Cloth Diaper: Part IV
14 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in Children, Infant, Money, Saving, Toddler Tags: cloth diaper, diaper reviews, diapers, Kawaii, one-size diaper, pocket diaper
First of all, I want to apologize for not posting anything for a week, especially since I was in the middle of this series. But it was JBF week, so I was busy shopping and volunteering. And when I wasn’t at JBF, I was trying to catch up on stuff around the house. This week I have played catch-up with the house cleaning and our internet has been sporadic the past couple of days. But now I’m back to the reviews.
Kawaii Diapers
My friend had her first baby last week and she has decided to cloth diaper. She is the one who inspired me to actually start using cloth (I’ve always wanted to, but she gave me the motivation to do it). She has decided to use Kawaii diapers based on the suggestion from another friend that has been using this brand for 10 months. Kawaii diapers are not a well-known brand but they are very inexpensive compared to other pocket diapers.
I read several negative reviews about Kawaii diapers when I was trying to decide which brands were worth trying out, and the low-cost really made me skeptical about the quality. But at $7 a diaper and knowing that they come highly recommended from people I know, I couldn’t NOT give them a try.
Overall Adjustability: The Kawaii has 3 rows of 2 snaps- within average for a pocket diaper.
Adjustable Waist Snaps: The layout of the snaps looks very similar to Fuzzibunz. The only difference is the four snaps on the bottom row on each side are in a straight row as opposed to being contoured around the leg openings.
Absorbency: I have not had any leaks with this diaper, day or night.
Bulkiness: I think the Kawaii diaper is probably the bulkiest of all the diapers I have tried. Take a look for yourself.
I tried to tuck the diaper into her jeans, but it wouldnt go.
Longevity: Kawaii diapers are fairly new and there aren’t any reviews at the diaperpin.com from people who have used them for longer than 6 months. As mentioned above, the friend of a friend has been using them for 10 months without any issues.
Warranty: The warranty on these diapers is only for the first 90 days after purchase and you have to pay for the shipping to return them. In my opinion, this is the worst warranty policy of all the diapers I’m sampling.
Patterns available: There are 9 different patterns and 7 colors to choose from. I also believe that they are constantly getting new patterns and colors (but not restocking the old).
Cleaning: Both the packaging and website have a good amount of information on how to clean the diapers. The directions are basically the same as for most cloth diapers.
Cost: If you order these diapers directly from their website (theluvyourbaby.com) they are $6.99 for solid colors and $7.25 for patterns. This is an excellent price! If you order from another retailer you will probably pay $3-5 more, which is still better than most pocket diapers which run $17-20.
Overall: The diapers seem to be just as good as any of the others I have tried. In fact, they remind me a lot of the Fuzzibunz diapers without the adjustable elastic. Like I said earlier, I found only negative reviews about these diapers when I started my research. Since then, however, I have seen several positive reviews and lots of talk about Kawaii diapers on blogs and other places.
There are a few things that make me weary, though. The warranty policy isn’t good and because Kawaii is a newer product, it’s hard to tell if they will last through Kennedy and any more children in the future.
I should also mention that I’m not sure how honest the company is being about the working conditions where the diapers are made. The owner claims to live in Canada and admits that the diapers are made in China (not being made in the US is one of the biggest complaints from other users). I personally don’t mind buying products made outside the US, but I don’t know how I feel about purchasing products made in poor working conditions.
I am suspicious because of the extremely low-cost and because there are several grammar problems on the packaging and on the website– similar to grammar mistakes made when translating from Chinese to English. Surely, a company based in British Columbia where over 70% of the population speaks English would double-check their English before sending out the product or uploading content that is going to represent their company to the internet. This is taken directly from the website:
The workers are very happy and satisfy from their jobs. The working place where they have to spend all day is neat, clean and well ventilated, that’s why they can produce the best quality diapers.
