Brand Cloth Diapering

I wanted to share some tricks of the trade and a compilation of my personal reviews and the reviews I've heard universally about some cloth diaper brands. I'm not going to review all cloth diaper brands (there are a bunch) and I'm only going to briefly review the cloth diapering brands that are connected to our diapering system and therefore I have chosen or chosen to by-pass.


Prefolds (old-school cloth diapers)

• You can use pins or snappis. I prefer snappies - snug, secure, no baby stabbing. But less cost-effective than pins. 
• Generally prefolds cost about $2 a diaper unless you are buying in bulk.
• Material: generic cotton - decent, Chinese cotton - holds up well, little rough, Indian cotton - BEST! holds up great AND soft. Comparison. Our Indian cotton prefolds have had more wear/tear on the edges in terms of the edge stitching, but I like softer over needing to re-edge a diaper (which I haven't had to do yet).
• Bleached or unbleached - depends on your preference. I prefer unbleached since my kids tend to have sensitive skin and the cost is maybe a few pennies different. To me, why risk that your kid has sensitive skin if you can just buy the more sensitive skinned ones (unbleached) for about $0.10 more.
• Best brands I've found for the cheapest cost: 
• Osocozy brand (prefer unbleached) runs about $13 a dozen on Amazon.com. Best brand if you have to buy new. Easiest on the pocketbook unless you can find some incredible sale.
• Green Mountain - a little more expensive, but if you can find them used they'll last through many childrens' bombings.
• Econobums - I've heard they are a good/absorbent brand that is financially savvy but not experienced them personally. And they seem to always come in a pack with other stuff when sold new.
• Bummis - strong, thick, quilty and gentle on the pocketbook if you are buying them second-hand. Otherwise about $4.00 A DIAPER.
• Gerber brand birdseye = good for burp clothes, BAD for cloth diapering. Birdseye shreds in the wash after about 3 months of use (if it makes it that long). 
• If your prefold doesn't have sizes - it's a bad prefold. No one's 3 month old is going to fit into a toddler prefold. Best economical expense = small gaps between sizes, but you will be choosing to fold down a portion of the fabric while baby grows into the full fabric, which some people call bulky and I call "extra poop safety" as well as "financially savvy."
• Check out some youtube prefold folding videos if these intimidate you, they might change your mind. 
• To double a prefold for naps/night put extra insert OUTSIDE of prefold but inside of cover to allow best pull away from skin.
• Fleece on sale at a hobby store is best call for more sensitive skinned kids. Buy a yard, cut down into insert-sized strips and throw into inner lining against skin, making a barrier between baby's bottom and the prefold itself. I found fleece on sale for $4.50 for a yard and it made 24 "barriers" of fleece.
• Wash (water for every cycle but the last) 4-5 times when bought new to maximize absorbency. OR my preference: boil for 15 minutes in water alone and then wash. Cuts down on water use and gets the job done faster than 5 times through the wash. 

Covers

• You will only need a rotation of 3-5 over the span of 2 days depending on preference, material inside, and the age of your child (young baby wanting to err on the higher amount of covers, vs. older/more controlled BMs = less covers). If baby dirties cover beyond recognition, then wash. If baby spots on cover, then wipe clean and lay aside to dry while baby wears another cover. Less changing of covers = less laundry.
• Can be used with just an insert (see below) or a prefold with or without a snappi/pins.
• Thirsties covers are by far the cheapest with the best overall reviews throughout the sizes. Offered in velcro (hook and loop closure) and snaps. I prefer velcro for tighter/trimmer fit. Lasts through multiple kids may need to replace velcro with multiple kids. 
• single sized thirsties covers (ex. Extra small, small, etc) - fit best for newborns, especially if your newborn has a slim waste. Most reviews talk about thirsties covers being one of the few that work on that "fresh out of the oven" time. Single-sized covers cost about $10.50/cover. 
• duo wrap covers - 2 sizes from birth to potty training. Size 1 (6-18lbs) Size 2 (18-potty training). Just the covers run at about $12.75/cover. Again, you'll only need 3-5 to use in a rotation over the span of 2 days. 
• duo diapers (different than wraps) have insert included in diaper that can be flush against baby's skin. These also come in 2 sizes (size 1 and 2) and run about $18 a diaper (sometimes $16 for the solid colors). A little more pricey but you know for sure you have all the pieces to get started if you are uncertain. These diapers can also be used without the insert as a regular cover. I would suggest getting extra inserts or using your prefolds as extra inserts.
• Prorap covers run about $8.00/cover and come in 5 sizes (newborn, small, medium, large, XLarge). Medium, Large and XLarge start to get more difficult reviews in terms of leaking (kids start to thin out in the legs so it gets more varied to make a cover that will get the job done for everyone). Newborn has the umbilical cord cut-out which is VERY good for keeping irritation away from baby til they lose their cord. Newborn and Small get best reviews for being a cheap in price, but good in fit diaper cover. Inner shell is more plastic than some covers, making it easily handwashed, quick-drying, and washer-safe. Not suggested to dry these in the dryer due to how quickly they dry and the risk of melting them. GREAT pick for newbie to 3 month old size, especially cost effective. Reviews say they last through multiple kids, but I have no personal experience with this.
• LOVE Wonder Wraps, but they're less cost-friendly unless you get them second-hand. They usually range about $18-$20 a wrap (if you can find them in stock), but are a one-sized cover. The shape of these is slightly different than other covers (more pear shaped) and therefore covers VERY well with 0 leaks. Lasts through multiple kids. May need to replace velcro after 2 kids.
• Wash at least 3x if new before first use to remove factory chemicals. 

