Pocket Diaper Reviews

Augh! At long last I return to my product reviews! I've previously reviewed the prefolds, fitteds, and covers that I've tried and/or use. Now I'm excited to get down to the main staple and workhorse of most of the cloth families that I know: the pocket diaper. Remember, a pocket diaper is a feel-dry liner sewn to a waterproof outer layer with one end open, leaving a pocket that you stuff to customize your child's absorbency needs.

** You're going to see very clearly in this post, just in case I've never said this before, I'm just a real mom. I have no affiliations with any companies or products, and no loyalties except to the products that I've fallen in love with.

Tiny Tush Elite One-Size Pockets - 1.75 thumbs down

Let's just get this one out of the way, shall we? I'm not even linking to their site.

I started out loving these diapers: a one-size with snaps, which - for some reason completely unbeknownst to me - was hard to come by when I first switched to cloth diapers. They were well constructed, a perfect fit, and hard-working diapers. For about 8 months. Then I started having problems.

At first, I thought my son was overflowing these diapers, which I tried to correct by stuffing with more/different materials. But his clothes still ended up wet. I did some research and contacted the diaper company, and they advised me to strip the diapers. They started "working" again! For about 2 weeks. Repeat. Ad nauseum. And I was nauseated with hand-stripping diapers once a month just so we could keep using them. My kids' clothes (by this time my son was potty trained, and my daughter was in the diapers), would end up wet, but the stuffing of the pocket was basically bone dry, which indicated a problem with repelling.

So I contacted the diaper company again, who told me to strip them. I informed them that I already had, about 100 times in as many different ways. I told them that I was using a cloth-safe laundry detergent, no softeners, no rash creams or vaseline, and let us not forget the clincher: I WAS NOT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ANY OF MY OTHER BRANDS OF DIAPERS. Their "answer" was that they had never had any complaints before, and they didn't have anything else to offer me.

Now. Apart from the fact that these diapers failed within a year of correct use, I cannot support a company with such deplorable customer service. Any company, particularly one with proclaimed integrity, should have offered to replace the diapers. At the very least, they should have offered to let me send my dipes in so they could take a look at them for themselves. After too many emails and unreturned phone calls, I decided to abandon ship. I will NEVER buy from them again, and I recommend that you do not buy from them either. There are too many other companies out there who actually care about their customers for you to waste your time on Tiny Tush products.

However, they do still get .25 thumbs not down (but still not up), because I'm using the diapers (and selling a few, in anyone is interested) for cloth swim diapers.

On to better things...

Mommy's Touch Easy Clean One Size Pocket - 1.5 thumbs up!

The only reason these don't get 2 thumbs up is because I just don't reach for them that often. They're really great: well constructed, great fit, work really well. I've never had any problems with this diaper. There are tons of beautiful colors and prints to choose from. (Why am I not obsessed with this diaper?? I really can't figure it out.)

These are called "Easy Clean" because the pocket is open at the front and the back, which means you don't have to "unstuff" your diapers before putting them in the washing machine; the insert/stuffing will agitate out during your prewash cycle. Pretty cool, huh? (I still unstuff mine, because I'm just in the habit of it with my other diapers.)

The only thing I don't love-love-love about this diaper is that the wing/tab part is kind of wide. Not that big a deal. If you're in favor of snaps, these are a great choice! They also come in velcro/touchtape...but why?

Haute Pockets Traditional One Size Pocket - 1 thumb up

These diapers come in really pretty colors, and the company changes their color selection often, so there's always something new to choose from. The diapers are well constructed, and the fleece lining is some of the softest I've ever felt. There isn't a huge deficit with these diapers, but we just didn't love ours. (But hopefully Jenney does!)

My only real complaint with these diapers is that I feel they're cut smaller and trimmer than other one-size diapers, and as a result, my son grew out of this diaper (which was supposed to fit up to 35 lbs) long before he hit 30 pounds. If you've ever checked out our family blog, you know that my kids are anything but small and trim!

Hautes are also available with either snap or velcro closure.

BumGenius! One Size Pocket - 2 thumbs up

What can I say? Even people who don't cloth diaper have heard of bumGenius. These are some of the most well known modern cloth diapers. Superior construction and fit, gorgeous colors in soft and bright shades, and a super-soft, no-pill suedecloth lining.

A few cons: these are not sized quite as large as other one-size pockets, and the pocket itself is not overly generous. So you can't stuff it tons and tons. But the big thing is, the velcro issue! BumGenius uses some of the highest quality Aplix/touchtape velcro, but even that will eventually wear down and wear out.

