Zephyr Hill

A Family Blog

Glow Bug Pocket Diapers Review and Giveaway

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Glow Bugs came into being when two mothers designed a diaper that would be affordable, high-quality and easy to use. “Glow Bug” was one of their daughter’s nicknames; it also captures the image of a cloth diapered baby with a round, padded bottom. Cute as a bug!

Glow Bugs sent me two samples, an argyle pocket diaper from their boy collection and the pink and black cassette tapes print from the girl collection. I think the prints are fantastic and the squared off wings give these diapers a nice trim appearance:

These aren’t your typical pocket diapers; Sarah and Neta introduced an interesting feature this year – the 360 gusset. Instead of just an inner gusset that follows the inside edges of the diaper, Glow Bug’s 360 gusset is actually a closed oval shape that is designed to work even harder to keep messes and explosions inside the diaper. The inner “SlimDry” fleece lining is very purposely chosen because it is thin and smooth, which keeps the diaper as trim as possible. Here’s a photo comparison of the new gusset vs. the original:

If you compare an older style Glow Bug to the newer versions, you’ll also see there’s an added hip snap and the wings are cut a bit trimmer:

Glow Bug diapers are sold in bulk packages of 12 for $150; a free wet bag plus 18 snap-in inserts are also included. The cost breakdown equates to about $12.50 per diaper. Every season, Glow Fans anticipate the coming of new boy, girl and gender-neutral prints. These are one-size pockets with 3 different rise settings, hip snaps and cross-over snaps for very small babies; the suggested size range is from 7 to 35 pounds. Here’s a look at the largest and smallest settings:

The microfiber inserts can be snapped in after you stuff them into the pocket….or simply stuffed in.

One of the first questions I had for Glow Bugs (and one that you might have, too!) was “Why can’t I buy just one diaper?”

Offering bulk packages and significant price savings is at the heart of the Glow Bug business model. Sarah explained it to me this way: “We believe that it is much easier for the average consumer who is expecting a baby and who would like to start their newborn in cloth diapers to purchase everything they will need together in a bundle. We also took a page from our disposable diaper competitors who only sell in large packages.” And the Glow Bug concept has been nothing but successful; these two talented mothers have seen nothing but growth and this year reached over 14,000 Facebook fans!

Customers do have the chance to pick up individual Glow Bugs in the Facebook Co-Op group.

I had a chance to experience their service personally. All Glow Bugs are guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship for 180 days after purchase; the snaps carry a lifetime warranty. One of the hip snaps on my argyle diaper broke shortly after we started testing. I mailed the diaper back and was reimbursed fully for shipping costs. Glow Bugs promptly repaired and sent it back. Everything was done very quickly and very professionally, and all my questions were thoroughly answered. Our repaired diaper has been working great with no additional problems. Sarah and Neta explained that the isolated snap problem was due to an incorrect pressure setting on their press, which has now been resolved.

Glow Bug diapers are very well made. The fabric is of excellent quality, the prints are bright and clear, snap placement is even and the stitching is good and tight:

And now, let’s see how these diapers fit!

Here’s 18 pound/11 month old Erik:

And Susanna who is 2 years old:

How did the 360 gusset perform? Erik was a good candidate for testing because he’s trying a lot of new foods right now and so diaper changes are definitely more interesting these days. The back curve of the 360 gusset  has proved to be especially helpful in keeping messes from escaping out of the back of the diaper, however since that’s about the only place his messes tend to be, having the gusset run along the side and front hasn’t seemed to make a difference. It can be tricky getting #2 out of the leg seams, so Glow Bug has posted a video tutorial of how to spray or rinse the new gussets before laundering.

I’m completely happy with the fit as well. It looks equally cute and trim on all my children. Our Glow Bugs never sag or shift around. Five stars for ease of use, too! They are easy to wash and dry very quickly. I have very few pocket diapers in my stash because I don’t like stuffing and generally prefer natural fabrics to microfiber, but if you are a fan of this style, I can recommend Glow Bugs without hesitation.

 

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Diaper Safari One-Size Pocket Diaper Review

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A few weeks ago I introduced to you all the brand new one-size pockets at Diaper Safari, in 15 bright colors. This is a great addition to the line-up at Diaper Safari, where you’ll find the popular cloth diaper brands you love and free shipping on all orders to the continental U.S.

Thanks to Diaper Safari, we’ve been able to try out one of these great new diapers on Susanna and Samuel! We chose the gender-neutral green diaper called “peapod.” It included one standard-size microfiber insert made of 3 layers. Here are some photos to give you an idea of how it looks snapped up and down to different sizes, and how it fits on baby Susanna, who is about 14 months old:

Here’s how it fits on two-year-old Samuel:

 

And one more of Susanna:

If you already own some imported pocket diapers, the Diaper Safari design will be familiar to you. It seems to me that Diaper Safari has combined a lot of great pocket diaper features into one package.

What I love about the Diaper Safari pocket:

  • The fit is more generous than comparable pocket diapers in this price range. Samuel wears the largest setting with all the other pockets in our stash; not this one. The Diaper Safari pocket has one more row of snaps for him to use, so it really can fit 35+ pounds, as advertised. The flip side is that it might be too big or bulky for a 7 or 8 pound baby, but I won’t be able to comment on that aspect until I try it out on our new baby in January.
  • The price is very affordable at $13.95, and Diaper Safari has consistently been running promotions on their new product, including Facebook sales with deep discounts and even a Buy 1 Get 1 Free sale.
  • There is a pocket opening on the front and back, which means the wet/soiled inserts come out in the washing machine all by themselves.
  • The strip of waterproof PUL on the inside of the waistband provides extra protection against wicking/leaks – especially for tummy sleepers.
  • The standard microfiber insert that’s included is thick and very absorbent. We haven’t had any problems with leaks – and Samuel is a heavy wetter.
  • There are extra snaps on the waist to prevent wing droop and to adjust the leg openings.

What I would improve about the diaper:

  • My only suggestion would be great to have a newborn or small insert for little babies that you could buy for these diapers, as I can imagine the diaper being quite bulky when snapped to the smallest setting with the large insert bunched up inside.

And now……here are all the fun colors you get to choose from! My favorites are the green, the dark blue and the gray/steel color!!

If you’d like to get your hands on a few of these great new pocket diapers, here are the details: