Flats Challenge: Favorite Diaper Covers + A Review

For today’s prompt, we’re actually doing an open topic and I decided to make a recommendation for my favorite PUL covers. While there are other types of covers, such as fleece and wool, I’ve decided to talk about PUL (which is a waterproof material) covers because I feel these are the most accessible, easiest to launder and also the best introduction to the world of cloth diapering. Also, the great thing about using a diaper cover for cloth is that you can continue to reuse covers until they’ve been pooped on, unlike other cloth diaper systems*. They’re the most economical choice, especially if you purchase used which I highly recommend. I’ve included a photo below on the basic anatomy of a diaper cover, using a Nerdy Momma’s cover:

When I’m buying a PUL diaper cover, I’m looking for a few features.

• Flaps: Ever since my baby stopped pooping every day, I have been pad-folding my flats and just laying them in covers. These flats help keep the flat in place when I’m putting the diaper on, especially when the baby is being squirmy (which is usually the case). Additionally, I stay away from really wide flaps because they can get in the way of pee absorption. 
• Double Gussets/Double Leg Elastics: These are super important for the watery newborn poop phase. Double gussets have saved me from having to launder bed sheets and my own clothes. The purpose of the double leg elastic is so that even if there’s an explosion of poop, everything is completely contained.
• For snap diapers (optional) : I like the snaps (hip, leg, waist) I don’t always use all three but I like having the option because they help customize the fit. Additionally, a huge reason for hip snaps is so that wings don’t droop so the leg won’t loosen.

Here are my favorite covers:

Thirsties Duo Wraps: I realized cloth diapering was a thing in 2009 because my cousin used cloth diapers on her kids. Thirsties was the name of the brand of covers she used and ten years later, they were the first company I looked up when I was expecting my own.

This brand ended up being my favorite and I have a lot of Thirsties products. This is for two reasons: 1. The material of the diaper is my favorite because of how breathable it is and I like breathable products when it’s summer year-round. Some people don’t like how thin it is because their kids pee through the thin material, but when that starts happening to us I adjust what I use to absorb the pee. 2. The velcro IS THE BEST. Other velcro diapers I’ve used have ended up with bent edges or they stop sticking as well but not Thirsties velcro diapers. I have not encountered velcro that works as well and I know a lot of other moms will agree. It should be noted that Thirsties diaper covers have only hip and waist snaps.

Luludew Diapers: The two reasons I love this cover is because the material is incredibly soft and the fact that it’s convertible. The diaper features a snap in fleece liner to make it a pocket if you want to use pockets but don’t want a separate product. Having the snap-in liner is great for on-the go changes because you don’t worry about the insert falling out. After there’s been pee, I just toss the liner in the laundry and keep using the cover. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll notice that my baby wears the red diaper a lot and it’s because I really like it.

Nerdy Mommas diapers: This entire line of diapers is based on fandoms like anime, videogames, tv shows. You name it, the owner is probably working on it. The mom who owns this company is really great at communication and actually has a really good Facebook group, too. The diaper features really great prints – we have two – and thick but pliable PUL. These are one of the covers I prefer for night time because we generally don’t get any leaks with them. There’s also a snap on the inside of the diaper if you like snap-in inserts.

An now, A Quick Review of a Happy Flute Cover ($6)

The reason I’m reviewing this diaper is because I purchased it specifically for this challenge. When I started preparing my stash of diapers, I realized that all the covers I recommended are over $10 if you purchase them new. So I decided to make this even more economical, I needed to get a cheaper cover. This cover was only $6 on HappyBeeHinds.com and while some people find cheaper covers to be hit or miss on quality, I found it to work really well. The cover had 2/3 of the features that I look for at less than half the price I would usually purchase a diaper new for. It features short flaps in the front and double gussets. The only thing it’s missing is a hip snap but that isn’t a deal breaker for me.

So do I recommend it? Yes, absolutely and I’ll continue to use this one in our daily rotation. The great thing is that there are so many other diaper covers out there with lower price tags. I think if you can afford the higher price tags, great! But also, there’s nothing wrong with purchasing used. Most of my diapers were purchased used which was a huge reason I could afford them. I hope this helps! Happy Diapering!

NOTE:

*For example, all-in-one diapers or pocket diapers need to go right into the diaper laundry once it’s been peed on. PUL covers are just the outer shell so I use them for two days before putting it into the dirty pile.