Confused with the Nappy talk - A beginner's guide to Cloth Nappies

It can be a bit confusing when you hear talk of "fitteds", "Soakers", "longies", "Pockets", and all that.. what goes with what, which are waterproof?  ARRGH!

Well there are lots of sites that give great rundowns on the nappy styles (check out the links), but I thought I'd add one here too for your convenience :)

Terry/Flat/Traditional | Prefold | Fitted | Cover | Woolies/Longies/Soaker | AIO/All-in-One | Pocket

"Terry", "Flat", "Traditional Nappy" These are names for the old fashioned white square nappy most people are familiar with.  They come in flannelette (good for newborns) and cotton "terry" (towelling - fabric towels are made from).  Still loved by Modern Cloth Nappy users for it's versatility and cheapness.  Very useful as burp rags, change mats, extra boosters in a modern nappy and more!  At around $3 each they make a fast drying cheap standby.  Modern "Snappi" fasterners are much easier than using pins, and can be used on most if not all "loopy" fabrics (such as terry) Advantages Can be folded in various ways for best fit. Cheap. Dry quickly. Useful for other things other than nappies. A good standby nappy. Disadvantages Sometimes hard to get the right fit and its a bit tricky learning the folds. Can be bulky. Usually not absorbent enough on their own. Need a good fitting cover to avoid poo blowouts.

Advantages

• Less folding to form a nappy than a "flat".
• More absorbency where you need it.
• Hemp (the usual conmposition of them) is more absorbent than cotton.

• Sometimes hard to get the right fit
• Can be bulky.
• May not be absorbent enough on their own.
• Need a good fitting cover to avoid poo blowouts.
• More expensive than a flat.

Generally not made of loopy terry fabric, so couldn't use a "snappi" with them

These are basically nappy shaped like a disposable nappy, but that has no waterproofing in it.  Although you can use them as-is, without any waterproofing, they would generally not hold more than a little wee without leaking through, or the dampness wicking through the fabric and onto clothing.  Which means they are fine to use on their own while at home (particularly in summer when not wearing any clothing over the top), but you'd want to put a waterproof cover over it for longer periods of time, sleeping or going out.  Generally made of flannelette with a hemp/bamboo booster sewn in, or a full body of hemp/bamboo.  They may come with snap in, or lay in boosters (snap in will attach with snap, lay in ones you just place ontop inside the nappy).  The absorbency will vary with brands, some being not very absorbent (relying more on the boosters that go with it) and some being more absorbent and being able to be used without boosters)

• Can be changed and usually the same cover put back on (particularly if it is a PUL one that can even be wiped clean ), so you go through less covers.  This means that the covers have less wear and tear, particularly useful for PUL covers which can deteriorate over time.
• The covers may be left off during summer time for more breathability.
• As the whole nappy is made from an absorbent fabric it all works to soak up wee (unlike a pocket where the absorbent filling is usually just in the centre of the pocket)
• You can add extra boosters to the fitted (just lay them in) to make it more absorbent.
• Can be put in a dryer without fear of shrinking/melting waterproofing.
• A fitted that no longer fits (won't do up as it's too tight for example) or has dodgy closures can still be used inside a good fitting cover - so they would last longer in sizing.
• You can get creative with a fitted.....We had a fitted that wouldn't stay done up (using 1 set of those sew on type plastic snaps that aren't hefty enough) was a bit small and wasn't absorbent enough and another fitted that was not very absorbent at all, but fit securely, so we used the smaller one that won't stay done up inside a larger fitted to give an extremely well boosted (but a little bulky) nappy.

• Take longer to dry than Flats or pockets - can take all day to line dry in the sun.
• I feel its a shame to cover a pretty nappy in something else (and a lot of covers aren't so funky).
• 2 steps to change the nappy (sometimes its hard enough to get the kid still enough to get one thing on)
• You may need an extra microfleece/polar fleece liner to keep bub's skin dry.
• I never found them absorbent enough without putting extra boosters in, which to me is an annoying extra step.

