Zephyr Hill

A Family Blog

Best Bottom Heavy Wetter AIO Diaper Review

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The introduction of Best Bottom Diapers’ Heavy Wetter All-in-One is big news this spring for fans of what has been limited so far to a simple All-in-Two system. The new Heavy Wetter AIO looks a lot like a regular Best Bottom diaper on the outside but is distinctly different when opened up.

Nicki’s Diapers sent a complimentary All-in-One for Katie and me to review with our children, ages 5 months, 19 months and 2. With a name like “Heavy Wetter All-in-One,” we were expecting a lot in terms of absorbency. What we didn’t foresee was the trim profile of this highly absorbent diaper!

The Best Bottom Heavy Wetter AIO has a waterproof outer and is lined with two layers of bamboo viscose. There’s a detachable 6-layer bamboo insert with a fleece topper. That gives you 8 absorbent layers plus a stay dry effect. The insert measures 4.25 x 13.5 inches.

Size range is 10 to 40 pounds and you can adjust the rise 4 different ways.

The snaps inside of the shell serve different functions. The two which are side-by-side at the very back secure the insert to the shell. You can fasten the other end of the to the front snap, if you like. And then there’s a “hidden snap” sewn onto the white bamboo inner, which you can use with existing Best Bottom inserts.

The Best Bottom Heavy Wetter AIO Diaper has a lot of other attractive features:

  • Doublet gussets at the legs
  • Waterproof PUL strips at front and back of diaper to guard against leaks
  • Waterproof PUL at the leg openings to guard against leaks
  • Made in the USA
  • Available in all currently sold Best Bottom prints/colors (11 right now)

Here is the new AIO next to an original Best Bottom diaper, to give you an idea of the size difference. The AIO is slightly bigger overall and has longer wings.

Fit: The Heavy Wetter size range is 10 to 40 pounds. As mentioned above, it’s a bit larger than the original shells; in size it’s closer to the new Bigger Best Bottom shells. Notwithstanding its larger size and great absorbency, however, it gets high marks on trimness from both Katie and me. We both like the longer wings, too! There’s room to grow for both of our toddlers, but it does get small enough for 5-month-old Mary Kate, too.

Mary Kate is 5 months and almost 14 pounds. You can easily see from the way it fits on her now that it should easily work on a younger/smaller baby because of the crossover snaps and the fact that the rise is not snapped up to its very smallest setting.

Roderick is 19 months old.

Ingrid is 2.5 years old. She can wear it either completely unsnapped, or snapped up just once. I prefer the latter, because it looks trimmer and there’s no extra fabric sagging down, but it does make the diaper sit much lower on her.

Performance: We were both really happy with the absorbency of this diaper. Both of our toddlers wore it through a nap, and Katie tested it successfully overnight on 19-month-old Roderick with 1 extra insert (she used the hidden snap inside to attach the 2nd insert). Baby Mary Kate gets 5+ hours out of this diaper as is (no extra inserts). And since this is a diaper your baby will likely be wearing for longer periods of time, the “stay dry” fleece topper on the insert is a great feature.

Care: Because of its design, this AIO can be washed and dried with everything attached (if you like). The insert stayed fastened in the wash every time. I really like this feature because it saves me from having to hunt for inserts and match them up with their respective diapers on laundry day. Another plus? Let’s say the insert needs a deep cleaning or stripping. Because it can be detached and cleaned separately, that saves unnecessary wash wear on the shell. Dry time for both Kate and me was average/fair after washing in an HE machine.

Prior to first use, wash your Best Bottom Heavy Wetter AIO with detergent at least 3 times.

There was only one drawbacks that Katie and I noted for this diaper. The $29 price tag might be hard for some to absorb, especially if they needed to buy a few. However, if you need just 1 or 2 reliable diapers for a heavy wetter (day or night), then this price is comparable to other super-absorbent AIO’s and fitteds on the market. Additionally, if you think about the cost of one original Best Bottoms shell ($18.95), plus a pair of inserts, you may actually save a few dollars with the Heavy Wetter AIO. Plus, your baby will get to wear it longer since the size range is extended. Whatever you decide, it’s nice to have several options now with the Best Bottom system (AIO, AI2 or just covers).

