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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Used Goodmama Review

Goodmama diapers were started in 2005 with a WAHM and quickly turned into a large cloth diaper boutique. They offer a few different styles of diapers in plain or adorable prints. The few Goodmama (GM) fitted diapers that I have were bought second hand. Several are in great condition with no visible stains or tears. Some others are obviously very loved.

Let's review the GM fitted features:
-OBV and cotton fitted with snap closure
-Elastic at the legs and top back to contain messes
-Two snap in inserts that separate from each other for quick drying
-Fold down rise for smaller babies

Obviously these diapers hold up to the test of time. The elastic is still great. The body is pretty absorbent. The fit is pretty trim. It's a little narrower in between the legs than Piddle Poddles, which is a comparable brand. I paired the good condition GM with a PUL cover. It lasted a few hours without leaks but the entire fitted was soaked from front to back, top to bottom. I've found that to be the case every time my daughter wears one. She can completely soak a GM in 1.5 hours.

Obviously they hold up well and fit a variety of body styles. The patterns are adorable and they're easy to clean. However, I do believe the price is a little high for what they are. There are lots of other OCV, OBV, or organic cotton knit fitteds that work just as well and last just as long that cost less money. Without regards to the price, I give this diaper one thumb up. With price involved, I give it a "meh" and shoulder shrug.


WAHM Wares by Ocean Babies

Like my previous post states, I have grown to love wool covers for my daughter's fitted diapers. They breathe well for her and they're so soft! I currently have 4 wool soakers from Ocean Babies. Normally, wool covers are quite expensive, but the "soakers" from Ocean Babies are very affordable. They are all felted and upcycled, which means soft and reused. They're basically made from wool sweaters. You can tell because the legs look like they're made from sweater cuffs. I think it's adorable, as well as environmentally friendly, and a great way to use old sweaters!

The soakers I bought were size medium and I can imagine them lasting my 8 month old daughter for many more months. They pull on like shorts and cover the diaper all the way around. They're not super snug around the waist but it's the fitted that keeps in the "mess" so it's not necessary for it to be uber snug. These soakers are soft and adorable. They're even my husband's favorite cover when he's brave enough to use fitteds. He calls them "sweater underwear" covers. Any diaper that gets daddy approval earns extra stars in my opinion!

Wool covers require specific care that took me some time to research and learn how to do correctly. However, it is not extremely regular care. As long as the cover doesn't get soiled, it can be worn over multiple changes. If it gets a little wet, you can hang it to dry and it cleans itself, due to it's antibacterial properties. I only have to lanolize my wool about every other month.





WAHM Wares by Three Happy Trees

Wool covers are a recent love of mine. I was looking for a way to cover my daughter's fitted diapers without using PUL. Wool covers are the way to go for sure! I had to learn how to measure her correctly and then I went online "window" shopping on Etsy.

I came across Three Happy Trees. The soaker was the right size, cute, and in my price range so I snatched it up. That was 3 months ago and it's still one of the covers I choose often. The wool was felted and lanolized, meaning ready to wear. The quality is amazing and it works so well! It's not the kind of wool that I think of when I hear the word "wool". It's much softer. It pulls over the baby's diaper like a pair of shorts.

Wool covers take a special kind of care that takes practice and research, but it's well worth it. It's breathable and effect. However, I prefer to use wool at home as I sometimes get compression leaks in the car seat when she's wearing wool.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A few of my favorite things

Fitted diapers are my current favorite for my 7 month old daughter. They fit well. They're super absorbent. They last a long time. Not to mention, they're really cute and soft. I have tried a lot of brands; Goodmama, Piddle Poddles, Muttaquin Baby, Piper's Closet, ByGollyGoGreen, BumbleBunz, DDDiapers, Sticky Peas, Eco Posh, and Osocozy. While any fitted diaper would be a great addition to a cloth diapering stash, I have settled on Piddle Poddles and BumbleBunz, with one lonely DDDiapers Ooga Booga print. Most are at least partially made with bamboo materials and have cute prints.

