Different Types of Real Nappies
Terry Squares (eg. many shop own brands)
This
is what most people still think of when they think of washable nappies. A terry
square is a square of cotton fabric which has to be folded into a nappy shape.
Once upon a time they used to be then fastened with pins, but nowadays we have a
modern device which is called a Nappi Nippa. This just grips the fabric rather
than making a hole in it, so it is much safer for the baby and you! Once the
nappy is on, you then put a waterproof cover over the top.
Terry squares are still very popular as they have many advantages, but equally many people want to get away from the idea of folding nappies.
| Pros | Cons |
| The cheapest type of real nappy, so will save you the most money | Hardest to use as needs most folding |
| Quick drying as it opens out flat and can be placed straight onto a heat source - Fine without a tumble drier | |
| Very versatile as it can be folded in many different ways |
Prefold Nappies (eg. Bambino Mio, Cotton Bottoms)
(1-
liner, 2 - prefold nappy, 3 - waterproof cover)
This type of nappy requires some folding, but
less than terry squares, making it a little easier to use. Essentially it
creates a pad that is held in place inside the waterproof cover.
Although very popular, this type of nappy has a number of downsides, the main one being that the cover tends to get soiled much more frequently because the absorbent nappy pad does not work very well at containment. It shouldn't go beyond the cover, but this tends to mean you need to change the cover more often with this type of nappy, meaning you need more covers.
| Pros | Cons |
| Cheaper than shaped nappies | More expensive than terry squares |
| Less folding than terry squares | Still some folding required |
| Quite quick drying, can be placed directly onto heat source - Fine without a tumble drier | Nappy not very good on containment leading to frequent cover changes |
Birth to Potty Shaped Nappies (eg. Onelife, Motherease One-Size)
Shaped nappies are much simpler
to use. They are shaped to fit the baby so no folding required. Birth to Potty
Shaped nappies are designed to fit the baby from birth to potty, fastening in a
slightly different way depending on the size and age of the baby. The Onelife
nappy fastens simply with poppers, and a waterproof cover is then put over the
top. This makes them cheaper than a multi-sized shaped nappy in the long run. On
the downside, a birth to potty nappy can be a little big on a newborn for the
first few weeks, and there is more of a potential for a large toddler to grow
out of them.
| Pros |
Cons |
| Easier to use than terry squares or prefolds as no folding required | Separate waterproof cover to put on so may be considered harder to use than an All In One or a Pocket Nappy. |
| Cheaper than Multi-sized Shaped Nappies, Pocket Nappies or All In Ones | More expensive than terry squares or prefolds |
| Quite quick drying - Fine without a tumble drier |
Multi-Sized Shaped Nappies (eg.many brands, including Lollipop, Tots Bots)
Shaped nappies are very easy to
use. The Multi-sized shaped nappies fasten simply with Velcro, followed by a
waterproof cover over the top. Having two sizes means they work out a little
more expensive than a one-sized shaped nappy, but still save you hundreds of
pounds on the cost of disposables, plus they ensure a good fit at all times. The
different types of fabrics available mean that you can choose nappies to suit
your circumstances and needs, eg. super-quick drying or better for the
environment.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easier to use than terry squares or prefolds as no folding required | Separate waterproof cover to put on so may be considered harder to use than an All In One or a Pocket Nappy. |
| Cheaper than Pocket Nappies or All In Ones | More expensive than Terry Squares, Prefolds or Onesized Shaped Nappies |
| Choose the Lollipop Micro Polar Fleece or Softee for super quick drying - fantastic without a tumble drier | |
| Choose the Lollipop Bamboo or Organic Cotton for a better environmental choice of fabric |
Pocket Nappies (eg. Fuzzi Bunz, Bumgenius, Minki, Wonderoos, Nature Babies)
Pocket Nappies have their own waterproof layer as
part of the nappy so no need for a separate waterproof layer. Each nappy
consists of a waterproof outer and a fleece inner layer, between which there is
a pocket into which you insert the absorbent micro fibre pad which comes with
each nappy. The fleece inner layer works really well at keeping the baby dry,
and you can still use a separate paper liner with it if you wish. Traditionally,
pocket nappies worked out to be very expensive compared to the other real nappy
types, because you change the whole thing at each nappy change, and they come in
4 different sizes. This is still the case with some brands, but others such as
Bumgenius and Wonderoos nappy are birth to potty nappies, so once you have
bought your nappies they will fit from birth to potty, making this type of nappy
considerably cheaper. Pocket nappies are very easy to use, and can fasten with
Velcro or poppers.
| Pros | Cons |
| Very easy to use | Multi sized types work out expensive although still cheaper than disposables |
| One sized types works out cheaper than multisized shaped nappies | |
| Very quick drying - great if you have no drier |
All In One Nappies (eg. Kushies Ultra, Motherease AIO)
This nappy, as the name suggests, has the
waterproof outer as part of the nappy, so no need for a separate cover. On the
inside is an absorbent cotton layer. There are, unfortunately many downsides to
this type of nappy. It can work out quite expensive, is very long drying, and is
not very good on containment for newborns. For older babies, however, it is
quite good and very easy to use.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to use | Expensive |
| Not good on containment for newborns | |
| Long drying time |