The world of cloth diapers can be confusing. There are just so many options. I share the best cloth diaper covers from my experience with cloth diapering five kids over the course of nine and half years.
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the best cloth diaper covers video
Back in 2008 when I was pregnant with our first child, I stumbled upon an advertisement for cloth diapers in a magazine. Yes, a magazine! That’s what folks did back in the dark ages pre-Pinterest. They’re like these paper things with stories and articles and….oh never mind. Ask your grandma about it.
Anyway, back then we were extremely frugal. Like even the thought of paying for diapers was completely out of the question. I saw that ad for bumgenius reusable diapers and I finally found my loophole. Prior to this, I thought cloth diapering was cotton origami with pins and plastic pants. After seeing a cute fluffy diaper that appeared to go on just like a disposable, I knew I had to try it.
I wish I could say I was motivated to keep plastic out of the landfill, and toxins off my baby’s bottom, but instead the cloth diaper obsession was more about the bottom line. Fast forward nine years, I stil use cloth diapers, but its because I can’t stand to read all the horrible things that are in disposables. Sure, the cost savings is nice, but I would forgo that all things equal.
Safe to say there are plenty of great reasons to invest in cloth diapers.
But, there are as many options for cloth diapers as babies. Maybe not quite, but I bet its close. So, which ones are best?
So many different kinds of cloth diapers
Now, obviously, I haven’t tried every brand available on the market. I have, however, tried every different kind; AIO, AI2, flats, prefolds, pockets, contours, hybrids, yada, yada, yada.
If that looks like a foreign language, you obviously haven’t been hanging around Baby Center cloth diaper groups.
I’ve tried it all, my friend.
Now, instead of explaining every different kind of cloth diaper in depth, I will save you the headache and just jump right to my favorites.
Problem #1 with cloth diapers, in my experience, is leakage. And I have dealt with my fair share of it.
All in one diapers don’t have enough absorbent layers. All in twos are a pain to stuff. Prefolds are just a pain in general.
The best solution I have found, by far, is a snap diaper cover with a double absorbent layer. My sister is a cloth diapering mama of four kids and she agrees with me here. So that right there is a combined total of nine kids, and we finally found what works!
Let me explain.
The cover is a waterproof shell. You can put inside of that shell any kind of absorbent layer that you prefer. I like to use homemade flannel inserts in combination with organic cotton prefolds. The beauty here is any absorbent inserts will work, and the cover system allows you to put in as many layers of absorbency as you want.
Covers are also great because they don’t have to be swapped out with every single diaper change. As long as baby is only wet, and nothing stinky has leaked onto the cover, if you know what I mean, you can use it more than once. This allows for a more minimal (and less expensive) diaper stash.
Which are the best cloth diaper covers
- Flip– The best cloth diaper cover that I have tried is the Flip brand. I like that it has a double layer of snaps across the top for an excellent fit. They are adjustable, so they fit any baby from about 8 lbs until potty training.
- Rumparooz One Size Cloth Diaper Cover– I love this brand, because it is cheaper than the Flip cover, but still has the double layer of snaps.
- Thirsties Duo Wrap Cover– This is a more basic version of the Flip and Rumparooz, with one layer of snaps. It is still in my favorite style of a waterproof shell cover, as opposed to a pocket diaper.
- Econobum– They are a more economical and stripped down version of the Flip. They only have one layer of snaps across the top. They also don’t have the flaps on the inside of the cover that hold the inserts in place, like the Flip does.
- Newborn Rumparooz These are the perfect covers for cloth diapering a brand new tiny baby.
The pro of the Flip diaper cover are the flaps on the inside that hold the inserts in place. The pro to the Econobum brand is they are super cheap. One box of Econobum can get you into cloth diapering for less than a couple packs of disposables. How can you argue with that?!
The best cloth diaper inserts
Honestly, I have found a bunch a different inserts that work great. Ironically enough, I don’t like the inserts that come with the Flip covers. They are too long and bulky.
Some of my favorite inserts:
Homemade Flannel- These are super easy to make. I cut some of my flannel receiving blankets (since I definitely prefer gauze swaddle blankets anyway) into ovals and serged around the outside edges. Voila! Super simple inserts.
Organic Cotton Prefolds– I like to wrap these around one of my homemade flannel inserts.
Hemp and Microfleece- I have some from gDiaper and I have some that I made myself. Again, I just cut them into ovals and serged around the outsides. You could also just use a zigzag stitch if you don’t have a serger. (See my fabric sources below if you want to make your own.)
The reason I love this combination is the microfleece is comfortable next to baby’s skin and wicks moisture away. The hemp is highly absorbent, so the inserts are great to prevent leakage.
