Update on the Cloth Diapering front!

Today I went through all the posts with the label "cloth diapers" to update my information and experiences with them, since, well, 2 years in I've had some different ones!

As you may recall, when we first started cloth diapering, we used Easy Fit diapers by Tots Bots, a Scottish company sold at our local Bummis store. Really liked them. Loved that they were 1-size-fits-all (so we didn't have to go through various sizes and just buy one diaper) and all-in-one (never had to remove a liner before washing, the washer did.it.all). Liked the colours alright, and thought I really preferred the Velcro to snap enclosure that other cloth diapers have. 

Then I learned a bit more. Did a bit more diapering. And had another baby.

I learned that Easy Fits, since they are all-in-one, have a shorter life span. 

I learned that their absorbency wasn't near what some other diapers are.

I learned that I'd need more diapers with the 2nd baby coming, and that they would have to be on different settings for each child which would mean a lot more sorting and time.

I tried many other brands - Flip, Apple Cheeks, Fuzzi Bunz, Bum Genius 4.0 (with snaps and Velcro), and Bummis. 

I talked to many cloth diapering moms about their experiences too (some diapering twins, some using brands I'd never tried, some loving or hating things I felt differently about, etc).

Having Oli, though, was the real kicker. 

While I was ready to bid my not-absorbent-enough Easy Fits A Dieu (and I sold the lot on Craigslist for $200), I didn't know what diapers to go with instead. After careful research, I went with Apple Cheeks.

I bought them all online for dirt cheap (my whole stash cost less than the $200 I got from selling my old Easy Fits) and I LOVE THEM.

They're a 2-size system, so there was no confusing Lily's diapers from Oli's. He outgrew his size 1s by 3 months though, so I sold those online (for more than I paid, what!?), and now they use the same diapers.

They come in amazing colours - black, teal, dark purple, bright turquoise, periwinkle, etc. Funny, that means so much to me though the kids are often hiding their diapers with clothes! 

They're also a 2-part system, meaning they come with a liner and cover. At first I didn't want this in a diaper, because it added a step, but now I love it. I love it because I can customize a diaper - thicker at night, thinner in the mornings, etc. I can also reuse a cover if only the liner was made wet by pee. So though I had two kids in diapers, the laundry wasn't necessarily double. Hallelujah. 

They're snap closure, which once you get the hang of, is great. I find it more aesthetically pleasing to Velcro and more precise. The problems many have with Velcro (the diapers attaching to everything in the washing machine, Velcro becoming unstuck, etc) were never a problem with my Easy Fit diapers so I didn't see the need for snaps, but after having used the Bum Genius 4.0s with Velcro, I see how frustrating poor Velcro can be.

With Lily's stash of Apple Cheeks (size 2) doing double duty now that Oli was the same size, I needed to buy some more diapers. I looked online for size 2 Apple Cheeks and couldn't find any sadly, but was happy to hear a friend from church was looking to sell her barely-used Bum Genius 4.0 diapers. I bought them and am happy with them as well. The only downside is that they are Velcro instead of the other Bum Genius diaper I bought in Louisville that has snaps. 

Sidenote: Snaps are way better than Velcro with Bum Genius diapers! They come with 2 options, so I highly suggest the snaps - we had loved the Velcro Easy Fits, but that Velcro must have been better quality, because our Bum Genius Velcro diapers get stuck on clothes and other diapers both in and out of the wash! It's a bit of an inconvenience. Nothing major, and I still enjoy them a lot, but if you're choosing, go snaps.

That about brings me up to date on our cloth diapering journey. I've updated all my old posts slightly, so if you're new to cloth diapering or curious, check them out too.

Also, let me know: 

What cloth diapers do you use? 

How do you like them?