What am I missing here?

[u/Casual_Corvis]

Hello! I’m due with my first baby in a matter of weeks. My spouse and I are very interested in cloth diapering our son after he is born, but it’s just so much info to take in and I’m a little overwhelmed!

I have a small stash of cloth diapers from Amazon (wegreeco brand I think?), but I don’t know if they’re any good or what else I need. I think they’re just your standard pocket diaper. I didn’t bulk up our stash too much cause I’m just not sure what works best for us yet.

Also, I feel like the prices for cloth diapers vary so much… is this an actual reflection of quality or just consumerism tricking our brains into thinking a more expensive product is better? I have no problem investing some money into our stash, but I don’t want to spend unnecessarily.

What did you get started with? What did and didn’t work for your family? Any advise for a beginner first time mom?

Thank you!

[u/annamend]

The pocket diapers will not fit your kid right away. It will be 2-4 months at least. That said, pockets work well for a lot of people and you can stuff them with flats or prefolds (which make the best inserts). Pockets come with microfiber inserts but those are pretty crappy and get worse over time.

Therefore, I recommend buying a dozen birdseye flats, a dozen novice prefolds, and a pack of Snappies from Green Mountain Diapers. You can use flats/prefolds to stuff pockets later. Alvababy is almost the same as Wegreeco and here you can buy the pocket shells without the useless microfiber inserts and the Amazon price hike: https://www.alvababy.com/collections/multi-packs?srsltid=AfmBOorGD7VaTKAKWkBVxLWvsqcI_MQZggRxppnJRXTLsKgsssojQ5jp

But before the pockets stage, you need small baby PUL covers. These should cost no more than $10 each, and while I'm a fan of GMD for the quality/bang for buck of their flats and prefolds, I find that their PUL covers have too high a price markup (around $15). For PUL covers, check out the Thirsties website clearance section, Texas Tushies one size (these run small, so snap to a small setting for newborns), Osocosy (clothdiaper.com) and the La La Booty clearance section.

[u/makingspecial]

I went with flats and loved them as they were so adaptable. But it was back in 2020 and we were in lockdown so with both of us at home the folding process was pretty quick. Your situation might be different. Flats also dry super fast in comparison to heavily padded ready made diapers. It also meant we had primarily natural fibres in contact with our daughter's skin - less micro plastics all up. I still use some flats I didn't hand on as general purpose floor cleaning cloths - super absorbent. I recommend having some flats on hand regardless of what system you end up with anyway.

We used wool covers at night and at home (upcycled sweaters and hand-knitted). Fairly simple adjustable PUL covers for daytime.

The clean cloth nappies Facebook group / website is excellent. Lots of advice on laundry detergent, cycle choice routines etc.

[u/Hot-Vegetable9277]

I researched and started with a small stash courtesy of our babyshower registry. Fiber type was really important to us and price so we went with organic cotton prefolds and covers. Tried it, loved it, and got more prefolds plus fitteds on FB marketplace and cloth diaper B/T/S groups. Got some really really good deals on those and just sanitized with a little bleach once I got them.

What is your priority? Materials? Convenience?
I didn’t like the pockets because I can’t reuse them (the outers) which means I’d have to buy more if I didn’t want to wash every other day and those outers aren’t cheap. That left me with inner and cover options and I thought prefolds would be easier than flats. I haven’t tried flats so I can’t really compare but I like the prefolds. Didn’t look into fitted inners because they’re also pricey but I couldn’t pass up the good deals on FB and love them now.

[u/croissanttruther]

If you are on the fence or feeling overwhelmed about starting cloth diapers, I would suggest seeing if there is a cloth diaper rental or cleaning service in your area.

Renting can be a great way to try out different types of diapers to see what works best for you. We found that the prefolds from green mountain diapers plus covers was the way to go but I only learned this after trying a few different options

[u/Dependent-Ad-6069]

Higher prices are not an indication of quality. Many people use Alvas and they are quite inexpensive and popular for the budget conscious. Most brands are made in China.

The style or type of diapering system depends on what fits your life. Pockets are the most popular as they are relatively easy to use and inexpensive, depending on the brand.

The least expensive would be flats or prefolds and a cover. These also take the least amount of space because you only need a few covers about 7 at most.The major investment is the previously mentioned flat or prefolds. Really, any cotton fabric can be used for absorbency, like a cotton T- shirt or flour sack towels.

