All In One Diapers

Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 1

I snagged a Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn AIO during their Black Friday turkey hunt (hunt for turkeys and get a special deal or coupon each day.)

Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 2 side Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 3 back

The diapers retail for $16.95 each, which I think is on the higher side for a newborn diaper.

Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 4 closure Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 5 umbilical snap down
Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 6 front

The diaper has two snaps on each wing, and the closure is a wee bit awkward when you’re closing it tightly with the cord snap down snapped.

Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 7 elastic Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 8 soaker in pocket
Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 9 inside out

The soaker is half sewn in, and the rest actually tucks into the pocket (I suppose this would be considered a “tongue” soaker.) This is my least favorite type of AIO, personally. True that it gets a bit cleaner and dries faster than a sewn in soaker, but if you still have to do the work of stuffing, why not do a pocket diaper & have the freedom to change the soaker out entirely and/or treat it separately?

Here I’ve measured it folded and stretched:

Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 10 folded Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 11 stretched

Now, I know my “real” diaper “model” is here, but just for consistency in my reviews, here’s my previous “model” in preemie and newborn disposables, compared to the simplex:

Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 12 model
Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 13 preemie diaperSwaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 14 preemie back

Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 15 newborn diaper Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 16 newborn back

Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 17 snapped down Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 18 unsnapped

Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 19 side Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn Diaper 20 back

Here’s my little guy at less than a week old and about 6 lb 5 oz (you may have already seen these photos in my post about my one-month update on newborn cloth.)

swaddlebees 65-2 swaddlebees 65

I did not care for this diaper. The birdseye inner/soaker and the outer both reminded me a lot of the Kushies diapers. I did like that it came down pretty low to stay under the umbilical cord stump, but it was hard to make sure the soaker didn’t stick out the back. If the diapers were half the price, I’d feel differently (of course this is totally my opinion!! You may love these!)

FTC compliance: I purchased this diaper at a discount available to anyone. I was not asked to write, nor was I compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.

{ 3 comments }

IMG_1037

There’s a picture of my real model next to my previous model. :-) You have probably seen my reviews of newborn diapers that I did without a baby while I was expecting my son (and I think maybe even a few before!) If you’re ever looking for one, don’t forget about my review archive.

Anyhoo, I “reviewed” the diapers by photographing them, pointing out the features and details, measuring them etc. However, since my first son (boy that’s hard to get used to!) was 4 months old before we switched to cloth, I had never actually used newborn cloth. Newborn cloth diapering can be a little expensive, since they aren’t used that long, but they are more cost effective if you use them on more than one baby, and they also seem to hold a lot of their value, since they are typically used for a short time and are in good shape afterwards.

Some people choose to use flats or prefolds and/or buy used diapers to save money. Other people use diaper rentals or cloth diaper services, and still others choose to use disposable diapers until their baby fits in one-size diapers. I built my stash gradually; I won a few in giveaways, and snagged great deals on others. I wanted to try as many as I could…so I could write about them!

For me, I was more interested in ease of use, knowing that if they were easy, hubby would change a few diapers without grumbling about zillions of snaps and not knowing if a diaper was backwards! While I won’t get to use the same diapers for my 3 kids, I bought my newborn stash knowing that I’d be passing it along to my BFF who is expecting twins in May, and wants to try cloth this time. Whether she decides cloth isn’t for her, or she uses the diapers until her babies grow out of them, I know I will be able to re-sell them for quite a bit!

So now that I’ve used newborn cloth diapers for 4 weeks (as of my writing; it will be 5 weeks by the time I publish this!) I wanted to share my thoughts with you. Of course every baby is different in size, shape, birth weight, growth rate, wetting habits etc. so these are just my opinions. If you click the hyperlinked name of each diaper, it will take you to my photo review for that diaper, with measurements and details. If you want to view one without leaving this post, just right click and choose open in new tab/window.

All of these pictures were taken when my son was less than a week old, and about 6 lbs and 5 oz, unless I’ve said otherwise.

Babykicks Purple Edge Prefold and Bummis Newborn Super Whisper Wrap

babykicks purple pref 65 bummis wrap 65

I’m not a huge fan of prefolds and covers, but they are very absorbent! Trifolded, this prefold was quite bulky, and I was usually not able to reuse the cover if the prefold wasn’t snappi’ed (since it would get poopy.)

