Cloth Training Pants

Pull-ups - we all know and love these. It means that your child is ready to potty train and is one step closer to underwear. For many, it is a short lived stage in your child's life and they potty train quickly. For others... it's a very long stage in your child's toddler life... and a very expensive one at that. Even the smallest accident requires a change.

Cloth Training Pants are much like Pull-ups, but are made of cloth and are reusable. Because they are made of cloth, your child is able to feel that they are wet and, in most cases, train faster because the sensation of being wet is not pleasant for them. Many children prefer cloth training pants over disposables because they look and feel more like "big kid" underwear.

***2 1/2 year old and 30 lb. Penelope is pictured above wearing the Flip Potty Trainers on the smallest setting. We haven't begun to use these full-time yet as Penelope is definitely not ready to give up her diapers. However, we do try to put her in her trainers as much as possible when we are home and she does like them because they are very similar to her Bum Genius diapers.

These are the only trainers that I have had the privileged of trying with my daughter for myself... but below are other brands that I have found nothing but rave reviews for and hope to use with Penelope in the future...
I have used the Imse Vimse and the Blueberry trainers with children that I have nannied for in the past and have had excellent results. Both of those, however are more like training underwear - they do not absorb that much, if at all. They basically just keep your child's clothes dry if a small accident occurs. If your child is fussy about wanting to wear underwear and NOT diapers, these are perfect. They're also wonderful for children who are fully potty trained but still need something for the occasional night time accident.

My Favorite Cloth Training Pant Brands:

• Flip Potty Trainer:

(Flip Potty Trainer review: HERE )

• GroVia My Choice Trainer:

(GroVia My Choice Trainer review: HERE )

• ImseVimse Training Pants:

(ImseVimse Training Pants review: HERE ) ok... so ImseVimse products are made in Sweden... LOVE their products, but the only review I could find on this one was in Swedish.

• Blueberry Daytime Trainers:

(Blueberry Daytime Trainer reveiw: HERE ) *compares with GroVia and EcoPosh trainers.

• EcoPosh Training Pants (by Kangacare ):

(EcoPosh Training Pants review: HERE ) *compares with GroVia and Blueberry trainers.

Diaper Types: Cloth Swim Diapers

You know those icky disposable swim diapers that they require your babies to wear in pretty much every pool? How many times did buy a pack and have your child either grow out of that size or have summer end before the pack was up? HUGE waste! Not to mention, they do not even do a good job containing what they are suppose to!

Well... there are reusable ones! And they're super cute! So cute, you really do not need to put a swim suit over them! BONUS: when you're child is ready to potty train, pull-up style cloth swim diapers can also be used as cloth potty training pants.

***9 month old Penelope is pictured above wearing a Bum Genius One-size cloth diaper with a Gymboree swim shirt. (FYI: lots of swim suits get miss-matched in clothing stores, check those clearance bins to find some good deals on tops to go with your swim diapers. We purchased the above swim shirt for less than $1.00! )

My Favorite Cloth Swim Diapers:

• Bum Genius One-Size Cloth Diaper (by cottonbabies ): ok.... this is not actually a swim diaper... but when worn without an insert, it makes the best swim diaper ever! It is one size, you can use it as a regular diaper and it does an awesome job of containing everything it needs to! Most swim diapers are slip on - which makes #2 changes a pain because you have to slip them off and everything that is inside the diaper usually ends up all over the back of your child's legs... these don't need to be slid off. I like that. 

• Imse Vimse: These are awesome swim diapers that you can also buy coordinating swim tops for. They do a wonderful job of keeping messes in. I love that they have side snaps to make changing easy... have you ever changed a poopy swim diaper? It's not fun. Trust me. I wish they had the snaps on both sides, because with them on just one side, you still have to slide one leg out... but at least not as much gets smeared down baby's leg :P

• Charlie Banana Swim Diaper: Very similar to the Imse Vimse swim pants... but without the side snaps. These work really well at keeping messes and I love that they double as training pants - but, if you need to change a soppy #2... these need to be slipped off. I'll let your imagination wander as to what happens with the contents while that's happening...

Diaper Types: Prefold Diapers and Cloth Diaper Inserts

Prefold diapers are rectangular pieces of fabric, sewn together with an absorbent pad sewn in the center. They can come in a variety of sizes and thicknesses and are generally folded to fit into a waterproof diaper cover.

Many people are familiar with the Gerber Brand prefold diapers:




...but there are many other styles available on the market today. To name a few:

Indian Prefold Cloth Diapers:

Indian prefold diapers are made of unbleached cotton twill. They are very soft and very absorbent and become softer with every wash. These prefolds come in different sizes according to baby's weight.

Chinese Prefold Cloth Diapers:

These are generally referred to as the best as far as prefold diapers go. They are very soft and absorbant and hold up well. They are made of a quilted cotton and also come in different sizes according to baby's weight.

