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Fabrics & Covers
One of the most enjoyable parts of using cloth diapers is picking out fabrics. It can also be one of the most overwhelming. Here are descriptions for a few of your choices.
Knit: The most popular prints tend to be in a soft flannel or knit. Both of these fabrics feel great against baby’s delicate skin. They wash well and continue to feel soft even once soiled.
Flannel: Flannel is a highly absorbent fabric which makes it excellent for diapers. Most diapers are in some part made up of flannel.
Terry: Terry is also highly absorbent and is frequently used for the "core" of the diaper. It is not generally used as a top layer.
Sherpa provides a very absorbent layer. However it can become stiff in the wash.
Velour: Velour is ultra soft and makes wearing a diaper very comfy. Velour is generally used on the layer that touches your baby.
Fleece: Fleece is a very popular choice in diaper fabrics. Fleece is NOT absorbent. When used as an "inner" (the layer that touches your baby) it allows liquid to pass through to the core of the diaper leaving your baby soft and dry. The cotton fleece is soft and only used to absorb urine.
The most important thing to remember when choosing fabric is to make sure it is cotton. Polyester is not absorbent and won't work well as a diaper.
Covers
Pull-on pants are the traditional style of diaper covers and are generally used with prefolds or flatfolds but they can be used with any diaper. The advantages are that pull on pants (nylon) are generally inexpensive and can be found at most children's stores. The disadvantages are that they can be messy, have more leaks and can wear out quickly. Pull on pants are not only limited to nylon however, they also come in fleece and wool.
Diaper wraps generally have aplix closures (sometimes snaps) and offer a nice custom fit and are great with prefolds or fitted diapers. Diaper wraps are generally made with polyurethane laminate (PUL) as their waterproof layer.
Fleece covers: Fleece is also used as a cover fabric. Fleece can be a polyester or cotton fabric. The polyester version is generally used as a waterproof layer on the outside of AIO's.
Wool covers are one of the most economical and effective covers. They are bulkier than the average diaper but extremely waterproof. Wool is naturally antibacterial and requires little care.
Closures
Pins are inexpensive and offer the most custom fit, but they are sharp and Parent or Baby can get poked. Once the pinning technique is mastered, there is virtually no danger.
Snappis are a new invention that replaces pins. It is shaped like a "T" and has grips on every point to hold the diaper closed. They are inexpensive and easy to use with some practice.
Aplix is like velcro, but it is softer and lasts much much longer. Aplix closures are nice because they work much in the same way as a disposable. Easy on, easy off. However, sometimes the aplix can grab onto each other in the wash resulting in a "diaper snake" This can be remedied with fold back tabs. Aplix also makes it easy for older babies to take the diaper off.
Snaps eliminate diaper snake and diaper wear problems. They are fairly easy to use. Snaps however offer the least custom fit although there are usually several rows of snaps to help with this problem.
So there you have it! Hopefully the basics of cloth diapering are a bit clearer!
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