One feature that fitted diapers don't possess is a totally waterproof quality. So what's a mama to do? Choose a cover that works for you, your baby, and your budget. There's a lot of options, so let's review some of them.

The first option is NO cover. Yes, you read that right. A lot of times, I will let my daughter go sans cover in a fitted diaper while we're at home, especially if she's wearing a fleece sleeper or pants. Fitteds are so absorbent that you can usually get a couple hours of wear without a cover before feeling wetness on the outer shell. Polyester fleece is naturally liquid repelling so if your little one is wearing fleece, all the better for no cover with a fitted. The baby has to be changed more often to prevent getting clothes, bedding, carpet etc wet, but when we're at home, that's not a big problem for us. This is obviously the most economical option.



If you're looking for true waterproof-ness, you would be shopping for PUL or TPU covers. There are numerous brands, shapes, and fits for this kind of cover. The main points are that there is a layer coated with polyurothane to make it plastic-like and waterproof. This cover is put over top the fitted and closed either by H&L or by snaps. The benefits are that they're relatively cheap to purchase, easy to use, easy to wash, and completely waterproof when using the correct fit. The downside to this cover is that it's basically plastic coated, so it's not breathable for the baby. It can get a little hot and feel plastic-y on the skin. Any diaper with PUL can be used as a cover, even pocket diapers. Some of my favorite PUL covers were originally produced as pocket diapers.



Another great option is a wool cover. Wool and the lanolin in wool are excellent as both a moisture barrier and also absorber. Wool can hold a lot of liquid before leaking and it's breathable for the baby to wear. It's also naturally self cleaning and antibacterial. Depending on the type of wool used, they are also very soft and can be cute too. There's different types of wool covers. Soakers are in the shape of underwear and pull up on the baby. Shorties are like soakers but with a little fabric around the legs to make it look like shorts. Longies are pants. Sometimes longies have a soaker sewn in. Skirties are usually like skorts, with a soaker below and a pretty skirt over top. Wool takes a little research and practice for proper care, but once you get it down, it's actually very low maintenance. My husband recently stated that it was his favorite type of cover for our fitted stash. Our little crawler is alligator rolling away from us during diaper changes, so the less snaps, the better. While there are some economical wool cover options, most of them can get pretty pricey. Don't get me wrong. They are worth the price. However, they may not be the most attainable items for your stash if you're on a limited budget.



Now that you know my favorite types of covers for my fitteds, tell me what yours are!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Thirsties Hook and Loop Cover Review

With my obsession over fitted diapers ever growing, I had a need for a quick wrap to cover the little one's fluffy bum. Luckily, I got my virtual hands on some Thirsties covers online for a really good price. Since it's a one layer PUL cover, there's no need for prepping or an out of the package review.

Let's review the features:
-sized PUL cover
-hook and loop (H&L) closure
-fold over elastic trim
-double layer of PUL at the H&L locations
-double gussets at the legs

I chose to get a size large even though the weight limit is higher than my daughter's current weight. I know that fitted diapers can get quite bulky and I wanted to be able to use them for a long time or on overnight diapers. It was the right decision. They look slightly large on her now and there's a little gap at the legs, but the fitted diaper is supposed to contain the mess anyway. In my mind, PUL covers are just to create a waterproof barrier between the diaper and clothes. These fit the bill.

I got some cute colors too. The solids are vibrant. The one print I got is adorable. I find that to be a big plus for these diapers since I'm a sucker for a cute pattern.

I've only used them a few times so I don't have a comment on the durability. I am hoping the color stays just as vibrant, the elastic lasts a long time, and the H&L closure doesn't loose it's effectiveness. Only time will tell, but for now, I am loving this quick and easy waterproof wrap for my fitteds.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Glow Bug Cloth Diaper Review and Giveaway

Glow Bug Cloth Diaper company graciously sent me a sample to review. You can find the features and out of package review here. I liked the diaper right out of the package. I couldn't wait to try this super cute pattern. It's so adorable that I didn't want to put any clothing over it!


