Zephyr Hill

A Family Blog

HumBird Fitted Diaper (Newborn) Review

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This post contains affiliate links.

The HumBumBitty fitted is the first diaper that has come to us all the way from Germany. Dawn is a work-from-home mother who specializes in top quality cloth diapers that help “Keep the Wet In.” HumBird diapers and signature wool wraps are crafted from fabrics like wool interlock, organic cotton and bamboo, and Windpro fleece.

Dawn sent us the HumBumBitty fitted for newborn Mary Kate in exchange for an honest review. This Size 1 diaper is designed to fit approximately 8 to 20 pounds and is made with a double layer of 100% USA-grown organic cotton sherpa. You can be sure of the safety of all HumBird diapers; everything from 2016 forward is CSPC compliant.

Our size 1 diaper has 3 sets of snaps on the rise, giving you 4 size options. At its shortest, the rise is about 14 inches; fully opened it’s 16.5.

The HumBird fitted includes a coordinating snap-in soaker that measures 20 long and 4 inches wide after prepping. Other sizes are also available (2, 3 and 4). Although the soaker is made with the same sherpa (which has a plush “wooly” texture), Dawn sews it with the smooth side up, to make it easier to get #2 messes off. You can fold the insert under to fit the diaper at whatever rise setting you are currently using.

We also received a selection of Humbird’s 55% hemp/45% bamboo inserts:

Newborn/Small: 12 x 4 inches ($3.00)
Medium/Large: 13.5 – 4.5 inches ($3.50)
XL: 16.5 – 4.75 inches ($4.00 – designed for stuffing pocket diapers)

If I want to achieve a trimmer fit, I will swap out the snake-style insert that came with the diaper for the newborn insert, which is not so thick.

Fit: The unbleached cotton and rainbow threads give this diaper a beautiful, natural look. And you’ll find that cotton sherpa is very cozy and plush. The diaper is somewhat bulky, but a good wool wrap or a roomy cover (like the Nicki’s pull-on or Thirsties Duo Wrap) pairs with it perfectly. You will appreciate how thirsty a HumBird fitted is, and your baby will love the plush softness.

As mentioned above, you can make the diaper a bit more trim by taking out the snake-style soaker and using a newborn insert instead.
Absorbency: Two things I hear over and over again from mothers who are diapering a newborn are:

  • My newborn is already outgrowing the absorbency of her diapers but can’t fit into one-size yet, and;
  • I can’t find a newborn diaper that lasts all night.

The HumBumBitty fitted solves both of these issues because of its superior absorbency and room to grow. Mary Kate can wear it all night – and beyond! So it’s not like we’re going to be in trouble if I don’t change her first thing in the morning. I lay a fleece liner inside to protect her skin from all the wetness.

Care: We used our HumBumBitty after about 4 initial washes/dry cycles. It may take a few more washes after that to reach full absorbency.

I’ve found that cotton stains more easily than other fabrics. The natural color of the HumBumBitty fabric helps a little with that, and what stains remain are easily removed with a Buncha Farmers stick. Our HumBird fitted takes more than one cycle to dry. My tip for highly absorbent diapers with longer dry times is to remove from the dryer and hang up to finish. Or, you can toss the diaper in with your next load of clothes in the dryer so no extra energy will be used.

Where to Buy: Click here to shop handmade diapers and covers at HumBird. For orders of 10 or 15 daytime diapers or more, you score a 10% of 15% discount, respectively.

Don’t forget to HumBird on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

 

*Updated* Newborn Cloth Diaper Reviews + 3 Giveaways

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I now have over 75 newborn diaper reviews on the blog. During my last pregnancy, a lot of new diapers were coming on the market. Plus, there were some brands we hadn’t tried the first time around. That means lots of new reviews this year with newborn Mary Kate (she arrived January 26th)!

To celebrate Mary Kate’s birth, there are three giveaways for you to enter:

  • Diaper Junction giveaway (click here) – win a Diaper Rite cover and Diaper Rite AIO in your choice of newborn or one-size
  • Wink Diapers giveaway (click here) – win an organic bamboo AIO diaper.
  • Gift Card giveaway (below) – win a $25 gift card to Kelly’s Closet, Nicki’s or Diaper Junction, your choice

Here is a list of the NEW diapers that have been added to my reviews.

AIO DIAPERS – click here for my complete newborn AIO reviews
Nicki’s Newborn Ultimate AIO
Nicki’s Bamboo AIO
Diaper Rite 3.1 AIO
Imagine 2.0 Newborn Bamboo AIO
Thirsties Newborn AIO (Stay Dry)
Thirsties Natural Newborn AIO
Wink Organic Bamboo AIO (4 to 14 lb version)
AMP Small AIO
Easy Peasies Newborn AIO

COVERS – click here for my complete newborn cover reviews
Nicki’s Newborn Cover
Nicki’s Pull-On Cover XS
Wink Hybrid Cover (4-18 lbs)
Diaper Rite 3.1 Newborn Cover

POCKETS – click here for my complete newborn pocket reviews
TotsBots TeenyFit V4

FITTEDS – click here for my complete newborn fitted reviews
Thirsties Natural Newborn Fitted
Imagine 2.0 Newborn Bamboo Fitted
Nicki’s Newborn Bamboo Fitted

Hope the new reviews are helpful, and good luck with the giveaways!

