Cloth Diapers
In our carbon footprint conscious world, it's important to set a good example. So why not start with the youngest of us all, the ones still in diapers? Cloth diapers 
are the choice of today's green people. Not only are they great for our environment, but they are a great way to save money. Instead of going to the grocery store once a week, you can just press wash on your machine. Sounds a lot easier, doesn't it? And maybe with all of the money you'll be saving, you and the spouse can finally afford to hire that babysitter you've been needing for your date night.
The Debate
- Cloth vs. Disposable
- Disposable diaper buyers usually spend $20 to $60 more a month than cloth diaper buyers.
- Although you use water to wash cloth diapers, it's much more environmentally friendly than the alternative: sitting in a dump, soiled and useless.
- With disposable diapers, it's much harder for children to notice that they're wet; however, with cloth diapers, children can feel their wetness more easily and this may quicken their eagerness to use the potty instead.
The Choices
Just like disposable diapers, there are tons of brands and types of cloth diapers to choose from. When you use cloth diapers, you'll usually need one to four different things: diaper, diaper cover, diaper fastener, diaper lining. Take a look at your options below:
| Cloth Diapers |
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AIO Diapers AIO Diapers or All-in-One Diapers, provide a streamlined and snug fit. The come in all sizes, from infant to toddler. |
AI2 Diapers AI2 Diapers or All-in-Two Diapers have the basic design concept as AIO diapers. However, AI2 diapers have a detachable inner lining that can be washed separately. |
Contour Diapers When using contour diapers, you'll need a liner and a cover for protection and diaper pins or snappis to fasten the diaper. |
Fitted Diapers Similar to the contour diapers in shape, fitted diapers have elastic around the waste and legs to insure leakage protection. |
Prefold Diapers A rectangle shape of fabric, prefold diapers are one of the most basic cloth diapers on the market. Just like the contour diapers, you'll need liners, covers, snappis, and/or diaper pins. |
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Night Diapers Obviously for night, these diapers tend to be bit a bulkier as they have more protection than regular daytime diapers. |
Pocket Diapers Pocket diapers typically come lined with a dry protection pad and, just like contour and fitted diapers, pocket diapers come with elastic in the waist and legs for a great fit and leakage protection. |
Flat Diapers Probably the oldest, most familiar cloth diaper out there. This cloth diaper style has been used for ages. Just as the name says, they are a simple piece of cotton cloth, flat and rectangular. |
WIO Diapers WIO or Wool-in-One Diapers are very similar to AI2 diapers, in that the have the same detachable inner lining. However, you cannot sew the lining in. The upside is, you only need to wash the inner lining after each use, not the outer diaper. |
| Cloth Diaper Accessories |
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Diaper Pins Diaper pins are an easy, inexpensive way to fasten your baby's diaper. They come in all sizes and colors. |
Diaper Snappis Just like pins, snappis are a great way to fasten cloth diapers. With it's tips, it holds the diaper in three different places for extra security. |
Diaper Inserts Inserts are simply the removable inner layer of the diaper. There are many different types of inserts to choose from. Some are doubled with fabric for extra protection, others are designed to dry quickly. |
Diaper Covers Diaper covers, well, cover the diaper. Typically used as added protection between the diaper and clothing, diaper covers also vary in type. |
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