Rarpz One Size Pocket Nappy Review

Emma from Rarpz Designs was very kind to send me two of her gorgeous nappies and a pack of cotton reusable wipes.  One nappy from their Characters range with snuggly yellow minkee and a very cool "Prince Charming" cotton print panel across the back  and wings.  It also has a light blue inner which is a nice change from white.  The other nappy has smooth fluoro orange PUL - beautifully bright for happy and colourful nappy changes!
One of the best features of these nappies, in my mind, is that they are hand sewn, so you know you are getting quality workmanship, attention to detail and supporting a Mum and her family :)

Features:

Waterproof outer with different fabric and print options
Cuddly microfleece inner

OSFM with 3 snap up size settings (3.5 - 17+kg)

Option of Snaps or Velcro closure

Elasticised back pocket
Insert Stopper

Large square bamboo trifold soaker included
Reinforced tabs for durability

First Impressions:
Upon first inspection, these nappies are beautifully made with high quality materials. I love that there are so many different colour and fabric options, as well as the choice of velcro or snaps. They have an elasticised back pocket to keep the insert in place as well as an "insert stopper": a 2nd row of stitching at the front to keep the insert just below the top of the nappy to avoid leakage on tummy sleepers - ingenious!
The cotton wipes are un-dyed natural cotton with rainbow coloured edging.  They're not too thick, smooth on one side and terry on the other - perfect for sticky messes!

Size/Fit:

These Rarpz nappies are a good length and should fit to a good age.  Cross over snaps mean they will also fit a small bub (down to 3kg).  I was able to easily get a good fit on both my 7 month old and chubby 2 1/2 year old.  They are a trim fit nappy, which is great under all types of clothes.  I love that they come in either snaps or velcro - the velcro is great for getting a snug fit on a wriggly newborn, which snaps are perfect for older children with clever fingers who would prefer to run wild and nappy-free ;)

Absorbency:

The trifold soaker included with the nappy is generously sized and made up of 2 layers of  thirsty bamboo.  I didn't need to boost it for either of my girls, even my heavy wetting ChaCha which was a great bonus for me! 

Washing/Drying Time:
The nappies come apart easily for washing and the shells, like all pockets dry very quickly - the cotton and minkee taking just a little longer than the smooth PUL.  The bamboo boosters also dried quite quickly for a bamboo fabric an arvo in the sun or a day on the clothes horse inside.

Summary:
I've loved using these nappies and wipes on my girls.  They've been very reliable and super cute to boot!  I would definitely recommend them!

Baby Beehinds Magicall All in One Cloth Nappy Review

About time for another nappy review, I think :) And next in line according to the votes is the Baby Beehinds All In One.  First up, I've got to say that these are one of my go to nappies when we go out and I want something cute and reliable. They're easy, trim, and I know that apart from the worst poo-plosions I don't have to worry about leaks.
Ok, so into the review.

Purple: small on 5mth old ~ Red: medium on 2yr old

Features:
PUL outer in smooth or minkee

Inner and pocket - excuse the bad lighting - it's not that stained! ;)

Micro suede inner
2 layers of microfibre sewn in with a pocket behind
 Bamboo booster included
Leg gussets
Velcro or snap closure
Sized S, M, L

First impressions: 
Great quality, as all Baby Beehinds products are.  Good thick PUL, strong elastic, soft minkee.  Gotta love 'em!  You don't see many nappies with leg gussets like these ones.  The leg elastic is in a little from the edge of the leg hole fabric creating a flared effect, like a flower around bub's leg.  That may sound a little strange, but it's saved my girls' clothes from escaping poop numerous times! ;)

Size/ Fit:
The best thing about sized nappies is the trim fit and lack of tummy bulk and these are no exception.  They're not the trimmest nappy around, but for the sake of reliability, I'll take the extra height and leg gussets any day!  The overlapping snaps allow for good tummy adjustment on a newborn, but I did find that the leg holes on the small took a little growing into, but that does also mean that my chubby 2 year old still squeezes into her mediums :) 

Absorbency:
The 4 layers of microfibre sewn into the nappy were enough for Cha Cha for the first couple of months, but now that she's almost 6 months she needs the included bamboo booster in her smalls.  She wets through almost anything, though, so I'm getting the feeling she might be a heavy wetter.  Lou Lou, on the other hand still only needs the included booster in her mediums even though she's now 2.  The mediums have a larger section of microfibre and a larger booster pad, but I'm wondering if Cha Cha might need more than that.


Washing/ Drying:
I love that there are only 2 pieces to wash and dry.  I turn mine inside out so that the sewn in microfibre gets a good wash and sees some sun, and hang them sideways or in the middle to save the leg elastic.  Because there are 4 layers sewn in they do take a little longer to dry, but not much longer than a bamboo trifold.

