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I’ve reviewed almost every item in the Thirsties line-up except the first cloth diapering item I ever tried- the Thirsties Diaper Cover.  When the company asked me to review their Duo Hemp Prefold they also asked me to review it alongside their Diaper Cover.  The two items aren’t exactly exciting, or so I thought.  The Duo Hemp Prefold is quite a bit cooler than I expected.  Designed to be open in the middle (the video explains this better than I can with words) it dries faster than it would as one solid prefold and it gets cleaner.  My review is going to be of the pair, the Sized Cover and the Duo Hemp Prefold.  These work well together, but the Prefold could also easily work well with the Thirsties Duo Wraps.

Ease of Use ✩✩✩ A prefold is always going to lose in the “ease of use” category. This prefold is designed to be folded into thirds (trifold) and laid into a cover. This is the easiest way to use a prefold, and really it turns any cover into an “All in Two” system. You could easily trifold your prefolds ahead of time so that when changing your baby you can grab one and lay it in your cover like a regular soaker. The Diaper Cover is easy to use with the prefold, and by itself would get 5 stars. The Cover closes easily with Aplix.
Bang for the Buck ✩✩✩✩ The Diaper Cover will run you 11.50, and the Duo Hemp Prefold retails for 7.00. If I were to use this system (only covers and Dup Hemp Prefolds) I would only buy the XS Sized Diaper Cover because it is fabulous and has a notch for the umbilical cord. I used these with my first baby boy. Then I would begin using the Size 1 Duo Prefolds with the Size 1 Duo Wraps, and then move to both the Size 2 Wrap and Duo Prefold. It would be more economical. However, if you just want a great night time PUL cover you could do well with a few sized Diaper Covers. Many children would only need size Small and Medium, if you don’t start out using cloth from day 1, and your baby potty learns before needing a large. Ev is wearing the Medium Cover and size 2 prefold. He is a big guy and will only be getting taller and a little bit wider if he is like his brother so I don’t anticipate needing the large. The Thirsties Medium is a little more generously sized than other brands. 7.00 for the Hemp Prefold seems like a lot but this thing is crazy absorbent, and stays soft! Their hemp jersey is knit here in the US (the only one, but hemp is still grown outside of US for legal reasons) and all of their products are sewn here as well.
Performance ✩✩✩✩✩ The Thirsties Diaper Cover has held in some runny newborn poops with the gussets around the legs on my first son when he was a newborn, and has held up overnight for my 11 month old. I’ve also tested the Duo Hemp Prefold overnight on Everett and it held up for 12 hours. I’ll admit that he isn’t the heaviest wetter in the world, but he has managed to pee out of a few diapers before.
Fit ✩✩✩✩✩ I guess you can call me a fan of Thirsties because I have always loved their newborn XS Diaper Cover and recommend it to those asking for something to use on their newborns. The Medium fits Everett now with no problems, and has room for growth. The Duo Prefold I reviewed was the size 2. If you needed the shorten the rise more than the small bit stitched to fold over you can do so by folding anywhere you need to. For me it is working well without being folded over in the Medium sized cover.
Overall: I love Thirsties covers, and have for years. It is about time I “officially” review their sized cover. The aplix does get fuzzy over time but so far I haven’t had issues with the laundry tabs coming unstuck. The Duo Prefold washes up soft and dries in less than one dryer cycle.

Where to buy: Kelly’s Closet: Thirsties Diaper Cover and Duo Hemp Prefold

A Thirsties Diaper Cover abnd Duo Prefolds were sent for review. Links to buy are affiliate links and a portion of any sales made through the link go to support DDL.

Call it laziness, but I had seen Grasshopper Diapers around here and there and never clicked to actually look at their diapers.  It was a brand I wasn’t familiar with at all.  When Lisa asked about a review I went to the website and was really impressed by the diapers I saw.  I’m very glad I reviewed their Quick Dry Bamboo All in One diaper.  I get a great feeling about their company just from our interactions.  Lisa was very helpful in helping pick a size that would fit Ev.  The diapers are Side Snapping All in Ones and come in size Small, Medium, or Large.

Ease of Use ✩✩✩✩ The Grasshopper AIO is a side snapping diaper. If you have read my reviews in the past then you know already that I consider side snaps to be harder to learn and use than front closing diapers. The soaker is also more than an extra step. I had mixed success with it staying snapped during the washing/drying process. If it stayed then I only had to fold the sides under in preparation for putting away. If it came loose I had to re-snap it in after finding it in my laundry basket, and then put away or put on my son. Be careful when transporting the diaper, if you just hold it from one end then the soaker will come unfolded. I learned from experience.
Bang for the Buck ✩✩✩ The retail cost of a Grasshopper AIO is 22.95 for a Small, 23.95 for a Medium, and 24.95 for a Large. This isn’t way out there by any means, last week I reviewed a 29.00 diaper. If you were to use these exclusively and needed each size then yes, it would cost a lot of money. But most of us like to mix in more expensive diapers with our inexpensive ones. If you want to use these the most it makes sense to buy Mediums- of all diaper sizes babies are in those the longest. Many children never even make it to a Large. Reasons for the higher cost include the fact that they are made in Canada and workers receive a fair wage, they use quality materials (organic cotton/bamboo), and they are made to last from what I can tell.  The insides have washed up very soft with no pilling so far.  {I also used these diapers on my toddler overnight and they worked.  He only wets a little bit when he goes.  In theory they can pull up and down like a trainer since they snap on the sides, but the soaker tends to move around in the process so it has to be done carefully}
Performance ✩✩✩ The way these diapers are designed can mean good or bad things in terms of leaks/ leak prevention. The entire inside of the diaper has organic cotton/bamboo, from tip to tip. I LOVE this because it means it is soft for the baby all around and there is little chance of any PUL touching their skin. Some kids are sensitive to this. In my case, it also contributed to some leaking through the tab. The moisture went right to the end of the tab and was wable to wick out to my son’s clothing if he was wearing any. Remember that he is a boy so he is peeing closer to the front of the diaper. When I would change him I could see where it was wet and it was concentrated at the front, then slowly moved to one or both tabs, usually just one. When this happened (Only 3 times, and we had 2 diapers to review for several weeks to give you an idea) it was fairly minimal but enough that if I had him on my hip I felt it twice on myself (which is how I was alerted to the issue). I don’t want to go into anatomy details but let’s just say he doesn’t point down as far as some boys might.
Fit ✩✩✩✩ When I read the size chart I was honestly not sure where Everett would would belong. Mediums would possible be too small, and the Large would possibly be too big. I spoke to Lisa about it and she suggested the Large. This was the size that definitely fit, though I suspect a Medium would have worked but he would have been on one of the last settings for it. Once he grows more I also think the Large will start looking trimmer. He has lots of room in the waist and the rise isn’t too short so that has more room too. It looked very comfortable for him, there were never any red marks, something I appreciate. And like I mentioned before, the inside is all nice and soft.  There are no snaps exposed to the baby at all.  Sometimes we forget that babies might not like those snaps, even the smooth sides, touching their skin.  The thought that went into making these diapers comfortable is very clear.

Ev showing off his Grasshopper

Overall: Even after mentioning that we had a leak I think it is important to stress that diapers all fit different babies differently. I have used plenty of diapers that worked great for us but leaked for others, and the other way around. The leaks were so infrequent that I didn’t fear using the diapers, in fact I reach for them quite a bit. Side Snapping, Sized diapers looks cleaner than One Size front closing. He actually showed off his Grasshopper at the NY State Fair. It was so hot that we left him without pants.  Drying time was no longer than any of my other diapers thanks to the folding soaker design, something I LOVE.  I also like that they have fun solid colors and coordinating snaps, even the two snaps on the butt make a cute addition and serve a purpose.