 

 

Diaper Rite Newborn Review and Giveaway

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This post contains affiliate links.

While still expecting last year, I bought the Diaper Rite newborn cover and bamboo AIO diaper to try out. Mary Kate arrived January 26, so we’ve had a few weeks to test our tiny diapers and share the results with you. Make sure you enter today’s giveaway after reading the review.

I purchased a Diaper Rite newborn cover (retail $8.95), and a bamboo AIO (retail $11.50). UPDATE: The Diaper Rite newborn AIO now retails for $12.95.

The newborn cover has double leg gussets and flaps inside to hold prefolds, flats or inserts in place. The waterproof PUL used in Diaper Rite styles is always very soft and pliable. The wings have a lot of stretch in them, another feature I love in a cloth diaper. I like how the entire cover is finished with a foldover, stitched trim around the wings and leg openings. I also like that there is only a single set of snaps on the wings, making it quicker to fasten on a newborn.

In this picture, Mary Kate is just under 9 pounds and 20.5 inches long. If your newborn ends up being smaller/skinner than Mary Kate, it’s very easy to get a tighter fit at the waist, thanks to the crossover snap. This, in turn, will also tighten up the leg openings for you.

We’ve had zero leaks with this little cover, and there’s one more snap on the rise to let out as Mary Kate grows. At $8.95, it is a fantastic deal, and I wish we had gotten more than one to review!

The newborn AIO from Diaper Rite is also a pretty sweet deal because it’s a multi-layered bamboo diaper for less than $13, which is hard to find in the current market. AND it works overnight for Mary Kate. In my experience, an AIO that can work for a newborn all night is a real unicorn diaper, so this was a very pleasant surprise. In those first weeks of sleep deprivation, it’s SO nice not having to get out of bed to wake and change the baby in the middle of the night. I lay a fleece liner inside to protect her skin from the wetness overnight.

The inside of the diaper is lined with an 80% bamboo/20% poly blend, and there’s a snap-in soaker (11 x 4 inches) of the same fabric that fastens at the back. Dry time is about one cycle after washing in our HE machine. The bamboo blend fabric stains pretty easily, but I treat with a Buncha Farmers stick.

The fit is so trim, especially for such an absorbent diaper. And just like the cover, it has one more snap on the rise for Mary Kate to grow into. However, it fit a lot longer than the newborn phase, so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth with this AIO. Plus, you can unsnap the soaker and use it later to boost your baby’s diapers as he/she grows.

Here is Mary Kate right after birth at just under 9 pounds (she lost a little) and 20.5 inches long.

Here she is in the newborn AIO after 5 weeks:

Where to Buy: You can find Diaper Rite products, including their newborn sizes, at Diaper Junction. Orders in the USA receive FREE shipping!

Giveaway: CLOSED

 

 

Wink Newborn Diapers Review & Giveaway

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I took advantage of the annual Black Friday sale at Wink Diapers to pick up a few diapers for our baby on the way. We have previously tried Wink one-size diapers, and I was curious to know how the size 4 to 18 pound styles would work. Now that Mary Kate has arrived, and we’ve had about 4 weeks to try the diapers out, I’d like to share our experience with you. Bailey at Wink Diapers has also offered to do a giveaway.

I bought the 4-18 lb Hybrid Cover (in the Orville print) which retails for $11.99 and the 4-18 lb Organic Bamboo AIO (in Rebel Red) which retails for $17.99. Both of these diapers are also available in a larger size for older babies and toddlers.
Here are the two diapers opened up.

The (red) bamboo AIO is made with a waterproof outer and a six-layer organic bambo terry core.  At the inner front is a waterproof leak guard. The diaper has double gussets at the legs, back elastic and extra hip snaps to prevent sagging. The rise snaps give you 4 sizes to choose from.

The diaper cover also adjusts to 4 sizes via the rise snaps, and has double leg gussets and back elastics. The front and back inner flaps for holding diapers or insert in place are very wide.

Wink diapers come with a 12-month warranty.

The Wink cover is highly adjustable at the waist and legs, thanks to all the snaps. This also means there are a lot of snaps to fasten – not always easy on a wriggly newborn. I mentioned above that the front and back flaps are very deep; this helps hold diapers and inserts in place very well. But you don’t have to use them, and can just lay a prefold or flat inside.

