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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.)
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!!)
Medium:
Large:
My son is right around 28 pounds, and the medium Freetime fit him the same way the 4.0 medium fits him.
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!
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.
FTC compliance: I purchased the pictured items at normal retail prices. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.
[…] bumGenius Freetime AIO OS Cloth Diaper Review, 2011, Change-Diapers […]
Is it absolutely necessary to buy a special hose attachment/nozzle for the toilet for use with cloth diapers? Won’t a squeeze bottle do the job? I am new to cloth diapering and I have a few months to decide, so please help! 🙂
-Lisa
I’ve cloth diapered for 3 years now, and I’ve never used a sprayer! I simple scrape off what I can, then throw the rest in the wash. When your baby isn’t eating solid foods, you really don’t need to rinse at all!
[…] week’s giveaway is two Bumgenius Freetime cloth diapers (you can read my Bumgenius Freetime review if you’d like to!) The prize’s combined ARV is […]
I have been looking ALL over for a review of the new Freestyle and FINALLY! Yeay! I was registering for our baby shower for cloth diapers for our first child and when this new diaper came out I wasn’t sure if I should register for it or the 4.0. And it sounds like Ill just stick to the 4.0 because I agree with a lot of your valid points (like.. you can either stuff them or fold them.. it takes the same amount of time. And, the ability to wash the inserts separate or throw them away if needed). The only thing Im not sure about is if I will like velcro or snaps. It seems from most reviews that its 50/50. So, I think thats how I will register. 50% snaps and 50% velcro. Thank you for the awesome review!
Congrats on the baby…yay!! Velcro is easy, but it does wear over time, and babies do learn to take it off! The good thing about the Bumgenius snaps it they are pretty easy as far as snaps go, just two on each side! 50/50 is a good idea I think. 🙂 My DH is a velcro lover…he’d rather I buy all velcro & replace them after a while, LOL. He digs through the basket for the velcro. 😉
Thanks, can’t wait to try one.
Thanks for the opportunity.
I’ve been waiting for a review, finally! Thank you.
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[…] Bumgenius Freetime AIO Cloth Diaper (12/9) US/ CAN RC […]
woo hoo
Wow super excited about this!!
I am interested in trying one of these, but I do wish Cotton Babies would make some more non-MF diapers.
Thank you!!
I’m new to CDing and have AI2’s, pockets, and a stuffable AIO (bumcheeks). I’m leaning towards AI2’s (covers with either prefolds or hemp inserts) for home, but I need a daycare friendly cloth diaper that washes and dries well. I don’t know if this would be too troublesome for daycare but I’d like to try it for home first. Thanks for your honest review.
Christina,
You may be interested in the Lil Helpers diapers I’ll be posting about next week. I posted about the company a little bit ago (https://change-diapers.com/2011/11/lil-helper-diapers-awesome-dad-run-company-with-a-mission/) but next week I’ll have a review and giveaway for 3 diapers. They are a shell with a snap in soaker. 🙂
wow! Ic an’t believe you it already! I see what you mean about the pocket diaper, but my hubby doesn’t seem to want to stuff because of the size of his hands, so hopefully he’ll like them. I went ahead and preordered 2 of these on Saturday. But I would love to win one, anyway!
My hubby doesn’t wash or stuff, so pockets are like sposies for him. Anything with flaps & soakers & stuff frustrates him. I know he could do it just fine, but with velcro pockets around, that’s what he’s always looking for, LOL!!