Review: Glowbug Cloth Diapers

Disclosure: I did receive product in exchange for writing this review.  In no way did this influence my opinion of this product/company.  These opinions are my own and not those of the company.

You all know I love my Glow Bugs.  They are super fun, easy to use and wash and hold up against leaks.  I think we have over 30 Glow Bugs now!  At the end of June I contacted Glow Bug about using some photos/links from their website in a review of the 2012 diaper.

Of course these amazing ladies went and did one better and offered to send one us one of their new and improved diapers to review.  Ummm...heck yes!?!

What's the difference between the old and new diapers?  Why the new 360 degree gusset!!


Photo credit: glowbugclothdiapers.com

This adds extra leak protection to the diaper and it works!  Usually when I review a diaper I have to wait and wait for the ultimate test of a diaper...the poop!!  Which when you are only working with one of a particular diaper can take a while!  Not.  This.  Time.  First time I put this guy on EJ I took it off 20 minutes later.  It did the job!

Now we still used a liner in this diaper but I patted it down into the gusset and it kept the shape pretty well!  Rather than the poop sliding up the back of the diaper it got trapped down in the gusset.

These diapers also feature the same snaps as the old diapers.  Lots of waist and length sizes and the hip snaps that the 2012 diapers included.

Also new to this version was the male and female parts on the inserts so you can snap additional inserts for added absorbency.

They still have the great prints from 2012 and added 12 new unisex prints!


Photo credit: glowbugclothdiapers.com

My verdict?  5 FRICKEN STARS!

LOVED this new diaper!  The new features are awesome and the overall quality of the diaper just gets better and better!

The new unisex prints are fun and colourful AND they are still the same great price!  $150 for 12 diapers.

I'm seriously considering de-stashing some of my old bugs to trade up for these new ones!

Adventures in Mama Cloth: The Conclusion

Final warning.  I'm going to talk about periods....again.  If you don't want to read about them stop reading now!

I chose 3 North American companies to compare/review for my adventures in Mama Cloth: Lunapads. Tree Hugger Cloth Pads and Talulah Bean.  These are just 3 companies - there are lots more! 

I ordered each pad in the companies version of a "regular" size. 

Each of these companies does great things with the sale of each pad which is why I chose them.  You can read up on them by clicking on the links!

The approximate start up cost is based on 5 pad changes for 6 days assuming you wash every two days.

Please ignore the lousy photos in this post.  I'm tired and my computer is tired and photo editing just wasn't happening tonight!

3 products with their wings in "on" mode.  This is what they will look like in your underwear.  They are all similar in length.  They are all the same width.  The Lunapad has a traditional "pad" shape.  The Talulah Bean has a square shape but really conforms as required.  The Tree Hugger holds a square shape.

 

The Talulah Bean offers the largest amount of coverage in the "wing" area.

 

Each pad folds up nicely for discreet storage.

 

 

Lunapad

Cost: $16.99 (1 pad, 1 liner)

Approximate start up cost: $78 for Starter Kit

4.5 stars



My first impressions of the Lunapad weren't as optimistic as my other choices.  The pad is made from regular cotton (organic cotton is an option) and my others were minky.  I was also concerned about being able to feel the strap to hold in the liner. 

 

I was wrong.  I shouldn't have judged.

 

The Lunapad was my favorite.  I couldn't even feel it.  It was like wearing a disposable pad but without the crinkly noise when you move the wrong way!

 

I also love that each shell can be worn for a few hours and you simply change the liner (like an AI2 CD) as long as it doesn't oversaturate.  The shell must be worn with a liner.

 

The material in the Lunapad was very absorbent and I felt like it did the best job at wicking away moisture.

 

There were lots of fun prints, sizes and two fabric choices.

 

Negatives: Wasn't minky...but I think that worked to their advantage!

This one wrinkles if it isn't finished in the dryer.  It still functions though which is good as I prefer to hang dry cloth.

I wasn't a huge fan of any of the starter kits that the company has on their website.  I would have preferred and option to have just pads and extra liners.

