nighttime cloth diapers

Nicki’s Overnight Training Pants Review & Giveaway

May 7, 2019 by Anne Marie 22 Comments

There are now two different styles of washable trainers from my affiliate, Nicki’s Diapers – the daytime pants (reviewed here) and now a new night time option!

Nicki’s Overnight Training Pants feature:

A waterproof outer
A built-in microfiber layer for absorbency
A fleece lining to keep your toddler feeling dry
A separate foldable 2-layer bamboo insert
A retail price of $14.00
Size options of Small (16-21 lbs), Medium (22-30 lbs), Large (30-38 lbs), and X-Large (34-45 lbs).

Performance: Right off the bat, there were a few things Katie and I liked about these trainers. The stretchy side panels, the stuffable pocket and the free insert. As a bonus, you and your child can pick from some really imaginative colors and prints.

For Roderick, Katie picked Tree Friends (above). I grabbed Compass Stone (below) for Mary Kate.

The pocket opening is unique because it opens at one side, instead of at front or back. The foldable bamboo insert is easy to tuck inside for nighttime.

Value: This is one of the best deals on the market when it comes to a reusable cloth trainer. For $14.00 you get something that works during the day and possibly at night, too. Plus, the foldable insert can be used for newborns or young babies; I found that it fit great in a newborn cover. Laid flat, it measures 11×14 and doesn’t shrink.

Click here to shop for Nicki’s Overnight Trainers for just $14.00!

Fit: With no insert, the fit is nice and trim, and the trainers go up and down easily. Add the bamboo insert and it’s definitely more puffy. But that was at nighttime when fit and aesthetics don’t matter as much. As is, the trainer only has one set of snaps at the sides/hips. We both felt it would be a nice improvement to have one additional waist setting for more flexibility and comfort.

Here are the two sizes we tried, side by side. As mentioned above, you can also buy Small and Medium. Judging from the fit on our two toddlers, I’m thinking that only very tiniest of learners would be using the size small.

Here’s Mary Kate (age 2) wearing size large. She’s 27 pounds right now. This is without the extra insert. I think the fit is really cute, and the contrasting side and front panels add some pizzazz.

When I stuff the extra insert inside, the fit gets pretty puffy and the trainer sags a bit on her rear, especially when she’s on the move or goes from sitting/squatting to standing, and back again.

At 3.5 years old and 35 pounds, Roderick fits well in size large, with the exception of the waist being a bit loose (that second set of snaps would be helpful). Without the insert, Katie reported that it held a full accident. Tucked in the pocket it worked for all but the heaviest night’s sleep for Roderick.

Katie liked the peace of mind you get with a stuffable trainer like this. Whether it’s those first days when accidents are frequent, or sitting on the couch for a long time watching a movie, it’s nice to have training pants with some extra absorbency.

Giveaway: One lucky reader will win two pairs of Nicki’s Overnight Trainers – choose your colors and prints! Open to US and Canadian residents. Thanks for playing!

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Nicki’s Overnight Bamboo Fitted Diaper Review & Giveaway

May 13, 2016 by Anne Marie 42 Comments

Nicki’s Diapers introduced a new Bamboo Overnight Fitted this year which will make a lot of budget-conscious families very happy. That’s because the prices are just $13.95 for one-size and $9.95 for newborns. Pretty amazing for a bamboo fitted, huh? Read on!

I purchased one of each to review and share with you. Nicki’s has offered a giveaway in conjunction with my review, which you find more details about below.

If I could describe this diaper with three words they would be: soft, thirsty and adorable. The 100% bamboo fibers are pure white terry and the edges are serged with rainbow threads. The leg gussets and the back waistband are ruffled, which is pretty cute.

There are 2 sets of snaps on the rise, which equals 3 size settings (small, medium and large). There are also 2 additional crossover snaps on the wings to allow the diaper to fit thin or small infants.

The diaper is absorbent on its own, since it’s made of 3 layers of bamboo, but it also includes a 5-layer bamboo soaker which attaches with 2 snaps at the back.

The newborn size is almost exactly alike, but smaller. The waistband can be snapped down in the middle to accommodate the umbilical cord stump. However, there are less waistband snaps overall and no crossovers. Inside, you’ll find the same snap-in soaker, in miniature.

To shorten the rise of the newborn diaper for a really tiny baby you can fasten the wings to the row of colored snaps across the middle of the diaper, as seen in the top left photo below. The bottom picture shows one-size and newborn side by side.

Here’s a profile of the one-size diaper with insert included:

Performance: With or without the soaker, this fitted makes a great day time diaper. Erik and Ingrid, both average wetters, have worn it overnight (I use an extra doubler with him because he’s 3). I like to use a fleece liner with it overnight because the diaper will get saturated all over.

The soaker has stayed attached about half the time during laundering and drying, but when they get separated it’s easy to match them up out of the dryer because of the rainbow threads. Drying time averages about 1 and a quarter cycles on medium heat after being washed in an HE top loader (which gets a lot of water out). If using a traditional top loader, I would estimate drying time to be longer.

I prepped the diaper by washing it twice with our stash before first use. After prepping, you may notice some tiny fringes of thread around the edges of the diaper; this is normal.

The bamboo fabric does stain easily.

Fit: Bamboo is fairly trim, and one of the first things I noticed with this diaper is that even with the soaker folded under at the front to fit a smaller baby, it’s not that bulky. The fabric drapes nicely and is very flexible, so it fits snugly get comfortably against the body. When it’s saturated, bamboo isn’t stiff (although with long-term use and a lot of washing, bamboo will eventually lose some of its softness).