Blueberry Mini One Size

blueberry 65 blueberry 65-2

This is a pricey diaper, though I got a screaming deal on mine as a second with no insert. I love that it’s a mini one size, so it will last longer than one that’s newborn only. It’s cute, has a stay dry inner, has a pocket that’s wide enough to change up the insert/add absorbency, and has a simple snap configuration. I wouldn’t complain if someone dropped more of these in my lap. It wasn’t quite low enough to fit under the cord without rubbing.

Bumgenius XS/newborn AIO

bumgenius xs 65

I initially bought just 1 Bumgenius newborn AIO, but ended up with a few more when I found some great deals around black Friday. They are eeny teeny, ickle cute, make your ovaries throb miniature versions of big Bumgenius diapers. They have easy aplix, which I found gave me a far better fit than snaps in general. They were so easy to change in the middle of the night, and they are simple to wash and dry too. They fit fantastically, but I wasn’t able to use them until my son’s cord stump came off. We tried just putting the diaper over like some have said they did, but it was preventing it from drying out, even using stay dry diapers & changing constantly.

My initial newborn stash was just enough for me to wash every day and bust my hump to get them dry & ready to use again. So, my one and only splurge was a dozen of these, ordered when my son was 6 days old. Great, right? Unfortunately, no. After about the first week, my son was soaking diapers in no time, and any diaper I couldn’t add absorbency to was unreliable, these included. Newborns are poop machines, so you change them a lot. But who wants to wake their baby (and themselves) to change a diaper every 45 minutes? In general, I assumed that newborn diapers would be absorbent enough for the output of the babies they fit, but I guess I have a heavy wetter! Some of the dozen I ordered had the 4.0 style aplix/laundry tabs and some had the old style. The others I bought all had the new style, so I wasn’t expecting that.

Bummis Tots Bots Tini Fit

bummis tini fit 65 bummis tini fit 65 (2)

This one fits well, and it has a pocket to add additional absorbency (and a doubler was included.)

Fuzzibunz XS (with Velcro)

fuzzibunz xs velcro 65

I thought I’d really like these since I like the medium perfect size. I was able to get a good fit with the velcro, but this velcro is abyssmal. Hands down it has to be #1 or #2 in the worst velcro of all time contest. My son soaks the insert in about 45 minutes, and the pocket is too narrow to add a lot of other inserts. If I had a bunch of narrow hemp doublers, they might work better.

Fuzzibunz XS

leg gap on fuzzibunz xs 3 w 7.5 lb

The snap closure Fuzzibunz are what I have most of after the Bumgenius. I got them on sale at a great price. They have the same absorbency problems the velcro FB has, but it also doesn’t fit my baby’s chicken legs. Even at 3 weeks old and about 7.5 lbs (above) there is enough leg gap for pee to run straight out the leg hole if he is on his side nursing. The gap is more remarkable in person than it appears in the photo.

Geffen Baby Prefold and XS Thirsties Cover

geffen baby pref 6.5 lb orange jersey in xs thirsties cover

There’s no link for the Geffen Baby Products yet as I haven’t written a review post yet! Geffen Baby is a newer company so their website is still undergoing some changes, and their products are being tested, tweaked and refined. I’ve been working with them, and have been playing with their products since November. They are made of 100% organic materials, and are made in the U.S.A.

The orange edge hemp jersey prefold fits perfectly in a cover without having to fold down the front. He pooped while I was trying to snappi, so I snapped the picture quick, then changed it, LOL.

Geffen Baby Quick Absorber in Thirsties XS Cover

1 in xs cover 1 in xs

The quick absorber is their least absorbent of their 3 hemp/organic cotton inserts. All of the inserts fit wonderfully in newborn covers, one-size covers/diapers and basically everything except super narrow pockets like Fuzzibunz XS.

Geffen Baby High Absorber in a Bummis Newborn Super Whisper Wrap

2 in xs bummis 2 in xs bummis (2)

The high absorber is the next most absorbent (probably overkill for most infants!) and is just about the same size and shape as a Thirsties insert. The inserts are so trim that they make the cover look funny (it’s so empty!) yet, they’re ridiculously absorbent.

Geffen Baby Super Absorber in size 1 Thirsties Duo Wrap (smallest setting)

3 in sz 1 duo

The super absorber is my absolute favorite of the inserts. It’s crazy absorbent, but super duper thin. It’s far more absorbent than even multiple microfiber inserts, but it fits in diapers without making them huge and creating leg gaps. They are fairly wide, so they are more likely to keep a cover clean so you can reuse it.

GroVia Newborn AIO

grovia 65 grovia65-2

I ended up with 4 (I think?) GroVia newborn AIOs. They were a Black Friday bargain purchase, and I couldn’t resist the new colors, cloud and surf. These were one of very few diapers that fit under the cord (or close anyway, had to be careful) which made them a favorite at first. They are also easy to close with just 1 snap on each side, and no confusion with additional rows of snaps with a snap down for the cord. They fit well with no leg gap.

I don’t love the cotton inners, and I had some issues with the flap soaker. I prefer not to have an additional soaker to fiddle with, and I had to fold it down so it didn’t stick out the front of the diaper. At least once, I had the diaper rub & irritate his cord stump. This wouldn’t be a problem with a slightly bigger baby. In the end, after that first week or so, these weren’t absorbent enough for him.

Happy Heiny’s Mini One Size

happy heinys mini os 65 happy heinys mini os 65 (2)

The pink diaper! Not that I have anything against pink on boys, LOL. It just looked paler online! This was another super bargain, purchased without an insert. Love the fit, love the pocket, the mini one size sizing, love that it has velcro closures. Like the big version, I don’t love the closures themselves. They make the front of the diaper a bit stiff, and the laundry tabs don’t work (have to twist and attach them to each other instead.) With a hemp insert, I’d use this one for longer wear. Fits well & will fit for a while!

Happy Heinys XS

happy heinys xs 65 happy heinys xs 65 (2)

Love this one too. Trimmer than the mini o/s, but the pocket is still big enough to put a decent insert in it. Love the print too! Same velcro issues.

Kissaluvs Newborn AIO

kissaluvs 65 kissaluvs 65-2

This one is OK. Despite the cord snap down, it wasn’t quite low enough. They seem a little fluffy/bulky, and as always, they aren’t absorbent enough. Hubby and I both find diapers with the snap down a bit confusing. In the pic, it’s snapped closed on the lower row, but it sure doesn’t look right.

Kissaluvs size 0 fitted

kissaluvs sz 0 65

I keep forgetting about this little guy. I don’t generally like fitteds & covers as much as pockets, but they are great for newborns. They are the perfect, tiny size and actually fit under the cord. I don’t have any covers that fit under the cord though, and going coverless isn’t an option for us. My son will pee while I’m trying to close a fitted or prefold, and soak through the front right then and there!

Rumparooz Lil Joey

rumparooz 65 rumarooz 65-2

These are so cute and tiny, and they were the very first diaper we put on him an hour or so after he was born! They fit really teeny babies, but as commenters on my review said, they leak. I’m not entirely sure where the leaking or wicking is coming from, all I know is if he’s wearing one, he’s gonna end up wet!

Smartipants Lil Smarti

smartipants 65 smartipants 65 (2)

This one was forgettable…literally. It fell beside the couch (dirty) and I didn’t notice or miss it for days!! Even so, it’s a fine diaper. Easy to use and fit well as long as I was careful about getting it snug around the legs.

Swaddlebees Newborn Simplex

swaddlebees 65-2 swaddlebees 65

This was disappointing. I liked that it fit well, but overall it seemed like it should cost half (or less) what it does ($16.95.) Both the outer and inner remind me of a Kushies diaper, and I didn’t like having to try to make sure the soaker wasn’t sticking out the back. Closing the snaps with the snap down was weird too because of how they are arranged above and below the snap down. Glad I didn’t pay full price.

Thirsties Duo Fab Fitted Size 1

thirsties duo fitted 65

These are nice, but my son soaks them quickly. Soft, fit well, etc. In general, I prefer diapers that are stay dry.

Thirsties Duo Prefold Size 1 and Thirsties XS cover

thirsties duo pref 65 thirsties xs 65

I thought the prefolds were a bit bulky when I trifolded and folded the front down.


Thirsties XS Fitted
and Thirsties Duo Wrap Size 1

thirsties xs fitted 65 thirsties duo wrap 65

I think these and the duo fitteds are cute, squishy, soft, easy to use etc. I just still prefer a stay dry/pocket diaper, and my son soaks these too quickly.

Tiny Tush Mini One Size

tiny tush mini 65

I thought I was going to really like these since I like the one size TT, but I don’t. They are a mini one size, so it’s nice that they will fit a while. However, I didn’t like their fit and bulk. It also has a tiny washcloth sized microfiber “towel” as the insert. It’s one more step to fold it, and definitely not absorbent enough.

Thirsties Duo Diaper Size 1

thirsties duo 1 65 thirsties duo 1 65-2

I like the size 1 duo diaper a lot. It’s not as trim as a newborn diaper, but it’s far trimmer than a one size diaper, and fit my 6 lb 5 oz son with no leg gaps. Velcro is easy, double gussets are great, and the insert is absorbent, woo-hoo! If I had a bunch of money, I’d love more of these to use until he’s big enough to fit in one size diapers without leg gaps and tons of bulk.

Applecheeks Size 1 (review is on A Nation of Moms)

applecheeks 1 65 applecheeks 1 65 (2)
applecheeks 1 65 (3)

The Applecheeks size 1 was a little bulky when I folded down the microfiber insert, but it fit even my tiny guy well (again, more bulk than a newb dipe, but less than a os) and is absorbent. It’s one that I “save” to put on him at night now that he occasionally sleeps 3 hour stretches.

Now, here are some one-size diapers on my son at 3 weeks old and about 7.5 lbs (guess on weight.)

Babykicks OS Fitted

babykicks fitted 3 wks 7.5 lb babykicks fitted 3 wks 7.5 lb (2)

The Babykicks fitted fit well. I did have to use the Joeybunz hemp insert to have enough absorbency, so that made it a bit bulky.

Babykicks 3G OS

baykicks 3g 3w 7.5 lb babykicks 3g 3w 7.5 lb (2)

The 3G fit pretty well without doing the newborn snap thing (see the video in the review.) Babykicks says you can use the newborn snap method with no insert, and that the absorbent inner should be enough. That’s definitely not true for my guy, so the insert added some bulk.

Bumgenius 4.0

bumgenius 4.0 3w 7.5 lb bumgenius 4.0 3w 7.5 lb (2)

Bumgenius doesn’t claim to fit a 7.5 lb baby, but we’re almost there! Just a little leg gap (hard to see in photo.)

Katydid/Oh Katy OS Diaper

Katydid 3 w 7.5ishlb (2) Katydid 3 w 7.5ishlb

The Katydid (now Oh Katy) diaper gets quite small. It fit OK but was a bit bulky and I felt like I was making the waist too tight to get the legs tight enough.

Little Beetle OS Fitted & Cover

little beetle 3 wks 7.5 lb little beetle 3 wks 7.5 lb (2) little beetle 3 wks 7.5 lb (3)

So sad that Little Beetle is now out of business, but the fitted & cover both fit. A little bulky, but that’s to be expected!

Softbums OS

softbums 3w 7.5ish lb softbums 3w 7.5ish lb (2)

Same story (good fit/kinda bulky) with the Softbums. This is another one I’ve reserved for night time. Really not that bulky when you consider that I’ve totally doubled the insert over.

Lil Helper Charcoal Bamboo OS Diaper (with small insert only)

lil helper 3w 7.5 lb lil helper 3w 7.5 lb (2)

The Lil Helper is still a tiny bit big on his little legs.

Fuzzibunz XS Leg Gap

leg gap on fuzzibunz xs 3 w 7.5 lb

Just to compare, the Fuzzibunz XS has pretty much the same leg gap as the gapping OS diapers at 3 weeks & 7.5 lbs.

At 1 month, 8 pounds and 22.25 inches, the one-size diapers fit him better, with much less leg gap. My older son was about 8 lbs and 20.5″ at birth (much chubbier!) and I think he could have worn o/s much sooner!

1/21 addition: Rumparooz

IMG_1762 IMG_1761

I wanted to try the Rumparooz on sooner, since it’s one of the smaller one-size diapers, but I forgot! I was avoiding using my older son’s old, worn out looking diapers in photos, but this one is pretty new looking since it was replaced under warranty! Above my son is 6 weeks old and a skinny 8 1/2ish pounds. It fit snugly around the legs without any of the difficulty & readjusting of a lot of the other o/s diapers, and was smaller and less bulky.

And for the record, I didn’t have any meconium staining!

If you’ve used newborn cloth diapers, did your experiences differ from mine? What were your favorites? Did your feelings change while your baby was still a newborn? Did you have trouble with newborn diaper absorbency?

FTC compliance: Some of the pictured diapers may have been received at no cost for review purposes. Check the original reviews for disclosures for each diaper. I was not compensated in any way for this post, and all opinions are my own.

{ 52 comments }

Bumgenius Freetime 1

I was on pins & needles when Bumgenius announced their new products/colors. Although AIO diapers aren’t my favorite, I had to pre-order a Bumgenius Freetime one-size AIO cloth diaper. I had to. I’m sure you understand. ;-) I chose the new color, mirror.

Bumgenius Freetime 2

Since the Bumgenius Sized AIO diaper was discontinued (except the newborn AIO), the only Bumgenius AIO option was the elemental organic AIO. So, no option for those of us who prefer a stay-dry inner and/or hook & loop closures (I also prefer the encased leg elastic of the 4.0s and the old sized AIOs.)

Bumgenius Freetime 3 closures Bumgenius Freetime 4 vs 40 rear

I like hook & loop diapers, but the 4.0 H&L is the first that has held up well for me. I don’t have anything against snap diapers, but my husband really prefers the Velcro, and will dig through the pile to find one. I know he’ll never complain about me buying another diaper as long as it’s Velcro, tee-hee!! The Freetime has the same hook & loop that the 4.0 diapers have. (It also has the easily replaceable elastic the 4.0 has.)

In fact, while we’re comparing, let’s go ahead and see how they look compared to the 4.0 pocket diapers.

Bumgenius Freetime 5 vs 40 front Bumgenius Freetime 6 vs 40 elastic

Bumgenius Freetime 7 vs 40 front flat Bumgenius Freetime 8 vs 40 overall

Bumgenius Freetime 9 vs 40 back Bumgenius Freetime 10 vs 40 side

The Freetime and the 4.0 pocket diaper shells are very much the same as far as shape, size, cut, fit and so forth. (Stretchy tabs, available in snap or hook & loop closures, one size via snap down rise, leg elastic etc.) You can see a few subtle differences as far as the PUL at the front & back of the diapers.

Bumgenius Freetime 11 soakers Bumgenius Freetime 12 soakers folded

Obviously, the big difference is that while the Bumgenius 4.0 is a pocket diaper, the Freetime is an AIO. One of the things I dislike most about an AIO is how difficult it can be to get the soakers clean. I tend to turn my sized AIO inside out to wash it! The Freetime has two microfiber flap soakers topped with microfleece; one sewn at the front & one at the back (they look a lot like the stay-dry flip inserts.)

Bumgenius Freetime 13 folded up front Bumgenius Freetime 14 folded middle
Bumgenius Freetime 15 folded more in middle

The soakers have lines to help guide you in folding them. You can fold them all sorts of ways to get the maximum absorbency where you really need it. There’s also an extra layer of microfiber terry sewn into the shell. The shell inner and the soakers are topped with microfleece to keep your baby’s bottom dry.

These are the same size as the Bumgenius 4.0s, so if you like their fit, you will probably like the fit of the Freetime.

Here is the small measured folded & stretched (not an exact science of course!!)

Bumgenius Freetime 16 small folded Bumgenius Freetime 17 small stretched

Bumgenius Freetime 18 small Bumgenius Freetime 19 small side
Bumgenius Freetime 20 small back

Medium:

Bumgenius Freetime 21 medium folded Bumgenius Freetime 22 medium stretched

Bumgenius Freetime 23 medium front Bumgenius Freetime 24 medium side
Bumgenius Freetime 26 medium back

Large:

Bumgenius Freetime 27 large folded Bumgenius Freetime 28 large stretched

Bumgenius Freetime 29 large front Bumgenius Freetime 30 large side
Bumgenius Freetime 31 large back

My son is right around 28 pounds, and the medium Freetime fit him the same way the 4.0 medium fits him.

Bumgenius Freetime 32 medium on 28 lb baby Bumgenius Freetime 33 medium on 28 lb 2 and a half year old

You’ve probably noticed (or you will now!) that my “modeling” photos aren’t perfect. Often the diaper is closed slightly crooked, is a little bunchy etc. etc. It’s not because I’m lazy or don’t want to make the diaper look nice. In actuality, it’s because I am changing a 2 1/2 year old who is usually moving while I do it! This is just how the diapers go on, and I want to test them as I’m likely to use them vs. trying to hold him down for 2 minutes to make the diaper look perfect, because that’s just not realistic for us!