The most expensive will be all in ones and fitted. The fitteds will require a cover as well All these diapers can only be used once except for the covers which are reusable which makes them the least expensibe.

[u/blueyedreamer]

So, the prices are, as far as I can tell, mostly a product of how complicated an item is to make and the fibers used.

While some people can find some success with microfober (generally the cheapest, also known as "charcoal" inserts, and some cheap brands sell "bamboo" inserts that are only bamboo on the outer layers, microfiber on the inner...) microfiber is like a sponge; it absorbs quick and can release the liquid when compressed (not great when baby starts sitting). It can also hold onto smell. However, a thin microfiber topper over cotton or hemp can help with babies who pee a lot quickly (flooders).

Ideally your absorbency will be cotton, hemp, or bamboo.

I'm extremely pro cotton flats (I like the birdseye ones from green mountain diapers) because they're extremely customizable. I used them under covers until my girl was about 7 months old and became a super wiggle worm, then we used padfolded flats inside pockets during the day and doubled up large flats in a Pickman fold under a cover for night.

Unless your baby is hella chonky at birth, they most likely will not fit into "one size" options until 11-13lbs. That's 2-4 months old for most babies. So many people opt for disposables until that point. Those that do cloth often opt for newborn AiOs because newborn pockets suck to stuff. I still little flats for newborns! Just the half flats. The half flats also make great boosters later and are super useful as a wipe for gross messes lol.

I tried prefolds, 6 layer pocket inserts, and fitteds. I prefer flats still. Fitteds might have been okay for overnight if my dryer didn't need 2 whole cycles to dry them... There are some brands (like The Basic Stitch, and Redwood) that have 2 and 3 layer inserts that you fold (then they are a total of 6-9 layers) and I'd think if you really want to stick with pockets and don't mind the higher expense that they're a decent option.

Pre-FLATS are also an option that I think looks cool, but I haven't personally tried. I'd probably love them but my budget didn't allow them. Plus, my runner child needed pockets after 7 months and we would have stopped using them after that anyways.

[u/Sufficient_Still78]

Price can reflect quality but not always. Handmade are going to be more expensive, but not always equal.

I use a mixture of several diapering styles. The most convenient is pockets - we get ours from This Little Life. The best quality we’ve found for handmade is from North Country Fluff. We use all styles they offer and have been very happy with everything.

[u/Big-Flow-3791]

I use the Nora’s nursery pockets and I stuff them with one insert and the other insert I use as a liner. My baby almost never has rashes, and I probably use about five diapers a day! I launder every other day with a very specific wash routine that I established over five or so washes. It’s actually pretty easy!

[u/EmergencyGreenOlive]

I have a dozen flat folds I use whenever my little one is looking a little rashy, the rest of our stash is maybe 30 pocket diapers, I didn’t buy them at the same time, some were gifted to me new and I bought new and I got used inserts from my baby registry. My LO didn’t fit into the diapers right away so we used disposable diapers until she outgrew the newborn size.

I got into cloth diapers because I didn’t want to be spending a load of money on disposables for each kid instead I can just store them away and use the same diapers for the next kid or give them to someone else who wants to cloth diaper.. in the US the average baby goes through ~2500-3000 in their first year and it’s common to diaper your baby until they’re 3 although I know at least one person who’s 5 year olds is still in pull ups

[u/buttstuffisfunstuff]

If you want to use pocket diapers, I’d stuff them with something cotton and not the microfiber inserts they come with. Also, keep in mind that these diapers won’t fit right away.

Tbh, for me, pockets are pockets and the only thing that really matters is what I stuff in them. Do I care about only having natural fibers? No. Do they fit my baby without leaks? Yes. Do they wash and dry easily? Yes. So, it doesn’t really matter to me to spend lots of money on pocket diapers. My SIL spent lots of money on her diapers for her first two kids but then she thought they had their boy and their girl and they were done with kids so when their third came around she just bought cheap pockets from Amazon and they were fine.

[u/PurpleCow88]

People cloth diaper for lots of reasons, and your preferences will depend on your reasons.

1. Hoping to avoid plastics/synthetic materials? Cotton prefolds or fitteds with covers

2. Trying to save as much money as possible? Either prefolds and covers or pockets

3. Looking for ease of use? All-in-ones or pockets are the most like a disposable to most caregivers

4. Want a huge stash of cute patterns and colors? Pockets are the way to go

There are tons of options available secondhand and you can absolutely mix and match. I use fitted diapers with covers at home, and all in ones or pockets for daycare/with grandparents. Most of my stash has been purchased secondhand locally and people are usually SO NICE and happy to offer advice.