Materials to Make your own cloth diaper inserts
Hemp Organic Cotton Fleece
Diaper Flannel
Microfleece
Microfiber
Shop my favorite cloth diapering essentials
Update: I also found more cloth diapers to function like the Econobums and Flips and are a little cheaper! (Linked bleow)
Rumparooz One Size Cloth Diaper Cover
Thirsties Duo Wrap Cover
Flip Cover
Organic Cotton Prefold Inserts
Hemp and Microfleece Inserts by gDiaper
Newborn Rumparooz (just like Econobum)
Econobum
Materials to Make your own cloth diaper inserts
Hemp Organic Cotton Fleece
Diaper Flannel
Microfleece
Microfiber
In conclusion, snap on covers are definitely the way to go! No stuffing required, and you can use each cover multiple times before changing it. The absorbency can be customized by adding in a few extra layers.
Have you tried cloth diapers? What has been your experience?
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Thank you so much for stopping by the farmhouse!
Barbara says
My “babies” are 33 and 31, and I used cloth diapers on them. I used the big baby pins and rubber pants. BUT…..my husband had a hard time with diapering and so I sewed Velcro tabs on the diapers. I guess that’s what you are using now, of some sort. haha
Lisa says
You are so innovative Barbara! That is pretty much what we are doing these days. 🙂
Emily says
I used cloth on and off with my first child. I had the hardest time keeping him rash free…I did everything I was recommended but he would always end up with terrible rashes. It made it hard to want to continue. But now, my second son is 3 months old and I want cloth diapering to work so badly. If you had any recommendations or more to say about your experience with cloth, I am all ears!! This was a great and helpful post and video. I LOVE your blog, Lisa!
Lisa says
The best solution I have found for that is putting them in a disposable overnight, but then using cloth during the day. If it was a yeast problem, the best way to treat that is with a cream with something anti-fungal. I used tea tree oil for my kids.
Chelsey Nelson says
I don’t have kiddos yet but the reasons you lay out make it look like such a great option! Less cost and less chemicals. I’m happy to learn more about it. Thanks for sharing your favorites, Lisa!
Chelsey
http://www.chelseynelson.com
Lisa says
You will be prepared if you have kids! 😉
HR says
New to your blog and love it all! After my fourth baby I discovered wool as a cover over cotton, and what a difference! If you haven’t tried it out I think you’d love it. You can make your own with cashmere and merino sweaters for next to nothing, buy interlock which is machine washable and crazy durable, but the best part is the soft natural goodness on baby instead of stinky plastic and the elastic marks on baby. They rarely need washed and lanolizing them is fun especially with the older kids helping out. Just in case you need a rabbit trail to fall down… 🙂
jojo says
i second this suggestion. once you try wool you can’t go back. 💞
Ling says
How many covers & inserts do you think is a good amount to have on hand? That’s another part of the cloth diaper equation I can’t quite figure out. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Lisa says
6 covers and 12-18 inserts is a good stash, in my opinion. 🙂
Lisa Marie says
Thanks for the info!
Im transitioning to cloth and am finding the clothing for my baby baby girl hard to find that will accomodate the extra bulk. It’s still cold where I am, what do you use?
Kay says
How do you know if they’re too tight? I use flip and best bottom covers for my son but they seem to be too tight on one setting and too big on the next. They leave red marks on his back and thighs. Is that ok? It doesn’t seem to bother him.
Gabriela says
Hey Lisa,
I really like your content and the peacefulness of your site! Thanks for sharing so much!
What has been your experience with diaper rash using cloth diapers? Do you still have to use the zinc based pomades to prevent or treat it? Maybe you know of a more natural remedy?
Cheers!
Gaby
Lisa says
Hey Gaby! I don’t usually have any rash issues when they’re exclusively breastfeeding. Sometimes we have problems when the baby switches to solids. I usually use a disposable overnight at that point, and cloth during the day. That solution works for me! Micah is currently in cloth overnight, but I imagine we will have to switch when he does solids. I don’t like to use zinc oxide on cloth, because it creates a barrier. So, either switch to a disposable while you’re treating rashes or use a clay based cream. I actually have a recipe for it coming out soon. you can also use the recipe in my Natural body ebook. Just omit the zinc oxide.
Isabella says
Yes, I cloth diapered my four children, who were all born in the 70’s. Back then, it was just the traditional diaper you folded, pinned, and then used plastic pants. At night, we used two. Like you, it was the bottom line for us (my husband was in school, and our family lived on a very modest GI bill) although disposable diapers were not as prevalent then. I had a good stash I used for all four and would replenish it with each baby. I ran them through the wash once, but rinsed twice. We were living in Texas then, so I hung them outside to dry which bleached and disinfected them too. My children never had any kind of diaper rash, and they all were potty trained early without me really pushing it. That was a plus of cloth diapering! (Also an advantage to live in a warm climate when potty training.)