Where to Buy: You can find the new Best Bottom Heavy Wetter AIO with free shipping over $10 at Nicki’s.

I’d love to know your thoughts on the new Best Bottom AIO diaper! If you have questions, please post those, too.

 

 

 

 

Easy Peasies Pocket Diaper Review & Giveaway

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Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to try many “Made in Canada” cloth diapers and accessories; now we can add Easy Peasies to the list. I purchased one of their pocket diapers for Mary Kate (4 months) and Ingrid (2.5 years) and Roderick (18 months) to try, and Easy Peasies offered to send complimentary inserts to facilitate the review. After reading this post, you can enter the giveaway at the very bottom!

Easy Peasies diapers are Canadian made and can be found at retailers like Cozy Bums, or directly from the Easy Peasies website.

  • Pocket shells are $18.99 CA ($14.19 USD)
  • Hemp terry trifold is $11.50 CA ($8.60 USD)
  • Bamboo fleece trifold is $11.50 CA ($8.60 USD)

The size range of Easy Peasies is estimated at 6 to 40 pounds; the rise can be snapped up or down at 4 different settings. The crossover snaps on the left wing can be used to get a really small fit, and the extra hip snap on both wings can be fastened to prevent sagging.

There are ruffled elastics around the leg openings and back, a plush fleece-lined interior and a pocket opening at the rear. There’s also an elasticized inner channel of the same white fleece that helps keep #2 messes contained.

We received one bamboo fleece insert and one hemp.

The bamboo insert is soft and fleecy. It’s shorter and almost square at 12.755 x 13 inches (after prepping). The 3-layer hemp terry has a nubbier texture that’s not quite as soft, and it measures 13.50 x 14 after washing.

Each insert can be folded different ways – in halves, thirds or even fourths.

Fit: The ruffled legs and back are really cute, and even with the insert folded in thirds, Katie and I found the diaper to be very trim. The crotch is also narrower than some of our other diapers, making Easy Peasies comfortable for your baby and also fairly easy for you to stuff. Katie was actually able to double up the inserts and stuff them both into the pocket and still get a good (but bulkier) fit on Roderick.

Easy Peasies wings are long and stretchy, and the double snaps allow you to independently adjust the waist and leg settings.

The size range is very generous, meaning that this diaper gets very small (could potentially work for a newborn) and also fits great on older toddlers. There’s room to grow in the waist and legs for both Roderick and Ingrid (18 months and 2.5 years).

Mary Kate is 4 months old, and just over 13 pounds.

Roderick is 18 months and 27 pounds. In the picture, you can see how Katie has angled the snaps to get a customized fit at both the waist and legs. We both like the double snaps a lot for this reason. As mentioned above, sometimes the waist needs to be tighter than the legs – or vice versa.

Ingrid is 2.5 years old and also about 27 pounds.

Performance: Roderick wetting up front is to be expected (since he’s a boy), but my Ingrid does as well. So both of us like that the Easy Peasies pocket opens up at the back. The inner fleece channel works great for little Mary Kate’s looser stools (she’s exclusively breastfed), but isn’t a game-changer for either of the toddlers.

Since the Easy Peasies pocket is not designed to be an overnight diaper, we did not test for that. As to daytime absorbency, I would rate it as fair to good, depending on your child’s output. Ingrid is able to wear the diaper with either a hemp or bamboo trifold and gets about 1-2 hours out of it; And since the Easy Peasies pocket is so trim, it’s very easy to stuff an extra doubler in there from my stash too boost the absorbency and make it nap-worthy for her. Roderick is a heavier wetter and it can’t hold him for quite as long. Mary Kate, at 4 months old, can get 3-4 hours out of the bamboo insert. For some reason, both Katie and I noticed leaks from the leg openings after just an hour or so when we used the hemp insert.

Care: Easy Peasies pocket shells and 3-layer inserts are an easy to care for system. The pocket helps keep inserts shielded from stains, and the white fleece itself is very forgiving. Dry time for the shells is quick, and the inserts take about one cycle, which is not always the case with hemp and bamboo.