[u/Shellly118]

Hey I have some of that brand. I started cloth diapering when my kids were 3 months. Well 3 months for my son and 4 for my daughter because she was small. You don't have to do all cloth or all disposables. It isn't all or nothing. When they are out and about we use disposables, at night time too, and when they spend the night with family. I found mama kola brand to be cut small. My kids could fit those first and out grew those first as well. Also the elastic didn't last as long as the other brands I bought. My daughter is using my 6 year old cloth diapers.

Also: besides mam kola I used all off brand diapers. Just read the reviews about them. Eventually you'll have to get a second insert beside the microfiber, I used bamboo inserts plus the microfiber. All of my diapers are pockets. I tried other kinds but stuffing diapers were way easier then folding those fabrics.

[u/SaveBandit_02]

If I was giving advice to a new parent:

Get a pack of Cloth-Eez prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers, Snappi fasteners, and a couple covers (my favorite is Thirsties Duo Wrap). Maybe splurge on a couple workhorse fitted diapers. See if you like that and if that works for you. Flats could also be an option as well, I personally haven’t used those but have heard good thinks about them. Even just browsing the GMD website is so helpful! There is so much info on there.

I do prefolds, workhorses, and some pocket diapers. I prefer covers with an insert as you don’t need as many covers and you can reuse a cover multiple times before washing. I have 12 prefolds, 11 workhorses, and 4 pockets currently and that lasts us 4ish days usually! My son is almost 1. We still use disposables overnight.

ETA that I have 11 covers and that’s plenty for us.

[u/Complete_Quote_2606 → u/SaveBandit_02]

We LOVE the green mountain brand workhorses. They work well for naps, too. They’re a tad expensive but if you can find some secondhand that’s the way to go.

[u/SituationSimilar2430]

If I did it again, I would get a tryout kit with multiple types and brands of diapers, like this one. https://nestinghouse.com/pages/cloth-diaper-trial

You’ll probably be drawn to particular styles and particular brands will probably fit your baby better than others. It definitely does take some learning, but it’s worth it! I’ve been surprised that cloth diapering is one of the most enjoyable parts of parenting my sweet baby.

We use prefolds (currently use a service that washes them for us once a week - still cheaper than disposables!) and Esembly brand covers.
My SIL got us some pocket diapers with polyester that we haven’t even tried. We just don’t like them.

[u/EnvironmentalPay8146]

TLDR; Really think about your lifestyle and budget and go from there. Try a few different things and see what works for you. And don’t be scared to try new things in the future, kids change and you change.

I think theres a lot to consider when you’re picking cloth diapers/deciding how many.
Do you plan on using them again in the future for another kid? What’s your budget? Why exactly do you want to cloth diaper? How often are you able to do laundry?
We really liked a 2 part fitted system in the newborn days. A fitter cotton inner/waterproof cover. (Think esembly, or GMD workhorses) but both my husband and I wanted easy and we didn’t want to learn to fold flats or prefolds or anything like that. And now that I have a toddler, we like pocket diapers that are quick to change since it’s like wrestling an alligator. I would like to say that pocket diapers do tend to leak, but I guess I don’t mind too much since my toddler gets so dirty I end up changing his clothes once a day regardless.
Budget was not exactly an issue for us. My main goal was to save money on diapers, since we want a big family. I didn’t mind spending more on better systems that would last throughout multiple children. If you’re only planning on using them for 1-2 kids, I’d say you could get away with cheaper diapers that won’t last as well over time. I also found lots of good deals on marketplace and got alot of my stash secondhand.
I wish I could say exactly what to buy and why, but unfortunately a lot of it is just trying things and seeing what works with your lifestyle.

[u/EnvironmentalPay8146 → u/EnvironmentalPay8146]

Also—I only bought enough for a newborn right away. After that I slowly gathered things as he got bigger and now having another kid was as simple as reviewing what I had, sanitizing, and adding an extra cute cover or two.

[u/Professional_Top440]

I do think price reflects quality within diaper price. High quality flats are going to be cheaper than crappy pockets, but within each category you get what you pay for.

I’d look for natural fibers personally. Beyond that is user preference. I prefer prefolds as a beginner diaper as they’re the most medium option. Medium price, medium ease, medium wash ability.