I’ve had the pleasure of “talking” with one of the owners of Apple Cheeks Diapers, Ilana, via twitter over the past couple of months. She is a fun, witty woman who clearly adores her children and loves connecting with other moms. When she agreed to send one of her cloth diapers my way to review, I have to admit that I was crossing my fingers that it would work well for our family. I am so pleased to say that we love this diaper and it has surpassed my expectations.
If you’re familiar with my reviews, you’ve probably noticed a trend: I am big on color. I love vibrant, bold, eye-catching color and cloth diapers are no exception. The rich, chocolate brown of our Apple Cheeks diaper immediately added a wow factor and I love the look of it on our little guy. I visited the Apple Cheeks Color Chart and immediately found additional colors we will definitely be adding to our collection – I am especially in love with Cherry Tomato. Even the Mrs. Robinson blue catches my eye and I do not love blue.
The best news: the terrific colors are simply the dressing on what is a trim, well-fitting, easy to use diaper. Snaps have never been my first choice for cloth diapering because they tend to complicate the process, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I like them with the Apple Cheeks system. The pliable fabric, combined with the winged shape of the tabs, and the placement of the elastic, make securing the snaps a quick, user-friendly process. My only wish is that I could make it a tad snugger – somewhere in between the available snaps – but we haven’t experienced any leaks because of it.
The Apple Cheeks system is also unique in that it has an envelope cover that can be used as a pocket system or as a multi-use cover. I received a rayon from bamboo insert that is light and absorbent. I don’t usually like inserts that need to be folded, but I am impressed by how slim the diaper fits despite folding. I also like that the light-weight insert does not create that “rectangle bottom” appearance you see with so many cloth diapers!
I preferred the fit of the diaper with the insert inside the envelope. The pocket is uniquely placed within the diaper so it can be stuffed from the middle with a nice wide opening for mom and dad sized hands. When you’re done with the diaper, no need to pull out the insert because it agitates on its own in the wash. I am beginning to ask why anyone would buy a pocket diaper these days that requires reaching in to pull out a soiled insert!
We also received an Apple Cheeks Size 1 Storage Sac in a matching brown. I love hanging this in my bathroom because it is attractive and a great solution for transporting soiled diapers to the laundry room. While it works for the diaper bag, I prefer a bag with a zipper to contain smell when traveling.
When we are blessed with a new little one, we will surely head on over to Apple Cheeks for some size ones! Based on my experience with this diaper, I give it the following ratings (out of 5 stars):
Cost:** $18 for a cover and $6.60 to $9.00 for inserts. This is a very versatile diaper and the cost is lower if you plan to use it as a cover with inserts. As a pocket diaper, however, the price is a bit prohibitive.
Fit: ***** I can say without reservations that this is the best fitting diaper I have ever put on Ezra. I love how it manages to look so snug and fit so slimly. The elastic fits so well and he moves without some of the cloth diapering bulk you see with other diapers. I haven’t tried the waste extenders personally, but I love the idea that you can purchase these to easily snap on and extend the life of your diaper.
Absorbency: *** I need to qualify absorbency ratings by saying I have a heavy wetter. I plan to use a booster in the future for bed time and see how this diaper fares. Absorbency is just right for a daytime diaper with one insert, but this diaper doesn’t work for us as a sleep solution.
Durability: ***** This diaper has held up beautifully to wear and washing. I generally air dry the cover, but I have put it in the dryer when I want to bring it with me somewhere and it’s wet. We use it regularly and the fabric continues to be buttery soft after multiple washings.
Color/Appearance: ***** I am thrilled by the vibrant color selection and love the way this diaper looks on my little guy. This is a diaper you’d pick for professional pictures of your little one running around in cloth diapers.
Overall Rating: **** In case it isn’t clear by now, the Apple Cheeks Diaper is one of my new favorites! I am thoroughly impressed by the appearance, fit, and design of this diaper. While I tried it on an older baby, I am convinced it would be an excellent choice for a snug, leak-proof fit on a smaller baby as well. I highly recommend the Apple Cheeks Diaper.
I want to express my sincere thanks to Illana for sending me these Apple Cheeks products to review! Visit Apple Cheeks to purchase products online or to find a retailer near you.
As a side note,Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has commented, shared their stories, and offered support recently.This afternoon, I feel a need for normalcy, so I’m doing a review. Saturday, I was doing pretty well. Yesterday, things went downhill a bit. Today I am torn by my feelings, but sense that I might regret sharing them while they are so raw.
I received free product for this review. No payment was received and the opinions shared are my own.
I have heard really good things about these diapers, and do wish the price was a little lower, as does seemingly everyone else. I enter every giveaway I can in order to try and win one. Glad you got to try it!
I’ve been chatting with Iliana on Twitter lately. More about grapefruit (I know, of all things) and not the #clothdiapers. She’s lovely!
I reviewed AppleCheeks a couple of weeks ago. I love them. http://www.jinxyisms.com/index.php/2010/02/26/applecheeks-cloth-diapers/
Your review is great.
I’ve got a few uses out of the 1 Apple Cheeks diaper I purchased and I really like the fit, look, color and feel of them however, I can’t liek the envelope closure and it’s location. As luck has it all 3 times I have used this diaper, my DD has messed all in it and pulling out the insert (I use a prefold) is just WRONG. I can’t figure out why they put the opening right near the poop area. I thought that maybe the prefold would come out in the wash and was going to leave it in there but, I needed to clean it off before dry storing it in the pail or it would STINK to high heavens. Any suggestions? Anyone? I’ve been holding off on writing a review because I am trying to find someone else using prefolds in them to see how they handle this situation. Thanks. Patty