With an overwhelming amount of information out there about cloth vs disposable diapers, we decided to rally the troops (our amazing group of over 600 Quality Providers) to get some real world feedback about both!
PS: one of the perks about becoming a BabyQuip Quality Provider is that you get to literally ask ALL THE QUESTIONS about parenting, baby gear and babies to our awesome private Facebook community. It’s the best!
Anyways, back to the topic at hand: cloth vs disposable diapers? One is not better than the other. And they each have their obvious pros and cons! Disposables are bad for the environment. Cloth can be considered messy. Disposables are expensive. Cloth is inconvenient. With all that said, we found a lot of awesome aspects of both as well! Our Quality Providers gave some wonderful tips, tricks and pros & cons that we hope will help you decide the best diapering solution for you and your little one!
Part-time cloth diapering is a great option to consider!
Great news! You can choose to diaper both ways. Anna Braybrooks in California says, “I cloth diapered both my babies. My second, I just did part-time, so only at home. I used disposable diapers at night and when I was out of the house. That way I didn’t have to change diapers in the middle of the night. And it’s easier to dispose of a dirty diaper while out running errands. Cloth diapering part-time still helps save a lot of money and helps the environment.”
Either diapering option can encourage early potty training.
An end to diaper changes a little sooner? Yes please! “Cloth diapering is great for earlier potty training. Both our kids stopped pooping in their cloths and learned to poop in the potty at really early ages.” Thanks for the insight, Joyce Law in Canada!
On the flip side, Sarah Edwards in Michigan says, “I’m helping my eco-guilt about using disposable diapers by potty training at 20 months. That’s about one year of fewer diapers!”
So, there’s a way to potty train earlier with either option! Win, win!
Disposable diaper rewards programs are amazing.
If you’re still debating about cloth vs disposable diapers, reward programs are great! Felicia Roberts in Florida says, “We bought Huggies and Pampers. And signed up for both rewards programs. Huggies Rewards are great. I get free diapers after accumulating so many points. They even let you scan gift receipts.“
And get this: “We used Pampers for our oldest and actually got a Plasma Car with our rewards, so that was pretty cool.” Wow! Amy Weinstein in Virginia got the ever popular toy Plasma Car?!
“Fluff butt” is a real thing and it sounds like it’s the cutest!
Karri Morrison in Florida reminds us that when you are using cloth diapers, “Stripping is important and using the right soap. Oh, and ‘fluff’ butt is super cute!!” So what is this whole diaper stripping thing? We wanted to know too! It’s basically getting rid of all the build up that can happen with cloth diapers. But more importantly, fluff butt (cloth diapers make baby butts look puffy!) is definitely a reason to try cloth diapers in our books!
Use disposable diapers when life gets complicated.
“We loved cloth until it was time to put our house on the market. House showings don’t mix well with wet bags!” Sarah Edwards in Michigan makes a great point! If you need to simplify and use disposables temporarily or decide to use them permanently, it will all be OK. BTW, disposables can still be somewhat eco-friendly! Here’s some great options to try.
Related articles:
- Why Do Babies Cry?
- Is My Baby Teething?
- How To Be A Good Parent
- Top Things That Disturb Baby’s Sleep
If you are leaning towards cloth diapers, find a support group and a diaper service.
“I had a diaper service for the first 6 months. That was really nice. We used gdiapers. I’m a big fan.” Juliana Pugliese in California.
“I joined a cloth diaper coop and group so I had a support group when I had questions or doubts.” Melanie Cox in Washington, DC. Search Facebook to find cloth diapering groups; there are a ton!
Register and request diapers (either cloth or disposable) for your baby shower to offset the cost!
This tip applies to either option. Cloth diapering can be expensive at the beginning; but the long term investment pays off. Disposables can be expensive in the long term! So why not include them in your baby registry?
“For my baby shower, I specifically asked for diapers in different sizes. My son is almost a year old and we have not needed to buy any diapers since we still have a stockpile.” Felicia Roberts in Florida.
Prints and styles are where it’s at with cloth diapers!
