Post contains affiliate links. Pictured items were gifted, purchased with affiliate credit, or won in a giveaway. I was not asked to write, nor was I compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own. I have never personally used disposable cloth diaper inserts. While I am a huge cloth diaper advocate, I am also a huge proponent of “it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.” There may be times when you need to be able to throw a diaper away, whether it be while you’re dealing with an infection, traveling without access to a washer/don’t want to hand wash flats or whatever the reason may be. Most disposable cloth diaper inserts cost about the same as disposable diapers, but are generally “one size fits most,” so you can have some on hand without worrying about your child outgrowing a traditional disposable diaper size. Plus you have the added benefit of the containment the cloth diaper cover provides.
I’ve said before that I wanted to use cloth with my 9 year old, but had trouble finding information way back in 2004. The “modern” diapers I found were Fuzzibunz perfect size, and I mistakenly thought I’d need 24+ of XS, S, M, L, Toddler, XL etc. and the cost made me scrap the idea. I then had planned to cloth diaper my son, but couldn’t find a “safe” detergent and couldn’t justify the cost of having it shipped. I didn’t want to pay all that money for diapers and have them ruined, so again, disposables it was. By 4 months, his rashes from disposables were so bad that I didn’t care what the cost was, we were switching. After sending my husband to a dozen stores in 4 counties and 3 states, we ordered online. You know by now that after 6 months of 24/7 washing, bleaching & stripping, I bit my lip and switched to Tide. 4 years later, my diapers are perfect.
My youngest son has never been in a disposable diaper, and his skin is as sensitive as his brother’s, so I have no desire to try. These disposable cloth diaper inserts are usually marketed as “green” and/or organic/chemical-free. I would suspect that they would be more gentle to skin, but I’m sure you understand that I don’t want to use my son as a guinea pig, since I have no use for disposable diapers. In any case, I did still want to compare the inserts for those of you that might be interested.
I’ve already photographed the gDiapers disposable inserts, and I purchased a pack of Flip disposable inserts with affiliate credit, so I could show them at a cloth diaper seminar. I got really lucky and won a GroVia package (I entered in the hopes that I would win and could use the items for my class!) which included a pack of disposable GroVia inserts.
Wet gDiapers can be composted (50-150 days) if wet only, or you can rip the sides, swish, then flush. I have a septic tank so we only flush TP! The inserts contain cellulose, fluff pulp and super absorber. gDiapers has a great post about SAP that is worth reading.
GroVia inserts are one-size, biodegradable/compostable and do not contain dye, fragrance, plastic or chlorine. The core is made of biodegradable Wood Pulp fibers & 3 grams of SAP gel, the waterproof outer is a natural bio-film and the lining is certified natural, 100% Ingeo spunbound non-woven fabric. They look like a cross between a disposable diaper and a maxi pad to me.
They have gussets like a disposable, and adhesive on the rear. This adhesive won’t damage the mesh inners of GroVia shells, but check with your manufacturer before using the adhesive on other covers.
Above the GroVia insert is pictured in a small and large flip cover.
Flip inserts are dye and fragrance free, as well as Oeko-Tex certified to be free of harmful substances. The insert contents are right on the package: 9g Non-Woven Bamboo Viscose, 19-20g Wood Pulp, 2.5g SAP, 1g Starch-Based Glue. I do not see any claims that these are compostable.
The flip insert is overall longer than the gDiapers, and the absorbent portion of the flip is longer but slightly narrower.
The two look otherwise quite similar.
Here’s the Flip insert pictured in a small and large flip cover. I needed to fold it over a bit in both rise settings.
The gDiapers fits as well but is a bit wider.
The “stuffing” in Flip & gDiapers looks similar, I wasn’t able to rip open the GroVia and didn’t cut it to peek. 🙂
Both flip and gDiapers inserts can be stacked for added absorbency if needed, while the GroVia’s waterproof backing seems to eliminate that option.
To compare absorbency of the Flip & gDiapers inserts, I loosely rolled them, put them in measuring cups, and poured 12 oz of water over each. As usual, this is highly unscientific and just to see!
I wish I had videotaped this, but alas I only have the one gDiapers insert and not a full package. Both absorbed all the water, but I noticed that the Flip insert became very puffy quickly as it absorbed. I gave each insert a little squeeze.
The gDiapers insert seemed to hold all 12 oz very well, while I was able to squeeze some out of the Flip.
For the GroVia, given the waterproof backing, I laid it flat & poured the water on top. It did absorb all 12 oz, but when I pressed my fingers on the surface, it created a pool of water. I held it over a measuring cup, rolled it and gave it a squeeze.
GroVia inserts are about 40 cents each, Flip about 33 cents each and gDiapers about 33-47 cents each depending on insert size and quantity purchased. GroVia & Flip are one-size, while the gDiapers are small or m/l/xl.
I’ve been waiting to have one of each so I can do a composting experiment, so stay tuned!
Have you used disposable inserts? Which did you prefer?
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. 
I decided with my third son due soon that I wanted to try cloth diapers since many of my family members have done so and it worked so well… I have never heard of the disposable inserts so I stocked up on the reusable inserts… would these be better on saving money we are only using cloth diapers while at home not out and about since we don’t know if they will leak bad or not.