 

Tree Hugger Cloth Pads

Cost: $24/2 pads ($12 each)

Approximate start up cost: $198 for start set OR based on 6 pads per day/laundry every other day (total 12 pads) approx. $144

Review: 3.5 stars

My first thoughts?  Awwww minky.  Then I realized. I can feel the minky.  I can feel this pad.  Yup, I'm wearing a pad.

 

It didn't get better.  Comfortable?  Yes.  But I could still tell I was wearing it.

 

At least it was super soft and fun....until it was time to change pads and I was really regretting purchasing a partially white pad.  Although I am happy to report that they did come out stain free.

 

I didn't feel like this pad was overly absorbent.  It seemed like everything just...sat...at the top. 

 

I did like the square shape because it offered a bit more coverage at the sides.

 

There are lots of fun prints/colours as well as a few fabric options.  They also offer coordinating wetbags for travel.

 

 

Talulah Bean

Cost: $11 USD

Approximate start up cost: $130 based on 6 pads per day washed every 2 days (12 pads total)

Review: 4 stars

Minky, minky, minky!!

 

This was without a doubt the softest, nicest material that has ever graced my...you know ;).

 

You can tell by looking at and feeling this product that the company uses higher quality materials.  Even after a couple washes it still feels like new.

 

I found the more I washed this one the more absorbent it got.

 

This pad was so comfortable and soft and yet I could barely tell I was wearing it.

 

There are 3 fabric choices on the website, lots of size options.  They also make wetbags.  Unique to Talulah Bean is the "chilly bean".  It is a post partum ice pack that you just plunk on top of your pad for soothing relief.  Totally could have used that post partum!

 

I'm only knocking it down .5 star from being tied at first because the cost is a bit higher since it is in US dollars and being shipped from the states.  Otherwise I adore this one!

 

 

Congrats if you are still reading this!

 

My final thoughts?  Embracing Mama Cloth wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be.  I actually got the same pleasure as I do from my CD addiction.  And this one can be enjoyed long after the babe and any more to come are out of diapers...oh joy...oh bliss.

 

I will be stocking up on a few more pads from these companies and may even try the Luna Cup or Lunette!

 

Until next time...no more period talk for a while ;)

 

 

 

Tushie Talk Tuesday: Diaper Review Series week 1

I decided to kick of the Diaper Review Series with my favorite diaper (I promise after this week I will not be going in order of favorites).

This week we will be reviewing:

Tots Bots Easy Fit

Made in Glasgow, Scotland

AIO

http://www.totsbots.com/



Emmett loves this diaper so much he is drooling over it!

 

 

When we were starting our stash my initial draw to this brand was the fun storybook character prints!  We currently have 4 Tots Bots in our stash.  I wish we had more!

 

Things I love:

 

The fit - these diapers fit Emmett better than any other diaper.  It has an extra long Velcro piece to ensure a great fit.  We have never had a leak in these guys.  Emmett also has super chunky thighs and these fit them very well.

 

They are trim!  Usually I'm stuffing his fluff butt into a pair of pants.  Not with these!

 

The prints - so cute.  We have their versions of Chicken Little, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk and Superhero.

 

Rocking his Lickin Chicken diaper!

 

 

AIO - All in One

 

MINKY - I love minky!!  Emmett's bum loves minky!  Who doesn't love minky?

 

Things I don't love so much:

 

The insert doesn't get a great "stuff" after washing and because it's an AIO it is harder to adjust the liner for a perfect fit. 

 

The price is a bit steep at around $25 a diaper but honestly they are worth every penny.

 

Tots Bots get 5 stars from us!

 

Product Review: Rockin' Green - Funk Rock

Disclaimer:  I did receive free product in exchange for this review.  This did not have any influence on my review.  These opinions are my own.

I have been using Rockin' Green Laundry Detergent since we started using CD.  I spent a lot of time looking into detergent because A) we have very hard water and B) I was terrified of messing up my washing routine!  I had read so many horror stories of people ruining their entire stash because of the wrong detergent.

I have had ZERO problems so I figure why mess with perfection?

The Rockin' Green love doesn't stop there for us.  We also use Shake It Up! in our wet bags.  I LOVE this stuff.  As I've posted previously we leave our wet bags open, hanging on Emmett's dresser.  I have had no problems with smells.