"PUL" Cover (A polyurethane laminate over a polyester or cotton fabric ), which is almost completely waterproof.  PUL is a more delicate fabric in that it can melt/shrink with heat, so tumble drying is not recommended (some people have done it without problems, but its not advisable) - however it can be easily wiped clean, so could be used several times without washing, and when washed, dries almost instantly. The waterproofing could wear off or deteriorate over time, particularly if not well taken care of.  Vinegar, bleach and other soakers are not recommended to use as they may effect this waterproofing.

Wool Cover can be either hand knitted (referred to as a "soaker", "Bum Jumper" or in the case of a cover in a longer leg style "shorties  or "Longies"), or a woollen fabric (as you would find in woollen coats).  Wool has the ability to be highly breathable, so helps moisture evaporate off, as well as (when lanolised) being an effective waterproof barrier.  Wool needs careful hand washed and re-lanolised, however if the nappy was just wet, a woollen cover can be aired out and reused and could go as long as several weeks (apparently) without needing a wash (The lanolin apparently helps neutralise the urine).  If soiled with poo though it would need washing straight away.  Generally the most expensive option, but can be very groovy as well as being breathable, natural, cool in summer and warm in winter.

Polar fleece Cover, being synthetic, it does not hold moisture, so when doubled in a cover provides a reasonable effective and breathable waterproof barrier.  Polar fleece can do what is called "compression leaking", as its waterproofness is only because it does not wick like natural fibres do, so if a child is sitting in a car (for example) for a long time, the moisture can start to wick out into the seat.  (moisture from the wet nappy travels through the fleece onto the fabric of the seat)   They are commonly used for night though, as the longer time in the nappy allows some of the moisture to evaporate off and gives more airflow.  Generally the cheapest option.  They can be shaped like a fitted nappy, with closures at the front, or in a shorts like item (see the picture), or even as long trousers (Called "Flongies").

Polar fleece and wool are more bulky than PUL, so make the overall nappy chunkier, but they are more breathable.

These are the main style I use and would recommend to people.  They are a little confusing to people at first, as they themselves are not absorbent, but hold the absorbent part.  Hence being called a "pocket". Generally these are a PUL outer with a fleece inner, with an opening at the back (or sometimes front) into which you place the absorbent stuff ("Boosters" or "stuffers").  As fleece (polar fleece or microfleece) does not hold moisture it wicks it away from bub's skin, keeping it dryer.  "PUL" (A polyurethane laminate over a polyester or cotton fabric ) is the waterproof fabric, and is usually either in a plain colour polyester, or in a printed cotton.  Pocket nappies could also be doubled polar fleece on the outer layer and single polar fleece on the inner layer, making a more breathable (but mre bulky) pocket nappy (particularly useful for nights as explained above in the covers section).

Advantages

• Adjust the absorbency by how much stuffing you put in (make a trim nappy for day or add more absorbency for night)
• You can use anything as the filling - facewashers, handtowels, terry flats or purpose made "boosters", microfibre cleaning cloths.
• You can buy a metre of hemp fabric and make your own square boosters to stuff it (even if you have no sewing machine)
• Pocket itself comes out of the wash almost completely dry,  so very fast drying, and if using something like a flat nappy or facewashers that you fold up to put inside, they are quick to dry because when unfolded they are free to flap about on the line.
• Looks cool and doesn't need to be covered in anything.
• Can be stuffed ahead of time to be convenient for Husbands/partners/baby sitters etc.

Disadvantages

• PUL can deteriorate over time, so because they are washed often, they may not last as long (as a fitted).
• Some people might find it annoying to have to stuff the pockets each time, and to unstuff them to wash them.
• Buying the pocket nappies and boosters can be more expensive than fitteds and covers (as you buy only a few covers), but that depends on what boosters you buy.

Advantages

• As simple to use as a disposable - so very baby sitter/Husband friendly
• No need for stuffing or covers, its used as is.

• INCREDIBLY slow drying.  The waterproof being sewn in helps stop the moisture evaporating off, so this hinders it drying.  We only had one of these and it often took 2 days to line dry and would smell musty if trying to dry it inside on a clothes airier because it took so long to dry.
• Can be Expensive.