The Mabu Baby Eco-Diaper System is a cloth diaper that was recntly introduced. It has been called the “Wal-mart” diaper since it is currently carried in select locations. While big box stores have carried familiar brands online most have not carried them in the actual store. The Mabu Baby diapers come in kits with 2 Shells and 2 snap in liners, 2 washable pads, 2 disposable pads, and 5 disposable liners. These can be used as hybrid diapers or an All-in-Two. The idea of Wal-Marts carrying cloth diapers is both frightening and exciting. On one hand you are exposing cloth diapers to a new and huge audience. On the other hand you start introducing cloth diapers to the “big business” world which could pose an economic threat to the many WAHM owned retail stores and diaper brands. As always DDL is here to provide an objective review and show you how the diaper works on video.
Ease of Use ✩✩ AHH! Maybe I am just inept but the after wash assembly of the Mabu Baby had me wondering if I needed a diaper degree. The way the layers folded into themselves, the fact that you can only put the liner in one way, all of these things took a lot of time to assemble for me. For a newbie to cloth it might be a bit overwhelming. It is hard to explain here but after washing/drying everything looks like a big mess. Even with my trained eye it took me longer than most other diapers. Once the liner is snapped into the shell then you just need to take your insert, bi-fold it, and lay in with the stay dry side facing the baby. Then you are all set to place it on the baby. That part is easy! The Mabu Baby uses hook and loop closures (like velcro) and these mimic the ease of a disposable diaper. The hooks are plastic like and hard and the loops are soft and flat. Those familiar with the GroVia brand will notice that this is virtually identical. The possible problem down the line could be these wearing out or the tabs curling/scratching the baby. Another way they did simplify things is that the sizing mimics that of disposables with the NB,1,2,3/4 options. I can’t attest to how they align though.
Bang for the Buck ✩✩✩✩ I was expecting the price to be lower since it is sold at Wal-Mart for now. It is sill going to save parents money on disposables! You can get the starter kit at participating Wal-Marts for 29.95. For informed cloth diapering families they know that there are some better known brands for sale at the various online diaper stores, but there are many families that are cloth curious who will likely purchased the kit to try after seeing it in store.
Performance ✩✩✩✩ Ya know….. this diaper actually worked really really well. I even started using it for my nighttime diaper and used it for both boys. Everett is 14 months and while it would feel heavy each morning it never leaked. Poops were also contained within the entire diaper but the liner never contained the mess without it leaking into the shell. I’m not sure when the liner would really protect the shell from a poop. And with urine you can wipe it clean if desired so the purpose of the liner is only there to be difficult to snap in.
Fit ✩✩✩ According to the Size Chart my son Everett would have been a 3/4 based on his weight. When we got our package in the mail we saw how huge the size 3/4 was. Luckily they also sent the Size 2. It fit him great around the waist and even still fit my 3 year old, though it was a close call. This is why a weight based chart is inaccurate since you can be 40 pounds and 2 years old or 4. The height and build make it fit differently. The diapers appeared bulky in between the legs, like it was saggy but it wasn’t. The butt wasn’t hugely poofy at all, and the profile looks rather slim.
Overall: The diaper is absolutely functional. It is designed for parents who are being exposed to cloth diapers in a different way than most of the current users who are doing a lot of internet research. The packaging is friendly, helpful, and eye catching. It gives you basic information and hopes you will give them a chance. The design isn’t exactly simple and the tangle of shells, liners, and inserts could discourage a cloth diaper newbie if they went in unsure in the first place. I think they were going for simple but it just isn;t working. The only “simple” aprt is that these only come in white and are only available in hook and loop. In terms of spraying out the diaper I have decided this is topping my list of Least Favorite Cloth Diapers to Spray. We had an epic situation that called for a hazmat suit. If only I had used a liner!
I did actually like the diapers and was surprised by how much (even though this review seems to say otherwise). I think it all comes down to the inserts (which I really liked) and that it fit well and looked comfortable on.
Where to Buy Find a Wal-Mart location
