Just so you know, this post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a product link on this site and decide to buy it, I may earn a small commission.
Find out why these 3 diapers are better than Huggies or Pampers will ever be
My mother warned me about cloth diapering. Apparently she tried cloth diapers with me, but quickly gave into disposables after a frantic week of juggling a newborn and washing buckets full of dirty diapers.
Needless to say, mom was skeptical when she heard about my attempt at cloth diapering. I must say that I was pretty skeptical myself.
If you’re already a cd’ing (cloth diapering) convert, you can skip ahead to the good part! Find out which 3 diapers made my “best-rated” list for 2015.
Why I’m a cloth diaper convert
Fortunately there’s a lot of resources online at various pregnancy forums and parenting blogs. I was pleasantly surprised and after a couple months I became a CD’ing convert. I quickly learned that:
- It’s a lot easier to use – My mother was probably thinking of the sheets of cloth and safety pins she used back in the day. Modern cloth diapers are nothing like diapers our mothers and grandmothers used. Today’s CDs are entire systems with removable inserts, buttons and snaps, and easy to wash liners. They’re as easy to use when you’re out and about as disposable diapers. Worried about laundry? Check out my system for washing cloth diapers to see how I wash and dry my diapers in just minutes a day.
- It’s healthier – There are hundreds of chemicals in disposable diapers. From the chemicals used to bleach them white to the glues and adhesives to the chemicals inside that absorb your little one’s buckets of pee. Cloth diapers are also better for babies’ skin and they do not cause diaper rash like disposable diapers.
- It’s cheaper – You’ll spend about $2000 on disposable diapers by the time your toddler is potty trained. Compare this to a one time investment of $200-$500 in cloth diapers. You only need about 14-18 cloth diapers to start. As you get a feel for your baby’s changing schedule you can buy more diapers. Most parents like to have a stash of around 24-36 diapers.
- It’s reusable and you can resell it – Are you going to have another baby? Along with clothes and toys, cloth diapers are perfect hand-me-downs. Save even more money when you reuse the cloth diapers for your younger children. If you’re done, you can sell your cloth diapers online. There’s a healthy market for second-hand cloth diapers on various mommy forums and craigslist.
- It’s so much cuter – Cloth diapers come in a rainbow of colors and some come in adorable patterns. You can also choose different materials from microfiber to brushed cotton to flannel, and more.
- It’s easy to wash and not as gross as I thought it would be – The trick is to use a diaper sprayer to blast off all the poop in the diaper. This way you don’t have to touch the dirty diaper with your hands. There is no way to describe how much I love my diaper sprayer. It was really easy to install and it hooked right up to our toilet’s water supply. Now that the kiddo has grown out of diapers I use the sprayer as a bidet.
- It’s more absorbent and more leak-proof – My biggest fear before I started CD’ing was the risk of leaks and blowouts. Newborns are prone to runny poo and blowouts can be pretty scary! I quickly learned that cloth diapers actually absorb more than disposable diapers as long as they’re properly washed and cared for. If you are really worried about leaks during the night then you can always double up on the liners and inserts inside the diaper.
Everyone has their own way of cloth diapering. After trying many different styles and brands of diapers I settled on a combination of these 3 cloth diapers:
- FuzziBunz
- bumGenius (Amazon | buybuybaby)
- Thirsties
These 3 diapers were the easiest to use and the most leak-proof so they’re my picks for the top-rated cloth diapers.
Specifically these are the best diapers because:
- You can adjust the absorption with inserts, liners, and pre-folds. Some other diapers are so tight that you can’t fit more than one insert in them. You can add more padding inside these diapers if your baby is a heavy soaker or if you want your baby to sleep through the night without soaking through his diaper.
- Diaper covers and diapers with pockets are easier to wash and dry than thick and bulky all-in-one diapers. These diapers all use inserts or liners which can be separated when you wash them. This means they rinse out cleaner and dry faster. All-in-ones can take hours to dry and often end up with ‘yuck’ in the pads that hasn’t washed out.
- These diapers are super easy to pre-wash and clean. Just hold the diaper over your toilet and use a diaper sprayer. Spray. Spray. Spray. There’s no complicated folds where poop and pee can get stuck.
- These diapers all have an adjustable system of snaps so you can adjust the size of the diaper. This way you save money by using the same set of diapers from when your baby is a few days old until he is ready to be potty trained.
- Elastics around the waist and legs prevent sagging around the belly and leaks around the legs.
- Snaps are more durable and easier to use than velcro systems. Velcro wears down after several months and snags on everything when you wash it. When your baby gets bigger you’ll also find out that snaps are also difficult for little hands to undo when you’re not looking!
- The inside is lined with soft fleece or microfiber to keep baby’s skin dry and rash free.
- These reusable covers come in so many fun colors and patterns! From every color in the rainbow to animals to polka dots to safari prints. Who knew that diapering can be fun too! You’ll have a blast matching your diapers to your baby’s outfits.
Do you use cloth diapers? Do you veteran CDers have any tips or advice to share? If you haven’t used cloth diapers before Will you start now? Leave a comment and share your story!
Compare Cloth Diapers & Shop
1 | 2 | 3 |
---|---|---|
bumGeniusI want… Why I like it:
$ |
ThirstiesI want… Why I like it:
$ |
FuzziBunzI want… Why I like it:
$ |
Check Prices | Check Prices | Check Prices |
*Prices at the time of publication. Current prices may differ.

Hi!
I’m Jane and this is my project to chronicle everything I’ve learned as I raise my little one.
Hi I was wondering in your reviewing did you test Gro-via brand? If you did, what were your thoughts on them? Thank you and thanks for the very helpful website.
How many washes can you get out of these cloth diapers
Hi Laura!
As long as you avoid things like fabric softeners (ruins the fabrics and causes leaks) and high heat (wears out elastics and snaps) you can get a couple hundred washes out of diapers. Diapers can usually be passed on as hand me downs to younger siblings or traded on craigslist, if that gives you an idea of how durable they are. For max-lifespan I would get diapers with snaps instead of elastics or velcro as these are usually the first parts that get worn out.
Did you try Rumparooz?
Have you reviewed the Lil Helper Cloth Diapers?
Have you tried SoftBums?