Zephyr Hill

A Family Blog

How to Find the Best Cloth Diapers for Your Baby

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Have you heard about the benefits of cloth diapering and want to get started right away? That’s great news because you’ll save a lot of money over the years and you’ll be investing in a collection of diapers that aren’t just more comfortable and healthy (and cute), but an investment into the future. You can use for your next baby, or resell later on.

Now, there are just a few basic questions you need to answer before buying your baby’s first reusable diapers. So before you pull out your wallet, use these tips to help make a good decision.

What Features Are Important to Me?

Convenience: If your baby or toddler will be with a caregiver most of the day, or you just want something super simple, it’s best to choose a style like the All-in-One Cloth Diaper for convenience and user-friendliness. People often say they’re a lot like the cloth version of a disposable because the absorbency is all sewn in and you just pop the diaper on your baby. That’s all there is to it!

Because they make diapering SO much easier, All-in-One (AIO) diapers do cost more than others. But the good news is you can find them at GREAT prices and get free shipping to boot – be sure to check my shopping lists at the end of this post.

Nothing easier than an All in One!

Best for a Budget: Prefolds or flats inside of a waterproof cover are cheap and easy to wash 2-part system. The foldable diapers start at just $1.50 or so each, and you can get started with a dozen of them plus a few good waterproof covers.

Covers and prefolds – old school and affordable!

Something Versatile: The “All-in-Two” system of diapers is a newer invention; it’s sort of in between an All in One and the cover/prefold combo. The All-in-Two diaper does use a cover, but you snap in pads instead of having to fold up a flat or prefold. It’s quicker, but still very customizable in terms of size and absorbency. If you have a tiny baby, buy tiny pads; if you’re diapering a toddler, choose the extra large, extra long pads. My two favorite All-in-Two (AI2) systems are Best Bottom and Lalabye Baby (both sold at Nicki’s Diapers).

The AI2 diaper delivers a slim, customizable fit.

Special Sizing Options: What if you’re diapering a tiny newborn or an older toddler? Sometimes the typical “one size” diaper, which adjusts from 8 to 35 pounds, just isn’t going to work. Or maybe you’re looking for re-usable trainers?

I highly suggest at least a small newborn collection of diapers! If your baby potty trains late or is big/tall for his age, you might need some toddler size (XL) diapers at the other end. Nicki’s has a lot of options for toddlers, with brands such as Imagine and Best Bottom and GroVia.

Wink Diapers also has really cute training pants that snap at the sides; use my coupon code (below) to get 20% off your purchase!

Nicki’s has XL pocket diapers and trainers for toddlers!

Fabric Options: Cotton is the cheapest and easiest to clean. Hemp is the most dense and absorbent but takes a long time to dry. Bamboo is sort of in between the two and is also extremely soft and silky. Some cloth diapering brands will combine fabrics to get the best of both worlds; they might offer prefolds that are a cotton/bamboo blend, meaning they are absorbent but not too dense.

Some babies are very sensitive to certain fabrics; others have no problems. If you find that your baby reacts to synthetics (like microfiber or microfleece), then opt for cotton or hemp diapers. Conversely, babies that break into skin rashes if they get too wet might actually benefit from diapers lined with microfleece, which has a stay-dry, wicking effect.

Time will tell you what works best!

What Can I Afford?

Although there are many benefits to using cloth, the majority of families do it to save money, as this survey and this survey illustrate. But you have to make an upfront purchase to get started with cloth (usually $50-$100 or more), so it makes sense that parents want budget-friendly options. Here’s short list of affordable brands we’ve tried and can highly recommend:

Diaper Covers for $8 to $13 Each:

Flat Diapers and Prefolds starting at $1.58 each:

  • Nicki’s Diapers has a huge selection of premium but affordable flat diapers and prefolds in various styles and fabrics, including bamboo and cotton and hemp.
  • For standard quality cotton prefolds and flats check out Cotton Babies where they start at just $1.58!

