Simple Cloth Diapering: A Review of BumGenius! Cloth Diapers

I always said I would NEVER use cloth diapers. The whole idea was just icky to me, to put it mildly. I could not stomach the idea of swishing diapers in the toilet, messing with folds and pins, etc. So when we were expecting our first child, and my husband suggested cloth diapering to save money, I told him I really wasn't interested. My thoughts began to change, though, when a friend introduced me to "all-in-one" cloth diapers. I started doing some research online, and discovered that cloth diapers have come a long way since my mom diapered us with flats, pins, and plastic pants. I was particularly interested in the idea of "pocket diapers"--a 2 piece diaper with a waterproof outer layer, fleece or suedecloth inner layer, and a pocket in between for stuffing an absorbent insert, often made of microfiber or hemp. Over my first couple years of parenting, though I used disposables for the most part, I also bought a few kinds of pocket diapers to try out, and was fairly impressed. Then, after my second child, Julia, was born in April 2006, I started hearing a lot of good reviews of a new brand of pocket diapers, known as bumGenius!.

Back in November, when Julia was about seven months old, we decided to invest in a pretty large stash of bumGenius! cloth diapers. These one-size pocket diapers, made by Cotton Babies (www.cottonbabies.com), are so nice, and we have been very happy with them. Because they adjust with a set of snaps, they can be used on babies from 8 to 35 pounds. To use the diaper, you simply stuff the insert into the pocket, making sure the outer snaps are adusted to the size you need, then fasten the diaper on your baby just like a disposable. It's so easy that even my husband doesn't mind using them.

I bought these diapers from Cotton Babies, which is also the company that designed them. I had heard raves about their customer service, and I wasn't disappointed! I ordered these on a Weds. night (I think) and they were shipped the very next day. They arrived in less than a week. Because I ordered over $74.95 worth of diapers, the shipping was free. I did pay a little extra for insurance, just to make sure that I could get reimbursed if they happened to get lost or damaged in the mail. Cotton Babies has recently come out with the bumGenius! 2.0, which is (from what I understand) basically the same design, just improved a bit. They are now made with a PUL outer layer rather than nylon, and they have a new color called Blossom. The ones I got are the original version (1.0), which were on sale for $14.95/each. Yes, I know that sounds expensive. But when you consider how much two to three years of disposables costs, even buying the cheapest brand, this will work out to be cheaper, and I like the fact that we're not going to be pouring as much money into something to be thrown away. We will still use some disposables, probably for church and sometimes being out and about, but I'm looking forward to not having to buy very many!

I also got mine with a fleece lining, which was one of the options available with the 1.0. Apparently the new bG 2.0 will eventually be made with a fleece lining, but not at this time. They are currently made with a suedecloth lining. I personally prefer fleece; I have some other suedecloth lined diapers, but Julia seems to be a little sensitive to the suedecloth. The fleece is a bit thicker, so possibly the suedecloth version is a trimmer fit--but even with the fleece, they are the trimmest cloth diaper I've tried. They are still a lot thicker than a disposable, of course, but most clothes fit over them just fine. I had heard some complaints about the outer layer being made of nylon, but I have to say that I really like it. Even though it's more slippery-feeling than PUL, it's nice because clothing slides over it that much easier. However, the 2.0s are being made with PUL, so that must be what most people prefer. I'm glad I was able to get some of the nylon ones, though. With a stash of 20, I should hopefully be all set for a while! :)

The bG 1.0 can only be washed in warm water, not hot. This is one of the downsides to the original version, as many people prefer to use hot water for washing diapers. The new 2.0s can be washed in hot water, though, because they are made with PUL rather than nylon. Also, the 1.0s can't be dried in the dryer, but the new 2.0s can be tumble dried on medium. As you can see, they've definitely made some improvements with the 2.0! The microfiber inserts can be washed in hot water and tumble dried, as well.

The cost of each bumGenius! 2.0 diaper (including an insert) is $17.95, and the diapers come in 5 colors: white, blossom, butternut, grasshopper, and twilight. I have read on their forum that they are hoping to expand to more color offerings soon. Shipping is free with an order of $74.95 or more--it's pretty easy to make that large of an order if you want a good stash of diapers! Best of all, Cotton Babies offers a 14 day money-back guarantee on one diaper. That way you can try it out for 2 weeks before deciding for sure if you want to invest in a bunch of diapers. While bGs are not the most economical cloth diapering option, they are (in my opinion) one of the nicest and easiest options, and as I said before, still a savings over disposables. It also gives me a good feeling to know that I'm not contributing as much diaper trash to the landfills.

If any of you are interested in finding out more about bumGenius! or other kinds of cloth diapers, I highly recommend checking out the Cotton Babies website. They sell a lot of great products and have a lot of helpful info. on the site, as well. There is also a forum with a lot of helpful questions and answers. I really like my bumGenius! diapers and I hope to spread the word about them to more mamas who may not know how easy cloth diapering has become nowadays!