The wings on this diaper are very stretchy; Ingrid can actually wear it with the first crossover snap fastened if I really want the diaper to fit snugly. Usually, though, she wears it on the snap that comes just before the crossovers. Getting a perfect fit at the waist is not as crucial for me with a fitted diaper because the cover that you put on top holds the diaper in place. TIP: If you do find your baby in between sizes at the waist, or you can’t get it snug enough, use a Snappi or Boingo to hold it closed and leave the snaps undone.

Compared to other fitteds, I find the Nicki’s version to be very versatile when it comes to sizing and absorbency. For instance, if you’re diapering a very small baby and just need an average amount of absorbency, you can leave the soaker out altogether and use the diaper all by itself on the small setting for an extremely trim day diaper. And then at the very other end of the spectrum, the diaper on its largest setting with the soaker attached can function as a night diaper for toddlers and older infants. It’s also stretchy and roomy enough to add an additional doubler from your existing collection.

Which covers will work best? I tried 10 different one-size diaper covers over this fitted and found that Imagine, Sweet Pea, Blueberry Coveralls and Nicki’s Diapers (the one size and the pull-on pants) gave the best coverage. Flip, Buttons, Best Bottoms, Kawaii and our GroVia and Funky Fluff shells were not quite big enough for my liking. This diaper is narrow through the crotch, so where your cover really needs to fit is up and over the hips to fully contain the wings, which are wide. Here are some pictures of the diaper on 3-year-old Erik with a Nicki’s one-size cover on top.

Here’s Erik in just the diaper. You can see how the diaper is contoured in the front to make it fit better between the legs.

Ingrid at 22 months:

And my nephew, Roderick, who’s 6 months and already 20 pounds! He has very chubby legs but that’s no problem thanks to the stretchiness of the bamboo fabric.

Value: The price just can’t be beat; I don’t think there is another brand name bamboo fitted on the market for under $14. It’s a well made diaper that has lived up to its promises, fits great and looks super cute. Plus, with every Nicki’s brand diaper you buy, 1 is donated to charity via the Buy 1 Give 1 promotion.

The Nicki’s Bamboo Overnight fitted diaper is only available from Nicki’s Diapers and is not sold anywhere else. The one-size version sold quickly, but newborn is still availble; look for a restock soon.

Giveaway: CLOSED Nicki’s is giving away a bamboo fitted to one lucky Zephyr Hill reader! This promo is open to US and Canadian residents. Good luck and let me know if you have a question that wasn’t covered in the review!

Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold Review

July 17, 2012 by Anne Marie 10 Comments

Have you ever seen the Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefolds advertised and wondered what they are like, and if they are worth the money? Here’s the scoop on these really neat prefolds, and some pictures to help you get an idea of what they look like and how well they can fit into any diapering system.

The drawing on the front of the package gives you a good idea of how the Duo Hemp Prefold is made. Each hemp/cotton panel is made of 2 layers and they are sewn together only at one end to allow for air flow and a quicker drying time.

This photo gives you an even better idea of how they are constructed. I’ve draped it over my arm so you can see how it’s sewn in the shape of a tube:

When I laid it out I realized it’s not really a “prefold” in the traditional sense because there aren’t any extra layers sewn into the middle. But just like a regular prefold, you still have to fold a Thirsties Duo Hemp. And, of course, you can use it in all the same ways that you would a standard cotton prefold.

Here’s a close-up to show you the folding lines which are stitched in:

One of the greatest things about the Duo Hemp Prefolds is how TRIM they are compared to a bulky cotton prefold. Even better, they are 25% more absorbent than cotton alone. Because of this fact, they’ve served us well as both daytime and nighttime diapers. For really long nights I can stick a thin microfiber insert under my Duo Hemp Prefold and Susanna and Samuel will wake up dry, guaranteed.

Other things I really love about the Duo Hemp Prefold:

The hemp jersey material is buttery soft and smooth, kind of like an old t-shirt. I love the way the material feels and it stays soft after washing and fluffing in the dryer.
Hemp is naturally antimicrobial
Duo Hemp Prefolds are made in the USA
Because the Duo Hemp Prefolds have 2 fabric panels that are separate from each other, they clean more thoroughly and dry more quickly than cotton prefolds which can have as many as 8 layers in the middle.
You can choose from two sizes – 1 and 2

Here are the only drawbacks I’ve noticed:

Hemp stains more easily compared to some other fabrics, but it’s nothing I haven’t been able to treat or sun out.
The price of each Duo Hemp Prefold is $7.75 (updated 9/20/13), which many prefold moms might initially balk at. However, I think it’s worth it for the extra features. Besides, the price is actually comparable to other hemp trifold inserts on the market which generally sell for between $5.00 to $8.00 each. Hemp is, quite simply, a more expensive and higher quality fabric, so you get what you pay for. And you can always search for them used on diaper swap sites to save money.

Hemp is also supposed to be more durable than cotton, so I’m eager to see how mine hold up because I’m into cloth diapering for the long haul and have 2 in cloth right now.

Last of all, I wanted to show you the two ways I’ve used my Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefolds.

Laid inside a PUL cover (this is a Flip):

Or stuffed inside a pocket diaper (this is an Oh Katy):

Where to Buy
If you would like to try a Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold in your stash, you can find them at my affiliates, Nicki’s Diapers, Kelly’s Closet and The Green Nursery!