Cloth Diaper Challenge #16 - LiL Joey

Cloth Diaper Challenge #16 - LiL Joey

I am back from my hiatus, and I have a ton of new diapers to review! And more and more keep coming out.

I am going to start off with sharing the very first diaper to touch my newest son's bum - a LiL Joey All in One.

The Lil Joey's are made by Rumparooz. The Lil Joey is their newborn version. Rumparooz was born in 2006 after the birth of their second child, who had reactions to disposables and after they could not find an ideal cloth diaper to fit her. The inner gusset is their signature to their diapers, and a must to contain messes! These diapers have exploded in popularity (oops I did right poopularity at first - almostseems fitting!) and they released their newborn size, the Lil Joey.

Their product line includes the Rumparooz one size diaper, the Lil Joey, perfect size covers, and organic line, a wool cover, soakers, change pads, wetbags, Oh My! My review today is on the newborn diaper.

When I found out I was pregnant I was most excited for newborn diaper shopping! I skipped the newborn diaper stage with my older son, so I knew I had to try some this time around. I fell inlove with the gumball pattern and had to buy one. This diaper was sitting on my kitchen table awaiting our

baby, who happened to arrive Christmas morning. Having him at home,we were able to put cloth on him right away and Lil Joey was the first one to touch his small bum. Or not so small, at 8lb 12oz the diaper had to be unsnapped in the rise to fit him. No need for the belly button snap down, he was too long and the diaper didn't touch his belly button even when unsnapped.

I can say the inner gusset lived up to all it promises! No escaping breastmilk poop. But boy did the inside of this diaper stain! I almost took a picture of it, the white inner is now bright yellow. I have to say it is getting lighter after each wash.

My little guys is now 11 weeks old, was 11lbs at 6 weeks, and the diaper barely fits. That being said it still does fit on the last snaps, but it does not hold up to his mega pees. If I were going to have another baby (Not happening according to Hubby), I think I would skip these. Knowing I have almost 9lbers they just don't last long enough and absorb enough for my babies. If you are having a small baby, 6-7lbs, go for it! It will fit your baby beautifully and last you way long that it lasted us.

Pros

• Was not bulky under his clothes at all
• Held in every poop explosion he had
• Fit his newborn legs with no gaps
• Cute designs - Gumball was my favourite
• Its an all in one, so no covers or stuffing! Simple for middle of the night changes
• Has the snap down for the belly button, so no waiting for the cord to fall off to use these

Cons

• Was no enough absorbency for my little guy after the first 3 weeks or so
• Does not fit "large" newborns for long, we had it un snapped the first time he wore it at only an hour old
• The inside stained really bad with the breatmilk poop, it is slowly coming out the more I wash it. I am sure the sun will get it out no problem

I liked this diaper, I don't think I will ever sell it. However, if in the future we have another baby I don't think I will get any more. They don't seem to last us long enough because my newborns are born weighing almost 9lbs. If you have small newborns, I recommend you grab a few, Daddy's will love them! But if you are known to have 9-10lb babies, skip these!

(First picture Owen at 1 hour old, 2nd picture Owen at 3 weeks old and almost 10lbs, and last picture is Owen at 11 weeks and probably 12-13lbs

I haven't given up on cloth

I haven't given up on cloth - not by a long shot. I got busy preparing for our third arrival, and he made his grand appearance on Christmas morning. We named him Owen William and he weighed 8lbs 12oz. He was born after 2.5 hours of labor (I told my hubby I would NOT being going into labor Christmas Eve, I woke up at 2am Christmas morning in labor, and he arrived at 4:40). We woke our daughter up at 7am Christmas morning with presents from Santa and a new sibling. We had Owen at home in the water with our terrific midwife..... but onto cloth

I am back and ready to give you a TON more reviews. I have tried a lot of new diapers since having Owen and can't wait to share with you.

I am also looking for a co-writer or 2 who would like to assist if you are interested send me an email at clothdiaperchallenge@gmail.com

First review coming later today on Owen's first diaper - Lil Joey by Rumparooz!

Cloth Diaper Challenge Day #15 Blueberry Pocket Diaper

Cloth Diaper Challenge Day #15 Blueberry Pocket Diaper

Sorry for the lack of posting lately, enjoying summer too much! Here is the latest review on the Blueberry sized pocket diapers. My son is wearing a size medium in the above pictures at 6 months old. I fell in love with that pattern (in minky!)