The inserts in this pocket diaper are microfiber. I will honestly admit that microfiber is not my favorite insert material, but that is just a personal bias. I was pleasantly surprised by the diaper's absorbency potential. I initially put both inserts in the pocket because my 7 month old daughter is a heavy wetter and generally needs two inserts in her pocket diapers. After 4 hours of wear, not only were there NO leaks but she had absorbency to spare. With only one insert, she could still go several hours with less bulk. She also didn't complain about being in the diaper so long because the stay dry inner lining kept her feeling dry and comfy.  Color me impressed.

The double gussets look really useful and the opening at front and back for the pocket stuffing seem really great too. I was reserving judgement on the actual functionality of such features until it was put into practice. Let me tell you that they are both very nice features. I love that you have the option to take out the inserts from either front or back, depending on which side is least messy. The inserts have a snap to connect it to the cover, but I found it unnecessary and actually a little annoying when it was connected. My daughter tends to wet upwards, so the back of most pocket diapers is clean versus the front. Having to unsnap in the front meant I had to touch wet inserts. However, there's a super easy fix for that; I just don't use the snap. If you're wondering, the inserts did come out of the pocket in the wash, so when I don't use the insert snap, I can just put the dirty diaper in the wash without de-stuffing. Love! The double leg gussets are really nice too. The elastic is not very wide so it doesn't look uncomfortable for the little one.

One unique feature of this one size brand is the 4 size snap rise. This creates 4 different sizes to grow along with your little one. My baby is not young enough to comment on the usefulness at the itty bitty newborn stage, but the fit on my chunky monkey was very nice. At 7 months, she already comfortably fits on the highest rise. However, I do imagine that she could fit in this rise for the remainder of her diapering days.




Overall, I am very impressed with this diaper. It's a cute, creative pocket diaper with great absorbency. The craftsmanship is impeccable. The patterns are adorable. It's competitively priced. If a friend or family member was looking for a recommendation for a microfiber pocket diaper, I would highly recommend this brand. My only suggestion is that the retailer offer smaller packages than 12 diapers. This would reach more customers who aren't sure they want to invest in a complete stash of just one brand.

[Disclaimer: Glow Bug Cloth Diapers did send me a free sample to review, but the opinions I've stated are completely my own.]



And now to the big news of the week....

Glow Bug Cloth Diapers would like to offer one of my readers a FREE pocket diaper! Use the Rafflecopter entry feature below to enter for your chance to win a microfiber pocket diaper. There are two mandatory entries and extra chances to win. You can even enter once a day by tweeting and sharing this giveaway on Facebook. Good luck, readers! [Contest is open to US and Canadian residents only.]


Wednesday, November 30, 2011

WAHM Wares by Nana's Bottoms

I ordered three AIOs from a WAHM on Hyena Cart by the name of Nana's Bottoms. I was trying to find an AIO diaper that had hook & loop closure (H&L) so that I could have some diapers in my "Daddy Stash" that my husband, parents, and sitters could use on baby E without much trouble. I figured AIOs and "velcro" would be the perfect choice since they are most like disposables, but I was having a hard time finding a true AIO that didn't wick to the cover. I'm proud to say that I've finally found one!

Nana's Bottoms shop did a custom order of 3 size medium AIOs with PUL outer, H&L closure matching the PUL color, zorb soaker sewn in, and bamboo velour inner. The diapers came to me VERY quickly and were reasonably priced. Out of the package, they were deliciously plush. I seriously dreamed of having a scarf made of the bamboo velour.

I prepped the diapers according to the directions. I washed them on hot once and then on warm another 5 times. I must say that when I used one for the time on my heavy wetting 7 month old, I was slightly disappointed. She wet the entire soaker and it wicked through the stitching of the H&L to the cover. It wasn't enough to get her clothes wet, but I could tell the PUL outer was wet. *Big Sigh* I was hoping I had found THE "Daddy Stash" staple diaper. I still figured they were worth keeping and using despite slight wicking.



Fast forward almost 2 months. These diapers have reached their peak in absorbency after many more washes. The wetness no longer wicks through to the cover. The inner is still deliciously soft on baby's bum. The medium size still has tons of room to grow on the little girl I usually set the rise snaps on the highest setting for. I am extremely happy with this AIO. It's now become my go to diaper for the diaper bag. It's trim, effective, and easy to use. My only complaint, which is a universal one for all AIO diapers, is that the drying time is rather long. That's unavoidable if you want an effective AIO diaper.

