Post contains affiliate links, I purchased this product myself. I finally received the Flip Trainer I ordered the day the new products/colors/prints were announced! My son is 2 1/2 and isn’t terribly interested in the potty. He was doing pretty well before the baby arrived, but backpedaled a little bit. I know that’s normal and I’m not concerned! I was, however, excited that Cottonbabies had created a trainer, because I knew it would be good!
Lil Helper Cloth Diapers Review & Giveaway for $110 Package (CLOSED 12/20) U.S./Canada
If you missed my post about Lil Helper Diapers last month, I hope you’ll check it out. I already liked this company a lot before I had even touched one of their diapers!
Take a look at this video they made (it’s short!) and watch it all the way to to end (read the credits too!) You can really see their style and humor come through, just like you can on their website!
Lil Helper sent me an awesome package of their products to try.
The Bamboo Cloth Diaper in green.
The Charcoal Bamboo Diaper in blue.
and the Original Cloth Diaper in gray stars print.
As I’ll show you below, all 3 diapers are the same size, shape and concept, they simply have different materials in the shell and soakers/inserts. Lil Helper also sent me an extra of each cloth insert type.
I made a short video to show the diapers a bit better than I can with photos. Yes, I’m aware my videos are terrible and my prego brain makes me forget what I was going to say halfway through my sentences. 😉
As I said earlier, the 3 diapers are very much the same, they differ only in materials used. I have Charcoal Bamboo (CB) pictured in blue, bamboo (B) pictured in green and original (O) pictured in gray/stars.
All 3 diapers have snap closures with a hip snap to avoid wing droop. (shown L to R – O, B, CB)
Every diaper comes with a large and small snap in insert. The Original diaper comes with organic cotton inserts. The Charcoal Bamboo diaper comes with charcoal bamboo inserts, and the bamboo diaper comes with organic bamboo inserts. (shown top to bottom – O, CB, B)
The Bamboo diaper has a silky soft bamboo inner. This is amazing fabric. I want bedsheets, undergarments, shirts etc. made out of this! So far, it has stayed just as soft and silky after several washes, which is not the case for other bamboo products I have. The charcoal bamboo has an organic charcoal bamboo inner, and the original diaper has microfleece. The shell has a snap in the front and back to hold the insert. (shown L to R – B, CB, O)
They all have rear elastic, leg elastic, snap closures (with overlap), and a snap down rise to fit 7-35 lbs. (Bamboo in green, charcoal bamboo in blue & original in gray star print.) The charcoal bamboo (blue) diaper has a bamboo PUL outer that is so soft, I love it! The outer of the bamboo (green) diaper seems much nicer than standard PUL. It has a softness to it, and isn’t as “shiny” as some PUL. The original diaper and bamboo diapers come in 8 colors and 3 prints. The charcoal bamboo diapers come in 4 colors. The diaper colors are bold, yet soft. I love them. The diapers with inserts retail for $20 for the original, $23 for the bamboo and $26 for the charcoal bamboo.
Each diaper you purchase comes with a set of small and large inserts. The inserts snap together, then snap into the shell. When using the diaper on the small setting, you can use the small insert alone to make it a bit trimmer for a smaller baby that doesn’t need as much absorbency. Because the large insert has snaps on top to accept the small insert, it’s recommended that you not use the large insert without the small on top. I swear I read that on their site, and now I can’t find it. I suppose it wouldn’t be any more irritating than an exposed hip snap other diapers have, eh? (shown L to R) Original, Bamboo, Charcoal Bamboo, small insert pictured in diaper is bamboo.)
All inserts are interchangable, so you can use any of the 3 insert types in any of the 3 shells. Purchased separately, the original cotton inserts sell for $8, the organic bamboo inserts sell for $9, and the charcoal bamboo inserts sell for $10. Lil Helper calls their diapering system “all in one” since it doesn’t need a separate cover, but I consider it an “all-in-two” (AI2) since it consists of an outer diaper shell and a snap in insert. If the shell isn’t soiled, you can reuse it with a fresh insert.
Since the diaper shells are the same aside from materials used, I’ve measured each size just once, to avoid redundancy (and boring you to tears!) I pictured the small in bamboo (green), the medium in charcoal bamboo (blue) and the large in original (gray/stars.)
Small (bamboo) measured folded & stretched (as always, my measurements aren’t an exact science!):
Medium (charcoal bamboo):
Large (original):
My son is 2 1/2 and about 28 pounds. I put him in the medium setting in all 3 diapers. He is an extremely reluctant diaper model these days. My husband already told him we’re replacing him with a “new diaper model.” (LOL.) Therefore, these diapers are definitely not on him all nice & smooth & pretty. I have to slap a clean diaper on him as quickly as possible, then try to get him to stay still long enough to take pictures! (Especially hard using a new diaper for the first time, when you have to figure out which snaps to use!) They may look a little bunchy in my photos, but that’s just the nature of diapering a Speedy Gonzales, not a reflection of diaper quality. They performed wonderfully nonetheless!