Before using the inserts, I washed 4 times to prep. During testing, they were washed another 4 times, so the hemp was definitely at full absorbency.

Value: Easy Peasies are not just cute and trim, they are also made with quality materials in Canada. The bright and imaginative colors and prints are gorgeous. At about $23 US dollars ($30.49 Canadian) for a complete diaper and insert, they are comparable in price to other Canadian pockets in this style. Additionally, Easy Peasies’ trifold inserts are very versatile; you can use them with any of your pocket diapers, AI2’s or regular diaper covers. When your baby is potty trained, they can function as car seat pads, clean-up rags or dusters.

The Easy Peasies warranty covers snaps for 18 months, the PUL for 12 months, elastic for 60 days and inserts for 30 days (full details here).

Where to Buy Easy Peasies

You can shop directly at the Easy Peasies site or at
Canadian retailers like Cozy Bums

Giveaway: Easy Peasies has offered to give one lucky reader a $20 gift card to spend at their website. This giveaway is open to both US and Canadian residents. Use the entry form below for the giveaway. Good luck!

“Bigger” Best Bottom Diaper Review & Giveaway

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This post contains affiliate links.

There are more and more options these days for bigger babies and toddlers in cloth. Best Bottom just introduced the Bigger cover, and I purchased one for Katie and me from Nicki’s Diapers to try on our toddlers. This larger size shell offers a roomier fit with 1.5 more inches in the waist and 1 more inch of rise height.

Besides the extended sizing, it’s the same design as the original Best Bottom diaper, is compatible with all the Best Bottom inserts, and is made in the USA. The new Bigger Best Bottom diapers were designed with 10 to 45+ pound babies in mind.

Size large inserts are the biggest ones you can buy right now; I wonder if Best Bottom will eventually add Extra Large, with this new Bigger cover in mind. Our large insert works ok right now, but when I stretch the cover over Ingrid and fasten it on, the insert pulls back a bit, leaving some empty space up front. For a tummy sleeper like Ingrid, I like to add more absorbency up there when using this Bigger cover.

Katie loves the way the Bigger Best Bottom fits on 18-month-old (27 pounds) Roderick. “Just how I’ve always dreamed a cover would fit!” She used it with a stay-dry large, just like I did for Ingrid, and added a microfiber doubler for nap time. Because of the longer wings, Katie said, “I can get a much better fit around the waist with this cover than I did my my original Best Bottom. Along with the improved fit, I love how trim it is on Roderick.”

She had no leaks with Roderick and is happy that there is room for him to grow both in the waist and the rise.Here’s Ingrid, 2.5 years old and 28 pounds. She wears the rise fully opened up and there’s still plenty of room to grow in the waist.

I agree with Katie completely about the fit on toddlers, and like that it’s more trim and has longer wings. Here’s Ingrid with the original on the left and the Bigger on the right, for visual comparison.

Where to Buy: You can find Bigger Best Bottom covers at Nicki’s Diapers and other US retailers like Diaper Junction and Kelly’s Closet. In Canada, I highly recommend Cozy Bums. This style is available in about 9 prints/colors right now, but going forward, all new Best Bottom releases will be made in both one-size and Bigger.

Giveaway: Winner chooses a Bigger Best Bottom or the original one-size, and from in-stock colors at Nicki’s. Open to US and Canadian residents. Good luck!

 

 

 

Buttons Super Cover and Bamboo Inserts Review & Giveaway

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We first tried Buttons Diapers four years ago and they’ve been in our rotation ever since. Buttons is a simple AI2 system that consists of waterproof covers and snap-in soaker pads. Buttons is constantly innovating and updating to meet customer needs, and 2017 brought two VERY exciting additions: a newborn cover and a Super cover for older/bigger babies and toddlers. Buttons sent a complimentary Super cover for 2-year-old Ingrid and 17 month old Roderick (my nephew). We also received the new bamboo/cotton inserts to try out. The Super cover is designed to fit babies from 12 to 40+ pounds.