Happy Heiny's One Size Pocket - 2 thumbs up

Happy Heiny's are, to me, just as well known as bumGenius diapers. Lots of colors and cute prints, and a very generous fit. Even my 41-pound son can still fit in one of these when it's stuffed with a toddler prefold and a hemp doubler. Pretty impressive!

A few cons: the fleece pills in just 2 or 3 washes. And, the velcro, once again! Velcro is made for convenience, not longevity. Happy Heiny's now offers their one-size diaper with snaps, but I don't have one. It appears to be a bit different in construction, based on the photos I've seen.

Happy Heiny's also makes sized diapers, but I haven't tried them.

FuzziBunz Perfect Size Pocket - 1 thumb up

FuzziBunz are another well-known name in the world of fluff. Maybe they were some of the modern cloth pioneers, maybe there's a cachet with having a FuzziBunz, maybe just because the name is so cute. But honestly, I don't see what all the hoopla is about these diapers.

Yes, they're well-made. They have lovely colors. They work great, and clean well. Easy on, easy off. Easy to take care of. But I think it's sort of like how I didn't see Jerry Maguire until about a year after everyone else did, and I had just heard for a year how it was the greatest movie ever, so when I finally saw it, my reaction was a very underwhelmed, "...Ehhh."

Also, though, now that they make a one-size FuzziBunz, why would you ever want to buy an entire set of pocket diapers in 3 (or 4) separate size groups, spending 3 or 4 times as much money in the long run?

DryBees Fleece Nighttime Pocket - 1.5 thumbs up

When we switched my son to cloth at 18 months, he was a nighttime super soaker, so I definitely had to give this diaper a try! Fleece breathes naturally and really is a wonderful overnight solution. These are sized diapers, and my son (who, as I said earlier, is 41 lbs), has been in the large size from month 19 to now one month before his 3rd birthday. They have a very generous pocket with ample room for super-stuffing. They fit great, and are our mainstay night diaper.

BUT...

DryBees uses perhaps the lowest quality of velcro available, except what you can buy in the scrapbooking section at WalMart. Actually, the incredibly poor quality of the velcro on these diapers has been a major contributing factor to the early destruction of the velcro and Aplix on our other diapers. Big. Fat. Boo. When I remember, I safety pin the tabs down before I wash them so they won't tear up the other diapers.

So there ya go! My pocket reviews! I also use and love some all-in-one pockets, but I'm going to include those with the all-in-one reviews.

AS ALWAYS WITH REVIEWS!!! If you use/love/hate any products that I haven't included here, if you use/love/hate products that I have reviewed but you disagree, please leave a comment with your experience so that we all can benefit from a balanced perspective! :o)

Diaper Covers

Okay, back to reviews. Remember, diaper covers are a waterproof cover that you put over a prefold, flat, or fitted diaper. They may be PUL, fleece, or wool. They may have snap, velcro, Aplix, or even tie (yes, ties!) closures. Of course, I'm only reviewing products I've personally used, and I've only ever used PUL covers. I just wanted to let you know that there are other options out there!

Bummis Super Whisper Wrap - two thumbs up!

I really like this cover. I had one in the newborn size for when Miss R was born. This is a really trim cover, so when she's been at the upper end of the weight range for the cover size, not a whole lot goes under it well except a prefold. But, when she's been at the lower end of the weight range for the cover size, I'm able to fit a good fitted and - for a short time - even a doubler fully inside the cover. One of the things that I really love about this cover is that it's an Aplix-closure cover, so I know I can trust the closure both when it's on my baby, but more importantly I can trust those laundry tabs in the washing machine! The website describes it as having "built-in leg gussets," but the newborn size does NOT have leg gussets. This is obviously not an issue for teeny tiny immobile babies

* It's important to note that Bummis makes several different kinds of covers. I also have the Bummis Super Brite cover (in pink, naturally, for my little girl, who can still wear the small at 6.5 months), and in my opinion, it's basically the exact same cover as the SWW. The Aplix tabs are a bit longer, and it has leg gussets, which I love for naps, because my sweetie pie is a side sleeper.

Proraps - two thumbs WAY up!

One of the best covers out there! These covers are total workhorses, and definitely the best value for the money. $7.25 for a cover!! Are you kidding me?? They are not nearly as cute as some other covers that are available (available only in white and pastel green, blue, or pink), but they are fantastic! The newborn size has a great umbilical notch to protect that tender belly button stump, and all sizes have leg gussets. Leg gussets will help protect against leaks in a mobile baby, but they also help you ensure a good cover when you're using doublers. I just can't say enough good things about these covers! They're velcro-closure, but it's a good strong velcro. The only downside is that they don't have laundry tabs, but I just close the cover up and turn it inside out to launder it.