 Summary:
These really are one of my favourite nappies.  I got mine second hand and they're still going strong and wearing really well.  Most of mine are minkee with snaps, but I do sometimes wish they were velcro when bub's wriggling round on the table :)

Peapods One Size (OSFM) Pocket Cloth Nappy Review

Peapods OSFM (One-Size-Fits-Most) Pocket / AI2 (All-In-Two)

Features:
PUL outer, stay-dry microfleece inner.
Bamboo tri-fold insert topped with microfleece for use as a snap in (All-In-Two) booster
Unique slide on leg elastic for size adjustment with 4 marked sizes.
2 rows of snaps for separate leg and waist adjustment.
Comes in a range of colours, and one print (swirl).
Very reasonably priced!

First Impressions:
At first glance this nappy looks identical to the original Sized Peapods Pocket Nappy, but once you open it up, you see that it's different.  I love the idea of the adjustable leg elastic - it takes away the bulk from the front of the nappy - and along with being able to use it as a pocket or AI2 makes this one of the most customisable nappies I've come across.  I'm just wondering if the slide will move in the wash - I don't want to have to re-adjust it every time.
UPDATE: The slides stay put just fine :)

Design:
So let me explain the design in more detail.  It starts out as a normal pocket nappy with a trifold bamboo booster.  There is an opening in both the front and back to make for easy insertion (pic 1).  The bamboo booster is topped with microfleece (just the top 1/3 when folded) and equipped with snaps so it can also be snapped into place at the front of the nappy for use as an AI2 (pic 3).  When not used as an AI2, a layer of microfleece covers the snaps, so they don't irritate bub (pic 2).
Right near the snaps there is also a slide on the leg elastic which can be pulled up or down to tighten or loosen the leg elastic and at the same time the rise of the nappy.  XS,S,M, L are marked on the elastic so you can easily make both sides the same (pic 4). 

Size/ Fit: 
With 4 size settings, and separate leg and waist adjustment, you should be able to get this nappy to fit most bubs.  I reckon on an older/taller child it might become a little hipster though - it doesn't seem as long in the rise as some of my others.
It fits my 18mth old very nicely on Medium so she's got a bit of growing room yet. She's a little chubby, but there's still plenty of room.


Absorbency:
The tri-fold absorber is 2 thick layers of bamboo - lovely and soft but holds a lot of wee :)

Washing/ Drying Time:
Easy to pull apart and wash.  The covers dry in no time at all and the boosters take a full day in the sun (not that we get a full day of sun that often here :))  I guess that's the bonus about AI2 and pocket systems - you can buy extra boosters and re-use the covers while the others are drying.

Other Comments:
I'm looking forward to seeing how this fits on my newborn - only 6 weeks to go! - I reckon it'll be one of the earlier fitting One-Size nappies.  The quality of material seems good, although I think I personally prefer micro-suede to microfleece as an inner layer - my micro-suede nappies don't seem to have stained as easily, but that might be coincidence :)

UPDATE: I had this nappy on Cha Cha at 5wks and 4kgs. It fit her nicely on the XS setting both around her legs & tummy. The trifold bamboo insert seemed like overkill at that stage, a Peapods night booster would probably have been enough, but the nappy still wasn't too bulky for an OSFM. There was a bit of excess material at the front, but it didn't affect how well it worked. It was nice to be able to make the legs fit exactly right and still be able to snap the tummy to fit right too.

Summary: 
 I really like this nappy so far!   I love how customisable it is and it's very practical for Tassie weather.  The price is also very reasonable! I'd definitely recommend it!

From the big smoke in Sydney to ... the Apple Valley in Tassie!

From the big smoke in Sydney to ... 

the Apple Valley in Tassie!

Let me introduce myself... I'm Beck, the excited new owner of Bumpy Buns Cloth Nappies.

It's only been a few months since I bought the business off Sharon, whom many of you know and love, but it feels like a lot longer than that!  But where did it all start for me?

Well I guess I've always been  a bit of a "greenie" at heart.  I love our big world - gardens, bush and beaches - and when I'm out there admiring the beauty, I think about how important it is to keep it clean, pure and beautiful for our little ones as they grow up.  I love going back to basics, making things from scratch and finding simpler and cheaper ways of doing things.  So when I was pregnant with our first daughter, and browsing the endless things to buy in the baby shops, I came across Eenee and Cushie Tushies cloth nappies and quickly realised it would be kinder on the environment and easier on our pockets so I started to look into it more. 

Well, I'm sure you know where that leads... Confusion!  There are so many styles, brands, materials, systems, abbreviations... so after about 3 months with my head stuck in Google, I felt like I'd finally got the basics down and had worked out what to do:  I was going to buy a few different brands second hand to try out and then I'd decide which ones suited us best.

So back off to Google and onto Used Nappies and the MCN Facebook pages, and 30 nappies later... as you know it's a bit addictive!