We didn’t know this but there are a plethora of cloth companies to choose from and it sounds like cloth diapers aren’t what they used to be! No more plain old white cloths with safety pins! There’s tons of options, styles, materials, and brands to pick from. You’ll want to find the right type of insert material and the right type of cover that works for your lifestyle and your baby. But trust us, you’ll not run out of adorable options!
“They say cloth saves you money, but for me it became a hobby. I had the CUTEST diapers. And I loved them so much. (I know it sounds crazy!) Blueberry was my favorite brand.” Veronica Rog in Illinois.
“You can often resell cloth diapers; there are tons of cute prints. Modern cloth diapers are soooo different!” Great idea, LoriAnne Phillips in Ohio! Why not resell? That’s a great way to make some money back and is totally eco-friendly!
“Thirsties is releasing another new print in a week and I gotta have it!” Megan Cook in Maryland.
Cloth diapers can help a baby with sensitive skin.
If your baby has sensitive skin and you’ve exhausted all disposable diaper and butt cream options, you may want to look into cloth. For some, it’s a great way to eliminate rashes. “Absolutely LOVED my cloth diapers. Both my kids had very sensitive butts and cloth helped a lot. I used gdiapers; they come in a lot of fun colors. Stinking cute in the summer with just a shirt.” Annabell Potter in Florida.
Invest in the right cloth diapering supplies.
As we mentioned, cloth diapers require an initial investment and some extra supplies or tools compared to disposable diapers. If you decide to go with cloth, make sure you purchase the right equipment! Whether it’s the inserts (we’ve heard good things about these ones; thank you, Jennifer Bubenik in Florida!), covers, spray, or soap, finding the right accessories is key!
“Investing in a good quality sprayer to wash off the yukies and a wet bed to store until laundry day is crucial.” Deanna Creel in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Convenience can be priceless with disposables.
There’s no way around it. Using disposables is much more convenient in pretty much every way! Easier for caregivers, easier for traveling, easier when you have multiple diaper wearers in the same family!
“I love that I can toss a diaper and a small thing of wipes in my purse and be ready to go, any time.” Amy Weinstein in Virginia Beach, VA.
This last pro tip is something we never would have thought of!
“Oh and another big point I forgot to mention originally…especially when your baby is younger you have to go up a size or two in pants!” Megan Cook in Maryland has clearly accomplished some serious cloth diapering!
Phew! What a list of great info all about diapers! Big thanks to all the Quality Providers who contributed. We don’t know about you, but we feel much more confident in our knowledge cloth vs disposable diapers. Whichever way you choose, the best part will always be the cute little baby bums!
PS: want to hear some funny diaper blow out stories, click here!
Kaylee Garcia is the mama to one sweet boy and one sweet girl, and wife to an awesome husband. Kaylee and her son (he’s only 4!) have completed over 20 trips via air travel (thank you, Alaska Airlines!) on over 40+ airplane rides! They love sharing travel tips with other families since they’ve learned a lot in the last 4 years. Kaylee enjoys spending time with family, researching baby gear, and exploring the Pacific Northwest.
This might be a weird question, but do clothes fit the same with cloth diapers? It seems like they are so much bulkier. Thanks!
Kind of unrelated, but I just started using Bordeaux butt paste on my son (and I also switched to Luv’s diapers) and he’s starting to get some flare ups (unlike diaper rash). Do you think it’s the paste or the diapers?
I chose cloth with my first baby but couldn’t handle it with my second. I think I was mentally and emotionally exhausted and disposable just worked better for me the 2nd time around.
If you can’t afford a diaper service, don’t go with cloth. It wasn’t a great experience for me. Especially when I had babysitters!
Good Morning everybody, can anyone suggest where I can find diaper services.
Hi! This post couldn’t be written any better! Many thanks for sharing!
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all of us you really know what you’re talking about! Bookmarked.
Wow! Cloth diapers have come a long way! I used cloth diapers with my kids 20 plus years ago and it was nothing compared to this. Thanks for the great info!