Bamboo:
Charcoal bamboo:
Original:
I had to unsnap the front of the insert from the shell on the original, in order to pull the rise up (next time I’ll know to leave the back unsnapped, putting most of the absorbency in the front.) The original insert shrank a good bit, so it restricted the expansion of the diaper. That really isn’t a big deal considering that many AI2 systems have just 1 snap anyway.
I loved the bamboo & charcoal bamboo shells & inserts, and I don’t dislike the original shell. However, I really don’t like the original inserts. They were very flat & trim when brand new, but after washing them they were bunchy and fluffy. I had a hard time keeping them contained in the diaper enough to put it on! I will just use the original shell with one of the bamboo inserts!
I also received three ridiculously soft bamboo wipes (a 5 pack is $10.) Above is what they looked like/measured when brand new.
Of course, they did shrink a little bit and got a bit pilly (above is how they looked after washing) but they are still way softer than any other wipes I have, even after many washings.
Lil Helper also has wet bags.
The drawstring wet bag retails for $6, the zipper wet bag retails for $8. Both easily hold 3 diapers and are available in 8 colors.
Overall, I’m very impressed with Lil Helper. They are a great company with great products, a great mission and a fun website and attitude. The diapers and inserts are made with premium materials, but since the shells can be reused with fresh inserts, the overall cost is much lower than similar diapers. See this diaper on my newborn.
Be sure to “like” Lil Helper on Facebook, follow Lil Helper on Twitter and check out the Lil Helper blog.
Giveaway: One winner will receive three Lil Helper Diapers in his/her choice of colors. One Original Cloth (ARV $20), One Bamboo Cloth (ARV $23) and One Charcoal Bamboo Cloth (ARV $26.) Plus 3 additional liners-one of each style (Original ARV $8, Bamboo $9, Charcoal Bamboo $10) and a drawstring wet bag (ARV $6) and zippered wet bag (ARV $8.) The combined retail value of this prize is $110! Entries go in the Rafflecopter form.
EcoBabies Newborn Cloth Diaper Rental Info & Diaperaps Starter Pack Giveaway (CLOSED 11/3)
Eco Babies is an online cloth diaper retailer that offers cloth diapers, accessories, detergent, training pants, swim diapers, eco-friendly toys, baby grooming/skin care products, baby carriers, eco-friendly feeding products and breastfeeding products.
Eco Babies ships internationally, and offers free shipping on orders over $50 to the domestic United States. There are a few things that really make Eco Babies stand out. One is the cloth diaper workshops they offer in the Maryland, D.C./Virginia area (Prince George’s, Montgomery, Howard, Anne Arundel, Charles, St. Mary’s, Arlington & Fairfax Counties & Washington DC.) They will soon be offering baby wearing workshops as well! If you can’t make one of the workshops, Eco Babies offers in-home consults. For a small $25 fee, Lee-Ann will come to your home and go over cloth diaper basics, helping you determine what would work best for your family. She will travel within 50 miles of zip code 20720, if you live in this area (or have a friend/family member who is expecting & lives in the area) I think an in-home consult and a gift certificate would be an amazing gift. Eco Babies has a gift registry as well.
The other unique thing Eco Babies offers is their newborn cloth diaper rental. Newborn diapers can get expensive, and depending on your baby’s size, they may not be in them long. When you purchase a newborn rental/trial package, you pay $220 up front which includes a rental fee of $35/month (minimum rental period is 60 days, you just let Eco Babies know by 45 days if you need an additional month) as well as $20 worth of bio liners and cloth diaper detergent (this fee is non-refundable.) The remainder of the fee ($130) is a deposit, which will be refunded upon return of the items (less any items you decide to keep, or items that are lost or damaged beyond normal wear & tear.) You will receive your cash refund within 30 days of returning the items, or if you elect to receive store credit instead, you will get a 10% bonus, and have $143 to spend!
The package includes:
- 6ea. OsoCozy Indian Unbleached Prefolds – Preemie Size (4-10lbs)
- 12ea. OsoCozy Indian Unbleached Prefolds – Infant Size (7-15lbs)
- 3ea. Bummis Super Brite Covers – XS (4-9lbs)
- 3ea. Bummis Super Brite Covers – S (8-16lbs)
- 2 ea. Fuzzi Bunz XS Pocket Diapers – XS (4-12lbs)
- 2ea. GroVia Newborn AIOs (5-12lbs) OR Rumparooz Lil’ Joeys AIOs (4-12lbs)
- 2ea. Imse Vimse Newborn Contour Flanelette Diapers (4.5-18lbs) OR Bummis Bamboozle Fitted Diapers (5-18lbs)
- 1ea. Snappi – Infant Sized
- 1ea. Roll of Bummis Bio-Liners – S
- 1ea. Bag of Classic Rock Rockin’ Green Detergent
The package is structured in such a way that a new mom can go for 1-2 days before having to wash diapers. Items can be used or new, and used items are sanitized by a professional cloth diaper service before being sent out to another customer.