Bumgenius Freetime 29 side Bumgenius Freetime 34 back

I’ve never been disappointed by a Cottonbabies product, and I’m not disappointed with this one. Still, I wouldn’t buy another one. I, personally, find a pre-stuffed pocket diaper just as easy (if not easier) than an AIO like this, and stuffing the diapers takes about the same amount of time as making sure the soakers are folded properly. At $19.95 each, the Freetime costs $2 more than the 4.0 pocket diaper, and I love that you can easily treat/bleach the pocket inserts separately and/or replace them if needed. You can also toss the inserts in the dryer & hang the shells to dry. With an AIO, you have to either machine dry the whole thing & risk a bit of pre-mature wear & tear on the shells, or wait a bit longer for the whole thing to air dry.

Want to try one?

Giveaway: One winner will receive a Bumgenius Freetime One-Size AIO Cloth Diaper in his/her choice of color (ARV $19.95.) This is a self-sponsored giveaway and the diaper will be purchased by me from my choice of reputable retailers. Entries go in the Rafflecopter form.

If you are viewing this from the homepage, please click to view the Rafflecopter form.

{ 15 comments }

lil helper cloth diapers

How many aerospace engineers does it take to design a cloth diaper? Uhh…well…two! Mohammed Gandhi (yes, that’s his real name, I asked so you didn’t have to, hee-hee.) and Nader Abu El Samid were college buddies, who both have a bachelors and a masters in Aerospace Engineering and have full-time jobs in the industry. When Mohammed & his wife Sophia went out looking for cloth diapers for their daughter, Zara, they were shocked by their cost and lack of functionality. It took two years for the company to take shape after Mohammed ensnared his equally geeky friend in his plans.

Lil Helpers has a Baby Do Good program where they donate one brand new PUL cloth diaper to a family in need for every 3 diapers they sell. Their Do Good Page answers all the FAQs about the program, and they hold themselves accountable for the donations on the Lil Helper blog.

Their website has an awesome page comparing cloth vs. disposable diapers, and being aware of their geeky tendencies, I’m not surprised that the cost comparison even includes water & electricity cost! ;-)

I’m not saying much about their diapers today because I haven’t tried them…yet. I will be reviewing all 3 types of their cloth diapers and inserts (they also have wipes and wet bags.) Oh yeah, there will be an awesome giveaway too! They call their diapers “all-in-ones” since they do not need a separate cover, but they are what I consider an “all-in-two” since they consist of a reusable, waterproof “shell” and interchangable inserts.

The Lil Helper owners live and work in Canada, so as they say, don’t worry that they’ve outsourced to India if you call and hear an accent! Lil Helpers has put a lot of thought & research into balancing value and workmanship. They originally wanted to make the diapers in Canada (and their first few hundred diapers were made in Toronto) but the cost of production was just too high. Generally, materials come from overseas anyway…even if fabric is made in Canada, the yarn would still be coming from Asia. That said, they really would prefer to make the diapers in Canada, but just couldn’t do it while still maintaining affordable prices, and continuing their Baby Do Good sell 3/donate one mission.

While the diapers are made in China now, I wanted to share what Mohammed had to say about it. I love that Lil Helper is up front, honest and transparent.

“I went to China and stayed there for a month to find a workshop that will let me view its facilities to ascertain that my products are being made in a healthy environment. After vetting 6 workshops, we finally arrived to the workshop that is currently fulfilling our orders. That was last October; it took us a year for them to get the materials, workmanship and quality up to a high standard where we would be comfortable to put our name against it. Every step of the way we also sampled the products on my daughter and a bunch of other CD babes, incorporating their suggestions into our design.

At the end of the day, we believe that there is a right way of doing business with China and then there is the fast and easy way. The right way is to go vet several workshops and be comfortable with the way your products are being made- knowing well that my own daughter would be using the diaper along with every parents’ most prized possession. The fast and easy way is to look up a company in China on the net that can make your product for the least amount of money in the fastest time without caring how and where its made. Frankly, we wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if that option was exercised.

I will be traveling to India in December and will try and find even better ways to get products made in India under more supervision.”