Inserts

• Wash (water for every cycle but the last) 4-5 times when bought new to maximize absorbency. OR my preference: boil for 15 minutes in water alone and then wash. Cuts down on water use and gets the job done faster than 5 times through the wash. 
• Materials:
• Microfiber (MF)= cheapest in cost, absorbs instantly unless repelling (detergent build-up due to not washing with cloth diaper safe detergent), holds up same as other materials. Quick absorbing. Debate of whether can go directly against child's skin. I've put it against Abi's sensitive skin and had no issues, but these have been washed MANY times before. There are some reviews that say MF should never be put against baby's skin and results in hive-like spots of diaper rash. Your call. You can use a fleece barrier if you are using an insert alone in a cover. Can bleach if needed to keep white (though some argue against the sheer "harshness" of the bleach product in general, it is infrequently in reference to it being harsh to fabrics, but to sensitive skins - these people also tend to be the "all organics" people).
• Hemp = very absorbent, absorbs slow. Preference for many cloth diaperers for a night diaper. More pricey cost - up to $5 per insert. Retains smell with repetitive use so you'll need to treat extra for smell. Can be put directly on skin contact. Longest time to dry in dryer.
• Bamboo = supposably more absorbent than Hemp and MF, but my personal results with bamboo have been much less absorbent (apparently I'm in good company too) than hemp. Retains smell like hemp. Dries quicker than hemp. Less expensive than hemp, but more expensive than MF.
• Zorb = very absorbent, can be cost effective (especially if second-hand), no blue zorb material can touch baby's skin so be sure to have it covered in fleece or another material if not already. Absorbs better than MF, better than bamboo, and less bulky than hemp. Material made specifically for heavy-wetters in the cloth diaper world. $5 an insert piece at this site for the non-sewers. $11 for a yard here if you make your own insert. I got them for $0.50 an "insert" off craigslist. 
• Terry (towel) = now more than 2 layers at a time to avoid retained smell and allow for extensive washing. HIGHLY absorbent and cost-effective, especially if you use old towels and make your own. BEST night diaper material I've found for the cost. 4 layers of towel wrapped in material in the form of 2 inserts suffices our heavy wetter at nights/naps when all other materials have failed. Funny how the cheapest wins. ;) 
• Comparisons of all the kinds of inserts here. and here. and here. Or there's this method of testing. Or this one by brand and it's part 2 [Gotta take a second to give a shout-out to the Sunbaby insert that beat out many high priced brand name inserts when you can buy them for up to a quarter of the price. ;) ].

Pockets/All-in-Twos (AI2)

• Designs for 12lbs to potty training crowd, and not little babies. 
• One-size = most economical verses buying and rebuying specific sizes. (That's why one-size are less frequently available in resale markets due to their versatility). 
• One-size is especially helpful if diapering more than 1 child at one time since the sizes can be altered by snapping down to fit the child on the spot. 
• Sunbaby and Alvababy (in China) make most cost-effective and quality diapers. Soft fleece inner-lining and durable, can be used for multiple kids, outer PUL. Cute patterns/colors or solids available. Plan ahead: takes 3-4 weeks to arrive. About $5 a diaper with some combination deals.
• Most like disposable diapers, excluding use of inserts to customize for child. 
• Stuff insert into pocket post wash and shake holding opposite end of pocket to dump insert out before wash.
• MF insert = good til about 9 months then need additional insert. Suggest less bulky material as second material to avoid leaking through legs. 
• Snaps survive far better than velcro on these diapers.
• Wash at least 4x if new before first use to remove factory chemicals.  

Diaper Rash Creme

• Cannot use regular diaper rash creme on cloth diapers due to most cremes being made with Zinc Oxide or Fish oil. Both stick to your cloth diapers and do not wash out well, if they ever wash out. These ingredients repel water - not a good feature when you want your diapers absorbing urine. 
• Pure, Organic Coconut Oil is the best and cheapest cloth diaper safe creme. It costs $17 for a 32 ounce jar. You only need a fingertip's worth for a diaper change so this stuff goes a long way. (Also great for eczema.) Washes out easily and safely from cloth diapers in one wash. [Sure beats a 3.75 ounce jar for $15 of "cloth diaper creme".]

Okay, that's all the wisdom I can think to share for now. Hope that's helpful.

Have a great day!