It’s been a while since I reviewed a fitted diaper, but that doesn’t mean this style isn’t an important part of our cloth diapering routine. Besides the bamboo prefolds we often a use, a good fitted diaper is one of my top picks for night time and extended day wear.
BB Cloth sent two complimentary “Butterfly” fitted diapers for me to test out on 18-month-old Ingrid and 3-year-old Erik. Customers can choose from different snap colors (including plain white); we received aqua and crimson.
BB Cloth’s Butterfly Fitted is a multi-layer diaper made with cotton on the outside and organic bamboo inside. There are two soakers inside which are only partially sewn-in; they fold out to either side giving the diaper a butterfly-like appearance. The design is meant to help cut down the drying time and make the diaper easier to clean thoroughly.
This fitted diaper is one-size, and adjustable to fit from 10 to 35+ pounds. There are three rows of snaps on the rise, which equates to four different sizes. As you can see in the second picture (side view), this is a very plush and thick diaper.
I washed the diaper 3 times before day use and after 5 washes, tested at night.
Performance: Both the cotton and the bamboo are very soft and smooth fabrics, so this diaper feels really nice against the skin. And it’s super absorbent! Besides extended wearing during the day Ingrid and Erik have both worn this fitted all night on several occasions with no leaks. It’s worked great as is for us, with no doublers needed. However, I do like to add a fleece liner inside at night for a more comfortable stay-dry feeling.
Ingrid usually wears a footed sleeper to bed and they fit over the diaper just fine. Erik either wears maxaloones (cloth diaper pants with extra fabric in the fear) or sweatpants.
The drawback to a butterfly style is that the soakers are not only permanently attached, but also a fixed size and length. When fastened at the very shortest rise setting, the diaper is much bulkier on a small baby than it is on an older infant or toddler.
Care for this diaper like you would any other cotton or bamboo fabric, using a good detergent and avoiding fabric softeners. This multi-layered fitted takes a long time to dry, especially the thick elasticized fabric around the leg openings. To save energy, I dry for a full cycle and then drape it over a towel bar to air dry the rest of the way.
Fit/Sizing: With three snaps on the rise, the Butterfly Fitted offers a wide range of sizing options starting at around 10 pounds. It’s not designed to fit most babies at the newborn stage. But there are crossover snaps on the wings for smaller/thinner infants. Ingrid at 18 months and 22 pounds wears the diaper with just one rise snap fastened, what you might call the “large” setting.
Even when the diaper has been completely saturated, wings and all, it doesn’t leave red marks on my children. And although it is very plush, the wings have a trim profile and the crotch is fairly narrow.
You might notice that Ingrid (who is over a year old) is wearing the waist snaps at their smallest setting (excluding the crossover option which would be far too small). If she was a little bit thinner, I think this would put her in between sizes at the waistband.
At age 3 and about 30 pounds, Erik wears it completely unsnapped (what I would say equates to “extra large”). He’s slender and of average height and by 35 pounds will max out the rise, which is in line with BB Cloth’s estimates.
What diaper covers work well over this fitted? In my testing, full-coverage wraps like Flip, Sweet Pea, Diaper Safari and Imagine/Nicki’s paired well with the Butterfly Fitted. When using trimmer covers like Best Bottoms and Buttons, I had to loosen the rise and waist snaps beyond where Ingrid usually wears them to accommodate the thickness of the diaper.
Value: BB Cloth’s Butterfly Fitted retails for just $19.95, which is very reasonable for a plush fitted made of both cotton and bamboo. BB Cloth offers a 30 warranty against manufacturer defects. Customers having any issues beyond defects in workmanship are welcome to contact BB Cloth to troubleshoot.
You can buy directly from the BB Cloth website, and also find pockets, AI2 diapers and accessories like inserts, cloth diaper keychains and teething necklaces.
Giveaway CLOSED BB Cloth is giving away a one-size Butterfly Fitted in the gender-neutral “Snow” color. This giveaway is open to both US and Canadian residents. Good luck!
