Cloth Diaper Reviews

bumGenius Freetime AIO Diaper Review & Giveaway

July 1, 2016 by Anne Marie 113 Comments

After enjoying resounding success with its one-size bumGenius pocket diaper and Flip hybrid system, Cotton Babies introduced the bumGenius Freetime All-in-One diaper.

Here are the basic features of the Freetime:

100% waterproof PUL (polyurethane laminate) exterior shell
Sewn-in layer of microfiber
Two suedecloth topped microfiber soaker pads (80% poly and 20% nylon), which are sewn at each end of the diaper
Signature stretchy poly knit tabs at the waist
Adjusts to fit from 8 to 35 pounds via the rise snaps

On the outside, it looks a lot like the bumGenius 5.0 pocket.

On the inside, the construction is very unique. There’s an inner core of suede-topped microfiber and then two partially attached pads (one is attached at front and one at the back). It’s designed this way so the diaper not only dries more quickly, but the inserts can be folded up shorter for a smaller baby.

If you lift up the pads, you can see they are open inside, which also further helps to cut down on drying time.

Here’s what the pads look like folded under to shorten them and fit in the diaper better when you’ve got the rise snapped up for a small infant.

You can also fold the front insert in half to put more absorbency there for a boy.

Performance: I love how trim this diaper is, thanks to the shorter inserts inside. In fact, it’s one of the trimmest AIO diapers we own. Yet Ingrid can easily wear it through a long nap. It’s roomy enough to add absorbency for night time. I usually just lay an insert right on top, instead of trying to position it underneath the soaker pads. We haven’t tried the Freetime overnight, but have had zero leaks during day time use.

Care: It dries fast in the dryer; if you line dry as bumGenius recommends, it takes longer but is much better compared to other AIO diapers. This is a tricky diaper to spray or dunk, because of the two flaps that hang down. Poo can sometimes get in three different places (on the two pads and on the inner core. This is one of the main drawbacks I have observed with the diaper. I like the concept behind the soakers, but cleaning them isn’t always easy. Thankfully, though, my sister-in-law and I both found that the fabric does not hold onto stains.

Value: The Freetime costs $19.95, which is in the medium price range, however there are other synthetic AIO diapers for less. You do get one of the best warranties in the business – 1 year, covering all components.

You can purchase the bumGenius Freetime with FREE shipping at:

And at:

Fit: Overall, the Freetime is a really trim and cute diaper. My SIL and I both got a good fit on our little ones, at different ages and different body types. I do wish the wing tabs were a bit longer. If you get hook and loop there’s a little more give, but I don’t care for bumGenius hook and loop.

The Freetime runs a bit smaller compared to the bumGenius 5.0 (pocket diaper). You can see the difference in size overall when they are placed side by side. And inside they are different at the back and front since the Freetime has a waterproof strip of PUL fabric.

My nephew, Roderick, is 7 months, 22 pounds and pretty chunky. He can wear the Freetime comfortably with the rise snapped up once, at the second-to-largest setting, so it has some room to grow there. The waist and leg snaps are at the second-to-last setting, which is great since my sister-in-law has found that he has to wear most “one size” diapers at the very last setting – which doesn’t leave him any room to grow and he’s not even a year old.

What I also liked about the diaper was that it washed and dried very well – no staining, and it actually air dried in the same amount of time as my microfiber BB inserts.

Interestingly, my Ingrid, although a toddler of 23 months, also wears the diaper at the same rise setting. But she’s small for her age and her legs are thinner. She’s modeling an additional limited edition print, the patriotic “Mary Pickersgill.”

Have you tried the bumGenius Freetime diaper yet? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Giveaway: Enter to win TWO bumGenius Freetime diapers on my Facebook page. The giveaway ends Tuesday, July 5th and is open to US and Canadian residents. GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Bummis AIO Diaper Review + Giveaway

June 8, 2016 by Anne Marie 21 Comments

Bummis recently gave me the chance to try out their new All-in-One diaper in exchange for a review. It now features an organic cotton interior and components made in the US and Canada.

We received the Aqua (with chocolate brown trim) and Forest Animals (with white trim) diapers:

This is a true AIO (All-In-One) diaper which requires no stuffing or snapping or folding. You simply adjust the waist and rise to fit your baby and put the diaper on. It’s a one-size diaper with snaps on the rise to shorten or lengthen it and fit babies from about 8 to 35 pounds.

