I want to cloth diaper, but I’m hesitant on which diapers to buy! So can you moms who have tried (either successfully or unsuccessfully) cloth diapering give me your inputs on different types, brands, ways to do it?
Right now I’m pretty sure I want to do AIOs, but not positive - I think grandparents and Dad will be a lot more on board with the whole thing if that’s the way we go.
There have been a couple of threads about this recently. [name]One[/name] is here: Nameberry - Welcome to the Nameberry Forums? That thread also links back to a previous, very detailed, thread on cloth diapers.
Good luck! I hope to cloth diaper in the future whenever little ones come into our family. 
I am planning on cloth diapering. I started the most recent thread above asking about it. A lot of moms gave really and helpful information.
Here is also a link to a review from a mom who tried out 25 different cloth diapers. She did a really great job describing all of the pro’s and con’s of the various types and brands of cloth diapers. She had a pretty in-depth rating system and took the job quite seriously. I refer back to this link regularly.
So far, I have a few different styles of cloth diapers waiting for my baby. I can’t tell you anything from experience, yet 
I have [name]Green[/name] Mountain Diaper workhorse fitted diapers with snaps for newborns. They require diaper covers. I have a few covers from Kawaii. I have registered for Thirsties covers as well and hope to get those soon. [name]Both[/name] [name]Green[/name] Mountain Diapers and Thirsties get great reviews overall for their diapers. I also have a few [name]AIO[/name] from Kawaii. I purchased a couple of different types of the Kawaii. So far, their minkies and their overnight diapers have gotten the best reviews. I also purchase some bamboo inserts and some Chinese prefolds from Kawaii. Kawaii definitely has the most inexpensive diapers, but the quality appears great to my untrained eye. Of course, the truth will be told once I have an actual baby to try them on. But they seem to be the best value so far.
Check on [name]Green[/name] Mountain Diapers, Thirsties, and Kawaii (www.theluvyourbaby.com)
Also check on FB. I now belong to a local cloth diapering FB group. It’s an information group as well as a buy/sell/trade marketplace. See if your area has one as well.
My husband and I have been leaning toward using fuzzibunz diapers. I’ve heard excellent things, plus they have a pretty great starter kit. 
I forgot to say that I have about 24 fuzzibunz, too! My friend gifted me hers. They look like they’ve held up quite well through her girls.
Oh man. We cloth diapered my first until he grew out of the first set that we had for him … and the research for which kind to get next gave me headaches and so much stress that when my mom pressured me to use disposable, I caved in. Plus, that was at about 6mo, when he started to eat and the poops got serious. We’ll be reusing our old ones for my second - mostly fuzzibunz and thirsties. Good luck!
My mother in law gave us 18 brand new fuzzi Bunz pocket diapers. My sister in law used FBs for her twins and she loved them. We used them until our son turned about 1, but I was never completely happy with them. We always had to double stuff them b.c he is a heavy wetter and they would still leak around the legs. I am positive that this was not a fit issue. This is a baby with some very substantial thighs. Like so substantial that he never fit into those Bumbo seats. And we tried the elastics at every possible setting, which by the way, changing the elastic settings is really annoying. And we washed them according to the Fuzzi Bunz website. Anyhow, even though the FBs say that they will fit from birth to potty training, by the time he was one, he had plumber butt in them. He is a very large kid, above 95th percentile for height and weight for his age. He weighed 20 lbs at four months. Maybe they work better for smaller babies?
So I sold them on Craigslist and bought Thirsties snap on covers and used prefolds that we already had. Oh my goodness, this is so much of a better system. We have no more leaks at all and we don’t have to stuff diapers or mess around with complicated laundering systems. The prefolds are very forgiving when it comes to things like which detergent you use, etc. I absolutely recommend going this way. It really isn’t complicated at all, we do not even use snappies. We just fold the prefold into thirds, lay it into the diaper, and snap it on the baby. It is also much cheaper than buying AIOs or pocket diapers. And you can find the covers used all of the time on Craigslist. You can sometimes find used prefolds, but people tend to hang on to those and when you do find them, they are not much cheaper than new prefolds. You can also sell all of this stuff when you’re done w. it and recoup some of that investment. I got $10 each for the used Fuzzi Bunz, to give you an idea.
I have two Blueberry covers that someone gave us, and I have to say, I really prefer the Thirsties. I think that the Thirsties are $10 each new and the Blueberrys are $16.
Cloth diapering is really not a big deal. It’s another load of laundry every other day, that’s all. We used disposables when we’re on vacation and we used disposable overnights at night b.c our son sleeps twelve hours straight through in them and I am not about to mess around with that. But that is one disposable diaper a day, so it is still a huge savings and way less trash, etc.
