Pasta & Patchwork
  • Home
  • About P&P
  • Patterns
  • Recipes
  • Projects
  • Product Reviews

REVIEW: Close Pop-in washable nappy

4/1/2014

18 Comments

 
When I first started blogging, I wasn't sure about doing reviews. Being pretty anti-consumerist, it didn't seem like the right thing to do. 

But! Then! We got the opportunity to review one of the New Gen V2 Pop-in washable nappies, made by Close (formerly Close Parent). 

Picture
Image by Close

We're crackers for cloth nappies and want as many people as possible to love them too. The New Gen V1 is already our favourite daytime nappy. 

No-brainer, right? So *fanfare please* here is our very first review.

Technical Details

A Pop-in is a two-part nappy, consisting of a waterproof outer shell and two absorbent inners that you 'pop in' with little buttons. 

You can leave out or add the smaller inner (the 'booster') to adjust the absorbency, and fold it in different ways to suit the gender of the child. As boys need more absorbency at the front, I fold the booster in half and put it underneath the larger inner (the 'soaker'). 

Pop-in nappies fit roughly from birth to potty thanks to adjustable poppers on the front. The weight range is 7-35 lbs (3.2-16 kg). For very small babies Close have recently released a Pop-in Newborn Pack, for which the range is 5-12 lbs (2-5.5 kg).

Velcro tabs on the front and a double gusset around the legs help to ensure a snug fit. 

The outer shell is made of polyester coated with polyurethane (PU), while the inners are a bamboo/viscose blend.
Picture
Picture
Picture

Comparison with New Gen V1

The pictures below demonstrate the subtle changes Close have made to the design in order to improve comfort, fit, and drying time. 

The V2 is on the left, compared with the V1 we already had on the right.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Performance & Fit

The New Gen V1 became our favourite daytime nappy* because it is reasonably slim-fitting, absorbent and leak-proof. As far as I'm aware, bamboo is the most absorbent nappy-fabric out there. I think the real secret, though, is the double gusset - we've found that nappies without this feature are much more prone to leaking because there can be gaping around the legs. 

The New Gen V2 performs even better than the V1, and lasted 6 hours on one occasion. M has not obliged with a poo-splosion in this nappy yet, but I imagine that the elasticated back and gusset would be pretty good at keeping things contained. 

The fit is really, really good. I was a little concerned that the changes to the V2 would make it too roomy for my skinny Bean compared to the V1, but this hasn't been the case at all. It's just a question of adjusting the velco on the front. I'm also very pleased that the back buttons are now flat. This does mean that the V2 soaker is not compatible with previous Pop-in nappy versions, but I'm willing to live with that as the back of the V2 nappy looks much slimmer and flatter. 

In terms of care, the nappy should be washed at 40° to 60° C, using a tiny amount of non-biological detergent (biological detergent and 'ecological' detergents such as Ecover will damage the bamboo!!). If left near (not on) a radiator, the outer shell will dry in about 3-4 hours and the inners in about 5-6. I have to say, the changes to the design do mean that the V2 dries quicker than the V1, which is great. Do remember to do up the laundry tab, unless you want the nappy sticking to everything in the washing machine. The Close website has more details on how to care for your nappies.

* (we also have Bumgenius Freetime nappies for daytime, and use a Totsbots Bamboozle Stretch plus a Blueberry wrap for nighttime)
Picture

Prints

They're utterly gorgeous. I know it's not the most important thing about a nappy, but they so are. We chose Lion in the end, though Robot comes a close second on our wish-list. 
Picture

Price & Value for Money

The New Gen V2 Pop-in nappy currently retails at £16.99 for a single nappy. I'm hoping that Close will release a box set of these, as they have done with previous versions, as that would work out a little cheaper.

Though not the cheapest nappy on the market, I do think it's good value for money. As a daytime nappy you simply can't beat it for fit, absorbency and looks (separate nighttime inners are available too, though we haven't tried these). 

Final Verdict

As I mentioned, the V1 was already a firm favourite. The V2 is even better thanks to the small changes Close have made. It fits better, performs incredibly well, and dries faster. My only tiny criticism is that the new laundry tab pocket is fiddly, but I do see the benefit of not having any velcro against baby's skin. My favourite improvement has to be the fact that the back is now nice and flat. And oh those prints...

Disclaimer: I was sent one New Gen V2 Pop-in nappy free of charge for the purpose of this review, but all words and opinions are genuine and my own.
We're going on an adventure
18 Comments
Kate Fever link
4/1/2014 08:01:56 am

I am a huge fan of Close nappies, and the new prints are utterly gorgeous. Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested

Reply
Eline @ Pasta & Patchwork link
4/2/2014 06:44:30 am

They're to-die-for, aren't they? Thanks for commenting!