While my first impressions of the diaper style wasn't the best, I'm now in love with them! I would highly recommend them to anyone that is looking for a super easy diaper for daycare, daddy changes, or just simple CD usage. Two thumbs up!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

WAHM Wares by BumbleBunz - Bamboo Fitteds

I've done a review of the night time bamboo terry inserts by Miss Katie, owner of BumbleBunz. I loved those so much that I ordered three of her bamboo fitteds.

Here's a low down on the features:
-bamboo cotton fitted with snap closure (requires a waterproof cover)
-two snap-in inserts, one is double length to fold over
-print exterior with organic bamboo velour (OBV) interior, long insert is OBV topped
-fold down rise for two sizes
-elastic at the legs and top back

Out of the package, these diapers are gorgeous. The OBV has a shine to it and the print is crisp and adorable. The craftsmanship is amazing. It's obvious this mama puts lots of love into the construction of her diapers. Look at that sheen.





I washed them about 4 times before using them. Bamboo typically needs 7 or more washes to reach full absorbency potential but after 4, I felt they were wear-worthy. If I thought they were soft out of the package, it's got nothin' on the softness out of the dryer! These diapers are PLUSH. This might sound weird, but I just wanted to rub my face on it. Don't worry, I didn't.

I put my 6 month old daughter in the Hello Kitty diaper, because it's my favorite of the three. My happy baby smiled away as I took pictures. See?



Well I kept her sans cover for about an hour while she ate breakfast. Then I put a cover on her to go down for a nap. After her 1.5 hour nap, I kept her in it just to see how absorbent these diapers are. She finally started complaining an hour later and I changed her. The diaper was wet, but there was still dryness at the back so I know it could have held more. 3.5 hours! Amazing. I would test the theory again, but every time I put her little tush in a BumbleBunz, she feels the need to do her duty, if you know what I mean. There must be something about the soft, plush interior of the diaper that just invites a big one.

Overall, I am in love with these diapers. If I could give them more than a two thumbs up, I would. Hats off to you, mama!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Glow Bug Out of the Package Review

Glow Bug Cloth Diapers is an upcoming cloth diaper company that offers complete packages of pocket diapers. The owner, Sarah, graciously sent me a sample diaper to review. I was so excited when I saw that it came in the mail yesterday. I love getting fluff mail.

Let's review the features:
-pocket diaper with PUL cover lined with "SlimDry" fabric
-snap closure with cross-over snaps for skinny babies
-two rows of snaps at the waist
-double leg gussets to contain messes
-4 rows of snaps for a completely adjustable rise
-openings at the front and back to stuff in inserts
-2 microfiber inserts that snap into the pocket

The diaper I'm reviewing is a girly print, the pink and black plaid. It's a really cute pattern and the snaps match, which is a nice touch. Out of the package, the fabrics are soft but I wouldn't call them plush. After washing, the stay dry liner pilled slightly but it got REALLY soft. I am pleasantly surprised at how much it softened after just washing twice. The microfiber inserts frayed around the edges slightly after washing but they also fluffed up a lot.

While I haven't used the diaper yet (official review of the diaper coming soon), I am excited about seeing how absorbent and leak-proof this diaper is. I love the double opening in the pocket in theory too. I imagine it will be useful for avoiding getting "poop hands" when taking out the inserts. I have also heard that you can just unsnap the inserts and they'll aggregate out in the wash, so I'm excited about seeing if that is true as well. My big 6 month old is already on the largest rise on most OS diapers so I wonder what setting will fit her best on this 4 rise pocket. I know it will look really cute her too.

After letting my little E wear this diaper several times, I'll write my official review. Then Glow Bug Cloth Diapers is generously offering one of my readers a free sample diaper! Watch my blog and Facebook fan page for the giveaway announcement. In the meantime, you can go "like" them on their Facebook fan page.