I can’t prove it, but I’m not sure I believe this. Another problem with Kawaii diapers is that they are difficult to purchase. Because of the low-cost, they are becoming popular very quickly and the company is having trouble keeping their diapers in stock. This is one reason why you might want to pay a little more to order from a different site, but even other retailers run out quickly. I checked the Kawaii Facebook page and it appears that they recently got new stock, but sold out in less than 24 hours. So, while I like these diapers and especially the cost, I’m just not comfortable filling my entire diaper stash with this brand.
Cloth Diapers: Part III
01 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in Children, Infant, Money, Saving, Toddler Tags: cloth diaper, diaper reviews, diapers, Happy Heiny, laundry detergent, one-size diaper, pocket diaper
Happy Heiny’s
Happy Heiny’s diapers was one of the first brands of pocket diapers. It is well-known among cloth users and has been around for a while.
Overall Adjustability: There are 3 rows of 3 snaps on the front of the diaper making a total of 9 snaps and 4 different sizes. I’ve never seen a diaper with more snaps for the overall size, which means you can get a pretty good fit.
Adjustable Waist Snaps: 2 rows of snaps on the front with 4 snaps coming from each side on the back. Again, I have never seen more snaps on a diaper, which is a good thing.
Absorbency: The only time I have experienced leaks with this diaper is at night (even with 2 inserts), but it hasn’t happened every night. I would say the absorbency is good but not excellent.
Bulkiness: These are a little more on the bulky size. Take a look for yourself and notice how the diaper peeks out the top of her jeans.
Longevity: There are more reviews from people who have used this brand for a year or longer than any of the other diapers I’ve reviewed so far. And many of those people have used them for 2 or more years and on more than one baby. Out of these users, the only negative reviews received are for the aplix (Velcro) version. Since I’m using the snap version this doesn’t apply.
Warranty: From their website:
Snaps: lifetime
Elastic: 6 month guarantee. After 6 months we will gladly send to you any elastics needed so that you may easily repair the elastic in your diapers
Sewing: 3 months
All diapers must arrive clean, unstained, lint free, and dry. All diapers with excessive wear will not be replaced or repaired under our warranty. Any products sent to us that do not follow the above conditions will be returned without repair.
What will void the Happy Heinys warranty:
- Washing instructions are not followed
- Use of Sanitizing cycle while washing or water temperature above 150F or 60C
- Use of detergents containing natural oils or any natural soaps or any detergents not approved by Happy Heinys.
- Use of any fabric softeners or dryer sheets.
- Use of any non-approved diaper rash creams
- Use of bleach, oxyclean, or any other caustic substances that may harm the fabric of the diapers.
At first the warranty policy sounds pretty good, but then when you start to read all the stipulations, it makes me wonder if anyone is actually able to take advantage of it if they need to. Read more about my issues with this warranty in the cleaning section of this review.
Patterns available: There are 28 solid colors to choose from and 17 fun patterns (including a few glow-in-the-dark diapers). This is an amazing selection! We like to put on some leg warmers, a t-shirt and a Retro Swirl Happy Heiny. It’s so cute, and we’ve had several compliments! (I’ve never been complimented on how cute our diaper is before.)
Customer Service: From the research I have done, it’s about 50/50. Some people have said that they have had 0 response after 4 months of trying to contact the company through various methods and other people have said that they had a response in less than 12 hours. As I read their website, I really get a negative vibe. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I feel it. Especially anytime laundry detergent is mentioned (read below). This negativity may not have any impact on their customer service, but then again maybe it does.
Cleaning: The directions on the packaging are easy to follow and straightforward. When you read the care instructions on the website, you find that the company is very opinionated on this issue. From their website:
The very first and MOST IMPORTANT factor when it comes to washing your cloth diapers is that you MUST use the proper amount of detergent. Some customers are opting to use as little as 1-2 teaspoons of detergent when the recommended amount is actually 1 cup. When asked if they would use this little detergent on their clothes they would say absolutely NOT.