Pocket Diapers for $9 to $16 Each:

All-in-One Diapers for $10 to $17 Each:

More ways to save money:

  • Get 10% off at Dearest Diapers using this link
  • Get 20% off at Wink Diapers using code ZEPHYR20
  • Get free shipping on orders over $10 at Nicki’s Diapers

Extra Perks:

If these things are important to you, consider supporting these companies!

Made in the USA: These diapers are made in America!

Charitable Giving: Nicki’s Diapers gives 1 diaper to a family in need for every Nicki’s brand diaper you purchase. Lil’ Helper’s Baby do Better Program offers a significant discount on diapers to needy families.  Lighthouse diapers, sold at Nicki’s and Dearest Diapers, gives 5% of net profits to a local ministry that supports women during and after pregnancy.

Extended Warranty: In this post, you can find a list of the best cloth diaper warranties in the industry.

Happy shopping and please feel free to leave comments/questions below!

Do Prefolds Cost Less Than Pocket Diapers?

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First of all, this is not a prefolds vs. pockets post. I like and use them both (and prefolds make up most of my stash). My focus today is on mathematics.

What got me curious are some comments I found floating around on blog posts and forums which sounded something like this:

“I like the sized prefolds; it’s still cheaper than any pocket system.”
“We use prefolds with our daughter…….It is expensive to get started with the newer types of cloth diapers.”
“It’s cheaper to replace a cover than it is to replace an entire pocket diaper.”
“There are times I feel guilty that I didn’t go more of the prefold/cover or fitted/cover route because it would have been cheaper…” 

There seems to be an unwritten understanding out there that if you want to cloth diaper cheaply, then the only choice is flats/prefolds and covers. But is it really cheaper than choosing pocket diapers? Well, here are the start-up costs for 5 comparable systems, utilizing Kelly’s Closet (among others) as a price source source. I used Alva and Sunbaby in my calculations because these are highly popular, low-cost, recognized imports with a track record of good customer service and ethical labor practices. I used Econobum covers in my prefold and flat calculations in the interest of equity since it happens to be one of the lowest-price “one size” covers on the market. Yes, there are more expensive pockets out there AND more expensive covers, too.

Ok, here’s what I came up with:

  • 24 Alva diapers with 24 inserts through a co-op or Ebay = $72.00 (about $3.00 per diaper – sometimes you can actually find them for less than this!)
  • 24 “Flour Sack Towel” flats (Target, Walmart, etc.) with 6 Econobum covers = $77.70 ($1.00 per flat and $8.95 per cover)
  • 24 Cotton Babies birdseye flats with 6 Econobum OS covers = $91.70 ($1.58 per flat and $8.95 per cover)
  • 24 Cotton Babies infant Indian prefolds with 6 Econobum OS covers = $95.70 ($1.75 per prefold and $8.95 per cover)
  • 24 Size 1 Sunbaby diapers with 24 inserts = $108.00 (about $4.50 per diaper)

IMPORTANT: These are just start-up costs. And I used a ONE SIZE cover in my flat/prefold calculations. Many mothers prefer SIZED covers with brands like Thirsties and Bummis being very popular. Those will actually run you $10 to $13 each, which would raise the cost even more. Most babies also need SIZED prefolds; rare is the baby who can wear the same prefolds from birth to potty training. Moms who pocket diaper might also need something else for the newborn phase, too.

It looks like imported pockets can actually be cheaper than a stash of prefolds or even flats. You can even buy 2 brand new pocket diapers (with inserts) for the price of one waterproof cover.

It’s easy to see why imported pockets are flooding the market and encouraging mothers on tight budgets to take the cloth diaper plunge. Interestingly, for the second year in a row, the Cloth Diaper Survey has revealed that pockets are still the most popular style of diapering system.

Whatever choice is ultimately made, I’m just happy that there are lots of different “budget-friendly” cloth diapering options out there – this encourages more families to get on board! And Kelly’s Closet is just one of the places that you can get pretty much everything you need, whatever type of system you start out with. If you aren’t part of a co-op or want to try another economical pocket besides Sunbaby or Alva, Kelly’s Closet does carry Kawaii diapers for just $10.95 each.

I’d LOVE to know how your family has managed to cloth diaper for very little money – please share your stories in a comment below.