Dri-Line Baby & Bamboo Baby AIO Cloth Diaper Review

Apr 10,2012 / By Maria / 4 Comments

Dri-Line has been manufacturing products in Canada for the healthcare industry, for 22 years. Their Dri-Line Baby product line is also made in Canada, and includes cloth diapers, diaper covers and accessories.

I received three products to try. I took nice pictures of everything brand new & in their packages, then my memory card croaked! So all of these pictures were taken after washing.

The bib’s a little big! I’m not sure if he was eating it, or getting ready to rob me. Hee-hee!

The hooded towel is terry on one side & flannelette on the other, and has a snap to keep it on baby.

Nothing’s cuter than a clean, snuggly baby!

You can find the hooded towel at Thanks Mama for $19.99.

The Bamboo Baby AIO is part of the Bamboo Baby line. The standard “one size” fits anywhere from 7 or 8 to 30-34 pounds, depending on the baby’s size and shape. You can choose snaps or hook & loop, and there are several colors available. A toddler size is available in white only and fits 25-45 lbs.

Even the hook & loop version features a hip snap to prevent wing droop.

The diaper has a PUL outer (the outer is made in the USA), is lined with soft rayon from bamboo fleece, and has a 3 layer rayon/bamboo fleece flap soaker that is sewn in the back.

The diaper also has front elastic and 3 rise settings.

Here is the small setting measured folded and stretched (this is, of course, approximate-not exact!)

Medium:

Large:

My older son is about 2 years & 10 months old, and 29-30ish pounds. Many “one-size” diapers are starting to get rather low-rise on him, but the large fits him well.

The small setting fits my younger son well. He was just under 4 months old in this picture, and I’m guessing his weight at 13 pounds (I’ll update after his checkup!) The soaker was perfect to double over right in the wet zone since he’s such a heavy wetter.

Bamboo is very soft and absorbent, though like other bamboo diapers I have, it became a bit stiff after line drying. A quick tumble in the dryer & it was soft again.

You can find a variety of Dri-Line Baby products at Thanks Mama, including the Bamboo Baby AIO. You can find the diapers at Everything Birth as well. The MSRP per diaper is $18-22.

Dri-Line is accepting wholesale applications, so let your favorite retailer know that you’d like to see them carry Bamboo baby and/or Dri-Line Baby products! You can also connect with Dri-Line Baby on Facebook.

FTC compliance: I received product samples for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.

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The Great GroVia Giveaway – GroVia Diaper Sampler Package Sponsored by Diaper Junction (CLOSED 4/13) US/Canada

Apr 6,2012 / By Maria / 14 Comments

Welcome to The Great GroVia Giveaway, sponsored by Diaper Junction! Diaper Junction is giving away fantastic GroVia prizes on multiple blogs. Be sure to check out the other blogs, since each one is awarding their own prize, and you can enter every one to increase your odds. A total of 8 prizes will be awarded.

Diaper Junction has a wide selection of GroVia products, including tons of packages, shells, disposable, organic and stay dry inserts, and my favorite, GroVia wipes. They also have GroVia wet bags, pail liners, trainers, AIOs and more.

I’ve used (and reviewed) the GroVia H&L shell, organic inserts, wipes and newborn AIOs, and I’d love to try the snap closure shells and stay dry inserts.

Diaper Junction has discontinued prints on clearance as well, and you can get free shipping within the U.S. when you spend $49 or more. You also earn 5% back in stash cash and they will reward you with a coupon for your next order when you write a product review.

Shop Diaper Junction, “like” Diaper Junction on Facebook and follow Diaper Junction on Twitter. You can also subscribe to Diaper Junction’s mailing list, their blog and their Youtube channel, so you don’t miss a thing!

Giveaway: One winner will receive a GroVia One Size Diaper “SAMPLER” Package (shell & 2 soakers) in his/her choice of stay-dry or organic soaker, print or color and closure, subject to availability (ARV $31.50) Entries go in the Rafflecopter form.

Be sure to enter the giveaways on the other blogs as well, to increase your chances of winning: Cloth Diaper Blog, Cloth Diaper Geek, Kelly Wels, All About Cloth Diapers, Dirty Diaper Laundry, Padded Tush Stats and The Cloth Diaper Report. Each blog has their own prize to give away and you have to enter on each Rafflecopter form to be entered for their prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I will receive a small portion of the sale. Thank you!

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Diaper Rite Large Unbleached Flats (Flat Cloth Diapers)

Apr 5,2012 / By Maria / 9 Comments

Although I enjoy pocket diapers and other modern diapers, I love knowing that I can cloth diaper really affordably, and even with things I have around the house. We have well water so a power outage means no well pump, no water and not even hand washing is possible. Things like receiving blankets and kitchen towels can be used as diapers in a pinch, and when you’re doing it by choice (rather than out of necessity) there can be something a little fun and relaxing about folding flats!

Diaper Rite is sold by Diaper Junction, and offers quality, affordable cloth diapering products. (You can see my Diaper Rite pocket diaper review.)

I picked up a dozen Diaper Rite unbleached Birdseye cotton flats in the large size (about 32″ x 32″ pre-washing) for $22. They are also available in a small size (27″ x 27″ pre-washing) which would be fine for pad folding or for smaller babies, priced at $17.50/dozen. Both sizes are also available in white.

Naturally, cotton shrinks quite a bit in the wash.

Pre-washing:

Post-washing/drying:

Even after shrinking, the large was large enough to snappi on my 2 yr 10 month old son, who is around 29ish pounds.

