Cloth Diapering: Flats, Prefolds, Inserts, Boosters, and Liners...What's the Difference

One of my favorite things about cloth diapers is that they can be customized to your needs and preferences. While this makes cloth amazing, it can be a little confusing at first. I talked before on the Types of Cloth Diapers, this post will talk about all the "extras". Depending on the type of diaper you choose you may or may not need these.

Flats

Flats are most likely what your grandma would think about a cloth diaper. They are just a large square of fabric. Most are made of cotton but you can also find ones made with bamboo and hemp. They can be folded many ways. There are folds special for boys, girls, newborns, skinny babies, and chunky babies. After they are folded around your baby you can put on a cover to make it waterproof. They can also be folded into a rectangle, called a pad-fold, and laid in the cover or stuffed in a pocket diaper. I love to use flour sack towels (FST) as flats. I generally pad-fold mine and stuff them into a pocket. FST can be bought on Amazon here but I like to get them at Target because they are cheaper ($3.99 for a pack of 4!) and come in both white and prints. Flats wash easily and dry extremely fast because it is only 1 layer. 

Prefolds

Prefolds are basically flats that come pre-folded, hence the name. They are also mainly cotton but can be found in bamboo and hemp as well. They have more layers in the middle to help them absorb better. Just like a flat, they can be folded around your baby or pad folded to be laid in a cover or stuffed in a pocket diaper. My absolute favorites are OsoCozy unbleached prefolds but I have also heard great things about the brand new Gerber gauze prefolds I just haven't been able to try them yet. 

Inserts

An insert is a ready-to-go piece of fabric that doesn't require any folding. They are multiple layers and come in many fabrics. You can get them with multiple layers of one type of fabric or with layers of different fabrics. This is good because some fabrics hold a lot of liquid but absorb slowly so they need a fast absorber on top. Inserts can also have a stay-dry layer on top so baby doesn't feel the wetness. Inserts are typically used to stuff a pocket diaper. Some inserts have a snap so you can snap them into a cover or use in an AI2 diaper. I really like these bamboo inserts and these hemp ones. 

Doubler

A doubler is basically a small insert that you put in the wet zone (the front for a boy and belly sleeper if its nap or bedtime, the middle for a girl) to help absorb faster to prevent leaks. Sometimes you need more absorbency than one insert but two inserts make the diaper too bulky. A doubler could be the perfect solution. Flip newborn inserts and OsoCozy doublers are both great.

Liner

There are many reasons you might want o use a liner. Some diaper rash creams are not cloth diaper safe so a liner can protect your diaper from staining and leaking. They can also make a diaper feel drier against baby's bum. Some people also find that poo clean up is easier with a liner. Liners do not absorb any pee. The pee goes through the liner and is absorbed by whatever is underneath. They can be used with any kind of diaper. There are disposable and flushable liners as well as fleece liners that can be washed and reused. I don't recommend flushing the liners even if it says it is safe. I have had to unclog the toilet many times from them and ultimately just stopped flushing them and just throw them away or use a fleece one.

I hope this has made cloth diapering easier and make more sense if you are just starting out. Always feel free to ask any questions in the comments below. The whole reason I do this blog is to help other mothers and build community.