Here’s a photo comparison to show the 3 sizes of covers that Buttons now offers. The newborn and Super covers have double snaps on the wings:

Buttons covers are made of two layers of very soft but sturdy waterproof PUL fabric, and have a wipeable interior, double leg gussets and inside flaps (a new feature not found on the one-size version). There are 3 size settings on the rise, giving older babies and toddlers more than enough room to grow. This cute print is called Bloom:

The new style of inserts are 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton. Unlike other Buttons inserts, they do not have the stay-dry fleece layer on top. Choose from among small, large and XL sizes. The night inserts are made to snap onto the back of the day inserts, and then snap into the cover as well (i.e. they have snaps on both sides).

Daytime inserts are made of 5 layers of absorbent 70% bamboo & 30% organic cotton. Nighttime doublers are also 5 layers of fabric. They come in packs of 2 starting at $12.50.

– Small inserts fit babies from 7-15 lbs (inserts are 11″ in length)
– Large inserts fit babies from 20-25 lbs (inserts are 13″ in length)
– X-Large inserts fit babies from 25-40 lbs (inserts are 15″ in length)

While there are many options in the Buttons system now (3 sizes of covers, multiple sizes and fabrics for inserts), using them is really easy because you snap an insert (or two) in, and then snap the diaper onto your baby.

In my prior reviews, I mentioned that Buttons one-size covers run small overall. It’s great to see this larger cover for big babies and toddlers!

Here’s 17-month-old Roderick. Katie liked that with just 1 insert in, she can use at the next-to-largest setting, meaning Roderick still has growing room, even with his chunky legs.

And 2.5 old Ingrid, who is a small toddler. She’s wearing the diaper with day+night inserts snapped together:

Fit: With one insert snapped inside, Katie got a good, snug fit on Roderick around the waist and legs. With two inserts, the cover was not as snug but still performed well in terms of absorbency. On Ingrid, it fits equally well and I didn’t have any issues with it not fitting snugly enough when both inserts were used together. When utilizing both, the diaper will obviously be much bulkier, but absorbency is steller! Ingrid goes all night with the 2 insert combo, which is great because she’s potty training in the day time but not staying dry at night. The pads are very thick and I asked if wearing both together bothered her and she had no complaints at all.

Performance:   Neither Katie nor I had any leaks with the new Super cover and bamboo inserts. The inserts are very thick, sturdy and soft. The serged edges do curl up in places and shrink a little after prepping (you can see this in the photo above). They are stiff if you line or flat dry, so Katie and I both preferred drying on low. At that setting, they took about 2 full dryer cycles, so the long time is a drawback. That being said, they are super absorbent and neither Katie nor I had to deal with any leaks while testing on our toddlers.

Value: The new Super cover starts at $13.50, a very affordable price tag for a versatile and reliable cover (that also happens to be available in some adorable prints and colors!). You can shop Buttons at their online store, and at various cloth diaper retailers.

Giveaway: One Zephyr Hill reader will win a $25 store credit to Buttons Diapers! This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents. Good luck and thanks for reading about our experiences!

 

 

 

Lighthouse AIO Diaper Review and Giveaway

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Are your curious about Lighthouse diapers, just released this year? I happened upon the Lighthouse All-in-One diaper by chance, while browsing GreenPath Baby’s online store. The artistic flair of these coastal-inspired prints grabbed my attention, and I decided to spring for one after reading about the unique features inside. Today’s review post also features a giveaway for one of these beautiful diapers!

First, a brief introduction. This newly released diaper is the creative brainchild of Vanessa Tomchick, owner of GreenPath Baby in Florida. Life in Palm Beach, and the historic Jupiter Lighthouse, inspired the company name and lovely prints.

I reviewed the Flock print, which is covered with pink flamingos. The Lighthouse AIO has 3 sets of snaps on the rise, which gives you 4 different size settings. I would label them as XS, small, medium and large.