Well they didn’t ask me, because I would say, “ABSOLUTELY YES!” (If you are new to my blog read why here.) Also, there are only 3 brands of detergent on their “approved list” and as stated above, if you use any other detergents you risk voiding the warranty. The 3 approved detergents are Tide, Country Save, and Rockin Green. The latter 2 are no big surprise, they are highly recommended by most cloth diaper users and manufacturers. However, Tide is one of the least recommended to use, especially regular tide that has enzymes, brighteners, dyes, and fragrances. I won’t go into detail why these additives are bad for cloth diapers but you can go here to read about it and see a rating chart that includes most detergents. This website also has a lot of good information on the topic.
The Happy Heiny’s website says,
As the inventor/manufacturer of Tide this is the main detergent we used while cloth diapering & we have recommended this since the beginning.We have had no reported issues with repelling from Tide when it has been used correctly, that is using the FULL recommended amount. Tide will NOT harm any of your diapers.
Does it sound to you like this person is claiming to be the inventor of Tide or am I reading that wrong? In the little research I did, I can’t seem to find any connection between Happy Heiny’s and Tide/ Procter & Gamble. However, if this is true, then there is obviously another motive in suggesting the use of Tide and to use the full amount.
Another concern that I have with this diaper in regards to care, is the use of bleach. The packaging and the website emphasize that you should never use bleach. This is okay with me, most cloth diaper manufacturers agree or say to only use bleach once a month or less often. My concern however is that the Happy Heiny’s diaper is supposed to double as a swim diaper by removing the insert. I’m not sure, but I think the chlorine in the pools could be just as damaging as bleach in the wash. But if not, then I really like that I don’t have to buy special diapers for the pool.
Cost: The average cost paid from reviewers at the diaperpin is $17.23.
Overall: This isn’t my favorite diaper, but it isn’t my least favorite either. I really like that several people have used it on more than one child (we don’t want more right now, but maybe someday), and I absolutely love the choices in colors and prints. If I was able to use this diaper at night, it would probably rank a little higher on my list. I suppose I can pick a few of my favorite patterns to add to my stash for daytime use. We’ll see.
Cloth Diapers: Part II
31 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Children, Infant, Money, Saving, Toddler, Uncategorized Tags: cloth diaper, diaper reviews, pocket diaper, Smartipants
SmartiPants
These diapers aren’t well-known but they got great reviews at diaperpin.com. In fact, they are the diaperpin’s #1 rated one-size pocket diaper. And the average cost that reviewer’s paid was $13.08, which is cheaper than the 18-24 dollars that most pocket diapers cost. With such great reviews, and at such a low-cost, I thought I would give them a try.
Overall Adjustability: This category refers to how you make the diaper longer or shorter (from front to back, not side to side). It’s what makes one-size diapers able to adjust as baby grows. Smartipants diapers have 2 rows of snaps with 2 snaps in each row. This is less than almost all the other diapers I have found, which have a total of 6-9 snaps. It works for us right now because Kennedy is in a medium size setting. But when I tried the diaper on Kaylynn on the biggest settings, it seemed very small. I’m afraid that this diaper won’t fit during Toddlerhood for Kennedy.
Adjustable Waist Snaps: There is one row of snaps with 2 snaps coming from each side on the back. Like I said yesterday. Most diapers have 2 rows and 3 or 4 snaps to snap into place on each side. I hope this makes sense, its hard to explain. If you are confused, look at the pictures from today and yesterday and count the snaps. A picture can explain it better than I can. But to conclude, this diaper doesn’t have as many snaps as the others.
Absorbency: They leak. When I put this diaper on Kaylynn, it leaked around the legs. We haven’t had any leaks during the day with Kennedy. I’ve tried them on her twice at night and both times they leaked at the top in both the front and the back. This diaper only comes with one insert (most come with 2), so at night I put in an extra insert from the other diapers and they still leak.
Bulkiness: These diapers are probably the most trim, but that is probably why they leak.
Longevity: It’s hard to tell, because there are no reviews at the diaperpin from anyone that has used them for a year or more. Maybe for good reason. The longest user gave them a 5/5 rating and she has been using them for 10 months. However, she does say that she doesn’t use them at night or ever put two inserts in and that they have a smaller fit (which is a good thing for her baby).
