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Cost: 

 

From around £2 a nappy, £5 a wrap. 

Advantages:

• Best value for money & can be used on more than one baby.

• Very absorbent.

• Quickest to dry.

• Available in high street shops.

• Versatile - fold in different ways to suit baby’s needs, e.g. for increased absorbency at night, as baby gets bigger etc.

Disadvantages:

•  Folding terries can be a bit fiddly at first and not so good for an older wriggly child.

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Shaped nappies

No folding needed. These are shaped and fitted, with soft, elasticated legs and waist.     
They generally have a neater fit than flat nappies and are very easy to put on. Most have Velcro fastenings or poppers. The main types are ‘one size’ (birth-to-potty) or ‘sized’ (small, medium, large and even XL). They wash and dry easily, although some fabrics take longer to dry than others. All shaped nappies need a waterproof covering wrap.

Short Demo Video

From around £4 each.

Advantages:                            

• Easy to put on, wash and dry. 

• Poppers and Velcro mean you can adjust to your baby’s size,

  increasing reliability. 

•  Widely available.                                                                                
  

• Can be used on more than one baby.                       

Disadvantages:

• Birth-to-potty shaped nappies and some brands may be bulky on a newborn.

• Unless you buy Birth-to-Potty size, you will need larger sizes as the baby grows.

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Pocket nappies

Also called stuffables, these are wraps with a pouch into which you can insert pads eg folded terries, shaped inserts, prefolds or pads you have made yourself from absorbent fabrics; like creating an all-in-one.                         

They do not require a separate covering wrap as this is integral to the design. Very versatile as you can add pads for night times and use fewer during the day. The inserted pads can dry quickly after washing. 

Short Demo Videos

Bumgenius Version 3 

Bumgenius 

Cost:

 From around £7 each; special inserts around £2.

 

Advantages:

• Easy to put on, wash and dry

• Useful when out and about or for nursery as they can be prepared in advance

  

• Very versatile. 

Disadvantages:

• More expensive than two part nappies

• Unless you buy Birth-to-Potty, you will need larger sizes as the baby grows.

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All-in-ones

All in one nappies are nappies that contain the nappy and wrap in one. These are the most similar to disposable nappies as the waterproof layer is attached to the absorbent core. It fastens with either aplix (Velcro) or poppers depending on brand.

                   

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The Easyfit Nappy 

Cost:

From around £8 each.

Advantages:

• The easiest cloth nappies to put on.

• Good for childcare situations eg babysitters or for those not confident using cloth nappies.

Disadvantages:

• Not as long-lasting as two part systems.

• Extra drying time needed.

  

• Unless you buy one size that grows with your baby, you will need larger sizes as the baby grows.

• Most expensive.

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Wraps

A waterproof wrap is worn over flat or shaped nappies (not with pocket or all-in-ones). Most are soft, durable, breathable and machine washable. Fabrics vary from waterproofed nylon, polyester or cotton to wool. 

 Styles range through popper and Velcro fastening to pull-on; all allow for quick and easy nappy changes. Avoid polyurethane and PVC wraps and pants.

Short Demo Videos

Motherease Wraps 

Onelife Wraps

Totbots Flexiwraps 

Totsbots Fleece RedWrap 

Cost:

 

From about £5. 

 

Birth to Potty

As the name suggests, a nappy that is designed to last through to potty training. They are easy to change and convenient. They may require a separate waterproof cover (wrap). They usually fasten with poppers to allow resizing of the nappy.

Advantages

Disadvantages

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Accessories

Liners

Liners are available in two main types - paper and washable. They are placed inside a nappy and allow urine to soak through but not pass back to baby's skin. This allows easy removal/flushing of poo from soiled nappies. Washable fleece liners allow runny poo to absorb into the nappy avoiding potential leaks and can be washed along with nappies.

Booster pads

A shaped cloth pad used with nappy to add extra absorbency. This is ideal for temporary boosts such as night-time, car journeys and at times when wetting increases.

Nappy Bucket

This is a lidded bucket where you can store dirty or wet nappies until you are ready to wash them. 

Mesh

This is a mesh drawstring bag. This is great for transferring the dirty nappies from your nappy bucket into your machine. It means that you do not have to touch the nappies, and so long as you leave the drawstring open, the nappies fall out during the wash and come out clean.

Cloth Wipes

Cloth wipes are a great alternative to cotton wool or baby wipes, just wash the cloth wipes along with the nappies.

Nappy Nippa

Nappi Nippas are ideal for fixing terry or muslin squares in place. They have three stretchy 'arms' which hold the wings and crotch of the terry square together, pulling it snuggly around the baby.