Blueberry is another cloth diapering company created by a mom who wanted to change the way we diaper our babies and help clean up the mess of disposable diapers that are left behind each year (27.4 billion!!! Wow!). Margarita created Swaddlebees at her kitchen table which went on to become a multi-million dollar manufacturer and distributor of organic cotton cloth diapers, diaper covers, accessories and her new line of adorable diapers, Blueberry diapers.

Blueberry diapers launched in 2007, the were fun and fashionable! They no way resemble boring old diapers and pins that so many people think of when they hear cloth diapers. Not only are the diapers made in the USA but they have become very popular due to their adorable animal prints, dots, stripes and fun colours. If I had an unlimited budget I would buy each and every one of Blueberry's diapers.

Their product line includes All in One diapers, pocket diapers, diaper covers and accessories. This review is on the side snapping pocket diaper.

Blueberry no longer offers sized side snapping diapers. They have a selection of one size hook and loop and snap pocets and also a mini deluxe pocket diaper (meant to fit up to 15lbs). I will have to get my hands on these to review them. For my pros and cons keep in mind I was using a medium side snapping diaper.

Pros

• The biggest pro to these diapers is their adorable line of fun patterns! It makes you want to buy them all. My son was wearing the Blue Latte but I don't think they have one I don't like
• You can get them in Minky! Such a soft fabric, which makes your baby even cuddlier
• Each diaper comes with 2 microfiber and terry inserts to adjust absorbancy
• The inner layer is microfleece which keeps your baby's bottom nice and dry
• Now available in one size! Your baby can wear the adorable diaper even longer. From around 10lbs to 35lbs

Cons

• The biggest con I find is price. They are $24.95 US, and when you try to find them in Canada they can get upwards of $30 per diaper! Which is a little pricey and keeps me from having an entire stash of them
• I did get some leaks with this diaper. I wouldn't attempt to use it at nighttime
• The minky is lovely, but it does get "worn" looking to it after many uses

I don't have too many pros/cons for this diaper. I used it for a while but I only had the one. Although I do go to the Blueberry site quite often to drool over all the lovely patterns. I do need to try one of the one size pocket diapers!

Visit their website here to see all their adorable diapers and add one or two (or all of them!) to your stash

Cloth DIaper Challenge Day #14 bumGenius 4.0

Cloth Diaper Challenge Day #14 bumGenius 4.0

I wrote my review on the discontinued bumGenius 3.0 one size pocket diaper - find it here

The new 4.0 arrived and I have been testing it out the last few weeks before I wrote a review for you. It looks all shiny and new compared to my stash of year old 3.0's. I am trying out the hook and loop version at the moment. They said the hook and loop is new and improved and I am hoping it holds up better than my previous 3.0's.

My biggest complaint about the new 4.0's, is the new colours - Noodle, Bubble and Sweet. In the pictures my son is wearing "Sweet." I find the Noodle and Sweet very "blah." The colour chart makes them look like they have more colour to them than they actually do. They are pretty darn close to white with a greenish tint or a yellowish tint. Bubble is a nice soft purple colour, but Noodle and Sweet are kind of disappointing. I am a bigger fan of the vibrant colours.

As for the other improvements, the do fit a bit bigger, my son can actually wear it on the lowest setting at 18 months old. Then again he is tiny, and less than 18lbs, but he is on the second setting on the 3.0's. The hook and loop does hold up well, sticks to the laundry tabs, but who knows what it will be like in a year. It does feel different than the hook and loop on the 3.0's, but the jury is still out on if it is actually "improved."

As for the easy access elastic change ability. I haven't had to use that new feature yet. Well I should HOPE I wouldn't have had to test that out yet. The diaper has only had 8 or so uses so far, but it does look easier to get to than the old version (which I did have to replace an elastic on)

So my overall review of the diaper? Close enough to the 3.0, that if you want to try out the bumGenius one size pocket line you may as well find some of the discontinued 3.0's on clearance! The 4.0 is still the same diaper with a few minor changes, of course if you are a snaps person you will be pleased with the new snap option available, but I can't say I have noticed any HUGE changes to make me throw out my 3.0 stash and rebuild it with the 4.0's. I am considering switching all the hook and loop with some of the replacement kits available.

Cloth Diaper Challenge Day #13 Flip

Cloth Diaper Challenge Day #13 Flip

Flip was released less than a year ago by Cotton Babies, the makers of bumGenius. I have previously reviewed the bumGenius 3.0's, so to find out more about Cotton Babies click here

The Flip system was released back in October. It has been available less than a year, and they have become very popular. There was buzz around the cloth diapering community for ages before they finally released and I was desperate to get my hands on a set to try out.