Warranty: From their website, “Snap defects: 24 months; Elastic/ Materials defects: 60 days; Sewing/ Workmanship defects: 60 days.”
Patterns available: This is comparable to Fuzzibunz. 13 colors; no fun prints.
Cleaning: This is what makes these pants smart. Most pocket diapers have one opening in the back of the diaper to place the insert. This diaper has one in the front and one in the back, which allows you to throw the diaper in the wash as is without having to touch the insert. The insert comes out all by itself in the wash.
The directions for care are easy to follow, but there’s not a lot of tips or details on the packaging. When you go to their website, you get a little more information, namely that you should use 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent. By now, you should know why I like this idea. I’ve had a few problems with stains not coming out the first time through the wash, but nothing yet to make a big deal over.
Overall: I’m not a big fan of this diaper. Its special feature is that you never have to touch the dirty insert because it comes out in the wash. However, this hasn’t been a big issue yet with the other diapers. Maybe when Kennedy starts eating more solids or wetting more, I’ll hope for this feature, but right now, it’s not a selling point for me. It fits small, isn’t as soft as the others, and the insert seems too big for the pocket causing it to bunch up in the middle. Because of the lower cost, I might be able to overlook all these flaws, but the diaper also leaks and that is probably the most important aspect of any diaper cloth or not.
Sorry there aren’t any pictures of Kennedy in this diaper. She wore it last night and I was waiting for the other diapers to get dirty to do a load. By the time she got them all dirty and I was able to wash and dry them, she was already in bed (she’s wearing a disposable tonight). There will be pictures of her in tomorrow’s review of the Happy Heiny’s diaper (I’ve already taken them).
Cloth Diapers: Part I
30 Mar 2011 1 Comment
in Children, Infant, Money, Saving, Toddler Tags: cloth diaper, diaper reviews, fuzzibunz, pocket diaper
This is the first post of the promised cloth diapers series. Each day I’ll write one review for each of the diapers I’m trying out. Each review will have several different categories to make it very thorough. Then I’ll finish the series with general information about cloth diapers and (hopefully) a calculator to help you determine if cloth diapering is right for you!
Before I start my series, you should be aware that cloth diapers have come a long way from the pre-folds and diaper-pins that our grandmothers used. There are several different types of cloth diapers and pins are a thing of the past. In my last blog of the series I will go into more detail about the different types.
For right now though, I want you to know a little about pocket diapers, since that is the kind I have chosen to use and will be reviewing. Pocket diapers are a two-piece system that consists of the diaper and an insert. The diaper has a waterproof shell and a fleece inner layer. An absorbent insert slides in between these two layers through a pocket usually in the back of the diaper. For heavy wetters or night-time use 2 inserts may be used for extra absorbency. All of the diapers I am trying out are one-size (they adjust to grow with the baby from birth through potty training) and use snaps as opposed to aplix or Velcro. Now that you know a little about pocket diapers here is review #1.
FuzziBunz Review
FuzziBunz diapers were one of the first brands for pocket diapers and they are very popular in the diaper community.
Overall Adjustability: Fuzzibunz diapers have a unique system for achieving the overall size of the diaper. Most brands have snaps on the outside to attain the small, medium, or large size, but Fuzzibunz uses adjustable elastic in the waist and legs. This makes it a little more difficult to adjust the size but gives the diaper a better outer appearance. At first, I had a feeling this would be a problem for me because I was planning on using the diapers for both girls and needed quick adjustability, but since Kaylynn is almost potty trained that isn’t needed anymore.