Now, they're cheap to begin with, so they're a great way to round out your stash or help build it up if you're on a budget. BUT, just because I love you (whoever you are, if you're reading this) so much, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: You can order seconds and overstock directly from the company for even cheaper! They don't always have all sizes available, but it never hurts to call and see: 1.800.397.8594.

Bumkins - one and a half thumbs down :o(

Words cannot express how much I wanted to love these covers. Bumkins are, by far, the cutest covers I have ever seen. They have about 30 (literally) different prints, and they have licensed Dr Seuss prints which are totally adorable. The construction of the covers is top notch: Aplix, extra wide tabs, laundry tabs, leg gussets, front inside flap, back air vent. What's not to love??

The fit. Plain and simple. These covers are just built for trimmer babies with skinnier thighs, and that description definitely does not apply to my babes. One of my good girlfriends who cloth diapers LOVES these covers, but her babies are much trimmer than mine and they have pretty, slender thighs like their beautiful mama. I so wanted these covers to work for us, but they just didn't. That's the only reason for their negative rating from me.

** However, Bumkins also makes bibs, and they are - hands-down - the BEST bibs that you can buy! They're made of the same waterproof PUL as the covers, so clothes don't get wet or food mess on them. They have a pocket to catch bigger crumbs, and they come in a sleeved version. Does it get any better than that? Oh yeah - you just wash them in the sink along with the dishes, and they come in most of the same cute prints as the covers. Sweet! They're available on most sites that sell Bumkins diaper covers, and I've also seen them at Babies-R-Us stores.

ImseVimse - one and a half thumbs up

I actually have used 2 different varieties of ImseVimse covers: the bumpy and the organic cotton. I like them both a lot! We had the organic cotton cover in the newborn size. The cotton outer is so soft, and the available prints are sweet and very European-looking as far as diaper prints go! This cover was very generously sized and so Miss R was able to wear it for quite a while. We now are using the bumpy cover in size small. Soft, generously sized, but only available in plain white.

I love about these covers that the tabs are super wide, but because of that you have to be careful that no velcro is hanging over the top of the cover, waiting to scratch your baby's delicate tummy. They have awesome, ample leg gussets and super soft binding, so everywhere the cover touches skin is soft and gentle. No laundry tabs, so I just close it and turn it inside out to launder (same as the Proraps). Here's the thing that really bothers me about these covers, and it's such a non-issue, but it just bugs me: the white material has turned a kind of whitish neon-yellow after multiple launderings. I don't have any idea why, because no other diaper, cover, or pocket I own has ever done this except my ImseVimses. It doesn't affect its function, and it wouldn't keep me from buying them again in the future, but it just bothers me.

MonkeyBuns covers - two thumbs way up!

Once again, I love MonkeyBuns! She offers a wide variety of solid colors for her PUL covers, and she even has cute, custom appliques she can apply to the bottom. I love that they are super generously sized, so I'm able to use the covers across a wide span of growth and sizes. I've gotten them with velcro and with snap closures. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of snaps on covers for some reason, but she applies a double row of snaps to help ensure a snug and leak proof fit. The velcro she uses isn't the highest quality, so the tabs started curling after about 2 months of use, but they still held well during wearing. However, despite my best efforts to pick every single speck of lint out of the tabs before and after each wash, lower quality velcro just WILL NOT stay closed during a wash cycle, yet it will stick on everything else. Nevertheless, I love her covers! And for my next newborn (God willing), I'm sure I will order more of her diapers. And I'll probably end up getting velcro closures for newborn covers again, because it just offers a more customizable fit. If I need to, I can always replace the velcro.

Thirsties Covers - two thumbs way up!

As with the fitted diapers, I am so in love with Thirsties! They are generously sized (so keep that in mind when ordering). They have fabulous, ample leg gussets. The tabs are the BEST! Not only are they Aplix (so you can trust them for the wear and for the wash), but they have laundry tabs - hooray! AND, one of my favorite features that so few diapering products have: you can overlap the tabs when you're closing up the diaper. Let me explain: across the front of the diaper cover is the "soft" part of the Aplix, and the tabs are the "scratchy" part so they'll stick when you close it up. But one of the tabs is "soft" on the back of it, so you can overlap the other tab's "scratchy" if your baby is on the lower end of the weight range for the size! Best idea ever, and I don't understand why more companies don't include this feature.

