As part of my (possibly indefinite) Introduction to Cloth Diapers Series I am covering All-in-Two cloth diapers this week.
All-in-Two’s, are waterproof shells (covers) with replaceable inserts. This definition means you could use virtually any combination of waterprof cover and soaker pads, but there are many cloth diapers designed for this purpose.
Most All-in-Two’s are One Size Fits Most diapers using a snap down rise or Leg Elastic Sizing. For my video I have shown the Ragababe Organic 2 Step, Best Bottoms, and Gro Baby/ GroVia brands. These are only a small representation of the brands available. Since I started blogging 2 years ago when Gro Baby was released the concept has taken off inspiring many similar systems.
The point of an AI2 is to save more money by having to buy fewer “pricey” diapers, and AI2’s are space savers when going out or traveling. Many AI2’s can also be used with disposable inserts.
Pros:
- Less expensive than a full set of AIO’s or Pocket Diapers
- Still Easier to use than flats or prefolds
- Trim
- Typically One Size
- Easy to Use
- Variety of soakers (inserts) in every material type including organic and stay dry.
- Can mix and match soakers with shells of multiple brands by laying them inside other systems. Not all snaps are compatible with one another.
Cons:
- Depending on the system, liners can get wet after the baby pees.
- When the baby poops it often soils the cover.
- Inserts can shift when when baby moves potentially causing a leak.
- When changing the diaper you need to touch the wet/dirty inserts to remove them (but using a cloth wipe is the best solution)
- Slightly more time consuming to change than removing a whole diaper, then replacing with a new one.
I have to admit that AI2’s are not in my favorite list of diapers. I do see their value as a way to use cloth diapers without spending too much money. If you wanted to buy 6 one size shells at 17$ each and 24 one size soakers at 8$ a piece you are only spending 300$.
You can learn more about the many types of cloth diapers by watching the other entries in my Intro to Cloth Diaper Series.
