Diaper Rite brand products are made exclusively for Diaper Junction and include prefolds, wipes, fitteds, wet bags, pocket diapers and more. I recently received the new and improved Diaper Rite pail liner and Premium one-size diaper cover to review and share with you! These two products are available in six colors; my pail liner is Stone (gray) and the cover is Grass (bright green).

Here are the basic features of the Diaper Rite Premium diaper cover:

• It’s made of waterproof PUL.
• The inside of the cover has a flap at the front and back to help secure inserts or diapers. The back flap is elasticized for even better performance.
• The inside is wipeable, which means you can reuse it a few times if it isn’t soiled with #2.
• The rise features 3 rows of snaps, which translates to 4 size settings (three snapped up and one completely open).
• The wings close with double snaps.
• There are double gussets around the legs (a second, inner elasticized band)

WHAT I LIKE:

• The elastic is very strong while at the same time the leg openings are snug and comfortable.
• The double snaps at the waist help to keep the wings from curling back, and the wings stretch generously for a good fit.
• It’s a roomy cover that fits well over fitteds, prefolds, flats or whatever else I feel like putting inside.
• It’s performed great overnight with no leaking.
• The elastic sewn inside the back flap helps hold inserts in place better (in my opinion) than other covers with regular flaps.
• Diaper Rite offers a lifetime warranty on snaps and six months on defects in materials/workmanship.
• It’s only $8.95.

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE: Like the Diaper Junction cover I reviewed last month (same company, different brand), this one has angled snaps at the waist, whereas I would prefer them to be straight up and down. The leg elastics are also tighter than the Diaper Junction cover, which you can see in the picture above. If my toddler wears this cover a long time, it leaves red marks that he will complain about.

This is the Diaper Rite cover on Erik; in this picture he is 19 months old and 22 pounds. He’s got a Geffen prefold inside the cover.

I also tried it on newborn Ingrid. Although there is a lot of extra fabric and it looks kind of saggy, I actually got a good fit around the waist, and the leg openings didn’t gape open at all. So, it works in a pinch and nothing leaks out, although I do prefer a trimmer cover in terms of looks. But it’s good to know this cover could work from birth to potty training for families who don’t have room in the budget for “newborn sized” diapers.

You might be wondering how this cover compares to the Diaper Junction cover, since both are made exclusively for this company. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Diaper Junction covers are made of TPU; Diaper Rite covers are PUL.
• Diaper Junction covers do not have double gussets; Diaper Rite covers do.
• Diaper Junction covers are $7.95 and come in more color choices; Diaper Rite covers are $8.95 and come in six colors so far.
• Diaper Junction covers have a single row of snaps at the waist; Diaper Rite covers have two.

And now the pail liner:

• It’s made to fit 54 QT cloth diaper pails and 13 gallon trash cans.
• It’s made of PUL with sealed seams.
• The opening is made with heavy-duty elastic.

I use the liner with a smaller trash can and it works great. The lower profile pail enables me to keep it tucked inside our laundry room cabinet. The elastic truly is heavy duty and is super strong; the liner never slips or shifts in the pail, even when completely filled with diapers. The bag completely holds in wetness and I can turn it inside out on laundry day right into the machine so no diapers touch my hands. At just $14.95, it’s very competitively priced.

Have you tried any Diaper Rite products? Visit Diaper Junction and just look at all the 5 star ratings they get!

Using a prefolds or flats inside a waterproof cover is probably the most popular way to diaper a newborn, and the folding doesn’t have to be complicated. Prefolds and flats are very economical, ranging from $1 to $3 apiece; a small stash of 6 to 8 covers won’t cost you an arm and a leg, either (my favorite newborn cover is only $10). They also grow with your baby and can be used later for other things (doublers, burp cloths, cleaning rags, etc).

PREFOLDS

There are a lot of choices available when it comes to newborn prefolds. Besides the standard cotton diapers, you can find bamboo and hemp blends. I tested some of each kind. This photo comparison shows the difference in length when folded in thirds.

Geffen hemp jersey prefolds are made of a super thirsty blend of 4 layers of 40% hemp and 60% organic cotton which is very soft and smooth. It doesn’t quilt up like regular prefolds. Each size has a different color of stitching at the edges. My orange-edged newborn prefolds are some of our most reached-for diapers simply because I don’t have to change Ingrid every 2 hours or so like I would with a regular prefold. They are also cut shorter and wider and fit perfectly in newborn covers. Overnight, our Geffens work great with a small doubler. And they are easy to use; simply fold in thirds and lay in a cover. The fabric does stain easily.

