A Look Back: 100 Cloth Diaper Video Reviews

I finally did it! I hit 100 video cloth diaper reviews! I uploaded my first cloth diaper video review on April 9, 2009. It was for the brand new Gro Baby (now GroVia). Believe it or not, I had never seen any video reviews then. I know now that there were other cloth diapers featured online in videos but call me clueless, I thought I had a BRAND NEW idea!

I think it is safe to say that even though videos weren’t new, what I did was. I was offering parents the opportunity to virtually explore a cloth diaper they might be interested in buying and filming enough that I had a searchable library. The closest cloth diaper store to me at the time was 1.5 hours away. If I wanted to touch and feel a new cloth diaper and have a knowledgeable salesperson give me the run down on how it worked it would be quite a drive, not to mention that there isn’t a store on the planet that carries every brand in existence.

Once I had a few videos under my belt I began acquiring enough videos to publish weekly. I chose Mondays as my Video Review Day. There are very few occasions that I haven’t posted a video on a Monday, but some weeks I have been known to publish two.

I started filming my videos with a Flip Mino HD. Turns out it isn’t that clear and my software would only let me upload at max to 480p. Blech! We got a new HD digital video camera that I still use today. Backgrounds have changed, formats have changed, and softwares have come and gone. Right now I am working with Final Cut Express and iMovie.

Oddly enough, I started the videos as a compliment to my blog but the YouTube Channel is an “empire” in and of itself. I actually get more views on my videos per day than on my blog. I have also moved on up to YouTube Partner meaning I get ad revenue from my videos. Sorry for the annoying ads but I have to make a living somehow!

It can get overwhelming having a video due every Monday. I’ve also added other instructional videos into the mix. Whenever I get down about the amount of work I have I try to remember the amazing emails or comments from viewers/readers that thank me for my work and credit me with helping them decide to use cloth diapers.

A lot of people ask me if I’m afraid that I will run out of diapers to review. Frankly, I have only hit the tip of the iceburg! There are so many diapers around now and there will continue to be more made. I have close to 200 diapers listed on my Finder, so almost double what I have reviewed. And THAT still doesn’t cover it! I’ll run out of babies beofre I run out of diapers. Fletcher is potty trained (see his tribute video) but I still have Ev.

Here is a look at every video review I have done (not in any specific order):

100.AppleCheeks Prints Are Here!

Fun Facts about my Reviews:

My Most Viewed Video is: Sustainable Babyish Multi Snapless Fitted with 38,677 views!

The Longest Video is: Softbums Echo One Size AI2 at 9:25

I have over 6 hours of footage of just cloth diaper video reviews!

Total I have over 500,000 views on all of my YouTube videos- my reviews are the largest chunk of that!

My first video was: Gro Baby Cloth Diaper Review

My first two videos were uploaded to my husband’s YouTube account. Even now the account I use was created for personal use. Clearly I had no idea what was in store or it would have been under my blog name at least!

Q&A

I asked if you had any questions and here they are along with my answers:

From Meagan P.

Q: What editing software do you use? What kind of camera?

A: I use an Olympus E-PL1 now. I started with iMovie for my first movie but the upload was so slow I started using Windows Movie Maker. The quality was terrible. I tried Magix and the quality was great but the features weren’t want I needed. Recently I switched back to iMovie and now I’m using both iMovie and Final Cut Express 4.

From Audra S.

Q: What is your favorite cloth diapering memory?

A: I’ll answer this from a video perspective. I really enjoyed shooting the Booroi cover review outside. My first son was quite young and he was trying to eat Dandelions. It was a fun little shoot with the family.

From Sarah L.

Q: What tripod to you use for the videos? What brand of camera do you have??

A: Nothing Fancy, just a Sunpak 620-080 Tripod, the kind you can buy from Amazon or Target. It does the job!

From Lacey B.

Q: How do you get all these diapers to review? Then what do you do with them?

A: I started by filming the diapers I owned. I was already having fun playing with diapers before I had a website. Once I ran out of diapers to film I bought a few but I also contacted manufacturer’s directly. I knew my videos were helpful and there was a small chance they would send a diaper for me to film. Eventually I had enough “street cred” that diaper makers were coming to me and asking to send diapers for review. I still buy diapers to review with my own money or with affiliate commissions when I really want to review it and I can’t get it any other way.

As for what happens to my diapers, many of them have been given away. Most recently I donated a gigantic box to Giving Diapers, Giving Hope. Honestly I am still using the same bumGenius 3.0’s that my first son used. I had them converted to snaps. They are white and well loved. I also have the entire Artist Series I was sent from bumGenius, and all of my Elementals I purchased over the years. Other than that I have a few choice AIO’s and now my small stash of Flats and covers that I love. I keep a drawer for diapers being reviewed. From now on unless I fall in love I will be sending regular shipments to Giving Diapers, Giving Hope. Now that I make income from my website there is no need to feel like the diapers are compensation like I used to. I’m very happy having a manageable stash size. If I kept every diaper that has come through my door I’d have at least 300!

From Leslie L.

Q: What were your top 10 favorite diapers that you reviewed, and why?

A: I’m answering this one not based on performance but based on diapers I was either the most excited to review, or ones that were the most fun. Also, this is not in order, just as they come to mind:

1. Gro Baby. This diaper started my “career” in reviews because of their innovative design.

2. bumGenius 4.0. I was anxiously waiting for that diaper to ship because I knew how many people wanted to see it on film!

3. Softbums Echo. What a unique diaper! It was challenging for me. I wish I was better at editing back then, that video is long!

4. itti bitti D’Lish. These diapers are gorgeous and they look beautiful on the black background I was using.

5. Sustainable Babyish Multi Snapless. I remember thinking how helpful that video would be while planning it. I hope it has been! Love that diaper too.

6. Kissaluvs Marvel AIO. I think this was the diaper I was most amped up about before it was released. I got to see it at a convention before the public and the design was so innovative; I knew a video was in order!

7. Econobum. I also got to see this diaper before the public and knew it would be a great option for familes.

8. Smartipants. I loved the idea of this diaper. It was one of my earliest videos too.

9. Fuzzibunz OS. I tried very hard to help people learn the sizing for this video.

10. Bottombumpers OS. I got to test this diaper before it was “public” and loved the idea for the OS snap placement!

Now that I have hit my goal of 100 I don’t have a specific number in mind. I wanted to create a library of video reviews and I’ve done that! I’m not quitting anytime soon but I am leaving behind quite a “legacy” of videos that will continue to help future cloth diapering parents. At least until all of these diapers are discontinued lol. Make sure you are subscribed to my YouTube Channel so you don’t miss a video!

A Look Back: 100 Cloth Diaper Video Reviews

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