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.