We’re making the switch right now, actually. I’ve been a big fan of the flats / prefolds with a cover system because it is economical and I really like that I can sew my own diapers from recycled materials, which is very satisfying to me. Right now, my “bought” stash (diapers I did not make) consists of a few [name]Alva[/name] pockets, Smart Bottoms covers, Bimkins covers, and…yeah, I’m drawing a blank, there are a few other random ones.
If your starting out, I would definitely suggest trying out multiple brands, just buying one or two of each you are interested in and then re-sell the ones you don’t like. (Yes, believe it or not, USED diapers have a really high resale value, a lot of times a diaper that has only been used a handful of times can be sold for only a couple dollars less than what you paid for it originally). I highly suggest the diaper swappers forum and I like the blog someone linked up top, too. I am really enjoying fleece lately, too - it makes a great breathable cover (yes, it holds in messes and does not leak), and I can sew them from all kinds of sweet colors and patterns.
This is great to hear! I am prepping all of my prefolds now as a I type this. I have heard you should wash them up to 6x before using them. Is that true? I have Chinese prefolds right now. The prefolds seem like they’d be pretty leaky, so it’s helpful to get your opinions on them. [name]Just[/name] wrap them around the baby, put on a cover and go??? I am hoping to get stocked up on the Thirstie covers at my baby shower. [name]Do[/name] you have any other prefold tips. Brands, Chinese vs. [name]Indian[/name], different sizes, etc, etc…
Thanks in advance, @tarynkay!
I was going to post the 25 cloth diaper review but sdsurf beat me to it.
I’ve never tried any cloth diapers b/c I don’t have kids, but I wanted to add that my BFF had a separate cloth diaper registry on Amazon, b/c they carry a bunch of brands. She had her regular Babies R Us registry, and then the Amazon one just for diapers. And she was really happy she did it that way.
If you’re registering at Babies R Us, they have a starter pack of Bum Genius diapers (I think it’s a pack of 5 but I don’t remember for sure) and the sprayer that attaches to your toilet. I know b/c my BFF registered for them and it’s what I bought her. (She loves the sprayer, btw.) They also have individual packs of two - all Bum Genius, tho.
My friend likes the Bum Genius ok, but she ended up liking Thirsties and Fuzzibunz better. I agree with the other posters who said to buy one of each brand. Because of her Amazon diaper registry, she ended up getting a big assortment, and the ones she didn’t care for she sold on Craigslist, and used the money to buy more of the brands she did like.
[name]Hope[/name] this helps!
FWIW, I intend to try cloth diapering as well. Mainly b/c I think they’re so frakkin’ cute. 
Congrats and good luck!
[name]One[/name] of my neighbors gave me her old prefolds, so I did not have to do the preparing step. I am not sure what brand they are, but they are unbleached cotton. And sorry, I don’t know what size they are, either. I know that she kept the newborn size ones, and that these are the ones that she used once her girls grew out of the newborn size. They still fit fine on my enormous one an a half year old. I know that they come in different sizes, but you can fold larger ones in clever ways so that you can use bigger ones on smaller babies.
I would think that the different sizes would matter more if you were folding and pinning them around the baby. If you’re folding them in thirds, then it probably doesn’t matter as much.
I tried to look up online to see if what I have are Chinese or [name]Indian[/name] prefolds, but honestly I can’t tell based on the photos or descriptions. I would just go w. what you have now. It probably doesn’t matter that much, once you start using them. If you have a problem w. them once you start using them, you can always try the other kind.
But yes, I have heard that you have to wash them multiple times before using them. Since yours aren’t dirty yet, I see no reason that you couldn’t just wash them w. towels or whatever, so that you don’t have to do six dedicated diaper prepping loads.
Prefolds really aren’t leaky at all. They soak up an enormous amount of liquid. You can try them out ahead of time, just put one in a bowl w. water and see how much is soaked up. If they aren’t doing a good job soaking, try washing them on hot w. [name]Dawn[/name] dishsoap. That can help if you are having repelling issues.
Yes, I just fold them in thirds, lay the prefold inside the diaper cover, and then lay the baby on top of the prefold/diaper cover, and then snap the cover on. The prefold will be a strip down the center of the diaper cover, does that make sense? The bare diaper cover will be touching the babies hips. It doesn’t seem to bother him, though.
