Types of Cloth Diapers

I LOVE  cloth diapers. I love how they are eco-friendly, comfy for my littles, cost-effective, and if I'm being quite honest I love how absolutely adorable they are! I have been cloth diapering for about a year now and will soon have two in cloth. (Yay 2 under 2!) However, I remember when I first started looking into cloth, there was so much information and so many options I was more overwhelmed than anything. This is my second post in a cloth diapering series (if you didn't read my first Why You Should Switch to Cloth Diapers go check it out!). There are many different types and there is no best or worst type. It all depends on budget, lifestyle, and baby. Some are easier to use than others and may be better for daycare or grandparents. Some are better for heavy-wetters while some work best for babies with a wetness sensitivity.

All of these options come in sized and one size varieties. A sized option would be like what you would be used to with a disposable diaper. There are many sizes of the same diaper that will fit a baby for a few months usually. Cloth diapers also have one size that is not an option for disposables. These diapers will fit a baby from about 8-35 pounds depending on the brand. Different brands accomplish this different ways but the most popular is rise snaps.

 As you can see, the snaps on the front of the diaper can be snapped down to make it smaller or left open to fit larger or older babies.

Covers
Cost: $
Ease of Use: 2/5
Pros: Cheap, Can be used with many different absorbers
Cons: The system can be confusing
A cover is simply a waterproof layer that goes outside of the absorbent part such as an insert or prefold (I'll talk about these in my next post) to keep the wetness and poop contained. There are two types. The first is made out of PUL which feels like a tightly woven swimsuit material. A PUL cover can be worn 3-5 times before needing to be washed as long as there is no poo on it. This reduces cost and laundry. They also dry incredibly fast because they are not absorbent by themselves. The second kind of cover is made out of wool. Wool covers are on the expensive side but are a great nighttime solution, especially for heavy wetters. They only need to be washed every 2-4 weeks unless they get poo on them but they can take days to dry. My favorite kind of cover is rumparooz. They come in many colors and prints and have an amazing fit. I use these for nighttime and for longer outings so I don't have to bring as much out with me.

Fitteds
Cost: $$-$$$
Ease of Use: 3/5
Pros: High absorbency
Cons: Must add a cover to be waterproof
A fitted diaper looks much like a cover but instead of being waterproof with no absorbency, they are very absorbent but not waterproof. They can be more expensive depending on the material but are great for overnight because they can hold so much liquid. Some people used fitted diapers around the house with no cover and just check and change often when baby has a rash and needs to air out. Most of the time, however, they are paired with a cover. This does make putting on the diaper a two-step process but there is no assembly needed ahead of time like some of the other diapers we will talk about. My favorite fitteds are the Ecoable Hemp/Organic Cotten. They have a good fit and are ridiculously absorbent.

Pockets
Cost: $-$$
Ease of Use: 4/5
Pros: Can be used with many different absorbers
Cons: Must be assembled
A pocket diaper is made of a waterproof PUL cover with a stay dry piece of fabric, usually, microfleece, sewn in to create a pocket. You can stuff the pocket with whatever absorbent material you want such as a prefold or insert. This is nice because you can up the absorbancy of the diaper by just changing what you are stuffing with. These diapers are great for babies with a wetness sensitivity. The pocket keeps the moisture off the baby's skin and wicks it away into the insert. These diapers do need to be assembled by stuffing the pocket. Some people do this ahead of time after the diapers are washed and dry and others do it as they are changing baby. When you stuff ahead of time, these diapers are good for people not familiar with cloth diapers such as other family members or daycare workers. These are the kind of diapers I use the most. My favorites are Alva Baby. They are very inexpensive and work great. There are solid colors and tons of prints too. They come out with new prints quite often.

All in ones (AIO)
Cost: $$$
Ease of Use: 5/5
Pros: Most like the style of a disposable
Cons: Long dry times
All in ones are named for the fact that the absorbent part of the diaper and the waterproof part is all together. There is no assembly needed. You can get them with many different materials but the most popular are microfiber and bamboo. Some AIOs also have a pocket so you can stuff extra if needed for a heavy wetter or for an overnight solution. Being all one piece means they do take longer to dry than other types of cloth diapers. AIOs are the easiest to use because just like a disposable you just put it on the baby and you are good to go. Because of this convenience, they are the most expensive type. The most popular AIOs are BumGenius but Alva Baby makes them as well and they are much cheaper.

All in twos (AI2)
Cost: $$-$$$
Ease of Use: 4/5
Pros: Easy to assemble
Cons: Must be assembled
All in twos, also known as hybrids, are in between a cover and a pocket diaper. Instead of stuffing a pocket with an insert, the insert is snapped into the diaper. This can be easier and faster than stuffing pockets but they di tend to be more expensive. You also have to buy inserts with snaps and make sure they are compatible with the size of snaps on your diapers. Some people leave their inserts snapped into the diaper while washing so they don't have to re-snap after each wash which saves time. Some AI2 insets have a stay dry layer while others do not so make sure to look out for that if it is important to you. You can always add a stay dry liner (I'll talk about these in a later post) if you need to. HappyEndings makes a great AI2 diaper and they are reasonably priced as well.

Every diaper type has its pros and cons. It really just comes down to what is most important to you and what works for your baby.

Check out my other cloth diaper posts
WHY YOU SHOULD SWITCH TO CLOTH DIAPERS
CLOTH DIAPERING: FLATS, PREFOLDS, INSERTS, BOOSTERS, AND LINERS...WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE

Have some questions? Leave a comment below and I'll be sure to get back to you!