I hope you all had a fantastic weekend, and were able to celebrate the fathers in your lives. We had a great day surrounded by family, and Harper got to finger paint (I made edible baby safe paint) for the first time as part of her gift for her dad. She loved squishing her hands in the paint, and smacking her palms against the paper hard then dragging them to make trails in the paint.

I’m really excited to review today’s diaper from TushMate because this is our first time using a hybrid and we love how versatile it is! We mostly used it as an All-In-Three or as a cover with flats, though we tried every option except disposable inserts (because I don’t have any right now).

[typography font=”Crafty Girls” size=”24″ size_format=”px”]Ease of Use ✩✩✩✩[/typography]

When I received my TushMate shell, fleece liner, and pair of hemp/organic cotton inserts, I was a little intimidated. They arrived in separate (but adorable) envelopes and as someone who is usually comfortable with pocket diapers and all-in-ones I was nervous I might be in over my head.

My fears quickly dissipated when I leafed through the charming little instruction manual that was included. It points out the features of the diaper and the various ways it can be used. I was excited to try this transformer and see what it could do.

First I tried the all-in-three variation to see how absorbent it is. I laid out the cover and snapped in first one insert, then the second insert (for extra absorbency), followed by the fleece liner. It sounds like this might be a bit time consuming, but with the built in snaps and the intuitive design everything clicked together in seconds. I was surprised and impressed by the ingenuity of the snap layout and how the layers fit so perfectly.

A starter kit including the cover, liner, and inserts like I tried is $25.78, or you can purchase pieces separately. Covers are 16.58 each, inserts are between 8.58 and 9.78, and a three pack of liners is 5.88. You can find hybrids at higher and lower costs than this, but I think this is a bargain if you are reusing the cover and just swapping out the inserts. I’m especially interested in using this diaper as a cover with flats, prefolds, my own inserts, or disposable inserts. If you’re using microfiber you’ll want to use the fleece liner (microfiber should never touch baby’s skin, it draws too much moisture from baby’s skin.)

I used this cover quite a lot during the Flats and Handwashing Challenge. It washed well, dried quickly, and contained messes. If someone on a budget were planning to start cloth diapering their baby, I would highly recommend a few of these and a big stack of flats or prefolds with good ratings. You could take advantage of the bells and whistles when you need them (such as overnight or with the babysitter since the fully assembled diaper is very easy to use) and rely on pad folded cloth tucked in the generous flaps the rest of the time. I’d probably also suggest stocking up on a few extra fleece liners, the stay dry feature is awesome and the elastic sides and snaps keep it in place and contain messes much better than the homemade fleece liners I’ve tried to set in with other diapers. Just remember if you use a cream that is not cloth diaper safe you’ll want to wash your fleece separately (another reason the fleece is smart when using a babysitter, I’ve heard so many horror stories of diapers needing to be stripped after an over-zealous grandparent tries to help).

The PUL seems a little thin but it is not sticky at all and I haven’t had any performance issues with it in the weeks I’ve been using this diaper in frequent rotation. It is recommended that you line dry the cover, but it dries so quickly you could drape it on your shower rod if you are not a line drier normally. We haven’t had any leaks or blowouts, the encased elastic does a great job at keeping everything in. The fleece liner is already pilling quite a bit, but that is normal for fleece and is really only an aesthetic issue as far as I can tell. The option to purchase more liners is nice, though. When it does wear out, I’ll just get a few more.

This cover offers a four step rise, with two rows of rise snaps. I tried the snap version, though it is also available with hook and loop. It is marketed as a one size diaper for 8-40 lbs. It does look like it would fit a newborn, though it would be rather bulky (as any one size I’ve encountered would be… Harper didn’t fit comfortably into one size diapers for a couple months, but she was a tiny newborn and sized diapers were just a better solution for her at that age). The fit is good, the thinly encased elastic did leave red marks on Harper’s thighs a few times but she did not seem uncomfortable and they faded quickly. We haven’t had any leaks with this diaper, and I love how trim it is, perfect for her sweet little summer outfits (it seems like clothing stores are obsessed with leggings and tunics for babies these days, has anyone else noticed this?).

{Note from Kim- I used this diaper as well before Ev potty trained and had the velcro version.  One concern I have is how long it will last since it seems to be fraying a bit near the line of stitching on the strip across the stomach.}

We really love this diaper, and it is a great multi tasker for those looking to simplify their stash or start from scratch. My biggest qualm is that it is currently available in only three colors (orange, blue, or brown) and though they are nice shades, I love variety. I hope these diapers will eventually be available in more colors and prints. With these features, I could see TushMate becoming as popular as some of the most commonly known brands. But most moms I know want more than three colors in their stash. Variety aside, this diaper is very aesthetically pleasing. Trim, bright, and modern, it’s everything I could ask for in a diaper, and one we reach for again and again.