When you look at these next pictures, you will probably say “but Maria, you didn’t…and it isn’t…and it wasn’t…” You’re probably right. I didn’t and it isn’t and it wasn’t. But that’s the beauty of flats. You can fold them any way you want, totally customizing where you put the most layers, and they are very forgiving. I know some people have amazing flat folding demos where all the folds are crisp and the corners are sharp. Mine were done with an audience and were done very quickly, as they are in “real life!”

This is my sloppy version of the Diaper Bag Fold:

Fold each side to the middle

Fold the bottom up (this is a great time to adjust the “rise” of the completed diaper, and put the absorbency where you want it. Then you’ll trifold and fan the back out, then fold the “waist” down.

Then fold the front up and wrap around baby!

When I was doing this one, my husband said “what’s this wacky diaper origami?” I said “yeah, it’s pretty much diaper origami!”

Again, flats are very forgiving! Nothing terrible will happen if it’s not exactly square or even. Fold in half, then in half again, so the flat is folded into quarters.

Grab the bottom corner and pull it up to the top to form a triangle.

Then flip the whole thing over

And fold the rectangular portion to the middle.

Tuck the legs in and pull up over baby.

Wrap the wings around baby and cover. You can secure with pins or a snappi first!

Flats are just a single layer of fabric, but you can get 8-12 layers in the wet zone depending on how you fold. You can pad fold (basically just quartering and trifolding) another flat to use under for extra absorbency, fold two up together, or combine with an insert or whatever you like!

The large size fits just fine even on my not-quite-4-month-old.

Have you used flats? I know many of you participated in the flats challenge last year. What was your favorite fold? What brand did you like best?

FTC compliance: Although I paid normal retail prices for the pictured items, this post contains affiliate links. I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.

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Dritz Diaper Pins – Are All Pins Created Equal?

Apr 3,2012 / By Maria / 1 Comment

Even with “modern cloth diapers” like pocket diapers, Velcro closures and snappis, there’s still something to be said for the simplicity, portability and affordability of diaper pins. I bought a 6-pack at Babies r Us for $2.99 ($1.00 a pair) long ago, but I wondered if the pins sold by cloth diaper stores were any different or any better. So, I bought a pair from Cottonbabies which are made by All Together Diaper (makers of OsoCozy) for $1.00, and a 4-pack (2 pair) of Dritz Diaper Pins from Diaper Junction for $1.29. The Cottonbabies pins look exactly like the Babies R Us pins, except that the Babies R Us pins have “China” stamped on the reverse of the head, and the head doesn’t have the angle the Cottonbabies pins have.

The Dritz pins are a little different:

The Dritz pins are curved, and have “locking heads,” which I figured was the same as all diaper pins (like the ones from Cottonbabies on the right) where you have to push it in and past an obstacle to open it. When I got them, the first one opened just fine, but I struggled like heck with the second one, until I realized what “locking head” actually meant!!

Rather than a plastic head attached to the pin, the Dritz is all metal (like a regular safety pin) with an additional plastic head attached that slides up and down.

To use the pin, you have to slide the plastic head up, open or close the pin, then slide the plastic head back down to lock it in place. The slight curve of the pin makes it even easier to use, and they seem to be sharper as well. I didn’t have much trouble at all getting them to glide through multiple layers of a hemp prefold, while the other pins had to be poked through soap first!

It will not open with the plastic head slid down. I don’t know if long term the metal vs. plastic will make it more durable, or if the additional moving parts/sliding plastic head will make it less so. At $1.29 for 2 pair they are very affordable! Prefolds, flats (a dozen Diaper Rite flats are $17.50) or even flour sack towels, plus a couple diaper covers can even be used with or without pins or snappis, and you can start putting aside the money you save on disposables to spend on “fancier” diapers!

FTC compliance: Although I paid normal retail prices for the pictured items, this post contains affiliate links. I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.

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Changing Diapers Book Review

Mar 27,2012 / By Maria / 10 Comments

Kelly Wels is the former owner of Kelly’s Closet turned cloth diaper advocate, and author of the award winning book Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide To Modern Cloth Diapering

The book touches on everything a hip mom needs to know about cloth, but the information isn’t overwhelming.

From why choose cloth (I definitely giggled about the “secret club” and being “addicted to cloth!”)…

to cloth 101, including types of diapers and how to wash them. Each chapter is illustrated with beautiful photos and easy to understand diagrams. I think every cloth diapering Mom should have one of these books handy to lend to people who ask about cloth. The information is concise, easy and fun to read, and I don’t think it would be overwhelming even for someone who was totally new to cloth!

The book retails for $17.95, but it’s available for $11.98 right now, and a limited number of “seconds” are available for $7.98.

Shop the Kelly Wels store or find a retailer including my affiliates: Kelly’s Closet, Diaper Junction, Clothdiaper.com and Cloth Diaper Outlet. “Like” Kelly Wels on Facebook, Changing Diapers on Facebook follow Kelly Wels on Twitter, Changing Diapers on Twitter and follow the Kelly Wels blog.

Giveaway: One winner will receive a Changing Diapers Book and 2-pack of Lil Joeys newborn diapers in Kelly’s choice of colors (ARV $47.92.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FTC compliance: This post contains affiliate links. I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.

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Category : Retailers

Dri-Line Baby & Bamboo Baby AIO Cloth Diaper Review

The Great GroVia Giveaway – GroVia Diaper Sampler Package Sponsored by Diaper Junction (CLOSED 4/13) US/Canada

Diaper Rite Large Unbleached Flats (Flat Cloth Diapers)

Dritz Diaper Pins – Are All Pins Created Equal?

Changing Diapers Book Review

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