The Flip diapering system is a hybrid system with three different options. You can choose to use the stay dry inserts (just like their microfiber inserts with a stay dry top

layer), their organic inserts (made from organic cotton) or their disposable inserts. It works out great for families who like using cloth at home but still use disposable diapers while out and about or on vacation.

The Flip covers are one size, so they fit from 8-35lbs with three different rise settings. They can be wiped clean between uses and reused over and over again. Although once my son poops, the poo does get on the cover, so I wash it after a poop. But I can reuse the same cover for wet diapers all day long. The flip covers also have snaps, which are great. My covers I got in November still look brand new with very little wear and tear thanks to the snaps.

For those of you who hate stuffing inserts, the Flip system is designed to just lie the insert inside the cover. It can be a little tricky to get it on a squirmy toddler, since the insert shifts around while trying to do up snaps on an active kid who likes to run while getting his/her bum changed.

I love the Flip system but don't use it as much now for my active guy. I find it hard to get a good fit with the snaps and keep the insert in place when my active 1.5 year old wants to be running during a diaper change. I did love these from the time I started using them (my son was 8 months) until just over a year and I can't wait to use them on my new baby!

The Flip covers are priced at $13.95, which is a bit on the pricer side for a cover and doesn't come with any inserts. For a cover+an insert the price is $16.95 for the stay dry and $19.95 for the organic. If you purchase the day pack you get 2 covers and 6 inserts for $59.95 (organic) or $49.95 (stay dry). It works out to be less than $9 a diaper (you can get 6 diaper changes out of the day pack). Of course you can buy multiple inserts at $4.95 each for the stay dry of $9.95 for the organic.

Here are some of the Pros/Cons of the Flip System

Pros

• Very trim for a onesize cover. My little guy is very skinny and these fit great and didn't give him a bubble butt at all
• One size so you can use the same covers for two in diapers, and use them from birth until potty training
• You can choose between a stay dry insert, an organic insert or the disposable insert depending on your needs and your babies needs
• Cost effective if you buy the day packs and additional covers/inserts to fit your laundry needs
• Fit great under clothes
• Very absorbent! These can work well for overnight
• They come in a variety of colours including 3 new colours - Bubble, Noodle and Sweet

Cons

• You do need a new diaper cover after each "poop" My little guy has solid poops now, but they still get on the cover
• They inserts bunch up a bit when they get wet
• The stay dry are microfiber so you can get the "microfiber" stink, and they need to be stripped
• The elastic in one of mine broke after just 3 or 4 uses. It was a disappointment, but my others have been fine and it was pretty easy to fix
• Hard to get on a squirmy, active toddler

Overall the Flip is a great system. I can't wait to try them out on my newborn and see how they fit at the beginning. They are getting neglected more often now because they are just to hard to get on my on the go son!

Cloth Diaper Challenge Day #12 Bumboo silk Fitted diaper

Cloth Diaper Challenge Day #12 Bumboo Silk Fitted Diaper

Doesn't the title alone make you want to try one? Any diaper that has "silk" in the title it use to grab attention as being a super soft diaper. I was totally impressed when I took it out of it's package and felt how soft it was. I almost didn't want to wash it, or use it. More like stuff it and use it as a stuffed animal.

The Bumboo Silk fitted diaper is made by the company Earth, Mom and Baby. Like many cloth diapering companies, Earth Mom and Baby was started out of a desire to find convenient products that keep babies happy and don't have a huge negative impact on the environment. When one mom couldn't find these products, she turned to her mother to help create the products they now sell.

While Earth, Mom and Baby was born in Canada, the demand for their products could no longer be manufactured at home, during naptime. Their products are now created in a mill and factory owned and run by a women. She runs a clean, bright factory and offers free child care for the women who work there.

Their product line includes the Bumboo Cloth Diapers, the Pika Bubi Nursing and Maternity fasion, and the Panda Pocket Baby Carrier. I have nothing but great things to say about the carrier, but this review is on the Bumboo Diaper.

The Bumboo Bamboo Diapers come in 2 sizes. The smallest size fit tiny babies up to 12lbs and the second size fit until potty training. By having 2 sizes you get a better fit but still save money but only having to buy 2 sizes instead of small, medium and large.

The Bumboo diapers are antibacterial. They are also 100% biodegradeable and compostable after their life as a diaper is over. Polyester used in other cloth diapers is not biodegradeable and will stay in a landfill as long as a disposable diaper. You can be confident that these diapers are the best for the environment and you will leave no environmental footprint behind after your baby has potty trained.