Erina says
Very helpful! I was looking at the bamboo charcoal reusable liners wrapped with the organic cotton liner for extra absorbency. Have you ever tried them? Thanks!
Lisa says
I haven’t tried them, but they sound like they could be nice!
Sandra says
Hi! Thanks for the great info. I am new to all of this and have a grandbaby coming. We need diaper covers only. Your link for the Flip Covers (link to Amazon) says Amazon doesn’t sell them. Any idea where else to find them? We are in Canada. Thanks!!
helena says
Hi! Do you have a problem with prefolds fitting into the flip diaper covers? I was getting supplies for my baby coming next month and the prefolds i have are about twice the length of the flips. I have washed them, but i’m thinking i may need to wash them with super hot water to get them to shrink. Do you have any recommendations?
AndyJack says
I loved the way you have created this blog. Children’s smile comes when you put them nice soft cotton diapers. Your kid’s comfort is your first preference.
Izya says
Hi Lisa, just wondering since you are all minimalist, do you have a changing table to change the diapers?
Lisa says
No, I do not.
Rachel says
Hi Lisa, it would be awesome if you made a video on how you make you your inserts! Loving your videos. My baby is about 7 weeks and I’m considering switching to cloth.
Lisa says
I need to get on that! They are super simple!
Raquel says
Hi Lisa,
I second on that! I would love to see a video or even just a post on how to make the inserts. My biggest questions are the measurements and how many layers each insert should be. My kid is already 1 but I just feel so bad about all the waste and costs of diapering and we are really trying to switch everything at home for a more sustainable and cheaper approach. I would love to make my own inserts! Btw thank you so much for everything you do, I love your blog and channel!!!
Lisa says
I just made mine about the length and width of the inside of the diaper, with a couple layers of fleece and hemp or microfiber. I really hope to get a video out on it sometime soon!
sajadah 100 hari says
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I have a blog based upon on the same information you discuss and would love to have you
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If you are even remotely interested, feel free to send me an email.
Liza kidr says
Hi! Will you be posting the homemade diaper solution soon?
I’m not a mom yet but I would so love to get this for my future baby. I’m just trying to be as prepared as possible!
Thanks for sharing with us..
Lisa says
I don’t have that yet, but I do have a DIY diaper cream: https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/farmhouse-on-boone/best-diaper-rash-cream-all-natural/
brittanie says
how many layers did you use for the flannel inserts?
Monica Bilotti says
Thanks for your post! Just wanted to say we have cloth diaped from the beginning at at 6 months were still at it and we are all happy with our covers cotton prefolds and flats. Saved so much money and plastic in landfills!
Acacia Studer says
I was wondering if you have any recommendations to purchase a diaper insert since gDiaper no longer makes reusable inserts. If not, I will try making my own like you mentioned!
Jessica says
I had the same problem, and while I am making some of my own I also discovered that the Thirsties duo insert (stay dry natural is my favorite) size 1 will fit perfectly in the M/L/XL gdiaper pouch. They are a little pricey but so trim and hold so much liquid for their size, I love them!
Jodie says
Hi Lisa! Thanks for all your AWESOME content , we have implemented so much in our family since following.
We are transitioning to cloth diapers, right now I only have pocket diapers- but my question is what is the reason you do you do disposables at night???
Jamie says
Hi Lisa!
I am due in August with my first little one. I found your website after researching cloth diapers on YouTube. Your video & blog post helped me make a switch from pocket diapers to prefolds. I’m wondering if you only use the small size organic cotton prefolds or if you also use the larger size ones for when babies will be bigger? Thanks!
Jenna says
Newbie here… So in the beginning you said that prefolds are just a pain in general. But then you say that you use them as inserts. I think I am missing something. Are they used in a different way when you use a cover?
Thank you for clarifying! 🙂
Florencia Carrizosa says
Hi! This si so helpfull!! But I have a question! I am a first mom! Just 14 weeks pregnant! But I don’t understand how to put on de prefold and flannel inside of the diaper cover.
Clare says
I cloth diaper and use a combination or AIO, pockets and Flip covers, like you prefer. I received some hand me downs from my sister in law who used them on my niece until she was potty trained. I’m currently replacing the elastic in some of them, but what I’m wondering is how long you have been able to use your diapers, with multiple children. And if you have been able to repair and continue using for multiple kids. Thanks!
Lindsay says
Do you use your inserts just like a long layer from front to back or does it wrap around the baby like a prefold fold method? Does that make sense?
Allyson says
Thank you for all the information you’ve provided! We ordered all our inserts and covers and are so excited to start cloth diapering when our little girl gets here.
Samantha says
Thank you for this post! I came to your blog after discovering you on YouTube with your cloth diapering videos. You have made it seem so simple I am looking forward to trying it. I am curious what is your process for cleaning them? I think you mentioned in a video that you don’t use a sprayer or anything.