You can also fold the prefold around the baby, secure it w. a snappi, and then snap the cover on over that. Some people prefer this method for younger babies, for when they tend to have more liquid poop. There are many many videos on YouTube that you can watch to learn different methods of prefold wrapping. We were using the FBs until a year, so we never used prefolds during that stage. I would go ahead and get a snappi to have on hand, and then try it different ways and see what works best for you. The main thing is that you want to make sure that the entire prefold is tucked under the cover. The prefold fabric will wick the moisture up, so if any is sticking out, it will leak. That’s why I like the Thirsties so much, b.c they have gussets around the legs.
We ended up w. 8 covers, 6 of which are Thirsties. This is more than enough, since you can generally reuse the cover (I rotate through two covers most days.)
Oh, and we do have a diaper sprayer, and I love it. We have a low-flow toilet, so the old dunk and flush method really doesn’t work for us. [name]One[/name] of my friends uses a spatula and sort of scrapes it off… Sorry, so gross. The sprayer is particularly nice for spraying off the more liquid poop. When they start solids, you can just shake it off into the toilet.
[name]Hope[/name] it helps!
2 parters are better for the early months as breastfeeding and early formula poos are liquid and you need something pretty strong to contain it at times. AIOs are good for after weaning and you can get birth to potty that last until potty training (though often don’t suit all babies at birth if they’re small).
I used Tots Bots bamboozles and Motherease wraps for the early months and then moved on to Bum Genius. These have been my go to nappies for all 3 kids and will be for my 4th as well. Some of my nappies have even lasted all 4.
Oh, I just wanted to add that we use cloth wipes as well. It is no extra work if you are already using cloth diapers, b.c you can just throw them in the laundry together. I just bought a pack of the cheapest possible baby washcloths at [name]Ross[/name] Dress For Less and I spray them w. a mixture of water w. tiny amounts of olive oil, witch hazel, and baby Castile soap. There are loads of recipes for this online. Many people put cloth wipes in a wipes warmer, but I find the spray bottle easy enough to handle. We use disposable wipes when we are out. Anyhow, the cloth wipes will save you a lot of $$$ as well!
I am going to chime in here, now that I actually know what I’m talking about.
We bought nappies from littlelamb (link). We started using them two weeks ago (they were a wee bit too big for a brand new little body) and they are so snug and cute. I want to cuddle [name]Baba[/name]'s bottom all the time (I know this make me sound like a weirdo), they’re so soft and fluffy! I cannot recommend them highly enough. They’re very easy to put on, take off, she has yet to have a nappy rash and she never feels clammy. They are simply wonderful, they’re easy to wash and dry very quickly. I use the organic cotton ones, the wrap, and of course… the bamboo (snugglebottom as I call it).
Good luck!
I know I wrote my experiences on the other thread mentioned, but if you have any futher questions please let me know. I am loving Grovia brand [name]AIO[/name]'s this time around, plus my friend owns the company which makes me a wee bit biased 
but even so, they are wonderful diapers.
@tarynkay: thanks for ALL of the fantastic tips. i am really excited about prefolds now. i think i will buy some snappi’s to try so that i have options. the prefolds and covers seem like the cheapest option by far. hope it works for us. i am trying to imagine the folded prefolds just laid flat in the cover without wrapping around the baby. it seems like a mess waiting to happen, but it sounds like its quite effective. can’t wait to try this method out on my little baby. and thanks for the wipes suggestion. we’re definitely planning on using cloth wipes. i am hoping to be out of this apartment before we get to solid foods, so i will save the sprayer logistics for the next home.
@malk: motherease has gotten great reviews. i want to order a couple to try.
@ottilie: littlelambs look snuggly scrumptious. i am assuming they’re totally unaffordable to order to the states.
@jemama: i will keep your grovia recommendation in mind. you are a cloth diapering master!
You should totally youtube flats and prefolds - there are videos on there showing how to do it properly, having a visual may help.
Thanks @flick. I will definitely take your advice!
Oh this is one of my favourite topics! I am a HUGE fan of cloth diapers (or nappies as we call them in australia). I have tried quite a few different brands of cloth nappies but my favourite by far is company called ‘Itti Bitti’. Its an Australian company but is now available worldwide. Great quality fabrics, easy to use, and look so damn cute! They do make sized aio’s but also make one size fits all nappies with snap in boosters. They are so simple to use I really dont think you’ll have any issues with other family members having to use them (most grandparents are used to the old white squares so any modern cloth nappies will be a breeze for them). Definatly google itti bitti!
I bought the FuzziBunz one size diapers and they were TERRIBLE!
Cons:
Pros
I have to admit that this one of the biggest disappointments I have had in years. I spent a lot of money on them and was so looking forward to them. Everybody I knew told me I was crazy to try cloth diapering and I was so eager to prove them wrong. Well… they were right. 