Can you recommend me a reusable nappy?

[giraffe213]

I've been looking at reviews etc but I'm totally overwhelmed by the variety and all the considerations to make. I'd really appreciate some advice from people who have tried a few.

I think I want to use a fitted nappy (or prefold) with separate wrap - not a pocket nappy as they sound a bit gross to me, and not an all-in-one because I want to tumble dry them (2 bed flat, no garden and not much space to air dry) and it seems like all-in-ones will take ages plus I'm concerned about the effect it might have on the waterproofing.

I'd also like to keep it fairly cheap, although obviously I want the nappies to actually work well so I'd buy a top brand if they really are better.

I'd be grateful for any advice or experience anyone has to pass on :-)

Why are pockets gross? You do not have to get the soaker out, you just bung it all in.

I recommend going to the nappy lady website and completing her form, and she will advise you.

Are you buying for a newborn?

I came on to recognise the Bum Genius pocket - sorry :)

Recognise = reccomend

Oh I didn't realise, thanks, I thought you had to put your hand in and take the insert out before washing! I'll have another look at the nappy lady website - I looked at some reviews on there but didn't realise there was a form I could fill in.

I'm due in December and planning to use disposables for the first few weeks then start on reusables when the fog clears a bit.

I never take the my pockets apart before that go in the wash, just throw the whole thing in and the pieces come out.

Hi there,

I've been using cloth for over four years now - on the third child now.

The cheapest best fitted i have found are Little Lambs. They do three types, cotton, bamboo and microfibre.

There are pro's and cons to them all - the microfibre dry incredibly quickly, but aren't very absorbant, though they are lovely an soft on NB bums. The bamboo are incredibly absorbant, but they take ages to dry, so that might be a concern for you as you've no dryer. The cotton ones do the job well - and you could always boost with a bamboo booster to add more absorbancy.

My advice would be to get a few of each preloved, if possible. Are you on FB at all? If so there's a group called Cloth Bum Mums on there and the ladies there are so helpful and there's a few affilliated buy and sell pages too.

As for wraps, the Little Lambs wraps are ok, but a lot of people find that the elastics tend to leave harsh red marks on their baby's legs. A good wrap is a Blue Berry coverall, or Wee Notions ones.

Hope this helps a little

And a great All in One are TotsBots Easy Fits - so incredibly easy to use. And if you have a Tesco near you that stocks them check to see if they are half price.

I pull mine out because I have had them get stuck, but it is no biggie. They're only wet, not dirty. I dealt with far worse when he was in leaky disposables (ginormous poosplosions)

I also recommend BumGenius, and starting with daytime only until you are canny about your baby's wetting/pooing patterns. You can use as much or as little cloth as you like - having one cloth day a week still saves hundreds of disposables from landfill each year!

BumGenius are good because they wash and dry easily, come in cheerful colours, are relatively compact for changing bag, are easy for a disposable user (eg family or babysitter), and have a good resale value on the preloved scene.

We used TotsBots bamboozle which are not pocket nappies and are really absorbent. Plus our local council did a free starter grant, I think it was £50 so phone and check, it was a big help x

Sorry about the kiss, force of text habit!

I've been collecting a variety of cheap second hand ones ready for PFB's arrival in December, because until I know what shape PidjChick is, I don't know what will fit! Hang around the fb groups and join preloved selling pages. I've found several people near me willing to lend spares (and a friend of a friend who says i can have some free for cake to save postage!) or there might be a nappy library.

I use Alva Baby pocket nappies. They are cheap (about a fiver each on ebay), come in gorgeous prints (so far I've collected 27 of them!) and are so easy to use, wash & dry (super-fast).
I tried bambino mio prefolds & tots bots easy fit but didn't get on with either.
Because they go on like a disposable I can leave them for grandparents to use and they are cheap enough to send in to nursery and for messy activities like painting.

Another vote for Bumgenius here!

I've recently started using cloth nappies, I'm using miosolos and bumbles,, love them both, the miosolos are all in ones and the bumbles are a shaped birth to potty which need a wrap. They were recommended to me by the nappy lady for tall babies. I am a big fan of the nappy lady! And also a fan of fill your pants' try cloth for £10 trial - you get 6 nappies to try for 3 weeks and just send them back if you don't like them, they include the tots bots easyfit and the miosolo, and also a little lambs one. It's a brilliant way to get a feel for the different types of nappy and how they fit, how you would deal with washing and drying them etc.

I've bought a few different second hand ones from EBay they were only a few pound each I thought it would give me a better idea of what might work for us.

Another vote for Little Lambs shaped 2 part nappies here- easy to use, totally bombproof, wash up like new, and really lovely and soft. The cotton ones do dry a lot faster than the bamboo.

One other suggestion: when LO was really tiny, we used muslins folded like you use Terry nappies with a wrap over the top - much, much better at containing breastfed baby poo than disposables, really cheap and far easier to use than you might imagine. Also, they dry really fast!

See if your local council run a real nappy incentive scheme. Leeds offer either cashback or a trial pack with a couple of different brands.
You should be able to find out with a quick internet search.
I tried a few different brands before settling on Alva Baby, each baby is different so it might take a bit of trial & error.

Thanks everyone, I think I'm going to get some Little Lambs cotton ones, with a different brand wrap. I was leaning towards LL anyway and the Nappy Lady recommended them too (although she recommended buying mostly microfibre to help with drying, but I've read too many reviews about them needing to be changed every hour). I'll just get a few and then stock up if I definitely like them once the baby's here.

Unfortunately my local council doesn't offer any help or incentive :(

You can always stick a bamboo booster in. That is what I do with Tots Bots easyfits to make them last longer. If you 'like' the little lamb Facebook page, you will be able to get the special offers.

Blueberry wraps are good, and one size. Pricy, I only have one so far, but use it every night. It has owls on

Brilliant thread, answered all my questions!

I am a big fan of 2 part system also, just because I think they are better value and absorb more liquid. I really like Tots Bots but that's just my preference.
I would really recommend finding a local nappuccino, which is a free coffee morning meeting where someone usually bring some nappy samples. You don't have to buy anything but you can have a look at different types of nappies and chat with other mums using them.
Check the NapNap website as they have a good blog where they review nappies. They also sell a nappy gift voucher which can help you cover the cost.
Your council might also have a scheme so you can get nicer nappies.

I've got Bumgenius Flip nappies and they are brilliant! You can get a good set for about £120 or so. They are two piece, a waterproof cover and then an insert. No stuffing pockets of anything.

I've tried loads of others, and am now eBaying them all so I can buy more Flips!

econobums, flips and bumgenius are all good tbh.