Both diapers fit well with the rise snapped to the smallest setting on newborn Mary Kate, who was 9 pounds and 20.5 inches at birth. After the first 2 weeks, I moved to the next rise snap, and we still have 2 to go (photos below). It’s nice to have a cover that will continue to grow with your baby!

Because the bamboo AIO has layers of fabric sewn inside, there is more bulk at the front when you snap up the rise. For this reason, I ended up using the cover more. It’s just more trim. As far as absorbency goes, the AIO is very good, holding our little girl for an average of 3 hours. It does take a little bit more than one cycle to fully dry, though.

Where to Buy:

Get 20% off your purchase at Wink using my exclusive coupon code:
ZEPHYR20

Giveaway: One of you will win an organic bamboo AIO diaper from Wink Diapers! This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. Good luck!  CLOSED

 

AppleCheeks One Size Diaper Review & Giveaway

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Until recently, AppleCheeks has been a 3-size diaper system (which I reviewed in February of 2016); we were given the chance to review a complimentary sample of the brand new “one size” cover to see how it worked for Ingrid (my toddler) and Roderick (my infant nephew).

My experience over the years with AppleCheeks has been positive; our only issues were being stuck “in between sizes” when neither size 1 nor size 2 fit quite right, and also the cost of the system if it’s going to make up your entire stash. Because of our sizing experience, I was really curious to see how the new one-size cover would work out. AppleCheeks kindly provided a bamboo insert and one-size “Out of the Blue” print cover.

Here are the features of the bamboo bundle:

  • One size (adjustable) PUL cover with snap closure and white fleece lining
  • Envelope-style pocket opening
  • Foldable 2-ply bamboo/cotton insert retails for $7
  • Cover retails for $22

Here’s the new one-size cover in between size 1 and size 2:

On its largest snap setting, the one-size is closer in overall dimensions to the size 2.

On its smallest snap setting, the one-size is actually a bit smaller than the size 1.

Here are the one-size and Size 2 opened up. You can see how how size 2 is slightly wider and longer.

The bamboo insert is made of a smooth bamboo/cotton blend   With only two layers of fabric, it’s easy to get good and clean, and takes an average amount of time to dry. You can check out my previous AppleCheeks review for several ways to fold the bamboo insert, depending on your baby’s needs.

The insert shrinks up a little after washing and the sides curl up slightly at the edges. Before washing, our new insert measured 12.5 x 15.5; afterwards it was about 12 x 14.5.

At 2 years of age, Ingrid is still on the small side for her age. So I compared the fit of the one-size (with the rise fully open) and the size 2 on her. The size 2 gives her the room she needs in the rise, but I like the trimmer cut in the crotch of the new one-size.

With either cover, I would really like more stretch/length in the wings. She’s on the very last leg snap and that means the leg openings are very snug with no growing room.

NOTE: If you want to see how size 1 fit, check out my prior review showing Erik and Ingrid as newborn and infant, respectively.

This was my sister-in-law’s first time to try AppleCheeks. She found that 14 month old (26 pound) Roderick fit well into both one-size and size 2, but like with Ingrid, the size 2 offered both a comfortable fit and some growing room in the rise.

UPDATE: Here is the one-size on our newborn, Mary Kate! She lost a little of her birth weight, and in this picture is about 8 pounds 10 ounces and 5 days old. The leg openings are definitely more snug and well-fitting than the size 1 we tried several years ago on Erik. The rise is also shorter than the size 1. However, the 2-ply AppleCheeks insert, when folded for a newborn, is a bit bulky. So I prefer to use our one-size AppleCheeks cover with just a regular newborn prefold.

So the question is, can the AppleCheeks one-size diaper replace the 2-size system, or does it work best to fill in the gaps between size 1 and 2? It depends on your baby’s size and body type. In hindsight, considering that Ingrid is small for average, I think she would have been able to wear the one-size from birth to her current age and stage (just getting started with potty training). For a longer or chunkier baby, the new one-size diaper will be outgrown before potty training, meaning Mama will need to purchase additional covers with either size 2 or even size 3.

In summary, here’s what Katie and I like best about AppleCheeks:

  • The ruffled fleece-lined elastics around the front, back and legs aren’t just super soft – they are also great for containment.
  • The trim fit
  • The bright, fun colors and prints
  • The supportive and highly social AppleCheeks community

And what we would change or improve:

  • Longer, stretchier wings
  • Lower cost for the one-size cover (AppleCheeks recently reduced size 1 and size 2 down to $17, which was really nice!)

As soon as my baby arrives this month, I will be updating my newborn diaper cover reviews to show how the new one-size AppleCheeks fits on a tiny little one!

Where to Buy: You can find AppleCheeks at online and brick-and-mortar cloth diaper retailers in both the US and Canada.

Have you tried AppleCheeks diapers yet? Do you have a favorite print or color?

Giveaway: You can enter to win an AppleCheeks Bamboo Bundle in your choice of available colors/prints from our friends at AppleCheeks. It’s open to both US and Canada. Good luck!