Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Fitted Diapers

Remember, fitted diapers go on like a sposie. They usually have either snaps or velcro closures, and elastic around the waist and thighs. Fitted diapers require a cover. Here are the ones I've used.

Kissaluvs Fitteds (KL): 2 thumbs up!

Some of my best-loved fitteds! I have used both the size 0 and the size 1 on Miss R. KLs are a wonderful soft sherpa fleece diaper and are super absorbent. The KLOs are extremely adjustable in size, so I was always able to get a snug but comfortable fit around the belly and thighs. Miss R wore them from the day she came home from the hospital until she outgrew the rise at around 3 or 4 months. Even at that time, I could still snap a comfortable fit for her tummy and thighs, but the rise was just too short to provide reliable protection. She's now in KL1s and I really like them. At 6 months, she can wear a KL1 for about 1.5 hours while she's awake and playing before she needs a change. Because the sherpa fleece doesn't wick moisture away from the skin, providing that "stay dry feeling," I don't use these for naps or long car rides. The prices on these have gone up just since Miss R was born. They now cost around $11 for unbleached and $13 for colors. I think they're a great value for the money.

MonkeyBuns Deluxe Fitteds: 2 thumbs way up!

These might be my favorite diapers. I happened across these wonderful WAHM diapers on Ebay and fell in love with the prints and colors she offered. The prices blew me away and I took a chance. Oh. My. Goodness. So soft, so cute, and SO absorbent. One of the things I love about MonkeyBuns is how wonderful Elissa is to work with. Not only is she friendly and fast, but she also offers tons of adorable prints and you can pick and choose your own customized lot of diapers. She also lets you choose whether or not to upgrade to a fleece or suedecloth lining (cost of upgrade is $1 per diaper), and whether you prefer snaps or velcro closures. So much to choose from!

Now of course, nothing is perfect, so here are the few things I don't love or would change about the MBs. There was a HUGE leap between the newborn/small size and the medium size, and I was expecting more of an overlap. The velcro she uses isn't the highest quality, so the tabs started to curl up after a month of washes and the laundry tabs didn't stay closed super well in the wash. (No problem there, just choose snap closures.) Finally, she prewashes her fabric, but I think she may use a commercial laundry detergent, because Miss R's diapers started stinking within a week of our first use and I had to strip them almost right away.

Still and all, best value for the product! You can order them through her Ebay store, or directly from her website.

Snugglebottoms: one thumb up

(Sigh.) I wanted to love these diapers so much. A friend alerted me to them at Baby Bunz & Co. Starting at $20 for 6, the price is to die for. They're basically flannel prefolds that have been sewn into fitteds. They're available with or without velcro closures; when you purchase the ones without velcro you just use a diaper pin or Snappi to fasten it closed under the cover. I checked The Diaper Pin and reviews indicated that people who bought the style without velcro were overall happier with the product than those who bought the style with velcro. Plus the ones without velcro were cheaper, so that's what I chose. They're pretty soft and absorbent, but because they started out as prefolds, they're not as trim as other fitteds. Also, flannel has a very tight weave, so the Snappi won't grab ahold. If you're comfortable using diaper pins, this isn't an issue, but I'm just not. So for now, I'm still using these under covers without any kind of closure, but I realized tonight that I have a bunch of extra velcro in my sewing stuff, so I may sew some tabs on them.

Motherease Bamboo One-Size Fitteds: one thumb way up...so far

A sweet friend gifted two of these to me. I was absolutely stunned at how soft they are, and how absorbent the bamboo is! Because they're a one-size diaper (their website says they adjust from 8 to 35 lbs), they're still a little bulky on Miss R, which is what gives them the "so far" in the rating. Because of that, I have to put the largest covers she has over them since she's still relatively small. Other than that, these dipes are a dream! They are very adjustable in the snaps and even have a fold-down waist to accommodate younger, smaller babies. They're a little pricey at around $14, but you definitely get what you pay for with these diapers. I also like that the company is very eco-friendly, but that's just the crunchy in me talking. ;o)

Thirsties Fab Fitteds: 2 thumbs waaaay up!

If a diaper were competing for top spot against my MonkeyBuns, this one is the only one that might be able to beat them. These diapers are incredibly soft and lined with something that feels like a magical cross between fleece and suedecloth. They're fluffy and absorbent, yet trim at the same time. Thirsties uses Aplix brand velcro for its closure, which is the highest quality style of velcro available, so the laundry tabs are super reliable. Plus they come in 7 luscious and vibrant colors (and also plain white). At around $14 apiece, they're pricey to me. That's why I have only 1! But when I come across some spare change in the budget, I'll try to order a few more. I love this diaper! (** The sizing is quite generous, so if your child is on the border between 2 sizes and is built like mine, you might think about ordering down.)


And there you have it! My two Lincolns about the fitted diapers we've tried out. I welcome your thoughts and opinions about these and/or any other brands!

1 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh...I love fitteds...when we have our next one, I'm seriously debating whether or not to try the bamboo fitted for newborns on cottonbabies.com just because I love bamboo so much...but then, kissaluvs have great reviews...however, I was thinking the velcro closure might be nice for middle of the night changings. Anyways, yeah, fitteds are the best.