| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2000 BC | Ancient people used moss, wood shavings, grasses, or no diapers at all. |
| 1000 | Medieval babies wore swaddling bands, left unswaddled on bottom to change fresh cloth. |
| 1800 | Infant potty training- holding babies over bowls or a potty- was popular. |
| 1849 | Walter Hunt invents the safety pin. It makes securing diapers safer for babies and caregivers. |
| 1887 | Maria Allen Invents first mass produced diaper. |
| 1910 | Rubber baby pants are made but used infrequently as they gave babies rashes and chafed. |
| 1910 | Poor families used flour sacks as cloth diapers. |
| 1930 | Hand knit wool soakers a popular diaper cover. |
| 1935 | Diaper services become popular during the war years. |
| 1938 | The National Association of Diaper Services (NADS) is established. |
| 1940 | First “pin less” diaper invented by Joseph LaKritz, uses a buckle instead. |
| 1942 | Hourglass shaped diaper invented. |
| 1942 | WWII responsible for cloth diaper shortage. |
| 1942 | Sweden’s first paper diaper by PauliStróm. |
| 1947 | Dritz brings Dot Snappers to market- metal snaps. Sold in kits. | 1947 | Paddi, UK’s first disposable diaper, invented by Valerie Gordon-Hunter in the UK. |
| 1949 | Marion Donovan invents “The Boater,” credited as first modern cloth diaper. |
| 1949 | Chux, early disposable diaper brand, introduced by Chicopee. |
| 1950 | Prefold diaper is invented by a diaper service owner. |
| 1950 | Safe-T Di-Dee, another pinless diaper, invented. |
| 1951 | Playtex releases their two-piece diaper with flushable inserts. |
| 1959 | Cloth diaper brand Riegel uses Velcro on their diaper. |
| 1960 | Gerber acquires a bib and vinyl pants manufacturer and enters the diaper industry. |
| 1961 | P&G comes out Pampers, invented by Vic Mills. |
| 1967 | Disposable diapers get fastenable tape, first with Combinett diapers. |
| 1969 | Disana, a German cloth diaper brand, is created with their tie on nappy. |
| 1974 | Kimbies brand disposables create “baby shaped” diapers for better fit. |
| 1976 | Luvs brand disposable diapers introduced. |
| 1982 | SAP (Super absorbent polymers) added to diapers. |
| 1982 | Born to Love launches their catalog selling carriers, cloth diapers, and other natural parenting goods in Canada. |
| 1984 | First designer disposable diapers, made by Riegel, feature Cabbage Patch Dolls. |
| 1984 | Pampers begins using refastenable tape and hourglass shape. |
| 1987 | The Snappi, a diaper pin alternative, invented by Henni Visser, in South Africa. |
| 1987 | Bummis, Canadian makers of reusable diaper wraps with velcro, introduced. |
| 1987 | Kooshies enters the diapering business with a modern All in One diaper. |
| 1989 | Kimberly Clark introduces Pull-Up Goodnites. |
| 1990 | Eenee Designs creates first modern Hybrid flushable diapers with reusable cotton pant and plastic liner. | 1990 | Changing times : Cloth Diapering Today, a book about modern cloth diapers by Pat Bowerman, is published. |
| 1990 | Catalogs make it possible for parents to find and buy more modern cloth diapers. |
| 1989 | Compostable disposable diapers are brought to market by various brands. |
| 1992 | KangaWrap, made in Brazil, introduces a diaper cover with a pouch (pocket.) | 1997 | Diaper Changes: The Complete Diapering Book and Resource Guide, written by Theresa Rodriguez Farrisi, is published. |
| 2000 | Diaperpin.com, a cloth diaper resource website, is launched. |
| 2000 | Fuzzibunz debuts their patented pocket diaper. |
| 2001 | Kelly’s Closet begins selling cloth diapers online. |
| 2002 | Wonderoos changes the game with their One Size adjustable fit cloth diaper. |
| 2002 | Happy Heiny, designed by Lisa Byerline, enters the market with their pocket diaper. |
| 2003 | WAHM diapers are popular, now moms can sew patterns and sell from home. Cottage industry grows. |
| 2004 | The Real Diaper Association forms, begun by Lori Taylor, to advocate for cloth in the US. |
| 2004 | Diaper sprayers are sold in online diaper stores, make poop removal easier. |
| 2004 | HyenaCart.com is created by Karen Fegelman, an online marketplace for WAHM diapers. |
| 2004 | China exports “cheapie” diapers through Ebay and other sources. Coolababy is found online, other brands follow. |
| 2005 | gDiapers hybrid pants and flushable pads debut. |
| 2005 | Jenn Labit creates the One Size microfiber insert, then shortly after, the bumGenius One Size pocket. |
| 2008 | The RDIA (Real Diaper Industry Association) is formed to bring members of the cloth diapering industry together |
| 2008 | Kim Ormsby creates her “All in Two” diaper, Gro Baby, and creates a new diaper category. |
| 2008 | Pampers releases “Change ‘n Go” with replaceable inserts online only. Quickly kills off concept. |
| 2008 | KAMsnaps.com, distributor of resin snaps popular with diaper makers, is created. |
| 2009 | NADS folds into the RDIA. |
| 2010 | GroBaby rebrands as GroVia. |
| 2010 | Pampers Dry Max, less pulp diapers, cause outrage when parents report burns and rashes. |
| 2011 | In April the first Great Cloth Diaper Change took place. 5,026 babies set the first record. |
| 2011 | Changing Diapers – A Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering, a how-to book written by Kelly Wels is published. |
| 2011 | Giving Diapers, Giving Hope (GDGH) begins a non-profit cloth diaper lending service for families in the US. |
| 2011 | Dirty Diaper Laundry holds the first Flats and Handwashing Challenge, a 7 day awareness event. |
| 2011 | Babyville Boutique cloth diaper sewing supplies and kits hit shelves at Joanns. |
| 2011 | Spray Pal debuts their splatter sheild to make spraying cloth diapers less messy. |
| 2012 | Amy and Ilana, owners of AppleCheeks, appear on Dragon’s Den (Canadian version of Shark Tank) in January and leave with an investment. |
| 2012 | Tereson Dupuy appears on Shark Tank in September and asks for a $500k investment for 15% of her company Fuzzibunz. She leaves without a deal. |
| 2012 | Honest Co. unveils their designer disposable subscription service. Jessica Alba is the company founder. |
| 2013 | The #MakeClothMainstream hashtag is born. Spray Pal coined the term that started the movement. |
| 2013 | USPTO on April 23, 2013 for “Double gusset cloth diaper along with method for making the same” – US Pat. 8,425,483 by Kanga Care |
| 2014 | In February a WAHM diaper made by Sweet Southern Bums sells at auction for $2,025. |
| 2014 | GroVia funds the O.N.E. via Kickstarter and raises over 60k for the new diaper. |
| 2015 | bumGenius begins selling in Babies ‘r Us with an exclusive print for store locations. |
| 2015 | Blueberry and Me launches |
| 2015 | Gerber Childrenswear introduces their modern All in One, the first big brand to make a modern cloth diaper. |
| 2015 | Early July Bummis announces the merger of their company with Quebec based Mini Kiwi. |
See a more interactive timeline with expanded information on chosen events on the History of Cloth Diapers Resource.