While these are fitted diapers, the do need a cover, but they are so absorbent. Up to 4x as absorbent as cotton diapers, my son can have a major pee and still feel almost dry on the front of the diaper. We hardly ever use a cover, unless we are out and about. The diapers are also adjustable through the waist and through the rise. Making them a perfect fit for different babies of different sizes and shapes.

Here are my Pros/Cons of the Bumboo Diaper

Pros

• My biggest pro is that unlike other diapers I have reviewed the Bumboo diaper claims to be 100% biodegradable. There is no polyester so it can all return to the earth and not sit in a landfill along with disposable diapers and other cloth diapers
• These diapers are the softest diapers I own! The bamboo/silk combination stays soft after many washes
• Only 2 sizes so you will save money but also get a diaper that fits great
• Very absorbent, although a cover is recommended, my son can wear it at home with no cover and have no leaks
• Very adjustable, so you can adjust the rise and the waist to get a great fit without worrying about if they fit chunky or skinny babies better
• Priced at $20.88 for Size 1 and $22.88 for Size 2, they are affordable

Cons

• They are only available in the white/natural colour, no funky patterns or vibrant colours if that is what you like to look for in diapers
• The snaps can be a bit tricky, I find they can be hard to snap
• The diaper is completely adjustable but it can take some practice to get the rise right, without it drooping

These are beautiful, soft, absorbent diapers. The maker behind the diapers (and the nursing shirt, and carrier) is very knowledgeable and great to work with! Oh and I love finding products designed in Canada! Makes me feel proud to be Canadian to see such great products.

Visit their website here and make sure to join their facebook page. They sometimes have giveaways and contests. Find them here

Cloth Diaper Challenge Day #11 Grovia AIO

Cloth Diaper Challenge Day #11 Grovia AIO

Maybe I should specify AIO = All in one. Meaning no cover, or stuffing of inserts. Just put it on and go!

I figured since I just did a review on the GroBaby Hybrid system yesterday, I would post my review for the new Grovia (previously known as GroBaby) all in one, one size diaper.

Go back to yesterday's post for more about the Grovia company and how they started and grew to what they are today.

I was lucky enough to be able to test their new Grovia AIO diaper. They posted some slots on their facebook fan page and they were gone within a minute or two. It was fast, what a rush! I lucked out and got a spot and could not wait to try out the "mystery" product.

I was thrilled to see it was a diaper, but not sure how I felt about it being an all in one diaper. I am not the biggest AIO fan out there, I hate the dry time of them. However I was surprised to see that it didn't take longer to dry than my regular prefolds, that changed my opinion of this all in one diaper right away.

This one is also one size, and I am a huge fan of one size diapers. My son is still on the smallest setting for it because he is such a skinny guy, I am sure it will have no problem lasting him until he is potty trained. It is a side snapping diaper, not a huge fan of the side snaps either, I find it tricky to get the right fit, but with this AIO the tabs are super stretchy and makes it easier to get a great fit.

The best part about this diaper, in my opinion is that it is made of organic cotton, so you know the best is next to your baby's bottom. It is trim fitting, fits great under clothes and it is super absorbent! We have used it overnight, with no issues at all. It doesn't leak and it has contained poop just great. It is also a great price for an all in one diaper. Just $21.95US for this one size diaper.

Here are my Pros/Cons of the Grovia AIO

Pros

• Very user friendly, the perfect "daddy" diaper. No stuffing inserts, snapping in inserts, adding a cover. Just put it on and go
• The side wings are very stretchy and make for a great fit
• The diaper is very trim, especially for a one size
• Made from organic cotton, the inside is very soft
• Dries quickly for an all in one diaper (as long as my prefolds usually)
• Side snaps so there is no wing droop
• Snapping diapers stay in better shape longer than hook and loop diapers
• Absorbs floods! Literally contains super soakers and works great for overnight

Cons

• Mine stained really quickly, unlike other diapers I have
• There are only 3 colours available right now - pink, blue and the vanilla
• I sometimes have a hard time getting the side snaps done up while my son is on the run

Overall I can't say there are too many cons to this diaper. I

think it is my favourite all in one diaper that I have tried, although I have not tried a whole bunch of them. It is one size, so it will hopefully last birth to potty training, saving you money in the long run. If you want to have an entire stash of all in one diapers you will have have to spend quite a bit, and make sure you have 24-36 of them. It will also be a lot of laundry. This coming from a lover of prefolds and covers and all in two systems :)

They are a great daddy diaper or diaper bag diaper. Quick and easy to use!

Make sure to check out the GroVia website here