I was so excited when the awesome folks over at Rockin' Green sent me a bag of Funk Rock Ammonia Bouncer to try out!  What is Funk Rock (Information is the content of rockingreensoap.com)?

Product Description

Do you have the funk? Stinkies? Ammonia problems? Diapers that make your eyes water? Have you considered a kryptonite lined diaper pail to contain the smell of your dirty diapers?
Did fluffy or fido have an accident on your bunny slippers? Dealing with the dreaded toddler pee?

You need funk rock! This 100% natural compound is unlike anything you have tried before. It targets funk at the source and leaves no prisoners. Just 4 tablespoons is enough to de-funk up to 20 diapers in one sitting. A little to your pre-wash to keep the stinkies from coming back. That’s right, this 16 ounce bag will keep the diaper funk away for over two months!

Phosphate Free – Enzyme Free – SLS Free

Conveniently (well sort of) Emmett ended up with a wicked diaper rash last week and we needed super strength cream that I just don't trust on my CD so we switched to disposables for a few days while it cleared up.  I accidentally forgot about the bag of stinkers....for FIVE days.  Ahhhh CRAP!!  Literally!

It was time to put Funk Rock to the test! 

I followed the directions on the package.  Put 4 tablespoons into warm or hot water and add your diapers.  You are lucky smell-o-vision does not exist.  My eyes were watering the ammonia on these guys was so bad.  I knew well enough to take a big breath and just dump those dipes into the wash.  I could smell the barnyard from 4 feet away!

Filling up the washing machine

I let it soak for 60 minutes and then washed as usual.

Stinkers ready to go!

My final verdict?  A God send!  You would never know that these diapers were the same ones I threw into the washing machine!  I also threw in 3 diapers that were waiting to be stripped because the build up and barnyard smell on them was so bad.  They also smell brand new!

I did the ultimate sniff test on the biggest offenders of the bunch...I know who they were because there are still some stains on them - nothing a little sun bleaching won't take care of!   Watermelon fresh (not from the Funk Rock, we use the watermelon scented RG detergent). 

Funk Rock receives hands down 5 Stars from this family.  We may never have to strip our diapers again!  Thanks Rockin Green!

Product Review: Sling Sisters Wetbags - Not just for the CDing family!

Disclaimer: I did not receive free product in exchange for this review nor was I asked to write this review.  These opinions are my own.

When I was purchasing my initial stash of CD and gear I hadn't done much research into the wetbags that we would be using to store dirty diapers.  Why?  Everything that I had read suggested that Planet Wise were the way to go. 

Done.  The store we were buying the starter stash from sold them.  Perfect.

Well.  We got there and checked out the large wet bags from Planet Wise.  Most of the prints were girly, very girly - think flowers.  Nope, these were not going to match Emmett's room at all.  So I grabbed one that was the least offensive to my liking and figured I'd buy more later.

Then I glanced over to the next row of bags and saw monkeys, owls, swirls and loops.  Fun prints and colours, lots of options for boys too!

I grabbed an owl printed bag.  I was hesitant because I hadn't heard about this company before.  I asked one of the girls working and she told me that they just started carrying them and they hadn't had much feedback yet. I loved that it was a Canadian company that made it and I loved the print so I figured we would take our chances.

So glad that we did!

My Sling Sisters wetbags are the BEST!  No, seriously they are!

Almost all of our Sling Sisters

 

What I love about these bags?

 

Firstly, they are Canadian made.  Yay!

 

Second - I LOVE the designs and colours.  They help make CD even more fun! 

 

Lastly - the functionality.  Obviously the most important feature. 

 

The extra large bags are huge and hold 3-4 days of cloth diapers (from their website and my personal experience).  I love the straps on the top with the snaps.  Most other bags don't have this snap.  They make it simple to attach anywhere you want to store you dirty diapers.

 

You could even take these bags camping, to the beach, on overnight trips etc. 

 

 

 



Regular sized wetbags (we own 3!).  These are great for on the go!  When we CD outside of the house we take one along to store the dirty dipes.  We just snap it onto the diaper bag.  I think I've stuffed about 7 CD into this guy.  If we are using disposables for whatever reason while we are out I still bring along a rolled up regular bag.  Just in case I need to store clothes that have been spit up on, had a diaper blow out etc.  I also take along a regular sized bag to swimming lessons to keep mine and Emmett's bathing suits away from oh I don't know...say my cellphone!