Looking inside, you’ll see some really unique features. The middle or core of the diaper is made of an unbleached organic cotton fabric with a soft, dimpled texture. It’s permanently attached but open at the front end so it acts as a pocket.

The white fabric you see along the inside edges of the diapers is polyester fleece. The semi-attached soaker has 1 stay-dry layer on top, so that when you choose to lay it inside the diaper (instead of stuffing), this wicking layer will go right up against your baby.

Because of the pocket design you can choose to have the organic cotton core or the stay dry soaker against your baby’s skin. You can also easily tuck an extra insert in there.

The organic cotton fabric that’s sewn into the middle core of the diaper shrinks slightly when you wash and dry it; Bummis designed it this way to create a sort of natural “gusset” for extra protection through the legs. One result of this shrinking process is the fabric puckers somewhat. After washing and drying the diaper I will reach my hand inside the pocket to smooth the fabric out and eliminate lumps or bunching while Ingrid or Erik is wearing it.

The cotton is a soft “dimpled” texture that’s unique to Bummis, and that I really like alot. The solidly designed snaps are of excellent quality. I love the snaps that Bummis uses!

Fit: The new Bummis AIO has a very trim design for a cotton diaper. The double snaps on the wings made it easy to customize sizing beyond the rise; you can angle the snaps one way or the other (for instance, you might want the waist snap tighter and the leg snap looser). However, the wings do not stay completely flat but curl back a little after you put the diaper on.

I found the size range to be fairly accurate, giving you roughly size small (young infant) to extra large (toddler).

You may have noticed there are only 2 sets of snaps down the front rise of the diaper. This means there are less to fasten, but it also may cause the fabric to pucker out after your baby gets moving. You can see this in the bottom right picture on Ingrid. If you have the rise on the largest setting (nothing snapped at all), this isn’t an issue (see the picture of Erik further down).

I like the soft knitted (and very stretchy) legbands on this diaper. The same trim goes around the waist and wings as well.

Performance: This is a perfect day-time diaper – trim and quick to get on and off. It will absorb steadily for a good 2 hours. The caveat is that it actually worked better for us with the insert NOT in the pocket. The stay-dry layer absorbs more quickly than the organic cotton.

When Ingrid naps, I add a small doubler and this combo keeps her leak-free. We were not able to use the Bummis AIO overnight, which is not unusual for an AIO diaper. I noticed that since she’s a tummy sleeper, once the diaper was fully saturated wetness would wick from the poly fleece and out of the top of the waistband. I wonder if having PUL (the waterproof material on the outside) at the front inside of the diaper would help prevent wicking? But again, I don’t expect most AIO diapers to hold all night as they are mainly designed for convenience and quick changes. You could definitely try it, though (with a hemp or microfiber doubler), if your baby isn’t a heavy wetter.

Laundry notes: It took many washes to fully prep because of the organic cotton. Shoot for 6 to 8 for full absorbency. If you choose to tuck the partially-attached soaker inside of the pocket, it will agitate out on its own in the wash, so that’s nice. The permanently attached inner core of the diaper takes a really long time to dry, sometimes a full cycle and a half or more. To overcome this, I highly recommend turning the diaper inside out before tossing it in the dryer. It will *usually* dry this way in a normal amount of time, along with your other diapers.

Value: At $28.95 (USD), the new Bummis AIO is on the higher end of the price scale for an AIO. Many factors go into pricing including the fact that the components are sourced in the US and Canada, which is very important to a lot of consumers. And having tried many Bummis products over the years, I can attest that they use premium diaper components (fabric, snaps, etc.).

Giveaway: Bummis is giving away an organic cotton AIO to one lucky Zephyr Hill reader! You can enter on my Facebook page.

Let me know if you’ve tried any Bummis products! What do you think of the design of their new cotton All-in-One?

Snappi Cloth Diaper Fastener Review & Giveaway

May 26, 2016 by Anne Marie 34 Comments

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The patented Snappi diaper fastener was created to replace diaper pins, ensuring safer and more secure performance.

Snappi sent us a 3-pack of fasteners in exchange for an honest review. Snappi just introduced some stylish new colors (Orchid, Scuba, Bamboo, Baltic and Coral).

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The packaging has also been updated with a cute little penguin.