I would stick with cloth if I were you! The disposable inserts are pretty expensive. If you have a good fit and absorbency you won’t have leak issues with cloth. 🙂
I’m just getting into cloth diapers and really wish there was an option for disposable inserts that didn’t cost 40 cents each (grovia)! I can’t find the flip inserts for less than 73 cents each? It makes me wonder if I’ll have to use disposable diapers instead, being that I live in a fifth wheel and only have access to laundry once a week. Sad. I hate waste.
These are definitely a little pricey to use regularly!
Have you considered using flats? Since they are only 1 layer, they are very forgiving when it comes to washing, and when you “pad fold” them they are actually quite easy to use.
Even using a few cloth diapers per week (right before wash day maybe) would save your family money. But if you decide disposable diapers make more sense for you, that’s ok too! 🙂
What is a flat?
It is a single layer of fabric. Likely your Grandmothers used these on their babies. 🙂
Here are all my posts about flat diapers! https://change-diapers.com/category/cloth-diapers/flat-diapers/
Okay, I’ll check them out, but I don’t think cloth is doable since a friend of mine told me they have to be washed every couple days or they stink too bad
[…] a waste of money. Even though we didn’t have a washer, I knew we could manage. I do have some Flip disposable inserts I could have used, but I didn’t want to open them just for a short trip. I imagine we may […]
I used Nikkys and “rainbow” hourglass diapers on my daughter born in 1992. She is now pregnant, and things are different. All these inserts! Still have my diapers and covers, so will be adding.
For washing, I recommend Ecos. I am allergic to detergent, softeners, many additives, so can vouch for it’s gentleness. However, when I want to get stuff clean, I use Tide powder, double rinse it, and immediately rewash in my soap.
You can get Ecos at Sam’s Club, and many grocery stores.
Thanks so much for this post! I was just given a few gdiapers and was shocked by how much the inserts cost! More than a regular disposable diaper! I am hoping to find a cheaper insert option. Thanks again – this is super helpful!
[…] Get the Best of Both Worlds – Some families find it necessary to use disposable diapers on occasion (or they don’t have enough cloth to use it full time yet), but can’t stand the smell, or the blowouts. Put a cloth diaper cover over the disposable, or consider using disposable inserts! […]
Any updates on the composting? We use flats and Flips for travel (still using pockets for day to day) but occasionally use the disposable flips during travel or when using rash cream. The disposable flips seem ok, but I liked the idea of the compostable dipes better, so was contemplating Grovia or Gdiapers. I have heard our waste water treatment sites recommend never flushing anything but TP down toilets (including no tampons!), so figure we won’t use the reportedly flush able aspect if Gdiapers. If we are traveling, might be hard to compost anyway, but at least it should break down faster. Any thoughts? Flips are the cheapest, do could just keep using those if there is no environmental benefit.
I still haven’t gotten to do it! I had them (the ones I wet for these photos/experiment) in my laundry room planning to take them out to the compost pile and they dried out, got stiff & started growing some stuff (ick!) I tossed them and planned to compost a new set by writing the date on them & trying to dig them out & check on them every time we turned the compost. I sound so lazy but the majority of our compost goes in our Nature Mill composter in the garage – we only put guinea pig bedding and things that can’t go in the composter back in the pile – which is way back in the corner of our property, outside our fence. I need to go ahead and do this so I can see how it does this summer!
Ah, thanks for the clarification. Old to diapering but new to the internet, I’ve learned something new. I think it kinda an odd choice, but great to learn about.
It’s a fairly new concept (gDiapers & Flip were the first I’d heard of) – a decade ago I don’t think such a thing existed. Interestingly, they almost remind me of the first “disposable” diapers, which still needed to be pinned!
I have used disposable lines but they are nothing like any of these. They are thin and non absorbent. They are designed for catching the poop so when baby poops you can dispose of it easily into the toliet. Also if baby has gotten a rash it keeps the cream off your cloth diapers and cloth liners. And they are much cheaper, a roll of 100 for $10 about? I can get other brands at home that are the same idea. I actually hadn’t heard of ones like these, they are more like a diaper and I wouldn’t use them. Here’s what I use and know of as a disposable liner. http://mobile.kushies.com/#3119
Right, you have used liners, which are designed to catch messes or protect a cloth diaper from rash creams. These are disposable (sometimes called hybrid) inserts that can take the place of the cloth portion when used with a cover.
Thanks for this post, Maria! I completely forgot about this option for traveling!
I also appreciate your comment about “it doesn’t have to be all or none.” That was the best piece of advice I received as a new mom. So, here, I am, a hybrid momma: cloth and disposable, breastfeeding and supplementing with formula, sometimes baby wearing, haha. We do what works for us on a given day!
I wish I had a “like” button! 😀
We’ve used GroVia and Flips. The GroVia leaked and seemed plasticy like a cheap disposable. We love the Flips. They’re soft and they absorb well. We found that one insert was good for during daytime use (toddler that pees plenty). For night we did two inserts kind of Freetime style where we did one full length and the other folded in the area that gets the most pee.