Take a look at the inside, which was very purposefully designed. The soaker is sewn to the back of the diaper only, and opens up completely flat. It’s made of several layers of a thick and silky bamboo knit (70% bamboo/30% cotton). The reverse side is topped with white fleece; this means that folded one way you get a “stay dry” feel, and folded the other way (bamboo facing up) your child can feel wetness. The soaker has a line sewn down the middle to make it easy to fold.

Both sides of the soaker have a wonderful feel – the cozy fleece and the soft, squishy bamboo knit.

It also includes an extra (small) insert of the same bamboo/cotton knit fabric.

The small insert measures 3.75″ x 7.75″ after prepping. The attached insert, when folded in half, is about 12 inches long and 5 inches across.

One of my favorite fabrics lines the inside of this diaper – athletic wicking jersey. It’s soft, pliable and doesn’t hold onto stains. a breathable fabric like this is obviously very ideal for diapering.

There’s also a waterproof strip of PUL fabric along the inside front of the waistband to guard against leakage.

Using the diaper is easy: just fold the insert in half, with either the fleece or the bamboo side facing up (your choice).

If you want to take a quick look inside this diaper, via You Tube, here’s the video:

Care: It’s easy to get started with the Lighthouse AIO because after one wash to prep, you’re good to go. The white fleece side and the athletic jersey lining are both good at releasing stains. The diaper dries in about one cycle, thanks to the fold-out design.

Fit: With double snaps on the wings, you can adjust them separately, if needed, to get a great fit at both the waist and legs. The diaper shell is soft and stretchy and pliable, which I really love. It’s not the trimmest diaper I’ve tried, but neither is it super bulky. It’s kind of in between.

Here’s how it fits on Mary Kate at 3 months and 11 pounds. The diaper can still get smaller than this because there are crossover snaps on the waistband. Using the crossover snaps will in turn tighten up the leg openings, making this a great potential newborn diaper. The flip side is this diaper runs smaller overall than other “one size” AIO’s in our collection. If you’re baby is tall or much bigger than his peers, it will probably not fit until potty training.

The drawback is with the insert being one size and permanently attached, it will be quite bulky when you fold it under to fit a very small baby. Also, with 2 rows of snaps across the rise instead of 3, the fabric tends to pucker out in the middle (see photo below, top right).

UPDATE: Lighthouse has now added a 3rd row of snaps to fix this issue!

Here’s Ingrid at 2 and half years old. She’s small for her age and the rise is already low enough, so this diaper would likely be too small for a taller toddler.

When using the diaper on the largest rise setting, as I did here for Ingrid, I notice that the insert doesn’t fill the front of the diaper. Folded in half, it’s about 12 inches long, whereas a typical large insert or prefold diaper might be 14 or 15 inches long. So this is a drawback that you will always have with an attached insert of a fixed size. One thing you can do to mitigate this somewhat is to stick that little bonus insert up front to cover that empty space and add a bit more absorbency.

Performance: The absorbency of our Lighthouse diaper is great! My toddler can wear it through a nap with the extra insert placed up front, as mentioned above. Mary Kate (3 months) wore it for 6 hours as is, without the extra booster. Neither can wear it overnight, but this is not generally expected with an AIO diaper.

The attached insert shrinks a little bit unevenly around the edges after prepping because it’s made of a blend of synthetic and natural fibers.

This is such a new diaper that it’s only been released in 3 prints so far, but my goodness – they are cute! Besides Flock and Dance of the Manatee (below), there’s also Jupiter Song (below). 

Where to Buy:
Shop Lighthouse Diapers at these affiliates:

Dearest Diapers
GreenPath Baby
Fluff & Familia
Diaper Junction
Nicki’s Diapers
Mom’s Milk Boutique (use this link for 10% off!)
Kelly’s Closet
Lagoon Baby (Canada)
or at Lighthouse Kids Company

Each diaper is $20.99, with prints being a little bit more. Five percent of net profits are given monthly to Hannah’s Home of South Florida, a local ministry providing biblical, loving support to women during and after pregnancy.

There’s also a Lighthouse Facebook group.

Giveaway: One reader (US only) will win the Dance of the Manatee Lighthouse diaper. Enter the giveaway below. Good luck!