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Snappi’s are made from a flexible, non-toxic and latex-free material which stretches to grip your diaper at three points. Each end of a Snappi diaper fastener has tiny little teeth that gently grab the fabric. There’s also a safety loop on each end which covers the sharp teeth when not in use.

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Here is a closeup:

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You’ll definitely want to keep a small assortment of Snappi’s on hand if small things to get misplaced in your house. Luckily, they come in packs of 3 (boy, girl and gender-neutral) for about $10, so it’s very easy to start a collection.

Stretch your Snappi fastener before using; this will help lengthen it a bit, and give it more flexibility. When putting a Snappi on, you shouldn’t grab the thin safety loop but instead grasp the sturdy middle portion where the word “Snappi” appears.

I usually hook the left first, then stretch over the right wing, and then finish by pulling the Snappi down and securing it to the crotch area. You have a 3-point system to secure a flat or prefold and help it stay in place better under a cover, or by itself as your baby moves around.

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Here’s a video which shows how to use a Snappi. It takes 10 seconds or less to get it on the diaper.

As you can see, there’s not a learning curve when it comes to Snappi fasteners. It’s easy as 1-2-3, literally. When we first started using Snappi’s years ago, I had to be careful about scratching myself while getting the diaper on, because I’m just a naturally clumsy person and I get distracted. But I feel more like a pro now and that doesn’t happen anymore. 🙂

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Two things you’ll want to be aware of with Snappi fasteners:

It is recommended that you replace your Snappi’s after 6 months, or as soon as you see any type of damage or weak spots
They don’t grip very smooth or tightly woven fabrics as well – (flannel, jersey and 100% bamboo)
Older babies or toddlers may be able to remove them, but this isn’t a problem if you’ve got a cover on top.

Despite the few small negatives, Snappi’s are the most popular fastener on the market right now. With over 80 million Snappi’s sold worldwide, it’s a successful and time-tested brand. I’ve used Snappi’s for many years and can attest to their performance and durability.

You can buy Snappi fasteners on their website (via Amazon) or from select cloth diaper retailers.

Giveaway: CLOSED Snappi would like to give away a 3-pack of their diaper fasteners. This giveaway is open to US residents only. Good luck!

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Nicki’s Overnight Bamboo Fitted Diaper Review & Giveaway

May 13, 2016 by Anne Marie 42 Comments

Nicki’s Diapers introduced a new Bamboo Overnight Fitted this year which will make a lot of budget-conscious families very happy. That’s because the prices are just $13.95 for one-size and $9.95 for newborns. Pretty amazing for a bamboo fitted, huh? Read on!

I purchased one of each to review and share with you. Nicki’s has offered a giveaway in conjunction with my review, which you find more details about below.

If I could describe this diaper with three words they would be: soft, thirsty and adorable. The 100% bamboo fibers are pure white terry and the edges are serged with rainbow threads. The leg gussets and the back waistband are ruffled, which is pretty cute.

There are 2 sets of snaps on the rise, which equals 3 size settings (small, medium and large). There are also 2 additional crossover snaps on the wings to allow the diaper to fit thin or small infants.

The diaper is absorbent on its own, since it’s made of 3 layers of bamboo, but it also includes a 5-layer bamboo soaker which attaches with 2 snaps at the back.

The newborn size is almost exactly alike, but smaller. The waistband can be snapped down in the middle to accommodate the umbilical cord stump. However, there are less waistband snaps overall and no crossovers. Inside, you’ll find the same snap-in soaker, in miniature.

To shorten the rise of the newborn diaper for a really tiny baby you can fasten the wings to the row of colored snaps across the middle of the diaper, as seen in the top left photo below. The bottom picture shows one-size and newborn side by side.

Here’s a profile of the one-size diaper with insert included:

Performance: With or without the soaker, this fitted makes a great day time diaper. Erik and Ingrid, both average wetters, have worn it overnight (I use an extra doubler with him because he’s 3). I like to use a fleece liner with it overnight because the diaper will get saturated all over.

The soaker has stayed attached about half the time during laundering and drying, but when they get separated it’s easy to match them up out of the dryer because of the rainbow threads. Drying time averages about 1 and a quarter cycles on medium heat after being washed in an HE top loader (which gets a lot of water out). If using a traditional top loader, I would estimate drying time to be longer.

I prepped the diaper by washing it twice with our stash before first use. After prepping, you may notice some tiny fringes of thread around the edges of the diaper; this is normal.

The bamboo fabric does stain easily.