One of our regular sized is also their double duty bag.  It has a stay dry zippered pouch to keep the wets and the dry stay dry. 

Double duty bag and small/large snack bags

A couple of weeks ago I participated in a fun, online auction the Sling Sisters held on their Facebook page where they offered slightly imperfect, yet still functional items at a discount.  Auction style.  I was determined to get a double duty bag.  In the end I did not.  I did end up with 2 reusable sandwich bags which I am super excited for but I should have been smart like my friend Megan, she bought her stuff earlier in the day on their website to ensure she got what she wanted.  The auction offered bigger lots of items for ultimate discounts so I opted to try my luck.  It was 2 hours of FUN.

Since I bought our first Sling Sisters bag I have heard much more talk of this great Canadian company.  Their product is great and at a better price than their competitor.  They also offer more than just wetbags.  Be sure to check out their website!

I give their wet bags 5 stars!

Next on my list...I need to get my hands on some of their ninja prints!

Tushie Talk Tuesdays: LilHelpers Cloth Diapers Review

Disclaimer:  I did not receive free product or compensation from the company for this review.  I was not asked to write a review  These opinions are my own and were in no way influenced by the company.

A few weeks ago I discovered Lil Helper cloth diapers...purely by fluke!  You can read all about my decisions to try out these diapers here. 

Here is a quick recap on WHY I decided to purchase, invest, had to have these diapers:

1. 2 words - charcoal bamboo
2. Funky, hip, adorable prints

Moustache and Unicycle, Glasses & Bicycles and Chevron patterns....how could I resist?!

 

3. Good, honest, philanthropist company (and funny too!)


Okay, but how did they hold up?

You know that moment when Carrie Bradshaw sees an amazing pair of shoes and exclaims....
"Hello lovers".

Yup.  That was exactly how I felt.  I have had these diapers for just over two weeks now and I LOVE them.

They are an AI2 (all in two) diaper.  What the heck does that mean?  It means that as long as the inner fabric of the shell stays dry you can just pop off the inserts and keep the same cover.  Excellent if you are out and about and need to save space in the diaper bag!

Soakers just snap onto the shell - no stuffing pockets required!

Each diaper comes with two liners.  1 small and 1 large.  You can use them together or separately as required.  Emmett is a pretty heavy wetter and we can still use the small liner (although not at nap time!). 

 

Shell without a soaker, shell with large soaker and shell with both soakers.  The white diaper is the organic bamboo.

 

 

I purchased 2 Charcoal bamboo and 1 organic bamboo diapers.  I love them both equally.  They are super soft.  I do notice that the charcoal wicks the moisture away from Emmett's skin better.  You can tell there is a lot of moisture in the soaker because of the weight.  I also find the shell on the charcoal stay dry longer.

 

These diapers get a great fit!  At 23 lbs and 31 inches Emmett is still on the smallest length snap and the 2nd (on each side) waist snap.  So we have lots of growing space in these dipes!  They also have a great lower hip snap that keeps the sides from winging (extra fabric for size adjustment moving around).

Baby Boo photo op!

 

Prep was super easy also!  I did a lot of research on prepping charcoal bamboo.  I was even prepared to write a post on it.  Guess what??  Didn't need it!  These diapers are pretty much ready to go!  Just 1 pre wash and you are ready to go. 

 

I e-mailed back and forth with Mohammed a number of times with questions I had and promptly received a super pleasant and helpful response!  I couldn't believe how fast I had these guys in my hands after purchasing!  They also included 2 bamboo stay dry liners and a lovely smelling bath bomb!  The great customer service is never ending!

 

These diapers sell for just under $25 each - but you get what you pay for!  You can also purchase just the liners which I imagine would work with any other shells you have and you still get the Lil Helper quality!

 

I give both of these diapers 5 stars.  The price isn't even enough to remove a half star here! 

 

They also carry change pads, pail liners, blankets and more!  I can't wait to try out more of their wonderful product line! 

 

Be sure to check these guys out....even if you just need a laugh or a good read!