Reply
Jaime Oliver link
4/1/2014 01:50:54 pm

i so wish i had done cloth nappies with Joshua these look super x

Reply
Eline @ Pasta & Patchwork link
4/2/2014 06:46:26 am

They are really fab, I'm so glad we gave them a whirl. Totally addicted to cloth nappies now! Thanks for commenting x

Reply
Kim Carberry link
4/2/2014 04:17:00 am

They look really great! I love the designs of them x

Reply
Eline @ Pasta & Patchwork link
4/2/2014 06:47:39 am

So do I, I'm such a sucker for a pretty print. Fortunately they work well too! Thanks for commenting x

Reply
Colette link
4/2/2014 05:05:13 am

What a really thorough review - I love the way you've compared the old and new!
We've not tried any Close nappies but I'm such a fan of hippos that I'm tempted to buy on purely on that basis ;)
Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested

Reply
Eline @ Pasta & Patchwork link
4/2/2014 06:50:03 am

Haha, that was my reaction to the V1 Blue Turtle print too - I'm obsessed with turquoise so that's why I got it! We're complete converts to Close now though, I'd love a few more.
Thanks for commenting!

Reply
Sarah link
4/2/2014 08:40:46 am

Great review - I do love a review with lots of information! We tried a Close Pop-in V2 recently as well and loved it! We've never had a Pop-in before but the other prints are definitely on my most-wanted list,

P.S. I think we're nappy twins - we have Freetimes for day and Bamboozles with Blueberry wraps for night time too :-)

Reply
Eline @ Pasta & Patchwork link
4/3/2014 03:08:38 am

I saw your review of the robot print a few weeks ago. Very good review it was too - a tough act to follow!

So funny we have the exact same nappy set. Freetimes haven't worked out too well for us unfortunately, but the Bamboozle + Blueberry combo is fab. Motherease wraps are very good too, but a bit pricey as they're sized.

Reply
Jo Smith link
4/2/2014 11:22:53 am

i like the idea of these but I cant see how they'd actually work for newborns. I imagine a lot of leakage!!
carsonsmummy.blogspot.co.uk #triedtested

Reply
Eline @ Pasta & Patchwork link
4/3/2014 03:20:11 am

The bottom of the weight range is 3.2 kg (7 lbs) so I think they'd be fine for bigger, chubbier newborns. They might just look a bit bulky, which is usually the case with birth-to-potty nappies in the early months.
For my skinny Bean the V1 was far too loose and leaky until he was about six weeks old. We used Size 1 Bamboozles (the Close Newborn Set hadn't been released yet) instead, which were bulky but fitted him.

Reply
Claire Marchland-Johns link
5/17/2014 01:23:30 am

These pop in nappies are so cute and adorable - I definitely want to give them a go. Thank you for sharing.

Reply
Zoe
10/16/2014 04:42:59 am

I love the close nappies and use one at night now too! Bomb proof!
If you like double leg gusset should look at nature babies stuffables which are a pocket nappy but have this plus uk made and bargain at £8! Would need to boost the mf you get with hemp or bamboo to get absorbancy but again I love these nappies!

Reply
Gigi
12/31/2014 12:50:11 am

Hi, I have the V1's and love them to bits but am disappointed I can't get more for bubs #2. I have heaps of inserts for the V1's and have to ask, WHY do they not fit the V2's? Do the clips not reach? I would love to get some complete V2's but the idea of sorting and arranging every nappy and every insert every wash makes me cringe.

Reply
Eline @ Pasta & Patchwork link
1/1/2015 07:45:27 am

Hi Gigi,
The reason the V2 inserts are not compatible with V1 outers is because the clips at the back are different. The inserts across the versions are more or less the same size, but the V1 inserts simply don't clip into the back of the V2 outer (and vice-versa).
At the front the clips are the same, however, so what you could do is attach the insert at the front but not the back. The danger is that the insert will start to creep down at the back. I've tried this a few times and it seems to stay in place reasonably well. Most of the time I do sort them after every wash though...
Thanks for reading and hope that helps!

Reply
Jamie
1/23/2015 03:28:21 am

Thank you for writing this, I've been umming and ahhing about which version to get, as the V2 seem a little bit slack around the legs at the rise that we need it at (big thighs and bum, small waist, short torso LOL) ... and I know others have said V1s are slightly smaller.. :S

Reply
MargaritaSmith link
4/8/2016 03:37:04 am

I am using v2 for my daughter, I feel its good :)

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Hello! I'm Eline, and I've recently moved to a new corner of the internet: 
    www.emmyandlien.com/
    ​
    Do come and say hello!

    Read more:
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013


    Hookin on Hump Day
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.