Where to Buy: Grasshopper Diapers

Leave a Review for Grasshopper Diapers on the Cloth Diaper Finder

Grasshopper Diapers sent 2 of their Size Large Quick Dry Bamboo AIO‘s for review.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% my own and genuine.

Have you ever wanted to own a rainbow of beautiful diapers in super soft minkee?  Well…… the Autralian brand of cloth diapers, itti bitti, that I drooled over after writing my Cloth Diapers Around the World post, are coming to the America (which, coincidentally, is one of my favorite movies.  EDDIE!) I digress…  The itti bitti D’lish are fairly unique and have some gorgeous colors and prints.   The video review will cover both the Snap-in-One and the All-in-One, both of which come in sizes.  My written review will only cover the Ease of Use separately for each diaper, everything else is the same and the other categories are for both diapers.

itti bitti snap-in-one

Ease of Use ✩✩✩ When it comes to putting this diaper on a baby there isn’t much difficulty.  You snap it on, and you remove it.  You don’t even have to un-stuff or unsnap the soakers.  You can unsnap if that makes you more comfortable, but so far I haven’t broken any snaps and I leave everything snapped in for washing and drying.  There is the matter of getting the diaper put together.  Even if every piece is snapped in when it comes out of the dryer (or off the line) things need to be put in order before it is ready to place on your baby.  You will need to (if using the hemp,snap in prefold) fold the prefold in thirds and place underneath the stay dry insert.  If you are not using the heavier hemp insert, the stay dry insert will just lay there.  I am pretty anal about getting diapers before putting them up so I get it set up then place it in my basket, ready to put on the baby.

itti bitti All-in-one

Ease of Use ✩✩✩✩ No snapping diaper will ever get 5 stars, as a reminder!  The all-in-one version of the D’lish has absorbency built into the diaper itself, as well as a soaker that is sewn in at one end.  No need to stuff or unstuff, or snap.  Much easier in terms of prep before putting on the baby!

SIO and AIO

Bang for the Buck ✩✩✩ The SIO is 19.95 and the AIO is 18.95.  I was actually under the impression they were more, but heard otherwise and changed my rating.  Change your baby at a playdate and you will hear some ooo’s and ah’s over the cuteness.   Would you have a stash of these?  Probably not if you are cloth diapering to save money.  If you have some extra money to burn and love the look of cloth diapers buying a few for photos and such is definitely fun.  Plus, they do work, so they aren’t just props!

Performance ✩✩✩✩ I definitely experienced a few leaks in the beginning with the Snap-in-One and All-in-One.  I have 3 sizes, the Small and Large sent to me are SIO‘s, the Medium is an AIO.  Everett tested the small for a good while, and it fit early on and lasted until he as around 11 pounds.  We only used the top insert at first but toward the end we added the hemp prefold since we started with leaks.  The Large SIO works beautifully on my toddler and that hemp insert is thirsty!  Very absorbent.  However, if it gets too wet the diaper tends to sag because by itself the prefold is heavy, add pee, and there is only so much the waist can take.  When my poop toddler had a stomach bug he had the worst diarhea diaper in the history of diapers.  It was horrific.  And it happened in his SIO.  It held all the poop in, side to side, front to back.  The All-in-One worked well for Everett.  There were a few leaks related to fit, so read that portion.

Fit ✩✩✩ Please Read: these diapers are cut LOW.  Think, hipster, low rise diapers.  On the website you will notice they want you to think of your baby’s gender when buying a diaper.  If you are nearing the higher end of one size’s weight range and you have a boy, you should probably size up.  I found this to be the case with my youngest.  He has outgrown the Small, and is outgrowing the medium as we speak.  (literally, he grows every minute!)  He is very wide for his age, has very chunky thighs, and is tall. He is going to challenge me for diaper reviews!  He can wear the large, which has a high enough rise for him now, and he is 3 months old.  Granted, he is over 15 pounds….  I am glad we had one of every size to try so I could see this progression.  I do wish they made an XLarge, or called the Small a newborn, small a medium, medium a small, and added a Large.  Perhaps the US idea of Small is different than the Australian?  Judging by the size scale I would say the large isn’t going to fot most babies to 37 pounds.  My son is 25 and very skinny but I don’t see a ton of growth left.  And lets be honest, the average weight of a child who is in diapers is probably higher in the US than in Australia.  Maybe for the US market itti bitti will add a larger size.

Small size to fit 8lb to 16lb
Medium size to fit 14lb to 26lb
Large size to fit 23lb to 37lb

Overall- Maybe my review isn’t a GLOWING one, there are certainly some faults in this diaper.  And most diapers have them.  Fortunately my toddler was an easy diaper tester but given that my baby is on the large and challenging to fit end my reviews might take a more critical turn.  Here are my pros: A-freakin-dorable.  An amazing color selection!  Clean looking.  The minkee is luxurious and soft.  Absorbent.  Fairly easy to use.  Drying time isn’t too bad, it certainly isn’t the longest to dry in my stash.  Cons: the low rise can create leak issues due to fit.  Expensive.  The SIO takes some time to put together.  Needs a larger size.  I do still reach for this diaper quite often, it does fit trim, although the SIO is trimmer than the AIO.

Where to buy: My affiliate, Kelly’s Closet, will have them in March.

Samples of the diapers mentioned were sent for the purposes of the review.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% genuine and my own.

Charlie Banana is a new cloth diaper brand to hit the scene.  They already have an impressive line up of products.  I was asked to review the One Size and Sized Charlie Banana pocket diapers, which are a 2-in-1 system since you can also use them with disposable inserts if you choose.

Charlie Banana Sized Cloth Diaper Review:

Ease of Use ✩✩✩✩ The Sized version of the Charlie Banana has snap closures.  Each tab has 3 snaps, 2 at the waist and one on the hip.  Total you have 4 snaps to close.  After some practice the changes will go much quicker.  Most people find snapping the bottom (hip) snap to be quicker, however I prefer to start at the top.  The diaper stuffs from the front.  You might find unstuffing to be harder from the front that a back stuffing pocket, but you will appreciate it when there is a particularly nasty explosion in the rear.

Bang for the Buck ✩✩✩✩ You can find this diaper for around 18-19 dollars.  Since these are brand new they aren’t carried in many places yet.  This cost includes 2 super absorbent and high quality inserts, a longer insert and a shorter one.  The diaper comes in very cute packaging as well.  Great for baby shower gifts!

Performance ✩✩✩✩✩ The Sized version of the CB has been working extremely well for us.  Even though the size Large has a higher rise than we normally use (he is JUST at the weight limit for the large) the fit around the legs and waist has been great.  We use one insert for daytime, both inserts for overnight.

Fit ✩✩✩✩ My son could have worn a Medium but he was right at the end of the weight range.  I suspect it would have fit longer since he is tall/lean.  The Large does fit but the rise is higher and it looks bulkier than a Medium would.  Looks aside, the diaper fit well enough to have no leaking.  The large is going to be great for bigger todders!

Overall- The Sized CB is nice to have around for your stash.  In general, I like On Size better but a sized diaper is going to give you a nice fit for the time the baby wears the diaper.  And, for smaller babies, sized diapers will be less bulky.

Charlie Banana One Size Cloth Diaper

Ease of Use ✩✩✩✩ The One Size Charlie Banana uses a slotted leg elastic adjustment.  The elastic is numbered and a button is used to adjust.  The elastic goes from 1-7, 7 being the largest setting possible.  You only need to adjust each leg once, unlike the Fuzzibunz OS which you do on both ends.  The excess elastic hides under the front stuffing pocket.  Once the pocket is adjusted it works just like the sized pocket.  Easy to use every day.  3 snaps on each tab, same as the sized.