Eco Babies is offering my readers a 5% discount on their orders. Just enter coupon code CHA5DIA at checkout. (One use per customer, expires 11/30/11.)
Be sure to follow Eco Babies on Twitter, “like” Eco Babies on Facebook and follow the Eco Babies Blog.
Giveaway: One lucky winner will receive a Diaperaps starter pack including one newborn organic cotton cover (6-11 lbs), two infant size 16″ x 12″ (fits up to 16 lbs) easy fold diapers (prefolds), three biodegradable diaper liners and a cloth diapering guide in a cute box. (ARV $20) Entries go in the Rafflecopter form below.
Babykicks 3G Pocket Cloth Diaper Giveaway (CLOSED 10/18)
I reviewed my Babykicks Bumboo pocket diaper about 16 months ago, then compared the Bumboo pocket to the new 3G pocket about 7 months ago. I love the Babykicks Joey Bunz one size inserts, especially with the improved tapered end and sizing guidelines. Please view my full Babykicks 3G Pocket Diaper review for all the details and photos!
I also made a video demonstrating how to use the newborn snap. This is one of only a handful of one-size diapers that I think would really work on a newborn!
The 3G pocket is available in 4 great colors, plus the white with multicolored snaps. It’s a trim one-size pocket with a front pocket opening and side snaps, and the snap down rise allows it to fit babies from 7-40 pounds. The waterproof PUL outer has fleece gussets that allow air flow, but not leaks. The lining of the diaper is 30% Certified Organic Cotton and 70% Rayon made from Bamboo, a great choice if you prefer natural materials over microfleece or suedecloth.
The Babykicks 3G pocket diaper retails for $20.50 and is available at lots of online and “brick and mortar” retailers! Be sure to follow Babykicks on Twitter and “like” Babykicks on Facebook.
Giveaway: Babykicks is offering one of my readers a 3G pocket diaper in his/her choice of color (ARV $20.50.) Entries go in the Rafflecopter form.
Sprout Change Cloth Diaper Review
The Willow Store sent me a Sprout Change cloth diapering system to try. I’ve heard quite a bit about them, and was very intrigued by their one-size, reversible all-in-two system, with a unique size adjustment.
I received a “string bean” shell, which is an adorable bright blue on one side, and bright green on the other. Sprout Change has tons of options for the absorbent inserts.
I received two of the organic inserts, but they also have stay dry inserts, organic hemp prefolds, even organic or microfleece “soft sleeves,” so you can use extra microfiber inserts you have!
I love that the packaging includes the sizing instructions and guidelines!
The diaper is side snapping, but all of the size adjustments are made through hidden elastic inside the diaper.
The leg elastic is adjusted through a small opening located on the front of the diaper.
The waist elastic is adjusted through a snapped opening at the wing. This means that not only is the front of the diaper less bulky, but this is a very Daddy or babysitter friendly diaper, even for those who prefer Velcro. One you’ve adjusted the size, you’re set. There’s no figuring out which snap to use!
The 5 sizes are newborn (5-10 lbs), infant (10-18 lbs), crawler (15-22 lbs), walker (22-34 lbs) & potty (34+ lbs). I think you could also call these XS, S, M, L & XL. The packaging has recommended settings for each size. To keep things simple, I’ve taken photos of each size measured folded and stretched, set on the same setting for waist & legs (4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st and 0.)
Here is the Newborn/XS setting, 4th button hole for each leg, 4th on one side of the waist and 3rd on the other (couldn’t quite get it tight enough to do on both sides!)
Infant/Small/Setting 3 on Waist & Legs:
Crawler/Medium/Setting 2 on Waist & Legs:
Walker/Large/Setting 1 on Waist & Legs:
Potty/XL/Setting 0 on Waist & Legs:
When the diaper is “right side out,” the front of the diaper snaps to the wings, like a traditional side snapping diaper. When you reverse it, it still snaps on the side (vs the front) but the back of the diaper comes around to snap on the front panel of the diaper. It sounds complex, but it’s really quite simple. I was wondering how it would work!
I figured my 22 ish pound, 22 month old son would fit well in the walker setting. I knew the organic inserts would shrink when I prepped them. Initially, they were quite large!
Here is the insert measured before prepping (washing & drying 3+ times.)
After prepping:
After prepping, the inserts fit wonderfully in the walker size, without needing to fold them.
I probably could adjust the size even a little bit more; the beauty is that just taking a few minutes to get just the right fit, makes diaper changes super easy until you need to size up!
The diaper looked adorable, but also performed very well. The inserts are super absorbent, fit well with no shifting or leaking, and are very easy to use.
It was very easy to remove the wet insert, and reuse the shell, reversed for a change of pace!
Now I understand why people like Sprout Change so much! Shells retail for $16.95 separately, Stay Dry inserts are $4.75 and organic inserts are $5.75. You can save more by buying insert 6-packs or diaper packages/bundles!
FTC compliance: I received the above item at no charge in order to review it. I was not otherwise compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.