We are big fans of cloth diapers and used them with our first child and will be using them with baby #2, who is due any day! We love everything about using cloth but we use disposable when we travel which makes life much easier. One of the things that helped Us the most was finding a local cloth diapering store to buy all of our items from and to be able to ask questions whenever we had them. It’s also wonderful to support small business and local moms!
There is some really great advice and tips in this article. With my first child I found that he was having blowouts all the time with disposable diapers. I tried the expensive kind, I tried the cheap kind and nothing seemed to work. I then switched over to cloth diapers. I have to admit I liked the patterns better than I liked the cloth diapers themselves. I really like the part in this blog though that says use disposable diapers when convenient. I did not do that and had I always had a pack on hand I think I would’ve liked cloth diapers better. I found it very difficult when we went to family gatherings or out of town, which was a lot, to bring the cloth diapers. Eventually, the blowouts stopped in life was better LOL.
We love our clotheez cloth diapers! I really haven’t found them to be too bulky and haven’t had to size up my tiny babies in pants, but I know a lot do. Its been so great for my baby’s skin, too!
Great tips. Used disposables with my first 2 and cloth with my 3rd. It hs so fun. I love feeling like I am helo in ng the world somehow. Lol and the fluff butt is REAL looove it!!
I had a diaper shower for my second baby. HUGE help with cost!
My boys have all had to use different brands disposable diapers. So interesting how different kids and different diapers can work best.
I’m done having babies otherwise I’d totally try cloth diapering! I love all the cute prints available now.
With all the cute designs on cloth and disposable it’s hard to tell which a baby is wearing at first glance.
I’m way too lazy to use cloth diapers but I know it’s better for the environment.
Doesn’t Christina Aguilera use cloth on her babies?
Great article. I have confidence either way.
Is there any information about disposable diapers causign diaper rash?
Some babies have sensitivities to particular disposable diapers. Some have no issues. You never really know until you try a brand.
There are definitely pros and cons to both sides of the diapering aisle! For us, cloth is the best way to go but it definitely requires time and diligence to stay on top of all the laundry!
I live in a three level townhouse and I’m trying to buy a bassinet that the babe can sleep in while she is in our room. Preferably I’d like the bassinet to be lightweight. Any suggestions on what to get?
We really liked our Summer side sleeper. We did not keep it in our bed. The baby and the side sleeper were close by and it folds up real nice storing away.
John likes to go out, he often meets friends on the weekends or he goes to have a bite with them. In general, they talk about everything including diapers. I laughed when he told me he wanted to use cloth before our baby came but we did an loved it.
I don’t even konw what to say about the fluff butt comment because it really is the cutest.
I just didnt have patience for cloth :(
I’ve only ever used disposable diapers but this blog has got me rethinking. Also, I wish I would have signed up for Pampers rewards when my first was born! Now I’m about to have my second and can only imagine how many points I would have accumulated. Better late than never I guess?
Interesting. Cloth diapers have sure come a long way since the 1990’s, when my kids were babies.
I really wanted to try to cloth…but then daycare only wanted disposable…and then I think I scared myself out of keeping up with laundry if we were to even do it part time…so I never did. Maybe if we have another I will think about it again…
I love the idea of clothes diapers, but I already feel like we had so much cleaning and laundry to do… Had no desire to add more to that!
I love the thought of using cloth diapers for environmental reasons. I tried with my first and it just didn’t work for us. We used Parasol diaper subscription and loved their product and service!
I wish I’d registered/asked for diapers, almost exclusively, when I was having my second baby! Great advice to register for diapers of all sizes, and since we use disposables, would have been great to not have to think about it during the first year!
Registering for diapers was a big help. And if your child outgrows a size sooner than anticipated or doesn’t agree with the brand you picked, simply take any unopen packages to the store for an exchange.
I’m so glad you mentioned that part-time cloth diapering is an option! So many people think it has to be all or none. We do a mixture of both and that has worked well for our family!
Charlie Banana are my favorite diapers.
LOVE the suggestion of doing both, not sure why but I never thought of that.
Personally I prefer regular disposable diapers but have sisters who do cloth and like it!
Do you have any suggestions for the best diaper services?