My absolute favorite thing about this company is the humor. Take some time to look around the Lil Helper website, and I promise you will find something to make you chuckle on every page. From their why buy from us page (“Do not be fooled by our movie star looks and redundant education- we are just like you.”) to their cloth diaper descriptions (“Your baby has had a bad case of the “disposable rash” and these are your options: #1: You let precious move around in her birthday suit and risk the defilement of the Persian rug that grandma left you in her will. #2: You cover your baby’s tush in a lil helper. Lil helper cloth diapers come closest to replicating the convenience of disposables without the overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame and financial recklessness. Thank you for choosing the second option. You got us worried for a moment.”) to their mission (check out the list of what Lil Helper was not established to do.) and FAQs, there is humor everywhere.

You can buy Lil Helpers diapers from Diaper-eez in Toronto or directly from Lil Helper. Be sure to “like” Lil Helper on Facebook, follow Lil Helper on Twitter and check out the Lil Helper blog.

So, what do you think of this company? Are you excited for the review/giveaway? Take a look around their site and tell me what made you laugh the most. I promise, there are hidden gems everywhere. Read every page. :-)

FTC compliance: I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.




{ 13 comments }

BumGenius XS Newborn AIO 1

My newborn cloth diaper stash just wouldn’t be complete without a Bumgenius newborn diaper!

BumGenius XS Newborn AIO 2 sideBumGenius XS Newborn AIO 3 back

Bumgenius 4.0s are designed to fit babies from 7-35 pounds, though I have heard some people say they don’t fit well until 8-10 lbs (depending on baby’s shape.) I will find out soon enough, since we started cloth diapering my son when he was over 14 lbs and needed the medium setting of Bumgenius 3.0s. (He is about 26 lbs, 28 months old and still in mediums!) Anyhoo, the XS/Newborn AIO is designed to bridge the gap there, and fit babies from 6-12 lbs. At just $12.95 each, I think they are very reasonably priced.

BumGenius XS Newborn AIO 4 velcro closures
BumGenius XS Newborn AIO 5 single laundry tabBumGenius XS Newborn AIO 6 laundry tab in use

They have velcro closures, which I still think are the easiest! I know many people prefer snaps because of their longevity vs. velcro, but I figure most people won’t use newborn diapers long enough to notice. I definitely think velcro will make it easy for middle of the night changes, and trying to change diapers as quickly as possible. That’s assuming your babies scream bloody murder when they are put down, let alone diapered, like mine did. ;-) Since they are so small, they have just one laundry tab in the middle, and the other closure tab goes on the overlap of the first one.

BumGenius XS Newborn AIO 7 inner and elastic

They look just like the one size diapers as far as the leg elastic and the stay dry inner. However, the soaker is sewn in. The now discontinued Bumgenius sized AIOs in small, medium and large had an additional pocket to add absorbency. This also allowed you to turn the diaper inside out to get the insert cleaner. The XS doesn’t have this pocket. I don’t love AIOs as much as I do pockets and I wish Bumgenius would release an XS pocket diaper, or a mini one size pocket diaper. Hint, hint, hint;-)

Here is the XS measured folded and stretched:

BumGenius XS Newborn AIO 8 measured foldedBumGenius XS Newborn AIO 9 measured stretched

They are definitely a bit smaller than the one size diapers, but not really any narrower/trimmer through the crotch. It seems a bit larger than some of the other newborn diapers I have. I’m guessing I will either have to fold it down under the umbilical cord, or gently place it over. Of course, that also means it will fit longer!

BumGenius XS Newborn AIO 10 vs small os pocketBumGenius XS Newborn AIO 11 vs small os pocket
BumGenius XS Newborn AIO 12 vs small os pocket

Here’s my “model” in a newborn disposable and a size 1 disposable:

BumGenius XS Newborn AIO 13 newborn disposableBumGenius XS Newborn AIO 14 newborn disposable back

BumGenius XS Newborn AIO 15 sz one disposableBumGenius XS Newborn AIO 16 size one disposable back

In the Bumgenius XS/Newborn AIO:

BumGenius XS Newborn AIO 17 frontBumGenius XS Newborn AIO 18 back

See my update after using this on a baby.

Giveaway: One reader will receive a Bumgenius XS/Newborn AIO cloth diaper in their choice of color (subject to availability.) Diaper will be purchased by me from my choice of reputable online cloth diaper retailer.

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