Cloth Diapers: A Few Close-ups of My Stash

This is the 5th and final post in the cloth diaper series. 

Here are links to the previous posts for quick reference:

Part 1: Why Would You Even Bother?

Part 2: Not Your Grandmothers's Cloth Diapers

Part 3: Diaper Care and Common Myths

Part 4: Sew Your Own

In this last cloth diaper post, I will simply share a few photos of the actual diapers that I use.  Throughout the series, I refer to some of my favorite diapers.  However, the available stock photos don't give alot of detail so that a person is able to see and understand how that particular system works and thus make an educated decision if limited to online shopping.  I aim to help solve this problem.  I am showing photos of a plain ole cover (Bummis Whisper Wrap), a pocket diaper (BG 3.0), a hybrid system diaper (Flip), an all-in-one (BG Elemental). 

Here is a plain ole diaper cover (w/ snaps):

You can see that there is no "shiny" side to the diaper.  It is made with sandwich PUL which simply means the waterproof laminate is sandwiched between two layers of poly fabric.  So, that is why traditional covers (used with prefolds) are not reusable between washes per se, though some people do it anyway.

This is a pocket diaper:

I basically just wanted to show the pocket opening.  This is where you would stuff your insert in after washing.  Note the "shiny" side of the the PUL is exposed underneath the pocket.  This diaper's pocket is sham style so a flap of fabric covers the pocket opening.  And by the way, despite what you have been told, I do not "unstuff" my pockets prior to washing - they come out on their own in the wash. 

This is a hybrid style diaper, the Flip:

(Remember, hybrid means it has a disposable insert as well, but I don't have any of those pictured.) 

And my sweet Smooch when she was liiiiiiittle. :-)

Do you see the "shiny" side exposed on the inside of the diaper?  This is what makes it wipe able and reusable throughout the day for wet diapers.  (Pssst: I don't even wipe mine unless the insert is overly saturated and it does great. As in, not stinky.)   See how it is just like a pocket diaper with the soft poly inner layer removed?  And that insert is just a prefold that I folded into thirds.  (Fold it a different direction depending on the size of your baby.) 

The insert tucks nicely underneath the flaps on both ends, and it does a surprisingly marvelous job staying in place.

The photo below shows how trim this particular diaper is, even with a tri-folded prefold insert.

Check out the stretchy tabs on the Flip (above) as well.  That is, in my opinion, one of the things that makes Cotton Babies (the maker of BumGenius and Flips) diapers a notch above the rest. 

And finally, here is an all-in-one diaper (the BG Elemental):

Note the soft organic cotton and the unique way the soaker layers are sewn in so that they do not have the long dry time for which most all-in-one diapers are known. 

This concludes the (long, exhaustive) series on cloth diapers.  I hope it has been helpful to those who are interested in diapering their little one in fluffy, soft cuteness and save a wholelotta money doing it.  As always, feel free to pass this along to those who might find it helpful.  

Disclaimer:  No, Cotton Babies (or any other company) neither pays me nor gives me free product or anything of the like in exchange for showcasing/saying nice things about their products.  But they totally should.  ;-)   I just so happen to be a happy customer who really likes the diapers that I use, and I don't mind sharing that information with the blogesphere.  For free.