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How to choose Cloth Nappies
Confused about modern nappies? I don't blame you.
Try our 5 simple steps to choosing the modern nappy that is right for you ...
- Choose a brand: Choose a reputable brand like Mother-ease for quality and peace of mind.
When you choose a good brand you won't be disappointed ...
- Choose a system: Choose a fitted nappy and cover system. Avoid "all-in-ones" or pocket nappies ...
- Choose a style: Choose a 'one size' style for economy, choose a sized system for the trimmest fit ...
- Choose your fabrics: Choose cotton or bamboo for the nappy and PUL for the cover ...
- Choose your fasteners: Choose snaps for the ultimate in convenience and durability ...
1. Brand
Choose a reputable brand - when you choose a reputable brand (like Mother-ease) you can be sure of quality and the
back-up of an established company. Amongst reputable brands you will find a product to suit every need and the pricing of
bigger brands means they are always good value. Bigger brands with high turnovers are
usually in stock so you can get your nappies when you need them.
Amongst the big brands of modern nappies you will find:
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| Nappy Styles | one-size and sized nappies |
| Nappy Fabrics | cotton, bamboo and hemp nappies |
| Nappy Fastners | snap, snappi and hook-and-loop closing nappies |
| Cover Fabrics | PUL, fleece and wool covers |
| Cover Fastners | snap and hook-and-loop closing covers |
Perhaps the most important reason to choose a good brand is the quality of the workmanship and materials they use.
Reputable nappy brands are professionally manufactured and all of them have their fabrics made specially for them. This is
important for durability - it's easy to make a nappy that you'll love when you first get it, but it's because of the
quality of workmanship and fabrics that you'll still love the nappy after you have been using it for 2 years.
2. System
The basic choices are nappy with separate cover, all-in-one or pocket nappy.
We always recommend a nappy with separate cover system - it is the most economical as you don't need to
buy a cover for every nappy, the most reliable because you have 2 layers of containment and the
most durable because your nappies will last and last long after the waterproof cover wears out.
We don't recommend All-in-ones or Pocket Nappies as workhorse (full-time) nappies. They work out relatively
expensive because you have to have a cover for every nappy and they seem to be a bit "hit and miss"
with reliability (they work great for some people but not for others). We also have concerns about
their expected life. The PUL (or similar) cover is the least durable part of any nappy system and once it
wears out on an all-in-one or pocket nappy the nappy is unusable, whereas the absorbent parts and liners
may still be fine with lots of wear left. Having said all that, All-in-ones and Pockets are great
for occasional use like the nappy bag or occasional carers who appreciate the simplicity of these
nappies.
3. Style
Once you've settled on your system then your choice is a one-size (birth to toddler) style or a sized
style.
Consider:
- Economy - a one-size system is the most economical over one child, a sized system with 2 sizes will work out
the same over 2 children (3 sizes, 3 children etc.)
- Trimness - the major drawback of a one-size system is that it is bulky on newborn babies. If trimness is
important to you, then choose a sized system. Or plan to use something else (eg. newborn prefolds) for the first
few weeks until your baby fills the one-size out a bit.
It is possible to combine the two systems. You can get a few sized nappies in the smaller sizes for going out
or special outfits but still have the bulk of your stash one-size for convenience and economy.
One-size systems are fantastic value and easier to manage if you have a toddler and newborn in nappies at the same time.
4. Fabric
We recommend choosing between cotton and bamboo as a nappy fabric. We don't recommend hemp as its feel is
inferior and it goes hard and "cardboardy" after a relatively short amount of use (not very durable).
Cotton is a fabulous fabric for nappies. It is highly absorbent for its weight, trim, easy to wash and
very durable. Cotton nappies last and last ...
Bamboo is also a great fabric for nappies. It is highly absorbent for its weight, trim, easy to wash
and use and lasts well. The only drawbacks of bamboo are that it is more expensive than cotton and takes a
while longer to dry. Don't choose bamboo if you live where you will need to dry nappies regularly indoors
or in a tumble dryer.
Bamboo nappy fabric is being heavily promoted as an "environmental" choice for nappy users. While it is true
that bamboo is an easy and sustainable crop to grow, the bamboo requires a lot of energy and harsh chemicals
(including caustic soda and hydrochloric acid) to turn it into a nice fabric.
You can read more here
http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2007/09/bamboo-facts-be.html.
If environmental factors are important to you, in our opinion, organic cotton is the best environmental choice for nappy fabric.
For cover fabric your choices are PUL (laminated polyester), polyester fleece or wool. We believe you can't
go past PUL for covers. It is highly waterproof (more so than fleece or wool), trim (more
so than fleece or wool) and easy to wash and use. It requires no special care and can be washed and tumble
dried with your nappies. It lasts well and should last one baby until they outgrow the size (actual life
depends on frequency and manner of washing and care).
5. Fastening
For fastening your nappies and covers you can choose plastic snaps (like plastic press studs), hook-and-loop tape (like Velcro)
or a Snappi (clawed stretchy thing). Snaps are
easy to use and all the snap-closing products we recommend have multiple snaps so that the nappies and covers are highly
adjustable for fit. Advantages of snaps are that they cannot be undone by curious fingers (unlike hook-and-loop tape), do not pose a danger to babies
like the sharp claws on a snappi, are easy to wash and will not collect fluff like hook and loop tape and they
never wear out. Hook-and-loop fasteners are also highly adjustable and easy to use. Disadvantages are that they need a little
extra care to wash (make sure they are closed or they will collect all the fluff!) and they will eventually wear out.
What did you choose ...?
If you've made it this far then hopefully you'll have a pretty good idea of what you'd like. The table below summarises
our Mother-ease products:
| Product |
System |
Style |
Fabrics |
Fastening |
| One Size Nappy |
Nappy plus
separate cover |
One-size
(birth to toddler) |
cotton, organic cotton,
bamboo,
cotton with stay-dry lining |
front snaps |
| Sandy's™ Nappy |
Nappy plus
separate cover |
Sized
(XS, Sm, Lg, XL) |
cotton, organic cotton,
bamboo |
side snaps |
| Multi-fit Nappy |
Nappy plus
separate cover |
One-size
(birth to toddler) |
cotton |
hook-and-loop |
| All-in-one Nappy |
Nappy with
sewn on cover |
Sized
(Sm, Lg, XL) |
cotton with
white PUL cover |
side snaps |
| Air Flow™ Cover |
Nappy plus
separate cover |
Sized
(XS, Sm, Med,
M/L, Lg, XL) |
PUL - white,
plain and unisex prints |
side snaps |
| Rikki™ Cover |
Nappy plus
separate cover |
Sized
(XS, Sm, Med,
Lg, XL) |
PUL - white,
plain and unisex prints |
hook-and-loop |
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