As you know there are many different brands and styles of nappies on the market. Below is a brief description of the different styles as we see them. If you are after more information or have any comments just drop us a line using the Talk to Us facility on the right hand side of the page.

Different types of cotton nappies

The basic types of cotton, or cloth, nappies are:

‘All-in-ones’ have got a built-in waterproof wrap outer with a shaped inner made of absorbent material like cotton terry. They fasten with poppers or Velcro and you can add a liner or a booster but otherwise they are like a washable disposable.

Shaped nappies are basically shaped inners to fit around your baby, these are made from different materials and in different shapes. To go with it you need a waterproof outer called a cover or wrap which fastens over then nappy to stop your baby’s clothing getting wet.

Pocket style nappies has got a waterproof cover lined with fleece which forms a pocket where you stuff absorbent material normally cotton prefolds or terry squares. The stuffing is removed for washing.

Flat nappies like the terry nappy these are the most basic and usually need folding. There are many different types in this category including terry squares and the US equivalent, prefolds. Both of these are often used to stuff pocket nappies.

Which nappies to choose?

If you have not chosen your nappy system yet we would suggest you consider the following questions before you choose as

How are you going to dry the nappies?

You may think this a strange question, but the drying time for different systems varies considerably. If you, like us, do not dry your nappies in a tumble dryer, then this should be taken into account. Below is an idea of the ease of drying different types of nappies.

• All-in-ones has the waterproof wrap attached and takes the longest to dry.
• Shaped nappies made from layers of terry cloth are quite slow to dry.
• Shaped nappies with fleece or boosters/liners that fold out dry quicker.
• Shaped nappies with less layers also dry quicker.
• Pocket style nappies are quick to dry as the padding can be dried separately.
• Flat terry nappies are the quickest to dry.

The age of your baby?

Some nappies systems are better suited to newborn babies than others.

Newborn

For a newborn baby you might want a solution that suits your tiny baby all the way until he or she is ready for potty training.

A one-size ‘birth-to-potty’ system means that in theory one set of nappies will see you through the full period although they can be bulky on a newborn baby.

There are also a variety of sized nappies available where you buy larger nappies as your baby grows. From newborn you may require three or four sizes until your toddler is ready for potty training. This will cost more than the ‘birth-to-potty’ solution.

Older babies

If you are switching from disposable nappies you may be able to only buy one size of nappy or you can go for a ‘birth-to-potty’ system which you can use with any additional children. There is also a market for used cotton nappies.

How easy are they to use?

Some cloth nappies are easier to use than others and this may be a factor for you.

The ‘all-in-ones’ are the easiest to use as there is no folding or stuffing and they are basically as easy to use as a disposable nappy. These may be useful for when the baby is being cared for by someone else like grandparents or childminders etc.

Pocket style nappies are also easy to use as you can stuff them in the morning and then don’t have to worry about that for the rest of the day.

The different shaped nappies takes a little bit longer to put on as they have two parts, the absorbent inner and the waterproof wrap. However, you quickly get used to putting them on.

Flat nappies takes the longest as you need to fold them and close them with a nippa but again you can get used to using them quickly.

Whichever system you choose if whether you use a variety we wish you all the best and feel free to ask any questions using our Talk to Us facility.

The Tinker Togs Team