I did like that this diaper came with a sizing guide, something that the other diapers did not come with. However, it’s a little confusing. The adjustable elastic has holes and numbers. You find your child’s weight on the chart, then adjust the elastic appropriately. This is from their packaging, “Corresponding hole is ABOVE the number on the legs and BELOW the number on the waist.” I swear I had to read this 10 times the first time I tried to size the diaper. Why they had to make the number above the hole on one and below the hole on the other is beyond me. I also think the order of the wording is a little off. Since all the holes look the same and the chart tells me the numbers, I’m going to find the number first. So tell me the number, then where the hole is, not the other way around (ex. corresponding number is below the hole). Even though it was confusing, I think I got it figured it.
But then again maybe not, because I tried this diaper on both girls using their sizing chart and even on the largest snap settings, it was too small. Each time I have put it on Kennedy I have had to adjust the elastic because it would leave deep red marks on her waist and/or thighs. But I think I have finally found a setting that works and that is the joy of adjustable diapers, you can keep tweaking them until you get the perfect fit.
Adjustable Waist Snaps: Fuzzibunz diapers have a unique system for this too. Most diapers have 2 straight rows of snaps on the front with either 3 or 4 snaps on the part that wraps around and attaches; Fuzzibunz have 1 straight row with 2 snaps from the back and 1 contoured row around each leg with 1 snap from the back (total of 2 rows in front and 3 snaps from back). The contoured row means that you can change the size of the leg holes quickly as well as the waist. I’ve heard that the size of the leg openings makes a huge difference in whether the diaper leaks or not.
Absorbency: I haven’t had a single leak yet from these diapers. At night I put in 2 inserts and it works great!
Bulkiness: Cloth diapers are going to be more bulky than disposables. I’m not sure if there is any way around this. But this brand doesn’t seem to be as bad as others. I did the under-the-jeans test. Take a look for yourself.
Look at that booty!
Longevity: Obviously there is no way for me to personally review this category after only a week. The diaperpin.com however, has been a great resource for me as I have been learning about cloth diapers and choosing which ones to try. Based on the user reviews posted there, I am pretty confident that Fuzzibunz will hold up through Kennedy’s diapering and at least one other baby. The Fuzzibunz website claims that their diapers will last at least 3 years.
Warranty: From the Fuzzibunz website: “Snap Defects – 1 Year. Elastic and/ or PUL (waterproof layer) Defects – 1 Year. Sewing/Workmanship Defects – 1 Year. Diapers will not be replaced with new product due to repelling, shot elastic past 1 year, staining or leaking.” It should also be noted that each diaper comes with easy to replace elastic.
Patterns available: This is one of the perks of cloth diapers. They can be their own fashion statement! I love the bright colors and there are 14 different colors to choose from. However, there aren’t any fun patterns to choose.
Customer Service: Again, I haven’t had a need yet to contact them, but other users have been thoroughly impressed with the support they have received.
Cleaning: The directions for cleaning were right on the packaging, so I didn’t have to go searching for it. Pretty straightforward, easy, and nothing out of the ordinary from other cloth diapers. I especially like that it says to use 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent (remember this post?). As far as staining, I haven’t had any problems with this diaper and staining until the load I just did. But, every diaper in that wash ended up with a stain, so I’m guessing its a problem with the user, not the diaper.
Cost: About $18/ diaper (comparable to other One-Size Pockets)
Overall: I really like these diapers. Originally I had some concerns about the sizing, especially since this diaper kept leaving red marks on the baby, but I think I have that part figured out now.
Weekly Update: 11
28 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Children, Christianity, Infant, Toddler, Weekly Update Tags: christianity, cloth diaper, forgiveness, JBF, menu planning, planning, potty training, starting solids, teething, time management
This week Kennedy was teething, starting solids, and having some separation-from-mommy issues, and we stepped up our game on potty training with Kaylynn. From the beginning of this journey, I declared in my heart (and I think on this blog too), that my girls take priority over any lists. They are too precious and time is too short for me to ignore them when they need me, just so I can get another load of laundry done or even save our family a few extra dollars.
It’s a hard balance though. At this point in my journey, I know that I am sacrificing some of the time I wish I could be spending with them so I can break my 27 years of bad habits. But I have to keep things in perspective when I do choose a task on my list over them. Part of My Housekeeping Mission Statement says” I will make strides everyday… to set an example for my children.”
