I first saw the Econobum at ABC Kids Expo in September. I already knew about it from stumbling across the iParenting award it won before its release. I blogged about it back in August, and many of you heard about it here first! I knew it would be a diaper I had to try, and thanks to Kelly’s Closet– a total one stop shop for cloth diapers- I was able to.
The Econobum isn’t “cute” like other cloth diapers. It is super simple, bare bones, and extremely economical. Bum Genius 3.0 will NEVER have snaps, so Econobum fills that need (and the Flip) but as a cover. It only comes in white, and to keep prices down, will always be that way. You could use it as a cover with other diapers like fitteds, or use and of the the Flip inserts with the Econobum as well.
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Ease of Use ✰✰✰ The Econobum is fairly easy. 4 snaps to affix total for each change. The prefold needs to be folded to size each change and placed in the diaper. It can be tricky to keep it in place while the baby is wriggling around. It can slide around and you might have to start from square one. Since there is no panel to hold the prefold in place that might make it harder in that department than other covers. It is easy to launder, no laundry tabs to affix or inserts to pull out. Prefolds are notoriously easy to wash and almost indestructible. *** You should be able to fold the prefolds 3 different ways. I see that you could only fold it one way and have it fit all 3 sizes. If you want more absorbency up front you can fold it over in the front as shown. I never found that necessary. I’m not sure the third way to fold it.
Bang for the Buck ✰✰✰✰✰ No complaints there at at. Econobums have a cheap price point at 9.99 for 1 cover and 1 prefold. You save more when you buy bulk. Buy a kit of 3 covers and 12 prefolds and it will run you 49.99 full price. (psst.. they are on sale currently. Find them for 39.96 or 7.96 for one at Kelly’s Closet) You do get what you pay for though: 1 layer of PUL, no frills, and unbleached cotton prefolds.
Performance ✰✰✰✰ I have no complaints about the Econobum. The prefold properly prepped was absorbent enough for night time and regular use. I never had leaking issues in any situation, laying down, side sleeping, or running wild. I will say my son is at the sweet spot of sizes, the middle snap, so I couldn’t test this on the newborn snap rise or unsnapped.
Fit ✰✰✰ The fit is very bulky, but then again, any trifolded prefold is going to give your baby a booty shelf. Prefolds and trim rarely go together. The snaps were pretty close together for my son, so I wonder how tiny of a waist they would fit? Width wise I think it would last fine.
Overall- I wouldn’t say I could have a stash of these, but I see the audience they are intended for. You want simple and cheap? This is for you. If you are wishing to test the waters of cloth diapering without a huge up front investment, you could also benefit. This could also be a good supplement to a stash needing more time between washing with less money spent. My major complaints are with the thinness of the PUL. Overnight I could smell the urine through my son’s diaper and PJ’s. Since he sleeps with me it wasn’t a very welcome smell to wake to. This isn’t after the buildup of ammonia either, it started after just prepping them for use. The covers are flimsy and I worry about the snaps stretching the PUL when you undo them. I also did not like that the back of the snaps is exposed, which left snap marks on my son’s skin. You have to be careful where you place the prefold inside, and if it shifts as they move around you could still have the problem. However, when you NEED cloth diapers and can’t afford a stash of Bum Genius 3.0, this can save you tons of money.
