If your first response to this post’s title was “Ewwwwhhhhh,” raise your hand.  When a friend asked me if I was going to use washable diapers, my response was exactly that.  Of course, my view of cloth diapers was somewhat jaded at the time.  At eleven years old, I was considered mature enough to change my youngest brother’s washable diapers.  Several times a day, I wielded two-inch safety pins near my brother’s abdomen trying fasten that darn white cloth and struggled to pull his plastic bloomers up.

Cloth diapers have come a long way since my childhood.  It took my friend throwing a “diaper shower” for me to do the research.  The plastic bloomers have been replaced by a micro-fibered diaper shell that attaches to itself with snaps or Velcro (No more pins!) and the liners are either biodegradable or washable depending upon the brand.  After seeing a few friends use them and realizing I would save money (You’ll see this cheapskate… ahem, frugal theme throughout my posts), I decided to find a brand to use.  Here are my results after comparing a few:

BRAND	PRICE*	PROS	CONS
Blueberry Blueberry	$32.95	Diaper shell is a one-size-fits-all snap system with a variety of shell colors and patterns. Snaps are more durable when laundering. Includes a micro-terry/hemp combo insert.	Way too expensive for me, but top of the line when it comes to cloth diapers. Snap system can be confusing for care-givers unfamiliar with cloth diapers.
gDiapers gDiapers	$16.99**	Great compromise between disposable and cloth diapers as the shells fit either disposable, biodegradable inserts or cloth inserts.  Shells come in a variety of colors and patterns.	Expensive as new shells must be purchased as baby grows and shells are sold separately from liners (Liner packs cost $12-50 depending on type). Velcro tabs may wear down with laundering and scratched the skin of my friend’s baby.
Fuzzy Bunz Fuzzy Bunz	$17.95	Diaper shell is a one-size-fits-all snap system with a variety of shell colors. Snaps are more durable when laundering. Includes a terry cloth insert.	Expensive as new shells must be purchased as baby grows. Snap system can be confusing for care-givers unfamiliar with cloth diapers. Every friend of mine that used these said they leaked horribly.
Happy Heiny Happy Heiny	$18.95	Diaper shell is a one-size-fits-all Velcro and snap system with a variety of shell colors and patterns. Includes two microfiber inserts, one large and one small.	Velcro tabs may wear down with laundering. Every friend of mine that used these said they also leaked.
BumGenius BumGenius	$17.95	Diaper shell is a one-size-fits-all Velcro and snap system with a variety of shell colors. Includes two microfiber inserts, one large and one small.	Velcro tabs may wear down with laundering.
* Prices found on diapers.com
**Shell Only

After reviewing my options, I decided to purchase BumGenius 3.0 diapers.  I’ve been using them for over a year and still love them.  Zeke’s slight diaper rash disappeared immediately when I made the switch from disposables and the small insert with the larger insert works perfectly overnight.  I didn’t think about their ease of use until dropping him off at the church nursery a few times.  Some of the snap diapers literally come with an instruction manual, but my diapers are as simple as disposables.  My Velcro fastening tabs do look a little worn at this point, but they are still functioning so I’m not complaining.

My reason for switching to cloth diapers wasn’t the environment, but my budget.  Sure, disposable diapers only cost about $.30 each, but at an average of six diapers a day for a year, that’s $657 out of my pocket! After shopping around for a deal on my cloth diapers and receiving a few as gifts (Thanks, Grandma!), my total cloth diaper expense was $150 and Zeke can use them until he potty trains.  I wish I hadn’t waited until he was 3 months old to make the change because according to my calculations (10 diapers a day cuz newborns poop a lot), three months of disposable diapers cost me over $270.  I know if we have any more kids, I will be requesting a diaper shower to boost my current supply.

Feel free to ask me your questions, as I’ve probably researched them. Here are some additional notes I couldn’t fit into the post:

-Most diapers require laundering with perfume-free, dye-free detergent and washing with an extra rinse cycle.  I find my homemade detergent and our front-load washer’s “sanitize cycle” works beautifully.

-Cloth diaper micro-fiber shells do not work as well at deterring waste if diaper rash ointments are used.  If you do use an ointment, place a cotton rag in between baby’s bottom and the diaper shell.

-Disposable diapers sit in landfills for over 500 years.  Yikes!  Using cloth diapers gave me the relief that my great-great-great-great-great grandchildren won’t have to deal with my kiddos dirty diapers during their lifetime.  Hubby, on the other hand, feels no guilt when buying a pack of disposables for camping trips.  I guess 30 diapers in the landfill is better than the 2,200 we would use in a year.