Fit: Bamboo is fairly trim, and one of the first things I noticed with this diaper is that even with the soaker folded under at the front to fit a smaller baby, it’s not that bulky. The fabric drapes nicely and is very flexible, so it fits snugly get comfortably against the body. When it’s saturated, bamboo isn’t stiff (although with long-term use and a lot of washing, bamboo will eventually lose some of its softness).

The wings on this diaper are very stretchy; Ingrid can actually wear it with the first crossover snap fastened if I really want the diaper to fit snugly. Usually, though, she wears it on the snap that comes just before the crossovers. Getting a perfect fit at the waist is not as crucial for me with a fitted diaper because the cover that you put on top holds the diaper in place. TIP: If you do find your baby in between sizes at the waist, or you can’t get it snug enough, use a Snappi or Boingo to hold it closed and leave the snaps undone.

Compared to other fitteds, I find the Nicki’s version to be very versatile when it comes to sizing and absorbency. For instance, if you’re diapering a very small baby and just need an average amount of absorbency, you can leave the soaker out altogether and use the diaper all by itself on the small setting for an extremely trim day diaper. And then at the very other end of the spectrum, the diaper on its largest setting with the soaker attached can function as a night diaper for toddlers and older infants. It’s also stretchy and roomy enough to add an additional doubler from your existing collection.

Which covers will work best? I tried 10 different one-size diaper covers over this fitted and found that Imagine, Sweet Pea, Blueberry Coveralls and Nicki’s Diapers (the one size and the pull-on pants) gave the best coverage. Flip, Buttons, Best Bottoms, Kawaii and our GroVia and Funky Fluff shells were not quite big enough for my liking. This diaper is narrow through the crotch, so where your cover really needs to fit is up and over the hips to fully contain the wings, which are wide. Here are some pictures of the diaper on 3-year-old Erik with a Nicki’s one-size cover on top.

Here’s Erik in just the diaper. You can see how the diaper is contoured in the front to make it fit better between the legs.

Ingrid at 22 months:

And my nephew, Roderick, who’s 6 months and already 20 pounds! He has very chubby legs but that’s no problem thanks to the stretchiness of the bamboo fabric.

Value: The price just can’t be beat; I don’t think there is another brand name bamboo fitted on the market for under $14. It’s a well made diaper that has lived up to its promises, fits great and looks super cute. Plus, with every Nicki’s brand diaper you buy, 1 is donated to charity via the Buy 1 Give 1 promotion.

The Nicki’s Bamboo Overnight fitted diaper is only available from Nicki’s Diapers and is not sold anywhere else. The one-size version sold quickly, but newborn is still availble; look for a restock soon.

Giveaway: CLOSED Nicki’s is giving away a bamboo fitted to one lucky Zephyr Hill reader! This promo is open to US and Canadian residents. Good luck and let me know if you have a question that wasn’t covered in the review!

Funky Fluff Athletic Wicking Jersey Diaper Review

April 28, 2016 by Anne Marie 43 Comments

Note: Funky Fluff diapers are no longer sold.

Over the years, Funky Fluff has expanded to include new fabric and insert options, while always maintaining a cute and trim fit, and an array of really cool color combos. This system consists of one-size waterproof covers (or shells) and inserts that you can either snap, stuff or lay in the covers.

You can choose from 3 different inner fabric linings for the cover:

Bamboo Terry (80% bamboo viscose and 20% polyester) – click here for my previous review
Stay Dry (microsuede) – click here for my previous review
Athletic Wicking Jersey (polyester)

Today’s review is of the Athletic Wicking Jersey shell, which is one of the newest options. The Joyful Giraffe diaper shop sent me a shell in the Kryptonite color (gray with green snaps), plus a set of deLUX inserts, in exchange for a review.

There are 4 size settings on the front rise of the diaper, which I would estimate as newborn/xsmall, small, medium and large. Crossover snaps at the waist may enable you get to a snug fit on a newborn or very skinny baby.

Athletic Wicking Jersey (AWJ) isn’t just for basketball shorts anymore; it’s a polyester fabric that has turned out to be ideal for cloth diapering because:

It pulls moisture away from the skin
It’s less prone to staining than natural fibers
It’s soft, supple and stretchy
It can help keep the skin feeling cool and dry
It dries very quickly
It doesn’t pill like microfleece

I’ve been using Funky Fluff diapers for years, so I pulled out my others to give you a comparison of the inner fabrics:

The picture above shows that none of the PUL (polyurethane laminate) waterproof material underneath touches your baby’s skin, no matter which inner lining you choose.