Bang for the Buck ✩✩✩✩ It looks like the One Size is the same, 18-19 dollars.  However I am only seeing the OS being sold in packs of 6.  A good price for a capable one size diaper.

Performance ✩✩✩✩✩ If I have to choose, I prefer the One Size over the Sized CB.  Mainly because it looked trimmer on my son.  Absorbency wise, there was no difference.  The inserts are the same.

Fit ✩✩✩✩✩ I loved the way the One Size fit my son.  He could be a 5-7, but 7 was a better fit on his legs without being too tight.  The 7 setting on the OS is slightly smaller than the Large version of the CB.  The fit in between the legs is also less bulky.  The size chart says is should fit babies 0-36 months.  I am going to guess it won’t fit a baby over 35, possibly less depending on the build.

Overall- I love that these diapers already have print options, some of which are very boy friendly.  The OS is similar to others on the market, and it is easy to adjust.

Charlie Banana Wipes:

I was also sent Charlie Banana wipes to review.  There are two types :Single Layer and Double Layer.  The Single Layer wipes are one layer of organic cotton.  To be honest, these were not my favorite.  Even to wipe a pee it would be saturated from spraying.  Since I fold my wipes a certain way there is no telling what wipe comes up for a BM, and if this one came up I had to pull the next out.  However, I fell in love with the Double Layer wipes.  One side is organic cotton, the other is fleece.  I have never really like fleece wipes before, but this one gets a poopy butt really clean and is thick enough that I know my hands won’t be getting wet or dirty!  I am seriously wanting to buy more because with 2 babies in cloth, I need more wipes!

Swim Diaper:

In addition to the 2 pocket diapers and wipes, Charlie Banana sent an adorable swim diaper to review.  I was only able to use it once.  He wore it outside while playing in our water table and the water hose.  It has elastic all around to hold in those messes, and a small amount of cotton on the wet zone to hold a pee if they can’t make it between the swim diaper changing and the pool.  This is nice to have I am sure!  He looked adorable in this diaper!  Very European!

Charlie Banana also has other items in their line-up including reusable menstrual pads, wet bags, baby leg warmers, changing pads, and more!  A huge selection for a start up!

Where to Buy: Amazon.com (affiliate link)

I received a goody package from Charlie Banana fro the purposes of this review, including 2 cloth diapers, a swim diaper, cloth wipes, and a changing pad.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% my own.

*** There has been a bit of drama surrounding this brand.  I was not aware of it when I agreed to perform the review.  I would prefer you to make up your own mind about the product.

Sometimes a cloth diaper store contacts me about working together for a review or giveaway, or both.  This time, Abby’s Lane wanted to work together.  I looked through her store and found a few diapers I had not reviewed yet.  I chose the Swaddlebees All-in-One.

Ease of Use ✩✩✩✩ Being that this is an AIO, ease of use is implied!  This diaper is a side snapping AIO, somewhat rare, and you have 2 vertical snaps on each tab to affix, so 4 in total.  This diaper is also a sized diaper, so there is little guesswork involved on which snap to use.  You have 3 waist and thigh choices.  For us, we used the tightest one, since he was testing the large.  There is a pocket opening if you need to add more stuffing, but this diaper has a generous microfiber insert.  No unstuffing/stuffin required.

Bang for the Buck ✩✩✩ This diaper is 21.95.  Typically, AIO‘s are pricier than pocket diapers.  Also, Swaddlebees have a bamboo velour lining and are made in the US.  These are two possible reasons for the price being a little higher than other diapers.

Performance ✩✩✩✩ This was an easy diaper to review.  I never had any trial and error issues with fit so we never had any weird leaks.  I did not try this diaper overnight because it is side snapping and my son sleeps on his side.  I anticipated a higher chance for leaking and frankly, being woken to wet sheets is not on my agenda right now.  Back and tummy sleepers should be fine, and there is a pocket to add more inserts if you need them.  We did use it for naps with no leaks, so in all likelihood it would have been fine.

