Best Bottoms

Overall: very pleased

Design

Type:OS AI2

Fastening: strong snaps or front aplix

Inserts: inserts are microfleece

approx. 11 pounds

Cover: wipe-able PUL interior

Absorbency and Containment

Urine:great; doubler makes for a leak-free night

Solids: some poo gets on the inside of the cover but as long as it doesn't get in the gussets it can be wiped down and used again

Fit

Legs: double gussets are snug and comfortable

Waist and Rise: snaps all along waist; 3 rows of rise snaps

Trimness: fairly trim fit but can be a bit bulky between the legs depending on the rise setting, but that's the nature of the beast with OS though since all of the unused portion of the diaper has to go somewhere

Convenience

Changing Inserts: one quick step - just snap new liner into shell (2 snaps); there is no bunching with these inserts

Speed and ease: just as quick and easy as disposables if shells are kept pre-loaded and rotated; just a few extra seconds if snapping in a fresh insert and immediately reusing the same shell

approx. 11 pounds

Space/Storage: take up minimum space in diaper bags and changing tables

Care

Washing: same routine as other CDs; shells are thin enough to be handwashed if necessary

Drying: shells drip dry quickly or can be tossed in dryer on low; dry time for inserts comparable to regular laundry loads

Value

Length of Use: shells have unlimited use since they are one size; inserts come in size S (birth-14 pounds) , M (11-22 pounds) and L ( 16-35 pounds) although Nicki suggests that many people can skip the medium insert

Price: $17 per shell; $3.75-$6.50 per insert (microfleece, hemp, overnight choices)

Other Comments

I have found that I can rotate two shells for the day by always having one on Baby Bee and one loaded up and ready to use. When Baby Bee wets, I just switch the whole diaper completely and then wipe out the first shell to air dry for the next diaper change. This system does very well containing poops. As long as none gets onto the gusset elastic, that shell can be wiped down as if it were a wet change. If anything is on the elastic then I add a new shell to the rotation and toss the dirty one in the hamper.

I would love to see Nicki come up with a biodegradable insert to use on the go, but I have tried bio inserts from gDiapers and Gro Via and both worked well. I prefer the Gro Via inserts because they have gussets. The beauty of doing this is that I can toss the insert but still use the outer shell eliminating having to deal with a wet bag full of dirty or wet diapers. Plus, the inserts are thin and take up very little room in the diaper bag. I throw in a few of those and a spare cover and I'm off.

A few final comments regarding aplix and snaps. The aplix can be loud sometimes; there have been a couple of changes where I have startled Baby Bee. Of course, the snaps aren't exactly silent either and they're a bit more challenging to change in the dark when you're trying to avoid turning on the light in the middle of the night. Also, the tabs can look rather fuzzy after repeated washings and need a little cleaning. A perk of the aplix shells is that the waist is completely adjustable to LO's size. With the snap shells, there is a slight limit to the adjustments since the locations of the snaps are preset. The edges of the aplix are rounded off so there's no scratching or irritation to either Baby Bee or me.

Click here to see other cloth diaper reviews.