Here is the Funky Fluff diaper shell opened up. It can be used in 4 different ways. Tuck inserts inside for a pocket diaper. Snap inserts in and then tuck in the pocket to make a stay-dry AIO (All in One). Snap inserts in but leave them outside of the pocket for an AI2 (All in Two). Or, just do like I do many times, and use the diaper as a cover, with Funky Fluff inserts, flats or prefolds laid inside.

There is a snap at either end of the shell to hold inserts in place, if you choose to use that feature.

Here’s what the diaper looks like with an insert snapped into the shell, AI2 style:

Pictured here are the bamboo terry LUX soakers (includes a small and a large) and the bamboo/hemp deLUX soakers (includes a small and a large). All Funky Fluff inserts are double stitched around the edges for added strength. You can use the inserts alone or attach them to each other with snaps. They DO stay fastened during washing and drying.

Funky Fluff’s bamboo terry LUX insert has a touch of polyester in it, which adds some extra softness. This counteracts the tendency of bamboo to get a little bit stiff over time and is something that really sets apart their bamboo fabric. These bamboo inserts dry for me in less than 1 cycle.

Funky Fluff’s deLUX soaker set is made of bamboo and hemp, and because hemp takes longer to dry, the inserts are stitched together only at the middle. It takes me 1 full dryer cycle, and sometimes a little more if it’s a big load of diapers, to completely dry these inserts. The deLUX set is my top choice for night time use.

Performance: Funky Fluff diapers are extremely versatile because you can customize exactly to your liking, and your child’s needs. Use 1 insert for daytime, and 2 for naps and nighttime. The pocket opening is easy to stuff for extra absorbency.

Ingrid does well in any type of insert during the day; for a bulletproof nighttime solution I use the large LUX (bamboo) soaker on top and the large deLUX (bamboo/hemp) soaker on the bottom, since it absorbs slowly and steadily.

Even if you have a SUPER heavy wetter, stacking three inserts together for nighttime doesn’t result in a lot of bulk – as compared to doubling up prefolds or using a really plush fitted.

Do the soft fabric linings mean you can’t use the covers more than once before washing? That depends on how much or how quickly your baby wets, or if a #2 mess isn’t confined to the insert. Ingrid does not flood her diaper all at once, so we can sometimes just switch out inserts and use the shell again.

Durability: I mentioned above that we’ve used this brand for several years, so I can assure you they will last for a really long time. We’ve never had any problems with colors fading, failed snaps or elastics or PUL, or poor workmanship.

I find that it’s easier to get stains out of the Athletic Wicking Jersey fabric. And the open weave is breathable and cool to the touch, both of which are great for Ingrid’s skin.

Value: Funky Fluff’s decision last year to make their diaper shells available for purchase separately was a really good move. You can now grab a cover alone for around $15 and give the fit and flexibility of Funky Fluff diapers a try, without having to spend $20 – $25 on a complete diaper (with inserts).

Overall, I think Funky Fluff is a good value for the money, because I can attest to the durability of the diapers AND the fact that they are so versatile. If you spent $25 on a premium AIO diaper, it’s single use only, whereas a $25 Funky Fluff diaper comes with 2 inserts and the different components can be used in different ways.

Fit: The Athletic Wicking Jersey is a little bit stretchier than my other Funky Fluff shells (stay dry and bamboo) and I love stretchy diapers! The stretch also makes it even easier to stuff than the bamboo and stay-dry shells, which is great news for nighttime.

I’ve always been a big fan of the way these diapers fit. They are trim and sleek and highly adjustable, thanks to the double snaps at the waist (you can angle the snaps to tighten or loosen either the legs or the waist). My only issue with Funky Fluff’s design, as mentioned in a previous review, is that a 3rd row of rise snaps would be nice. This would help the front to lie flat and not pucker out, which tends to happen more as my baby starts moving around.

For the longest time, my favorite style was the bamboo diaper, but AWJ now takes the cake. I like the extra stretch, the fact that this fabric is much easier to get stains out of, and the breathability of the open-weave fibers.

At age 19 months and about 22 pounds, Ingrid wears her diaper at the medium rise setting, with one more snap to grow into. There’s also plenty of room left in the waistband.