Also, Thirsties come in a veritable rainbow of colors - solids only, but the colors are vibrant and rich and gorgeous. I love them! And apparently, they've recently revamped the already fabulous Thirsties cover, so as my insider tip to you, go here to WildFlower Diapers to purchase the old style at a reduced price!


So there you have it! The majority of my stash of covers is Proraps or MonkeyBuns, because of the prices. Anyone else out there use another brand you'd like to tell us about?

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!

Prefold Diapers

Hmm, I had to start with the hardest one to qualify right? I consider prefolds to be a "generic" item, since if you're shopping on cloth diaper etailer websites and searching only for DSQ prefolds, they're all pretty much the same. I've included where I bought mine just FYI, but it doesn't really matter that much.

Quick Prefold Glossary
prepping: washing new prefolds; unbleached require more prepping than bleached because of the natural oils still present in the fibers, but can be soaked overnight to cut down on prep washes; wash on hot with or without detergent in a wash-wash-dry pattern for a total of at least 6 washes; this IS neccesary in order for diapers to absorb wets
quilting: when you buy new prefolds, they look flat and not at all like you imagine prefolds to look; once you've prepped them, they bunch up, shrink up to their size, and become softer and more absorbent; see the pics in my folding tutorial in this post to see what a quilted up prefold looks like

Unbleached Chinese Prefolds (UBCPF)

I love UBCPFs. They are total workhorses. Super absorbent and really sturdy serging. They quilt up quite nicely after the initial prep, and they only get softer with each wash. I chose unbleached because they haven't gone through loads and loads of chemical bleaching processes. I also figured that...well, they're diapers, and the bright white bleached ones would acquire some rather unattractive stains after a while. Some people say that UB are softer than bleached, but I don't really think that's so. I have bought infant, standard infant, regular, premium, and toddler-sized UBCPFs from Nicki's Diapers, Tiny Tush, and Green Mountain Diapers. The diapers are all the same in quality, but if you're new to cloth diapering, Green Mountain has, in my opinion, the most helpful and comprehensive guide to all the different sizes.

Bleached Chinese Prefolds (CPFs)

I also bought a few bleached CPFs because one day during my diaper sewing excitement (I have turned several prefolds into fitteds), I had the cute idea to dye some prefolds before I sewed them up! The principles of dyeing fabric a vibrant color are the same as dyeing your hair a crazy color: you gotta bleach it first. So I ordered a few bleached CPFs and prepped them. They quilted up really nicely and are very soft. I truly can't feel any difference between them and the unbleached. But I have never used them as diapers and (shame, shame) still haven't gotten around to dyeing them, so I can't answer to how well that process would go. If you think you want to try it out, you need to get high quality fabric dye from somewhere like Hancock or Joann's. The Rit stuff you get at WalMart just won't cut it. I think I got the bleached CPFs from Jillian's Drawers.

Bleached Indian Prefolds (IPFs)

I have a dozen bleached IPFs in size 'newborn'. The only reason I went with the bleached IPFs is because that's the only way I could find the newborn size prefold. They are super soft and teeeeny tiny! I never really used them as prefolds for Miss R, but I used them frequently as doublers in pockets or with fitteds for her longer sleep periods until her wetting needs outgrew them when she was around 2 or 3 months old. I got my bleached IPFs from Nicki's Diapers.

And now, what you've all been waiting for...

product reviews!

I know I'm only one mom, but don't we all want to know what real moms think of baby products before we buy them? Please keep in mind that opinions are SO subjective, so something that I loved you may end up hating, and vice versa. I'm going to break up my reviews by styles of diapers first and then go from there. For all brand name diapers, you should be able to find them at most of the CD etailers I've linked on the right-hand side of the blog. The only time I'll link a store is for private label, WAHM, or "generic" products (like prefolds).

The things that affect my opinion of a product are its durability, the strength of the elastic, snaps, and velcro, the company's quality of customer service, and the fit for my children. To help you out as far as fit preferences go, both my babes have had - as babies - pretty average tummies: not super skinny, but no buddha bellies either. They both had (and Miss R still has) a very average rise, and maybe slightly chunkier thighs. My toddler is now slender to average in his tummy, has a bit of a booty, and has some serious hams for thighs.

Okay, so that's my product review intro and disclaimer. Now obviously, I can only comment on products I've personally used. If you ever want to read reviews about a product that I don't feature, or you're interested in a second opinion, head on over to The Diaper Pin to read what other mamas have to say.