Cloth Nappies 101 Series: Part II - The Essentials
With all these talks of All-in-ones, prefolds covers, hemp, cotton ,bamboo? Ogini!? Wharris dis?! what does all the cloth nappy speak mean?!
This part of the cloth nappies 101 series breaks down the basics, the essential cloth diapering items and a few things to take into considerations on where each type may be better for you than another type. So here goes:
If you are just joining the blog, the functions of a nappy have been dealt with in a previous post, you can find it here in Part I.
With cloth nappies you have either a 1-part or 2-part system.
In a one- part system you have absorption and containment in one single use product. These may include an All-in-One Nappy (AIOs) or Pocket Nappies. By single use, we mean the entire contents of the nappy will need to be washed after each use.
In a two-part systems, these functions have been separated into 2 different products. i.e. a cover and an absorbent layer. These are also called All-in-two (AI2), which are essentially covers with inserts/ soakers / boosters, prefolds, fitteds or flats.
All-in-one (AIO)
These are the easiest cloth nappies to use as they are modeled on the disposable nappy. They have the absorbent layers sewn together with the waterproof outer. When these are soiled or wet, you simply remove the whole nappy and wash it. These can be put on with either popper/ snaps or with hook & loop fasteners or velcro as shown below.
AIOs are very convenient to use and they are an ideal cloth nappy for nursery, creche or when you have hubby or grand parents helping out. They may have a compromise on absorption as the more layers that are added will impact on the washing and drying times. The longer drying times after washing due to the multiple layers may be reduced by having AIOs with sewn in flaps or pockets within them with detached inserts or additional snap in inserts, this is to allow for quicker drying times and improvements in absorption.
These are also on the more expensive end of the cloth diaper price scale and you generally need more of these styles than the others.
These are also on the more expensive end of the cloth diaper price scale and you generally need more of these styles than the others.
Pocket Nappies
Pocket Nappies are very similar to AIOs as they are single use cloth nappies after which you have to wash the entire nappy.
They are sewn with the outer waterproof layer and an inner (usually) stay dry fabric liner which forms a pocket in which you "stuff" the absorbent fabric. These are very easy to customize as you can adjust what you put into the pocket. Pocket nappies are usually bought together with one or two inserts, however you are free to modify the number or type to give you the performance you want.
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Pocket Nappies - with inserts to be stuffed into pocket for absorption |
Once these are soiled, or wet, the entire nappy goes into the wash as the liners are soiled as well and these are attached to the outer layer, therefore everything will need to be washed. Other pros of pocket include being very quick to dry as all items are separated and each dries faster however you will need more pocket nappies than if you were using a 2 part system. They are also great for nursery and child minders as once they are prepped, all you need to do is to put them on similar to a disposable. The cons include extra tasks of prepping and stuffing the pockets, and this also includes taking out the inserts from inside the pockets before they go into the dirty nappy storage.
All-in-two (AI2)
All-in-Two nappies consist of a separate cover and inner layer. these may be sold as a set or you can buy the inserts / absorbent parts separately to suit.
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Cover with 2 styles of inserts- foldable inserts and smaller rectangular no-fold inserts |
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Covers with insert placed inside ready to be put on baby |
If just wet, a 2 part system allows the covers to be wiped down, possibly air dried and reused a few times before they are popped in the nappy storage unit to be washed. if nappy is soiled then the entire nappy - cover and inner layers are washed. Therefore you only need only one cover to every 3 - 4 inserts.
If buying as a set, the covers may have some snaps to which the insert may clip into to keep it in place and reduce shifting. However they also have the flexibility of using other types of inserts therefore these are very customization in terms of absorption. A 2-part system could be:
- Covers + Cotton Prefolds
- Covers + Inserts (Cotton, Bamboo or Hemp)
- Covers + Fitteds
- Covers + Flats
- Covers + Any other type of absorbent inner piece of fabric
Prefolds:
Prefolds are inserts made of multiple layers of fabric sewn in a large rectangular piece. in some types, the central third section is made of more layers therefore thicker than the outer third sections, and in some styles of prefolds the entire piece has the some number of layers. All our prefolds apart from the preemie have 4 layers at the outer parts with 8 layers in the central section (4/8/4 Layering). Our preemie prefolds are thinner to reduce bulk.
L. New Prefolds - central third has more layers than the 2 outer sides; R. Washed Prefolds with some shrinkage and quilting
Prefolds are easy to use as they can be simply pad folded either length (in thirds) or width wise (4 times) or they can be wraped around baby and secured with nappy pins or fasteners.
Prefolds are generally sized, however many babies tend to use no more than 2 sizes for the majority of their cloth diapering time. For more information on the prefolds we stock at Mima Bear, including folding techniques please click here.
Inserts/ Boosters/ Soakers
Inserts are sometimes called boosters or soakers. They are smaller rectangular pieces that are placed inside the nappy to absorb urine, these pieces are usually in multiple layers and come in various fabric option such as cotton, Bamboo, Hemp, microfiber, Charcoal bamboo etc, etc, etc.
You can use more than one insert, or type of fabric to get the absorption you want for your baby.
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L. Hemp insert - small; R. Bamboo inserts
We currently stock bamboo and hemp inserts and we will provide more information on the fabric types in another post.
Fitteds
Fitted are super they are an all-absorbent shaped nappy (i.e they are not flat) they are usually elasticated around the legs and back, with or without fasteners and are designed to be worn around the baby and secured with either snaps, velcro or nappy pins/ fasteners. Please note: Fitted nappies need an outer water proof layer.
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Fitted Nappies with snaps for size and waist adjustments |
These are usually very absorbent as you get the entire surface area to absorb urine, the are also great for poo containment as you get the elasticated on the back and leg so when used with a cover which is essential you have a double layer of protection against leaks. Therefore they are great for night time use, nap times or other times when added absorption may be required, they are also easy to customize.
We currently do not stock these but we will be in the nearest future so do keep your eyes peeled.
Flats
Flats basically refer to a single layer of fabric which needs to be folded to build up the required absorbency. these include:
- Old school terry squares (Napkins) or
- Muslin Squares (this is also called burp cloths. these make excellent newborn/ preemie nappies)
- Receiving blankets
Terry Squares - also Known as old school "Napkins" |
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Recieving blankets can be used as nappies as well |
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Muslin Squares also know as burp cloths used as nappies |
And any other flat piece of fabric usually of cotton that requires folding, wrapping , and securing with a nappy fastener.
A water proof cover is required for this type of cloth nappies.
Pros include they can be great for containment, however some folding skills will need to be learnt for this type of nappies, they also are quick to dry as they are only one layer. they can also be the more affordable option when compared with AIOs. For more information on flats, folding techniques and cost saving tips you can find on this post here.
Although we do not currently have these for sale at the moment, we plan to introduce a small amount on bamboo terry flats. We will also tackle using muslins and how to extend their use past newborn stage in a separate blog post.
Kindly let us have any comments or questions in the comment section , or drop us an email or a line on social media and we would be happy to clarify any explanations if they are not clear.
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