washable nappies - recommendations?

bugsaboo

Hi
Hope it's OK to ask for recommendations on here!
I'm currently pregnant with baby number 3 and I used washables with 1 and 2 but that was a few years ago and we didn't have a tumble drier so I just used terries.
Now I'm looking at what I can do for this baby and I'm getting really confused - too many different materials and styles, I can't get my head round it!
Can anyone recommend any brands? I've got a tumble drier now and I probably won't use for them the first 6 weeks or so if that makes any difference...
Also, any good reccomendations of cheap places to buy?
Thanks

shelley_crow

I used Totsbots bamboozles, they were excellent. They were shaped like a disposeable and just needed a disposeable liner to catch solids.
If you aren't too fussed about buying preloved nappies in good condition, I can point you in the direct of a site with a classifieds. It's www.clothnappytree.co.uk, loads of users selling nappies dirt cheap. I sold my set recently for around the £70 mark.

I've just the flat nappies that you have to fold, I didn't get on with them so ready shaped were the best for me. You'll need a waterproof wrap to go over the top too x

SwipernoSwiping

As a former nappy network agent, advisor mum to a 6 year old & 10 week old and general nappy busy body I would recomend buying Tots Bots or Easy Peasy Nappies. Both manufacturers are excellent. Bamboo is more absorbent and slimmer but on a day like today it can take 3 days to dry on the line - Manufacturers don't recommend you tumble them.
You can tumble the cotton versions all you like. DON'T tumble anything with the wrap attached regardless of what the label says you'll end up buying more - thats not the point of using re-usables.

If you've used terries in the past you'l know that they don't leak like sposies ( Up the back at the first explosive poo and all the clothing yukky)
The best combo is to use two parters especially pre-weaning. Thats a Nappy (shaped like a disposable) and a wrap over the top. Post weaning they tend to wee more and these don't need as much boosting /as many changes as other styles.

All in Ones are very popular these days (Like Bum Genius) but are prone to leak and some mums complain that they have to change every hour and use sposies on a night - also not the point of re-usables! You end up buying more because of the time it takes to dry.

If your thinking of starting at the 6 week stage consider buying shaped two parter birth to potty nappies - bulky on a tiny bum but will cost you less in the long run. Easy Peasy Bumbles are best as they have an insert you remove to reduce the bulk.


Don't buy all one brand, or material if you don't want to - you might well regret it. Mix and match for nights and days and if your that way inclined "showing off" too

My Nappy Collection consists of Tots Bots Original, Bamboozles (Tots - again) Easy Peasy Bimbles (snugly perfect on a newborn) Bumbles, Bambeasys ( all easy peasy) Nature Babes, Bum Genius, and Easy Fits ( tots!)

Hope that helps you!

bugsaboo

can I put a bamboozle under a mother-ease wrap? the tots wraps I had previously were very leaky (haven't even looked at wraps yet, perhaps the wrap world has also moved on!)
Thanks

SwipernoSwiping

Motherease wraps - although the most expensive on the market, are the best. Yes you can put a bamboozle under a motherease. I do.
If you had tots wraps before not much has changed there- Tots have revamped them a couple of times but Motherease still out performs for comfort - if not patterns.
I would recomend Rikki (velcro)small wraps then shift to the (popper) airflow style for medium and large sizes 4 wraps per size is more than enough.

18 nappies means you'll be nappy washing every other day.

BabyCentre also has a pre-loved nappy forum and you can sometimes grab a bargain there.
I believe Tots new Bamboozle has won plenty of awards so you won't go wrong.

Oh - and if you go direct to the manufacturers website you'll get the best prices. - Little Green Earthlets offer a fantastic price on MotherEase wraps if buying in 4s.
A birdie also tells me there is a seller on ebay by the name of bargain bots that 'may sell' tots seconds - not sure though

bugsaboo

the bamboozles do look great, especially the new stretchy ones! what are the flexifit ones like, do you know? worried about tumble drying a bamboo nappy but there is no way we can line dry in our house!
thanks for your help

**kym**

Hey

DD is 6 months old and we've been using reusables since she was 10 days. We use:

Daytime (normal, in the house, and out and about the town): Bambino Mio which is a flat prefold with a wrap over the top. (We have 4 wraps in current size and 30 prefolds)

Reasons: don't take up much space in buckets/changing bags, slim fit on active baby, inexpensive, dry quickly on airers and can be tumbled if we need to, lovely fit from birth as 5 diff sizes

Daytime (longer journeys): Totsbots Easyfits (all-in-one birth to potty) with a bamboo booster pad in the back. (We have 2 nappies)

Reasons: really absorbant for stretching out time between changes, very pretty! We don't use every day as can't be tumbled and take an age to air dry, expensive, bulky

Night-time: Totsbots Bamboozles with a totswrap over the top. (We have 7 nappies)

Reasons: ultra absorbant (DD goes 12 hours at night), soft, dry quite quickly in airing cupboard. We don't use in the day as we found them to be quite bulky around the legs and therefore restricting DD's movements a little.

This is our system and we never get leaks or rashes. We don't use a tumble dryer and wash every 5-7 days. We also use fleece liners which keeps rashes at bay. Hope that you find something that works for you - all babies are different! I second looking on clothnappytree.com for more advice and pre-loved nappies and also naturalmamas.co.uk. HTH!

Krystaltips

I use totsbots rainbows, cotton ones with a nippa fastening... I have a few different wraps because I buy them for looking pretty lol... I like nature babies wraps, they work well and have a good range of designs... But I also have a blueberry minki, a couple of starbunz (monkey and piggy) some tots bots and a few random white ones...

I also have half a dozen itti bitti Snap in Ones, which are minki and feel lovely, are slim fitting on my mini toddler, but not always reliable for a poopsplosion...

I do have a couple of one life which are supposed to be birth to potty but I found them to be massive on a little baby and came so low on her legs the wraps didn't cover them properly, and a couple of lollipop birth to potties which are fine, and similar to the itti bittis in design...

SwipernoSwiping

Totbots themselves say you can tumble bamboozles on a cool heat for a short period of time - so give them a whizz in the dryer before line drying. - Also try running them through a second spin cycle, this is what I do with mine.

On the flexifits Not absorbent enough for me( or should I say for my baby!) but they are very snug and neat.

pinkshoes

I use the BumGenius V4 all in one nappies, although still trialling them. They wash really well, and dry really quickly, so no tumble drying required. Best to use a disposable liner for solids though, as otherwise it stains a little!

lauren_1

Motherease airflow wraps are pretty much bomb proof! and will go over most shaped nappies which is a bonus as you may need to adapt your nappy collection for different times such as night-time, weaning, explosive breastfed poo.

My collection consist's of motherease, tots (cotton, bamboozles and stretchies), some bambinex, terries, nappy nation, itty bitty and stuffies.

Most are second hand but still in very good condition as many mums buy the whole birth to potty system before baby is even born and then given up a few weeks in, so it really pays to create a stash of various different types and find a few that work for your baby and his/her body shape before taking the plunge and kitting out your baby.