Cloth Diaper Update: Flip Diaper Covers
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I can hardly believe that Baby Brother is now 6 months old! Which means we’ve been cloth diapering for approximately four months.
Reader Connie wants an update:
It’s been three months! How is it going with the cloth diapers? We are putting together the registry and are trying to figure out our options, and could really use any advice you have! Thanks!
Flip Diaper Covers
I have lots to share about our experience, and have decided to break it down into bite-sized portions. Today, I want to tell you about my favorite diaper cover: Flip Diaper Covers.
Flips are made by Cotton Babies–the same makers of BumGenius–and are basically identical to a BumGenius pocket diaper, but without the pocket. It’s just a PUL cover, to be filled with your insert of choice. No pocket.
Here’s what I love about our Flip Diaper Covers:
1. Multiple Uses
Flips can be used multiple times before needing to be washed, especially if the diaper was merely wet (and not dirty). Simply remove the wet insert, give the cover a wipe, and re-use with a clean insert. LOVE this feature.
2. Better Fit / Fewer Leaks
With our BumGenius 4.0 pocket diapers, there is always a tiny border of the pocket material (microfiber) visible around Baby Brother’s legs. (See picture above.)
A very wet diaper will seep through that fabric right into his clothes. As Baby Brother has neared the six month mark, this is happening more and more with our BG diapers–sometimes multiple times overnight, and a few times during the day as well.
Because the Flip has no material attached to the inside, the cover has the ability to contain inserts more fully. The cover “seals” better against baby’s body. This means fewer leaks!
3. Dries Faster
I line dry all of our diapers, and the Flips dry faster than the BumGenius 4.0 pocket diapers. This is pretty self-explanatory: the pocket diapers have two layers, and water can get trapped inside the pocket. The Flips are just one layer, so they dry much quicker. (Notice the light blue Flip at the front left of the drying rack pictured above. All the rest are BG 4.0 pockets.)
4. No Microfiber
I really hate to admit this, after purchasing about 20 BumGenius 4.0 pocket diapers, but I do not like microfiber. At all. This is the part I really wish I’d researched more before jumping into cloth diapering.
For starters, microfiber is synthetic. It’s drying to the skin, which can lead to rashes. It is susceptible to compression leaks. It holds onto bad odors.
After four months of exclusive cloth diapering, I much prefer a cotton prefold inside a Flip cover, as opposed to the BG pocket diapers with their microfiber lining and inserts.
When using the BG pocket diapers, I often lay a thin layer of cotton flannel between Baby Brother’s skin and the microfiber pocket lining, especially when he has a rash.
If I Had to Do It All Over Again
When we first started cloth diapering, I assumed the pocket diapers would be easier and better than a simple diaper cover. A lot of folks I knew were using BG pocket diapers, and highly recommended them.
Don’t get me wrong–they’re still our cloth diaper of choice when we’re out and about, or when someone else will be caring for Baby Brother (which actually hasn’t happened much yet). Pocket diapers are much easier, especially for someone who’s not used to cloth diapers.
But when we’re at home, which is most of the time, I prefer our Flip covers with a cotton prefold. If I had to do it all over again, I’d definitely buy more Flip covers and fewer pocket diapers.
And actually, if I really had to do it all over again, I’d take a much closer look at wool diaper covers. Which brings me to my next Cloth Diaper Update…stay tuned! Here it is: Overnight Leak Protection with Cloth Diapers.
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Thank you so much! There are so many different aspects to cloth diapers, and your experiences are super helpful in aiding the decision making process.
Sure, Connie! Stay tuned for more updates from our adventures in cloth diapering… 🙂
I love the FLIPS too! We started cloth diapering when my daughter was 3-4 weeks old. At the beginning we had some leaks and blowouts with the flips (when she was 8-10 pounds)- but now I have no problems. I love them for all the reasons you listed. They are also my go to “poop” diaper. If I know baby is due for a #2, I am sure to put a flip on her. Especially now that she is eating solids.
I find that I like the flip inserts so much better than the bum genius 4.0 pocket microfiber inserts. The flips have a cotton upper which lays against the baby’s skin. The microfiber really pulls the moisture away from baby. When she was little I would have to touch the backside of the flip insert to know if she had wet because the top was still dry. AMAZING!
AND- flips seem so much easier to pack in the diaper bag. Just saying. The diaper bag was one of the hardest parts for sometime. Cloth diapers are not as compact. It’s nice that I won’t have to remember to pack diapers in multiple sizes when our next baby is born.. love the ONE SIZE diapers.
Yes! Love our Flips much better than the BG pocket diapers. 🙂 Good luck with your next little one!
Hi Kathleen, when you add your prefold to your Flip are you folding it in the cover each time? Or are you putting the prefold on your baby boy, with a pin or snappi, and then putting on your Flip cover?
We are having our first in Nov and we will be doing cloth diapers.
Thanks so much for your insight.
Jenny
Hi Jenny, Congratulations! 🙂 I’ve definitely done it both ways, but securing the prefold with a snappi works best.