The Basics:  Here is a good example of what you need to start cloth diapering today

• 24 Cloth Diapers (Pockets or AIOs) or 24 Fitteds or Prefolds with 4-6 Covers
• 24 Cloth Wipes
• 2 Pail Liners
• 1 Wetbag
• 1 Diaper Sprayer

People new to cloth diapering often ask me “What should I buy?” Believe me, I know how confusing all these different types of cloth diapers can be.   It would be great if I could just say “Buy X of Y diaper and you will be all set.” The truth is it takes some personal thought and planning before you jump in to cloth diapering. I want every customer to get cloth diapers that work for their child, their lifestyle, and their budget.

There are several things to first think about before starting your cloth diaper “stash” as it is commonly called in the cloth diapering world.

1.      Your budget – You can cloth diaper very inexpensively (a couple hundred dollars) or you could spend a lot more (several thousand dollars if you really wanted to).

2.      Your reasons for using cloth – Is it because your baby is allergic to disposable diapers, for the cost savings, for environmental reasons, a combination of reasons?

3.      Who will be changing the diapers? Ease of Use - If you are the primary caregiver and will change 99% of the diapers, then get what YOU like best. If the child will be in fulltime daycare, you may need to get something simpler that they will be okay with using.

4.      Washing facilities – Do you have your own washer and dryer, how often do you want to wash diapers? Will you need to hang everything to dry? Do you have to go to the Laundromat?

Budget

As you can see in my cost comparison chart, cloth diapering can save you a lot of money. Prefolds and covers are the cheapest way to go. Prefolds last a long time, usually through multiple children. They have fewer parts to wear out – no elastic or Velcro to wear out. 100% Cotton Diaper Service Quality Prefolds will be the cheapest option. These are normally made in China or Pakistan, so if you are looking for Made in the USA, you may want to choose another option. There are also prefolds made of organic cotton or hemp/organic cotton blends. These cost about 3 times more than regular cotton prefolds, but at $6-$9 a piece they still cost less than any fitted diaper or All-In-One and far less than a fitted or AIO made of 100% organic cotton. So for a lower budget, prefold cloth diapers are the way to go.

On a bigger budget you can still save money over disposables, and you can also use easy to use, modern cloth diapers. For less than $1000.00 you can get pocket diapers in all sizes to last from birth through potty training. This is cheaper than disposable diapers and keep in mind, if you buy one size at a time the cost is spread out over 1-2 years. One Size diapers make that cost go down even further, because you don’t have to buy multiple sizes. One thing to keep in mind with one size diapers though - diapers are an article of clothing and won’t last forever, especially with the heavy, frequent washing they go through. The more diapers you have in rotation, the longer they will last of course. You can’t necessarily expect 12 One Size diapers being washed every day to last through multiple children though. Two and a half years of daily washings would be more than 900 washes! Your wash routine, washer, water, detergent and other factors all will effect how long a particular diaper will last. That is one advantage of using sized diapers. Sizes small and large are often not used for very long. So, they can most certainly be used for multiple children. You may only have to replace some mediums if they get too worn out from being used the longest.

The priciest cloth diapers are usually organic cotton All-In-Ones or fitted diapers and wool covers. Wool covers with organic cotton fitted diapers also happen to be the most environmentally friendly combination you can use. You can cloth diaper using environmentally friendly cloth diapers and still stick to a moderate budget though.  Some people like to try new styles of diapers and end up with quite a large stash of diapers. A large rotation of diapers will last a long time and many people will sell or trade cloth diapers when they are done, so buying cloth diapers can still be a very environmentally and budget friendly “addiction.”

Your reasons for using cloth

There are many benefits for using cloth diapers and it is usually a combination of several reasons that people choose cloth over disposables. First is the environmental factor. If your main concern is being as "green" as possible you will make different cloth diapering choices than if that isn't your main concern.

Polyester is what most diaper covers are made of.  It is also in microfiber, which is in many AIOs and pocket diaper inserts and microfleece and suedecloth, which is the inner layer of most pocket style diapers is polyester as well.  Polyester is a petroleum product. So, if you want to stick to all natural fibers, you will want to go with 100% cotton, preferably organic cotton, or a hemp/organic cotton blend for your cloth diapers. Bamboo is the newest fabric to enter the cloth diapering market.  Bamboo requires minimal water for growth, and with such a short cultivation cycle, the bamboo fiber is naturally renewable. It is also grown without the use of pesticides. It is sometimes mixed with a little polyester though, so read labels carefully. Wool is the only natural type of diaper cover. Most diaper covers are made of laminated polyester or nylon. There are also fleece cover, fleece is 100% polyester as well. See our Wool Info section for more information on wool, but if you are looking for a cloth diapering solution with the least environmental impact organic cotton or organic cotton/hemp diapers with wool covers is your best bet. If you have found your child is allergic to something in disposable diapers than any type of cloth diaper should be fine. If they are sensitive to polyester too you  will want to stick with all cotton or hemp. Many people, making the switch from disposables, like the ease of pocket diapers or All-in-Ones. Pocket diapers and many brands of AIOs have fleece or suedecloth as the inner layer of the diaper, which wicks wetness away from the child’s skin and helps to keep them feeling dry and rash free. If you are mainly looking to use cloth diapers for the cost savings, almost any way you go, you will save money over disposable diapers. The more you save just depends on how carried away you get with purchasing them – that cloth diaper addiction will get you! 

Ease of Use

Another thing you want to consider before making your cloth diaper purchase is what style of diapers you think you want. If you aren’t sure, you may want to buy one of a few different styles and see what you prefer. Narrow down your choices to prefolds/cover, fitteds/covers, pocket diapers, One Size Diapers, or All-In-Ones. From there you can narrow it down further – Velcro or snap closures, wool or PUL diaper covers, etc. For diaper closures, I prefer snaps. They hold up well to washing and stay looking new longer. Velcro type closures can collect lint over time and you need to remember to fold the Velcro back on itself before washing so everything doesn’t get all stuck to each other in the wash. But, Velcro is easier for anyone to figure out how to use. You also get a more customized fit with Velcro. Sometimes one snap setting is a little loose, but the next one is a little tight, so Velcro can give you a better fit. There are positives and negatives to everything. You just need to decide what works best for your family. On a side note my husband hates snaps, and would prefer all Velcro. So, we have ended up with a stash of about half and half.

Washing Facilities

The ideal situation for using cloth diapers is obviously to have a washer and dryer in your own home.  That makes it very easy to wash them every few days and to figure out what washing routine works best with your washer, detergent, and water. If you have to use a laundromat or shared laundry facilities you may need to make different choices. If you do not have a dryer and will need to hang dry everything, this will also effect your choices. Pocket diapers dry quickly even hung inside. Prefold diapers and covers are easy to wash and hang dry as well.

With the above things in mind, I have listed some sample stashes you might choose.

No matter what type of cloth diapers you choose, I also recommend getting:

• 2 Pail Liners - so you can put a new one in the pail while the other one is in the washer.
• Cloth wipes - You'll need about as many as you have diapers, maybe a few more.
• Diaper Sprayer - This isn't a must, but most people are very glad they have them when baby starts on solid foods.
• Wetbag - to transport the dirty diapers home when you are out. I like zip close ones myself.