El Bee Baby cloth diaper on my 14/15 lb son

Depending on how obsessed you are about cloth diapers, you might have or might have not heard about the Canadian-made El Bee Baby cloth diaper.  It’s one of those expensive diapers that a lot of people either can’t afford or they just don’t want to pay that much for.  I wanted to make similar diapers (undyed and with simpler binding though) for my newborn, so I thought seeing this diaper in real life might help me figure out how to do it without wasting a lot of time. I was lucky enough to get one on sale and I bought it without a doubler to keep the cost down.

When I first saw the diaper, I was impressed.  It looked like no other diaper I’ve ever seen.  It was cute, the workmanship was great and it looked like the diaper took forever to make.  The unique binding looked like so much work, I almost immediately stopped wanting to make a similar diaper myself.

Pros:

• Great workmanship
• Trim
• Great fit on my son
• I found it easier to get the diaper clean where the elastic is because of the binding.  As most people who have cloth diapered for a bit know, it’s not easy to clean poop off of the elastic area of the diaper.

Cons:

• The price of the diaper is high.  However, when you think about how much work went into making the diaper, you might understand why it’s so expensive.
• Might be too trim for heavy wetters.
• I haven’t used the doubler / lay-in soaker that came with it at all because it shrunk in such a way that it wouldn’t lay flat.  I decided to use soakers/doublers that made instead.   Also, the doubler looks quite thick because of the binding, but I doubt it’s very absorbent.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10
I would have given the diaper a higher rating if it wasn’t for the cost and the weird shrinking of the lay-in soaker.

I have not been paid to write this review. The diaper was purchased by me.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Since my 8 -week-old baby is a heavy wetter already and is also very sensitive to wetness, I’ve had to use disposable diapers at night.  Sometimes, I also have to use disposables during the day whenever I want him to have a longer nap.   Normally, I use Broody Chick or Nature Babycare “eco-friendly” disposable diapers, but because they start getting a bit too expensive after a while, I decided to try Bambo Nature by Abena (please note the link points to a PDF file).

Since you know I don’t like to write huge reviews, let me get right to the point and tell you about the pros and cons :)

Pros:

• Less expensive than other “eco-friendly” disposable diapers
• Very absorbent for a newborn who’s a heavy wetter
• Chlorine free (oxygen bleaching used instead)
• Supposedly they’re suitable for babies with eczema and other skin conditions.  The diapers have definitely not caused or made my son’s eczema.
• 70-80% biodegradable materials
• 100% natural absorber (high percentage of starch used in the absorbent core)
• No perfumes or lotions used
• No major smell when diaper wet. This has always bugged me about regular disposable diapers.
• Awarded the prestigious Nordic SWAN eco award

Cons:

• Run a bit big on my baby. The Midi size (11-22 lbs) still seem a little too big on my 14-lb baby.  It’s not a big deal, but I would’ve probably bought a smaller size if I had known that.
• Not 100% biodegradable
• Not the softest outer material, but the inside is similar to that of other disposable diapers.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with this diaper.  I would love it if it was 100% biodegradable, but 70-80% is quite good when you compare it with the biodegradability of regular disposable diapers.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10

In the past, as a cloth diaper maker, I wondered what people wanted in a diaper, so that I could create that “perfect” diaper.  Today, I know there is no perfect diaper for everyone, but some do get pretty close.

In your opinion, what makes the perfect cloth diaper?

Update (2010/06/26): Since a couple of people have asked, here is what I consider to be the perfect diaper:

• Hidden snaps
• Not too few and not too many snaps
• Breathable
• Made of organic and/or OekoTex certified (natural) fabric
• Does not leave red marks on the baby
• Very absorbent, but not too bulky
• Not too wide or too narrow between the legs
• Does not create a “bubble” butt
• Does not create wing droop
• The fabric stays relatively soft
• Lasts more than a couple of years

I bought the Canadian-made Grasshopper Bamboo AIO diaper after reading some great online reviews.  Since my daughter outgrew most of her diapers, I was in real need of some trim AIOs for going out.  I didn’t have much time to design and make top-stitched AIO diapers at that time, so I decided to buy a couple online – one Rainshine Designs and one Grasshopper AIO.

When I first saw this diaper, I thought it was very small and wasn’t sure it would fit my 32-lb daughter for very long.  Once I tried it on her, I was pleasantly surprised.  The diaper fit and there’s still some room to grow.  The elastic is not encased like with most other top-stitched diapers, but it doesn’t bother me.  Actually, my daughter has no red marks on her thighs because the elastic is not encased.

Pros:

• Very trim
• High quality
• No red marks on my daughter’s thighs
• Natural fibers on the inside, so no polyester touching baby’s skin
• Sized diaper

Cons:

• Not sure this diaper can fit up to 40 lbs as mentioned on the site.  I suspect the rise will be a bit short for most 40-lb toddlers.
• Not a very absorbent diaper if you have a heavy wetter.  I think heavy wetters might need a doubler in this diaper.
• The price is quite high.  I think I paid $24.95 CAD + tax and shipping for this diaper which makes it one of the most expensive diapers I’ve ever bought.

My overall rating: 8.5/10

I have not been paid to write this review. The Grasshopper diaper was purchased by me.

Today, I wanted to tell you about a beautifully-made diaper from Rainshine Designs.  I’ve wanted to try this diaper for a while, but it usually doesn’t make sense for me to buy diapers when I can make well-fitting and cute diapers for my daughter myself.  Sometimes I get bored with my own diapers though, so I do purchase a cloth diaper made by someone else every few months.

Photo courtesy of Rainshine Designs

When I first looked at the diaper after opening the envelope, I thought it was very cute.  I then started looking at the stitching, fabric, etc. and was very impressed with the workmanship.  Megan, the creator of the Rain Shine Designs diapers, is a very talented and hardworking seamstress.  I rarely see such incredible top-stitching. [ Read more ]

I bought a Large DreamEze AIO Cloth Diaper a while ago after reading some good reviews about how absorbent and trim it was. It took me a while to find a store in Canada or in the US that had it in stock and would not charge an arm and a leg for shipping to Ontario, Canada.  Once I received the diaper, I was really excited and was hoping it would work well for us.  Unfortunately, my excitement did not last long.

[ Read more ]

Recently, I have started to make my own peanut butter.  I wanted to be able to control what is in our peanut butter since I give it to my daughter every day and it’s important for me that it be as healthy as possible.

Ingredients:
1½ cups (organic) unsalted roasted peanuts
1-2 tablespoons oil (for example, peanut oil)

Directions:
1. Pour the peanuts into the food processor and add oil.
2. Process the mixture until quite smooth.
3. Store the peanut butter in a sealed container in the fridge. It should be good for up to 2 weeks.

From Linda Byerline, CEO of Happy Heinys:

We have been very saddened to hear that due to the recent earthquakes in Haiti in the Port Au Prince area, a couple of the orphanages we have worked closely with over the last fews years have been completely devastated. Through the years we have not only sent them diapers and clothing for these babies but also toys and help with food. When we work with any orphanage in any third world nation we work closely with missionaries who actually travel to the orphanages and personally bring our donations to the babies in need. We opt to work this way because sadly we have found that when attempting to donate directly the goods do not always arrive to the proper place due to the civil unrest of many of these countries. [ Read more ]