velcro-style tabs to close. Poppers on the front to adjust size. Positives: Good absorbency. Elasticated gusset gives a snug fit, so containment is also good. Realistically fits a wide age range. Easy to put on. Fabulous prints. Negatives: The V2 inners are not compatible with the V1 shells, though the V2 is slimmer as a result of the changes Close have made. Fiddly laundry tabs. P&P Says: Excellent day-time nappy that will last a long time. |  |
 | Nappy: Charlie Banana One Size Made by: Charlie Banana Description: Pocket nappy consisting of a waterproof outer and two microfiber inners that are stuffed inside the outer. Fastened with poppers. Fits from roughly from birth to potty (6-35 lbs/3-16 kg). Size is adjusted using a bra strap-like system inside the gusset of the waterproof outer. Positives: Very absorbent but also reasonably quick to dry. Realistically fits a wide age range. Looks great. Negatives: Bulky. Bra strap-like size adjustment system inside the nappy is fiddly to use. P&P Says: Most absorbent day-time nappy on the market. |
| Nappy: Smartipants One Size Made by: Smartipants Description: Pocket nappy consisting of a waterproof outer and one removable inner that is stuffed inside the outer. Fits from roughly from birth to potty (7-35 lbs/3.2-16 kg). Fastened and adjusted in size with poppers. Positives: Slim-looking, easy to stuff. No need to pull the inner out before washing as it comes out on its own. Fast-drying. Negatives: Needs boosting or changing frequently if used on older babies. Comes up very short and so will realistically fit up to about 25 lbs (11.5 kg). P&P Says: Easy-to-use, slim daytime nappy for younger babies. |  |
 | Nappy: Freetime All-in-One Made by: Bumgenius Description: One-piece nappy in which the absorbent inners are partially attached to the waterproof outer. Fastens with either aplix or poppers. Poppers on the front to adjust size. Fits from roughly from birth to potty (8-35 lbs/3.6-16 kg). Positives: Very slim nappy that is still reasonably absorbent. Extremely fast-drying. Easy to use. Negatives: The sizing around the legs is generous so does not fit well on skinny minnies. Needs boosting or changing frequently if used on older babies/toddlers. P&P Says: Slimmest-looking nappy on the market. |
| Nappy: MioSolo All-in-One Made by: Bambino Mio Description: One-piece nappy in which the absorbent core is attached on one side to the waterproof cover and stuffed inside it, but can be pulled out to improve washing performance and drying time. Fits from roughly from birth to potty (7-35 lbs/3.2-16 kg). Velcro-style tabs to close. Poppers on the front to adjust size. Positives: Good absorbency. Fast-drying. Comes up long, so will fit well even on an older/tall toddler. Negatives: Very big on smaller babies, so would fit better from 12 lbs+ in reality. P&P Says: Excellent day-time nappy for older babies & toddlers. |  |
As for where to buy, if you're in the UK I can wholeheartedly recommend babipur, The Nappy Lady and Fill Your Pants*. All of these online retailers provide excellent service and often have good deals on**. If you're looking to buy used nappies, this facebook group is a great place to start.
If you've got your nappy stash all sorted but you're still wondering about the practicalities of using them, you might like these tips and tricks.
*Disclosure: All opinions in this post are my own and links are not affiliated. No compensation or reward was provided in return for writing this post.
**A word about cheap deals. We are all for thrifty parenting here, and there is a UK-based online cloth nappy retailer (who shall remain nameless) who often has the lowest prices on the market. However, their service is no match for that of the companies I've mentioned, and in my opinion it is not worth saving a few pounds for the extra hassle of orders turning up late, incomplete, or not at all...
If you've got your nappy stash all sorted but you're still wondering about the practicalities of using them, you might like these tips and tricks.
*Disclosure: All opinions in this post are my own and links are not affiliated. No compensation or reward was provided in return for writing this post.
**A word about cheap deals. We are all for thrifty parenting here, and there is a UK-based online cloth nappy retailer (who shall remain nameless) who often has the lowest prices on the market. However, their service is no match for that of the companies I've mentioned, and in my opinion it is not worth saving a few pounds for the extra hassle of orders turning up late, incomplete, or not at all...
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