In my Types Of Cloth Diapers article I briefly discussed the different types of diapers, including flats, prefolds, fitteds, all-in-ones (AIOs) and pocket diapers. Today I’m going to give more detail on pocket diapers.
What Are Pocket Cloth Diapers
Pocket diapers, sometimes called the pocket with insert system, are what the name implies. You have a waterproof cover with a pocket sewn in where you can put an insert for more absorbency. They are most like AIOs, except that the absorbent layer is not sewn in. This means you can simply change the insert and replace it with a fresh one, rather than having to throw the hole pocket diaper in the wash after several pees. Convenient? Yes.
Materials
The outer cover is most often made with a synthetic material, such as nylon or polyester. The downside is that the inside–the pocket–is also made of synthetic materials. While the synthetic wicks wetness away and into the insert, the problem is that material is more susceptible to detergent build-up that affects absorbency and waterproofing. Detergent build-up can also lead to retention of odors. That’s why we don’t use detergent. We use Charlies Soap for all of our laundry, and we’re quite happy about that.
Another issue with the synthetic pocket is that you will have synthetic, not natural, fibers touching your baby’s sensitive skin. One solution we have found is to not use the pocket. We use it more like a prefold and cover; we just lay the fleece insert in the pocket diaper, and snap it up as usual. It actually makes it easier to change. If it’s wet, we don’t have to reach in the pocket to pull out a soggy insert. the downside of this is that the wicking action of the pocket gets lost. But since we are practicing elimination communication, our daughter’s diaper isn’t on much longer than one pee. Also, we put the insert in the pocket for our night time diaper system.
Benefits of Pocket Diapers:
- Easy to use.
- Not as costly as AIOs, though more expensive than prefolds and fitteds. but like prefold and fitted cloth diaper systems, the trick is to buy about 6 covers/pockets and then buy 12-24 inserts, depending on your needs.
- Micro-fleece lining wicks moisture away, so there’s less wetness on your baby’s skin, and thus less diaper rash.
- You can use pocket diapers without an insert as a reusable swim diaper.
- Adjustable sizing, especially with the BumGenius One Size and the Happy Heiny’s One Size Diaper. have used both of these and like them a lot. We are using them currently for our 9 month old, although we’re thinking of trying some waterproof underwear, again because we are practicing EC.
Downsides:
- synthetic materials are not as good for your baby, and have issues with detergent build-up.
- Because the fleece wicks moisture away, it may be hard to tell when you have a soiled diaper.
- The Polyurethane Laminate (PUL) on the outer cover of some types of pocket diapers may not hold up as well over time.
- More expensive than prefold and fitted diapers.
There you have it. You can find a ton of diapers of all types at Diaper Junction. You can find lots of reviews at the Diaper Pin.
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