I don’t want my girls to fall into the same sinful life that I have up to this point. And yes, I say sinful because my disorganization stems from being lazy and being a poor steward of my time. It’s a harsh truth but it comes with the reality that only by God’s grace, mercy, and strength will I be able to overcome this sin and live a better life. If I don’t recognize the sin in it, I will try to fix it myself and fail. By recognizing the sin, I can repent and ask my powerful Saviour for his help.
So, as you might have gathered already, the girls required a little extra of my time this last week which is perfectly fine with me. In terms of “things I got checked off my list,” my week wasn’t very good. However, if you look into the hearts and minds of my 2 precious girls, it was a great week! Please keep that in mind as you read what I did/ didn’t get done.
Still Working On…
Daily chores- Dishes and quiet time are about the only things I got done almost everyday. The other items were pretty sporadic and there were a few that I didn’t get done at all.
Weekly chores- I’m not sure that I personally got anything done on this list. But Matt was a huge help this week. I was able to mark several things off my list everyday because of him. He did all that, worked 2 jobs, and found time to be a wonderful daddy. I am so blessed!
Potty training- I’m really not sure what section to put this in, because it’s not actually listed on my week-by-week plan. But its going great! At the beginning of the week I decided to do cloth only. No diapers or pull-ups at home unless she was sleeping. She would tell me every time as she was going and we would make it to the potty in time to get a little in it.
The first day of this I was home alone and needed to feed Kennedy. I was afraid we would make a bigger mess if I wasn’t able to help get her undies off, so I let her go naked from the waist down. Looking back, I’m not sure how that logic works, but the strategy did! She got all her pee in the potty while I was feeding Kennedy.
Since then we have gone naked from the waist down everyday and only had 1 mess (and boy was it a mess!). After a few days we tried undies again, but she peed in them so we went back to being naked from the waist down. When we leave the house she wears pulls-up and will use the potty if I ask her and time it right. But if not, she goes in her pull-ups. I think we will try loose-fitting clothes like shorts tomorrow to get the feel of having something on, then transition to undies.
New Goals…
Tag for JBF- I didn’t get anything new tagged. That means this week I am going to have to really push it. If I want to be able to buy new-to-us stuff at the sale, I need to be able to sell the stuff I have now. It’s a good thing this week is a catch up week.
Plan weekly menus- I created a simple table to fill out every week that has a place for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and dessert for each day of the week. I also created a theme for dinner each day of the week. The days are
- Surplus Sunday: aka leftovers
- All-American Monday: this could include meals that scream American like hamburgers and hotdogs, but it will also include regional meals like New Orleans rice and beans, Chicago-style pizza, Philly cheese steak sandwiches, or New England clam chowder.
- Have it your way Tuesday: each week a different family member will choose what to have for dinner on this day. For a while this will only be Matt and I and then we can guess what the girls would say. After each family member has “had it their way,” we will have a meal that each person puts together themselves. We’ll put out a bunch of ingredients and let each individual put in what they like. Examples include make your own pizza bagel, potato bar, salad bar, maybe even a Sunday bar.
- Worldwide Wednesday: foods from across the globe, some will be familiar like spaghetti, but others will be new tastes.
- Crockpot Thursday: easy on the mommy.
- Breakfast for Dinner Friday: breakfast is such a favorite in our house that we are going to have it for dinner every week! But we’ll change up the menu since there are so many breakfast choices.
- Soup, Salad, and/ or Sandwich Saturday: I’m not sure this one needs much explanation.
I’m excited to start using this menu! I really hope that we get creative with it and build some fun family traditions.
Start feeding Kennedy solids- check out these pictures
Plan for April- almost done. I’m going to finish this one up tonight I hope.
Looking Ahead…
Week 12 is a catch up week. If all goes as planned I will probably be spending most of the week tagging for JBF. But I also plan on starting a blogging series either tonight or tomorrow on my cloth diaper reviews. So you can look forward to that!