Fit ✩✩✩✩ My son was SO in between sizes, which is what I am finding in a lot of other brands as well.  The Medium went up to 25 pounds, and the large began at 22.  He is around 24 pounds.  I chose the large.  He has a skinnier build, but the large fit pretty well.  At times I noticed a leg gap when the diaper was wet and heavier.  It is just a hard age in diaper sizing.

Overall- I think that this diaper is very well thought out.  The cotton velour lining is great because some babies are sensitive to microfleece.  The microfleece layer beneath it still works to wick moisture away but it never touches the skin.   I also love that it can be used as a pull up, though since it is an AIO it isn’t quite like a trainer and will be bulkier than most trainers.  I enjoyed reviewing this diaper.  The only drawback was that because the soaker is a rectangle you can see the outline, which is a little reminiscint of a pad…….  other than that it is a great AIO!

I have had the AMP Stay Dry All in One in my possession since November!  I was sent 2 to review but they were a size large.  At the time they were much too large for my son, so I put them in a drawer hoping he would grow into them soon.  Recently, I tried them on him again and they fit!  So we began reviewing them finally!  The AMP Stay Dry is a true AIO with no stuffing, no pockets, no nothing but diaper that is easy on and off.  I recently left them for a babysitter who had no problems putting them on my son.  I just didn’t clarify that he had to wear shorts with them.  When I came home she said she had to use another diaper because he kept taking the AMP off!  Toddlers and velcro with no pants just don’t mix!

Ease of Use ✰✰✰✰✰ It just doesn’t get any easier than this diaper.  The velcro tabs attach just like you would put a disposable on a baby.  When you take the diaper off there are no inserts to remove, all you need to remember to do is attach the laundry tabs.  When the diapers have been washed and dried, they go right back in the basket.

Bang for the Buck ✰✰✰✰ The price on the AMP Stay Dry is around 20.00 CA.  I had a hard time finding this product in a US store, but Canadians have a lot of choices when looking online.  You can find a list of retailers here.

Performance ✰✰✰✰ The AMP AIO is an awesome day tripping, around the house, babysitter, and daycare diaper.  I love having it in my diaper bag because I know where ever we are I can put it on my son in a snap.  Like yesterday, in the parking lot of a grocery store in the back seat of my car.  I love my snaps but with a son who is ready to run I have to change him quickly in certain places.  I can’t imagine any daycare refusing this diaper because it is too simple.  For nights on a toddler they need more absorbency, but there is no pocket so you need to add a doubler that can be placed against baby’s skin.  I am sure a small for a younger baby would hold up fine.  My son guzzles an entire sippy of milk right before bed, so yeah.  I also want to add that drying time isn’t that bad for an AIO.  It dries in one cycle.  And it dried out in the sun from soaking wet (well, after a spin) in less than a day.  My BG Organic AIO‘s were still wet and the AMP was dry to give you perspective.

Fit ✰✰✰✰ The sizes go: Small fits aprox. 6-14lbs Med fits aprox. 12-22lbs Large fits aprox. 18-38lbs.  The small seems perfect for a newborn and lasts about 2 pounds larger than most X-smalls but still fits very early, at 6 pounds, versus 4 or so like some.  In reality, most newborns would fit into a small from birth.  My son didn’t fit into the Large until about 22 pounds, even though the beginning weight is 18, but he is built tall and skinny.  On their website they do note different body types will alter when a baby will fit into a diaper slightly, which was the case for us.  The legs could be a little tighter for us, so when he wets I noticed there is a tiny gap, but he still hasn’t had a leak in them with either number 1′s or 2′s.

Overall- I totally love this diaper for it’s simplicity and quality.  AMP diapers are quality products made in Canada, something they take pride in.  While it has no bells and whistles that is a good thing.  Not every parent wants a one size diaper, and not every daycare will accept pocket diapers or snap closures.  Isn’t it wonderful that we have a diaper out there to suit every need?