Then once our little one came along, I went to work testing out all the nappies I'd bought, and was soon in the depths of wee, poop, and pockets of PUL.  As the months went on, my love of MCN kept growing, and I was looking once again through Used Nappies when I spotted the Business For Sale section and Sharon's ad.  My first response was "Cool... but I couldn't do that."  But when I mentioned it to my hubby, he said I should look into it. 

And here we are... 6 months, a couple of flights to Sydney and a car trip with a boot (and every other free space) absolutely packed full of nappies later, Bumpy Buns moved to Tassie :)

The Beginnings of Bumpy Buns...

The Beginnings of Bumpy Buns ...

 Cloth Nappies in Australia.

My name is Sharon and I am in the depths of cloth nappies where ever I look. Managing 4 cloth nappy websites, doing cloth nappy parties as well as answering cloth nappy emails and telephone calls with advice and ideas.


How did it all begin? Well let me tell you........



I had one child who was completely in disposable nappies. Something inside me told me that it wasn't right but at that point in time it was all I could manage and besides, every body else was using them!


When I had my second baby I started out putting her in disposables too. But then I began to go through a real 'green' time when she was about 8months old. I was trying to reduce my waste amongst other things in my lifestyle. I kept carrying this bag of disposable nappies out to the bin each day and I knew there must be a better way. I decided to give cloth a try. I already had some terry squares and a few pilchers that a few good natured people had given to me. I put them on my baby and after she did her first poo, I think my words were,


"You have GOT to be joking!"


I lasted only a few days with traditional terry squares and that idea was done with.


Shortly afterwards I was wandering through Target when I saw some Eenee flushable disposable nappy pads and some Eenee pants to put them in. I was amazed that I hadn't heard of them before. I bought them and I was sold. I took them to my playgroup and held them up at 'messages time' to show everyone else what I had found.


Target was a bit inconvenient to me, I wanted to buy them from Woolworths or Coles or something. I was sure one supermarket must have them. I called Kuver Designs (the makers of Eenees) and asked them where I could get their pads.


"Do you live near Atarmon?" they said.

"No" I said.


Apparently Target were no longer stocking them and Atarmon was my next closest supplier (about half an hour away). So much for a supermarket having them!


It was then that I decided I would stock their products so that other people in the area would be able to get them too. I suddenly became aware of the cloth nappy world that was in existence.


I continued to use Eenees (both disposable and cloth) and then I registered my business Bumpy Buns when my 3rd child was born. I started with a bag of used Fluffies nappies on her that I picked up at a garage sale for $20. I then continued to try lots of nappy products, finally deciding on a product range for Bumpy Buns of those I thought were the best and I believed that the company was in a secure position to continually supply them. I opened an ebay store and a website.

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Bumpy-Buns

http://www.bumpybuns.com.au/







And I began doing nappy parties in Sydney.


However, of all the nappy systems I tried, nothing suited me completely. From previously knowing nothing at all I had now become quite the coniseur of cloth nappies. I wanted something that I could put on both of my girls (newborn and 2 year old), that could support cloth pads most of the time but could also support Weenees Flushable Pads when I needed disposables. I wanted them to look cute and be easy to use. With these ideas and the help of my sister-in-law, AllStar Wraps were born.

These were perfect for me (and my sister-in-law). We were SO happy with them we thought that other people might be happy with them too. And so far it seems that they are! I wanted them to have a seperate identity to Bumpy Buns and so I created a website for them alone.


http://www.allstarwraps.com/

Here's my newborn when she was a bit older wearing her AllStar Wrap.


That's 3 websites now. You'd think I'd be done. But not yet!


Ebay stopped allowing the selling of used nappies. Yet I had started my third child on used nappies and was grateful for that opportunity. I now had customers contacting me asking where they might be able to sell the cloth nappies they had bought from me earlier as their children were now toilet trained. I started searching for them but I couldn't find anything totally suitable. So I decided that this was another way I could help out and support the cloth nappy world!


So, just recently Used Nappies .com.au was created. A free service for the selling and giving away of cloth nappies and cloth nappying related products.





The response to this new site has been overwhelming. It seems that there really was a hole that needed to be filled and this site has helped to fill it.




And this is where we are up to now. I just received an email to list another nappy on Used Nappies .com.au while I've been writing this blog. I've just taken a couple of orders from my Bumpy Buns website just prior to writing this blog and I've been creating listings on Ebay today.
And even earlier today I was sewing some AllStar Wraps for stock.



I love cloth nappies. I feel good about myself when I put them on my children and see how comfortable and good they look. I feel great about the money I'm saving. And I feel like I'm contributing to a healtheir world. Not only that, but I'm helping other parents to have these same positive feelings in their life. I've never known anyone to love their disposable nappies, but I never run out of people who have a passion for their cloth nappies.





And now my new business venture is Earthy Girls - Cloth Menstrual Pads!