-If one of you brainiacs comes after me for an incorrect budget analysis after calculating the water and electricity cost for each load of cloth diapers I wash, well… you may find yourself with a load of baby poo on your front porch.  Just sayin.

© 2010, FROM MILITARY TO MOM™. All rights reserved.

Related posts:

1. Buying a larger vehicle. To mini or not to mini.
2. Our New Homemade Advent Wreath
3. Super Bowl Kisses
4. Homesick
5. Happy New Year, Grandpa

8 Responses to “Comparing Cloth Diapers for Baby”

1. Amy says:

   January 9, 2010 at 5:26 am

   We love cloth! I used G Diapers with my second daughter, wish I had known with my first, and we could not have been happier. The great thing about G’s that does offset the cost is they have coupons, bulk rates, and a frequent customer deal where you can earn free items. I used both the cloth inserts and the disposable inserts. If you use solely disposable inserts you won’t save any money, so keep that in mind. The fit on them is fabulous too!! Regardless of which you pick, cloth rules.
2. Deborah W. says:

   January 9, 2010 at 10:05 am

   Okay… I’m mostly sold. Thinking about switching with the toddler and started from the beginning when this new one is born. But please explain the process of cleaning up. What do you do with the poo? How do you store dirty duds until wash day (or do you wash daily) so your house doesn’t stink? That’s the part I’m most nervous about. And do the one-size really fit newborn to 18 month olds?
3. Alyssa says:

   January 9, 2010 at 11:01 am

   Ahhh yes, the poo question! Most of the diaper shells are made with a micro-fiber interior that repels the solid waste (that’s why you shouldn’t get diaper rash ointment on the material). I have my changing table right next to the toilet and immediately after taking off the pooey diaper, shake the contents into the toilet. The micro-fiber is pretty good at repelling even the not-so-solid loads and if shaking doesn’t do the job, sometimes I dip the lining of the shell in the toilet water. Even if it doesn’t get everything, my front-load washer rocks at getting everything sanitized. I run the fan in the laundry room when I do a diaper load every 2-3 days as that is the only time things might get stinky. I store my dirty diapers in the laundry room in a 5-gallon plastic garbage can with a lid. I will admit that sometimes it’s not so fun to dip the diaper in the toilet, so I’m thinking about buying this: http://www.diapers.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?productid=6098&site=CI&cm_mmc=cse-_-googlebase-_-diapering-_-BU-009&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=BU-009
   The one-size diapers really do fit all ages, although I’ve never had a baby under 8 1/2 pounds so I can’t speak for diapering babies under that weight. You could buy for your toddler now and use the same diapers when your next baby arrives.
4. Deborah W. says:

   January 11, 2010 at 10:54 am

   Sorry, I’m asking so many questions. I think I am going to give these a go with Eli. How many do you think I should buy to get started? And how many of those liner thingys? He goes through 3-4 disposables a day right now. Thanks!!
5. Alyssa says:

   January 11, 2010 at 9:10 pm

   Keep the questions coming! I started with 6 diapers for Zeke when he was three months old and that lasted me a few months. I now have 18 and do the wash every couple of days. Unless you are buying the gDiapers, all of the shells come with a cloth, washable liner (2 for Happy Heiny and BumGenius). I’ve never used disposable liners so I’m not sure how many of those you would need.
6. Erin says:

   January 17, 2010 at 11:09 am

   I’m so glad you are happy to be using cloth! I’ve been very happy with mine too! I use Allen’s Naturally laundry soap which lasts a very long time. I also use flushable diaper liners when I need to use diaper rash cream. It’s been a few months since I’ve been able to use my diapers though because of our washer issues. We just got a new washer and I’m so excited to start using them again! I love the BumGenius and the Blueberry! I also have Wonderoos and Happy Heiny’s, but I’m not using them because they don’t fit him right in the legs. Isaiah was 6 pounds 12 ounces when he was born and then dropped to 5 pounds 12 ounces. I only wanted to use the one size fits all because I didn’t want to spend the money to buy each size. So, I wasn’t able to use my cloth diapers until he was a few months old because he was too small. It was nice to get through the first couple of exhausting months without having to wash diapers every other day too!
7. Marsie B says:

   April 21, 2010 at 8:05 pm

   I used Happy Heinys with Amara- I loved them but the printed diapers were not very waterproof- I had to proof them myself after a few uses! Other than that I LOVED our cloth diapers!
8. Alyssa says:

   April 22, 2010 at 5:53 pm

   Marsie- How did you proof them? What did you do if they leaked? Thanks for the comment!