Cloth diapers have come a long way from the ones our mothers and grandmothers used. There’s a large selection of styles now to fit a variety of tastes and needs. While it’s wonderful to have all these choices, it can be hard to decide what will work best for you. Below you’ll find the different styles available along with their advantages and disadvantages.
First as a quick overview, you need absorbent fabric close to baby to absorb bodily fluids: fabrics like flannel, hemp, cotton fleece, sherpa, birdseye, velour, terry, and knit. Then, you need a waterproof or water resistant cover to keep baby’s (and yours) clothes dry. Covers are generally made from wool, polyester fleece, PUL (polyurethane laminate), or nylon. (For the sake of simplicity, I’ll call all covers “waterproof” in the paragraphs below, though technically wool and fleece are water resistant.)
Let’s start with the simplest cloth diapers to use first.
True all-in-one diapers or AIO’s: These diapers have the absorbent layers of fabric sewn to the waterproof cover, so the diaper and cover are all-in-one. They use either snaps or Velcro/aplix (a brand of hook and loop closure) to close the diaper. There is elastic at the waist and legs. AIO’s are the easiest diapers to use and most resemble disposables in style. They are especially great for babysitters, grandparents, or others who don’t regularly change baby’s diaper since they are so simple. As with disposables, you do have to ensure a really good fit, or leaks are more likely than with systems that use separate covers. True AIO’s generally take longer to dry than other cloth diaper systems since the waterproof layer doesn’t allow air to circulate very well, and drying the waterproof layer can shorten its life span (it will lose its waterproofness over time). Also, there’s some question as to how clean these diapers can get since the waterproof layer prevents water from passing all the way through the diaper when it’s in the washer.
AIO’s with lay-in or snap-in soakers: The soaker is the middle part of the diaper that has the most layers of absorbent fabric. In this case, the entire absorbent part is called the “soaker,” and it’s usually either rectangular or hour-glass shaped. Basically, you have a waterproof outer shell that snaps or velcros on. The soaker is separate and completely removable. It snaps onto snaps at the back of the outer shell, so it’s lying on top of the cover or outer shell. These diapers are very easy to use, but you will need to explain the importance of the soaker and how it needs to be in the correct place to work to those who aren’t familiar with them. (If the soaker is folded down with a boy, for example, you’ll have major leaks since his wet zone won’t be covered.) Since the soaker is detachable, this set up has a shorter drying time than true AIO’s and solves the question of how clean the AIO will get. Also, you can reuse the outer shell more than once as long as it isn’t soiled. You just snap in a clean soaker. One problem is that most soakers have no elastic, so if you have a poop blow out, the shell will get soiled and can’t be reused (so pack two if running errands). Also, since the soaker only covers baby through the middle of his or her body, if your baby sleeps on his side, you’re more likely to have leaks than with a system where the diaper goes completely around the body. Especially, if you have a little boy – his aim can entirely miss the soaker if the diaper is loose and he’s sleeping on his side.
Pocket (or envelope) diapers: This is similar to the snap-in soaker AIO. However, the absorbent part of the diaper is an insert that goes between a stay-dry layer of fabric which is the inner and a waterproof layer of fabric which is the outer. The inner and outer are sewn together like a cover except there’s a hole in the back or front waist where you insert the absorbent fabric. The inner is usually made of either polyester fleece or suedecloth. Both fabrics allow liquid to pass through while giving your child a more stay-dry feeling than cotton. You can stuff the pocket diaper with the manufacturers’ inserts or use any absorbent fabric you have on hand – dish towels, microfiber towels, prefolds, old t-shirt, etc (if fabric is a cotton and polyester blend, be sure to keep polyester content to 25% or under, or the fabric won’t absorb enough). Once stuffed, this set up is as easy to use as a true AIO and is as good for babysitters and others. Baby’s bottom feels nice and dry because of the stay-dry inner layer. Also, you can stuff it with as little or as much fabric as you need depending on the situation. Pocket diapers are also nice for long car rides since they keep baby’s bottom so dry. Stuffing the diaper can be a little bit of a hassle, though, since you need to be sure to cover the width of the diaper well to prevent leaks. Some people do not like pulling the wet insert out for washing, but I find it no different than handling a wet fitted diaper. (The inserts do need to be pulled out for washing in order to get clean.) For side sleepers, you have the same potential for leaks as you do with a snap-in soaker AIO, and you need to be sure to get a good fit in the legs to avoid poop blowouts.
Fitted diapers with a waterproof cover: Fitted diapers are entirely made of absorbent fabric, with the exception of a few that come with stay-dry inners. They have snap or Velcro/aplix closures. They have elastic at waist and legs to give you a good fit. After you snap the fitted diaper on, you then have to put a diaper cover over it to keep anything baby sits on dry. As a general rule, fitteds cost less than AIO’s or pocket diapers. Fitted diapers are very good at containing messes. If poop leaks out of the diaper, then the cover acts as a back up to keep it in. (Disposables don’t even have that!) In my experience, I’ve found fitteds and covers to be the most reliable system in terms of leaks, though I know some AIO or prefold lovers will disagree! I get perhaps one leak a year. You get complete coverage with a fitted since the fabric goes all the way around baby. The main disadvantage is that it takes longer to change your baby since you have to put on a separate diaper and cover. It’s only a few seconds, but it can seem longer when trying to change a squirmy or protesting baby.
Prefolds with a waterproof cover: Prefolds are made of absorbent fabric and are rectangular in shape with extra layers of fabric down the middle. They have no elastic and must be folded to the correct shape to fit on your baby. They do not have snaps or Velcro/aplix, so they must be pinned or Snappi’ed on. (A Snappi is a rubber device that has three arms with small hooks on the end. You hook two arms into the diaper fabric at the waist and one into the fabric at the crotch. It will look like a “Y” when you’re finished.) Some people simply lay the prefold in a tight fitting cover, though they don’t always stay in place on active toddlers. One of the biggest advantages is cost as these are much cheaper than fitteds, pockets, or AIO’s. Another huge advantage is longevity. Since they are a simple design, they don’t have elastic to wear out, snaps to break off, or Velcro to lose its stickiness. (I’ve found elastic in fitteds to last 9 months to a year of continual use since diapers go through more than one cycle of washing each wash day.) People who are really good with prefolds get as good a fit as fitted diapers. However, it takes more time to learn to use them than it does to learn to use the above styles. Some people never do get quite as good a fit, so they have more poop blowouts, which means more soiled covers. You do have to fold them and changes will take longer than with an AIO or pocket diaper.
Flats with a waterproof cover: Flats are the most basic diaper you can buy. It’s simply one large layer of fabric. You have to fold it quite a bit to get it to fit baby. (There are many types of folds, but those are beyond the scope of this article.) It must be pinned or Snappi’ed on. Flats are the most economical choice, and they have the same longevity advantage as prefolds. They dry very, very quickly, so you can skip the dryer altogether to save a little money. They do take more time to learn to use and while some people can get a great fit, others never get the hang of them.
I highly recommend buying a few diapers in different styles to find out what works best for you and what you enjoy using the most. If you decide against prefolds or flats, you can always use them in a different system as a nighttime doubler. If you decide against fitteds, AIO’s, or pocket diapers, there’s a large market for used cloth diapers online which has only grown every year. Also when buying fitteds, AIO’s, or pocket diapers, buy from a few different manufacturers as each brand will fit differently. What works for a short, chubby baby may not work for a tall, slender baby. And keep in mind that you can always use fitteds or prefolds at home and AIO’s or pocket diapers when going out for a long period of time. Once you find your system, you’re set! Your baby will appreciate the softness of his or her cloth.