Many people also use what are called Birdseye Flats. These are pretty much the same kitchen towels that you typically use to cool your cookies on. They're made of cotton and need to be folded many times to fit into a cloth diaper cover. These can also be made of Hemp and called Hemp Flats:

Diaper Types: Fitted Cloth Diapers

Fitted cloth diapers are sized, or tailored diapers (however, there are a few brands that offer One-size versions) that are designed to fit close to baby in order to get the best absorbancy with less bulk and eliminates the need to fold or pin prefolded diapers. As with all the other types of diapers, these can come in a wide range of colors and patterns and usually come with a choice of hook and loop or snap closures.

These are especially nice if you have a baby that is a heavy wetter or if you have leak issues at bedtime.
Fitted cloth diapers are very absorbent but still require a diaper cover to be worn over them to make them waterproof.

My Favorite Fitted Cloth Diaper Brands:

• Kiwi Pie One Size Fitted Diaper:

( Kiwi Pie Fitted Diapers review: HERE )

• EcoPosh One Size Fitted Diaper (by Kangacare ):

(EcoPosh One Size Fitted Diaper review: HERE )

• Kissaluvs Contour Diapers:

(Kissaluvs Contour Diapers review: HERE )

• Cloth-eez Workhorse Diapers:

(Coth-eez Workhorse Diapers review: HERE )

• Piddle Poddles Fitted Diapers (on Hyena Cart ):

Diaper Types: Hybrid Diapers

A Hybrid Diaper is a diaper that allows you to use both cloth and disposable inserts. Many cloth diaper companies offer disposable inserts that can fit in most cloth diaper covers, even if made by different diaper brands. You change the disposable liners just as you would change a cloth insert or prefold... but, instead of saving and washing the liner, you dispose of it.

Some disposable liners are made of the same materials and with the same chemicals as ordinary disposable diapers, but a few companies offer greener alternatives that allow you to compost the liners or even flush them down the toilet.

My Favorite Hybrid Diaper Brands:

gDiapers:

(gdiaper review: HERE )

FLIP:



( FLIP hybrid diaper review: HERE )


GroVIA:



(GroVia review: HERE )

Diaper Types: Cloth Diaper Covers

A diaper cover is pretty straight forward... it is a cover that goes over a diaper. The diaper being an insert of some sort, typically a cloth prefolded diaper. Diaper covers, just as with pocket style and AIO style diapers, can come in both One-Size and Sized variations and most brands also give you the options of Snaps or Hook-and-Loop closures. A diaper cover system can also be referred to as an "All-In-Two", or "AI2".

Different ways to use a diaper cover:

"the old fashioned way" of cloth diapering... just like in the days of old, but without the pins! They have something way more pleasant to use these days called a Snappi! To use the Snappi, you triangle fold a prefolded diaper and use the Snappi to secure the prefold around your baby.... like this:



...then you would put the diaper cover on around the prefolded and Snappi-ed on diaper. Makes for a bulky, but effective diaper.


...but, what I found to be much easier... is to just fold a prefold into 3rds and place it into the diaper cover. Here is a great How-to video that I had found when I was first learning about cloth diapering and looking into different options:




Some cloth diaper companies also make their own cloth inserts - usually called "Nappies", "Doublers" or "Soakers". They're typically made out of a micro-fleece material that allows them to be very thin, but very absorbent.

My favorite diaper cover brands:

• FLIP (made by cotton babies): (Flip diaper review: HERE)

• Econobum (also made by cotton babies):

(Econobum diaper review: HERE )

• Best Bottom (made by nicki's diapers): (Best Bottom review: HERE )

• Blueberry Coverall:

(Blueberry Coverall review: HERE )


***in case it wasn't noticeable: If you click on the blue lettering, you will be taken to external links of websites that sell these diapers :)

Diaper Types: The All-in-One

An All in One diaper (also referred to as an AIO), is a diaper that is self contained. They go on and come off like a disposable - you place it on the baby, fasten the tabs and are good to go. The difference comes in that, when you take it off, you save it and wash it instead of throwing it away. An All in One diaper does not require any safety pins or extra folding. It is, typically, a water proof cover with a sewn-in inner layer of soft fabric with a pocket in back, where you insert an inner, absorbent layer. In some styles, the inner, absorbent layer is sewn in place. They are a cloth diaper and diaper cover in one! When washing, you separate the inner layer from the outer layer (unless sewn in place) and wash them together. They can come in sized or one sized options and with snap or hook and look (Velcro) closures.

An All in One diaper that requires you to insert and inner, absorbent layer may also be referred to as a Pocket Diaper.

My Favorite All-In-One Cloth Diaper Brands:

• Bum Genius (made by cottonbabies):

(Bum Genius review: HERE )

• FuzziBunz:

(Fuzzibunz review: HERE )

• Rumparooz:

(Rumparooz review: HERE )

• Charlie Banana

(Charlie Banana review: HERE )

• Blueberry:

(Blueberry review: HERE )

• Happy Heinys

(Happy Heinys review: HERE )