[Disclaimer: This diaper was provided to me free of charge, but all opinions of the diaper are completely my own and 100% truthful.]

Monday, November 14, 2011

OS AIO GroVia First Wear and Follow-up Review

The OS AIO GroVia is a good, mass produced cloth diaper. You can review the features here.

I found the fit to be very trim. I love that the front tabs are so stretchy for a comfortable fit on my daughter. There isn't much bulk between the legs or in the butt area, making it a trim look under clothing. The organic cotton liner and soakers are absorbent enough for a couple hours of wear, but they're not exactly flexible or comfortable feeling to me. The trim fit makes up for the fact that it's a little stiff to wear.

I love the pattern on the cover. It's very cute. I appreciate that the cover is TPU instead of PUL. I also like the side snapping closure, which is easier for husbands and other novice cloth diaper uses. The elastic is firm which makes me confident about its ability to contain messes. I will like using this diaper to take our daughter out of the house.

The snap in booster and sewn in soaker dries fairly quickly in the wash. The soaker is only sewn at the top back so it flaps open, making the drying time quicker than the tradition all around sewn in soaker of usual AIOs. I can tell I will really enjoy this diaper. While my current favorite is a fitted diaper with cover, this style of AIO is a lovely addition to my stash. I would even consider it for permanent placement in my "daddy stash".





OS AIO GroVia Out of the Package Review

GroVia offers a few different systems of cloth diapers. The line I chose to review was the one size all-in-one GroVia.

Let's review the features:
-one size with snap down rise
-TPU cover, cotton lined, with soaker sewn to the back
-side snap closure
-snap-in booster

Out of the package, the GroVia is really cute and trim-looking. The patterns are adorable and fun. I was surprised to see a snap-in booster in an "all-in-one" diaper, but I understand the functionality of a quicker drying time and adjustable absorbency. I wouldn't describe the organic cotton inner as "plush" per say, but it is soft. I hope with prepping that it will get a little more flexible.


Incredibum Out of the Package Review

I bought a new OS Incredibum bamboo AI2 diaper from Amazon.

Let's review the features:
-one size TPU cover with snap down rise and snap closure
-hip snaps to prevent wing drooping
-cover lined with fleece
-two snap-in inserts
-large insert snaps in to front and back
-elastic at the legs and top back

Right out of the package, the Incredibum diaper is very soft. I was surprised that the cover seemed to be lined with microfleece when I expected the whole diaper to be bamboo. It is very soft though and I can see why the manufacturer chose that material. The inserts are very soft bamboo terry. The smaller booster snaps to the front of the big soaker which then attaches to the shell with two snaps on the front and two snaps on the back.

I wonder how this moderately priced diaper will perform. Only time will tell.


WAHM Wares by Sticky Peas

I bought a Sticky Peas fitted diaper used, so I don't have an out of the package review. However, I can confidently comment on the quality and functionality of the diaper.

Let's review the features:
-two size fitted diaper with snap-in inserts
-snap closure with fold down rise
-elastic at the legs and back
-organic cotton velour inner material

The fit is great on my little chunky monkey, but I don't know how it would do on a long skinny baby. I bought a cute pattern with a strip of blue cotton fabric that has white polka dots. The other fabric is absorbent, but not super soft anymore. The elastic and snaps have held up well and there's no staining. This is a high quality diaper from a great maker.



Itti Bitti D'Lish SIO Follow-up Review

The Itti Bitti D'Lish snap-in-one (SIO) diaper has become one of my favorites in my stash. Go here for the Out of the Package Review or the First Wear Review. Both reviews have the low down on the diaper's features. For a quick reminder, this sized diaper has two snap in inserts and a PUL lined minky cover with snap closure.

The two inserts are very absorbent and dry quickly. My daughter likes that the top insert has the stay-dry liner. My husband likes that he doesn't need to remember to put a cover on her. I like that the fit is trim and looks very close to a disposable under clothes. The materials are all very soft and the color of the minky covers are cute and vibrant. The absorbency is good enough to wear out of the house confidently and to go a few hours between changes. Yup, this diaper is definitely a keeper.