My Perfect Cloth Diaper

February 14, 2011 By The Inquisitive Mom 343 Comments

– CLOSED – And the winner is: Andrea G! Andrea has been notified via email. Congratulations!

You know you’ve exited the realm of simply cloth diapering for environmental and money-saving reasons, when you start envisioning your perfect cloth diaper. If you’re like me, your foray into cding has meant trying a variety of brands, styles, colors, patterns, closures, fabrics, etc. There are so many options out there and variety keeps things from getting dull, right? It can definitely be tricky to remain budget-conscious when there are some many intriguing brands out there.

Ezra trying out his Rumparooz from Diapers Etc.

My son is a little over 2 now and we started cloth diapering him at 8 months. During that time, I can honestly say that I thought I’d found the ideal cloth diaper more than once. I’ve quickly learned, however, that much of this has depended on my baby’s needs at the time. My reviews are always honest – I would never rave about a diaper I couldn’t honestly stand behind – but I look back now at some of my earlier reviews and my feelings about some of those diapers have changed. Some of that is simply due to additional experience with cding, some due to my son’s changing diapering needs, and others to long-term use of a diaper.

Enter the fantasy realm of my “perfect” cloth diaper and I begin to pull elements from some of my favorite cloth diapers. Some of those diapers are even very close to meeting the mark – with a little tweak here and there, they’d be ideal. Of course, my perfect is probably different from yours. And maybe it isn’t possible to put everything into one cloth diaper to meet a baby’s needs from birth to toddler…but a girl can dream, right?

He couldn’t wait to put on thost

So, pulling elements from some of what I consider my favorite cloth diaper brands – the Nifty Nappy, Apple Cheeks, Lollidoo, Go Green Pockets, and Rumparooz (the diaper I tried out thanks to Diapers Etc!) – here is my vision of a perfect diaper:

* A generously sized one-size pocket diaper. This baby would have room to stuff without getting overly bulky, leaving gaps at the top, or fitting too snugly around those squishy thighs.
* 2 Rows of snaps to create the right fit around the waist and the thighs. These snaps would fit very closely together for that just right fit and would include at least two rows of snaps on the tabs to prevent that bulking of fabric on a smaller baby.
* 2 standard inserts – one large that snaps down and one small – in a serious soaker material. I am a big fan of the Knickernappies Loopy-Do Inserts made of hemp and microfiber. They are relatively thin, but can help a heavy wetter make it through the night.
* 2 Internal gussets like found on the Rumparooz. This unique design is a definite plus.
* An incredibly soft internal fabric that stays soft wash after wash.
* Openings on both ends of the diaper for easy stuffing and hands-free washing.
* Adorable prints and bold colors for the same price – no extra fees for a cute print.
* Quality fabrics and snaps that retain their vibrancy, don’t rip, and resist the stinkies wash after wash.
* A diaper that works for daytime, naptime, and bedtime – even for a heavy wetter -without sacrificing comfort or requiring your baby to wear jammies 2 sizes bigger to accommodate the bulk!
* A price that doesn’t creep above $15 so you can freely recommend it as the diaper for cding newbies and old-timers.
* And here’s the real dream – a diaper with all these features that you could recycle when you’re done with it and see it made into something new!
So, the big question is What is your perfect cloth diaper? Would $25 help you in your quest to find it? Debbie from Diapers Etc is relaunching her cloth diaper store today and you are invited to join in the fun! Calley, The Eco Chic, is helping Debbie host a party to celebrate her relaunch with the help of 20 bloggers!

You can join in the fun by visiting the links to 20 cd related posts and enjoying 20 chances to win a $25 Gift Certificate to the newly relaunched Diapers Etc! You can also visit Diapers Etc. and enjoy a site wide 10% off sale February 14th – 18th!

To begin, stay right here and enter to win a $25 Gift Certificate from Diapers Etc and The Inquisitive Mom! Here’s How: To enter, simply submit one comment per entry. For example, 2 entries = 2 comments (they can be duplicates of the same comment).
1. The first Mandatory Entry: Visit Diapers Etc. and tell me what you’d do with your $25 Gift Certificate.
2. Follow The Inquisitive Mom Blog.
3. Sign up for the Diapers Etc. newsletter (scroll down to the bottom of the page) (2 Entries).
4. Follow Diapers Etc. and The Inquisitive Mom on twitter and tweet about this giveaway! Be sure to mention both of us in your tweet, as well as a link to this post. 2 Entries.
5. Keep tweeting up to 2x per day (must be at least 3 hours apart). 1 Entry per tweet. You may use this tweet: Looking for the perfect #clothdiapers? Win a $25 GC to find yours from @inquisitiveMom & @Diapersetc! http://tinyurl.com/47jst2v Ends 2/28
6. Tell me about your perfect diaper! 2 Entries.
7. Blog about this giveaway, mentioning The Inquisitive Mom and Diapers Etc with a link to this post. 3 Entries.

Good luck and have fun! The contest will run from February 14, 2011 until February 28, 2011 at 11:59 pm CST. Participants must be 18 years or older and US residents to be eligible to win. While you may enter all 20 giveaways, only 1 winner per mailing address may win, to allow everyone a chance to win. Winner will be selected using random.org and will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. If your email address is not included in your public profile, be sure to include it in each entry so I have a way to contact you.

Disclosure: This party is part of an integrated marketing project between Eco Chic Parties and Diapers Etc. The bloggers participating in this party received complimentary product samples for participating however their opinions and their posts have not been influenced by their participation.