Imagine SmartFit prefolds (same as Nicki’s GreatFit prefolds) are my second favorites! They are cut a little shorter and also wider than regular prefolds (see the GroVia and Bummis above) so you don’t have to fold down the back or front to fit in a cover; and more width means more coverage. Folding the edge down adds bulk and can make the waistband of a cover gape open a little. You can choose cotton or bamboo/cotton prefolds from Imagine; I prefer the bamboo blend as they are both softer and a little more absorbent.

GroVia bamboo prefolds are super soft, but for some reason not as absorbent as the Imagine SmartFit prefolds I tested. They are also longer, so to fit in a newborn cover I have to fold down either the front or the back, creating excess bulk. When folded in thirds, the GroVia prefold is also more narrow than the SmartFit.

This photo shows how the shorter SmartFit prefolds are cut to fit into covers better:

FLAT DIAPERS

Flat diapers turned out to be easier than I thought, especially when I created the Mini Pad Fold. I tested a couple of different flats from Nicki’s, and also tried using old receiving blankets but they were too big and bulky for my newborn covers.

Imagine unbleached cotton flats come in sizes small and large. The smalls I’ve used on Ingrid measure about 24×24.5 after washing and drying. They are softer than bleached cotton but comparable in absorbency. The edge seam is very low profile and doesn’t create much bulk at all when folded up.

Imagine bamboo flats are actually blended with cotton but are even softer! I’d like to replace all my cotton flats with these, and the price isn’t that much more. They look pretty much the same but the measurements for size small are a little different: after prepping they measured 22.5×26.5, so definitely not as square as the plain cotton flats. The shorter length actually helped them fit better in newborn covers, however, so I liked that. The edge seams on these are also low profile and don’t create excess bulk when the diaper is pad folded. The bamboo flats are slightly more absorbent, so this is another plus and the reason I use these more.

Imagine printed flats are made of cotton but come in several cute patterns. I tested the dino print on bleached (white) cotton. After prepping they shrank to about 24.5 inches square. Though adorable, they aren’t as soft as the unbleached cotton and bamboo flats. Their absorbency is comparable to any regular cotton flat diaper.

Here is a photo comparison of three different types of flats pad folded, so you can see the marked difference in length:

And a photo of the small Nicki’s flat diapers mini pad folded and tucked into a newborn cover:

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Last week, Smart Bottoms released three new colors in their “Born Smart” newborn AIO: Lil Monster (purple and orange), Limelight (green and purple) and Crushin’ It (orange and green). I received a diaper to review on newborn Ingrid!

Here again are the specs:

• 1 sewn-in organic cotton interior soaker plus a snap-in organic cotton soaker
• Colorful waterproof PUL outer with an umbilical cord cutout
• One additional set of snaps on the rise to give your newborn some extra growing room
• Inner pocket for extra absorbency, if desired
• Fits babies 6 to 16 pounds
• Retails for $18

Since the inner layers are made of organic cotton, I prepped this diaper like I would a prefold – with several hot washes. It took about six to reach full absorbency. To save energy, I prepped/washed it with my other diaper laundry, and then also a few times with my white loads (towels, underwear, socks, etc.).

What I Like:

• The AIO style is so convenient when you’re busy with a newborn; nothing to fold or stuff.
• It’s made in the USA.
• The organic cotton soakers are very soft and smooth.
• Drying time is normal since the soakers are not both sewn in the diaper.
• The umbilical cord cutout fit just right under Ingrid’s belly button.
• The second set of rise snaps allows your newborn to wear it longer.
• The leg elastics are very gentle while still fitting fairly snugly; for a baby with skinnier legs than Ingrid, the openings may not get small enough.
• The inserts stay put in the wash so you don’t have to re-attach them. To me, this helps the diaper truly live up to being an AIO.
• The $18.00 price tag is only a little bit higher than other newborn AIO’s with natural fibers, and Smart Bottoms is certified organic with a 1-year warranty.

What I Would Change:

• A hook and loop option for even quicker changes might be nice. Although I love snap diapers, velcro closure works great for squirmy, skinny little newborns.
• Another snap on the waistband so you can get the leg openings tighter for very skinny newborn legs.
• It takes many washes to prep this diaper.
• More absorbency was needed for Ingrid if she wore this diaper for over 2-3 hours. Fortunately, the inner pocket opening makes it easy to add a small doubler from your stash. Compared to a flat inside of a newborn cover, the Smart One is less absorbent, but this is usually the case with AIO diapers. They are convenient and easy to use, but you’ll sacrifice a little in terms of absorbency.

In addition to the 3 new colors, the Born Smart AIO is also available in Flamingo (pink), Bluebird (light blue), Duckling (pale yellow), Emerson (plaid print) and Ella (floral print). You can purchase online at Smart Bottoms or at participating retailers.