GroVia All-in-Two Review & Giveaway courtesy of Bippy Diapers (CLOSED 1/25)

Bippy Diapers sells cloth diapers, accessories and Moby Wraps, and they sent me a GroVia AI2 in blackberry to review.  I've been curious about GroVia (love GroVia wipes) but haven't had a chance to try one until now.
 


GroVia diapers come in snap or aplix closures.  The aplix closure diapers have tuck under laundry tabs.  I did find them a little tough because the loop to tuck under is made of the same soft, but grabby material as the front of the diaper, so they wanted to grab on!
 

The GroVia pack I received (includes a shell and insert) is being discontinued.  In the future you will have to buy the shell and insert separately, but Bippy Diapers still has the sets in stock while they last!  Bippy Diapers sells the sets for $20.95, or shells alone for $16.95.

The GroVia shell is waterproof and the organic cotton soaker is backed with TPU as well.  The soaker also has its own elastic, for an additional defense against blowouts.  If the shell is clean, you can re-use it by snapping in a new soaker.  If it's damp, let it air dry between uses.  If it's soiled or very wet, you will of course need to wash it!
 

The GroVia is one-size via a snap down rise, and is estimated to fit babies from 8-35 pounds. 

You don't have to worry about a Velcro strip rubbing baby's belly because there isn't one!  The whole upper front of the diaper is soft fabric that the tabs will stick to.



 I think the blackberry is a nice purple; not too girly for a boy!
 
Here's the diaper on the small setting, folded and stretched:
 

Medium:

Large:

The medium setting fit well on my 21ish pound little guy.  Yes, I realize I have it closed crooked.  Diapering this child is like trying to diaper an angry donkey sometimes!  I actually really like Velcro closure diapers for this reason, I'm much faster with them than with snaps!  Despite the uneven closure, I didn't have any trouble with the fit or leaks!




Bippy Diapers sells other AI2s, plus AIOs, Pockets, Covers and accessories.  Items new to the store include Bumgenius brights, GroVia prints and Moby Wraps.  They offer free shipping on regular orders over $50, and flat $5 shipping on discounted orders, or orders under $50.

Giveaway: Bippy Diapers is offering one of my readers a GroVia set in their choice of boy, girl or gender neutral color (Bippy Diapers chooses the color.)  ARV $20.95.


Here's how to enter: All entries go in the form below.  I love your comments (leaving a comment is a good way to remind yourself you entered), but comments don't count as entries!  Mandatory entries include name, email address and what else you'd like to try from Bippy Diapers .  You can receive a bonus entry if you "like" Bippy Diapers on Facebook.

I will accept entries until Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 at 9:00 P.M. Eastern. I will select a winner using random.org's true random number generator and notify him/her by email. Winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen. View my giveaway rules page for complete details. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.
 
# of entries received as of January 25th at 8:55 P.M.: 300



FTC compliance: Bippy Diapers sent the above product at no cost, for review purposes.  I was not otherwise compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.

Mailbox Mondays 12/27/10 Is there a Diaper English to Regular English Dictionary?

 

It's Mailbox Monday again!  If you have a question you'd like answered in a Mailbox Mondays post, email it to maria at change-diapers.com with "Mailbox Mondays" in the subject!

Madeline says:

 Hey Maria,

Thanks so much for your ultra-informative blog! I have so many questions for you! First, I have a question about AI2s. I sorta just don't get it, maybe because I have a newborn. Is the idea that I could replace the insert like I do when I use a prefold and cover? For example, I have a Bum Essentials AI2 and the cover is lined on the inside with fleece, which gets wet or poopy every time I use it. How could I snap in a new insert and reuse it if the inside is fabric instead of waterproof?

Second, isn't a Flip diaper just like a fancy prefold and cover system? Where the prefold is replaced by the Stay Dry insert? I loved my prefolds and covers, but thought I'd replace them with Flips as my little guy gets older, since my husband is sorta intimidated by the prefolds. ;)

Third, isn't every pocket diaper basically an All in Two? I could lay a non-microfiber insert inside my BG 4.0's instead of stuffing one in the pocket, right?

When I read your posts about making cloth diapers more mainstream, I think that this is one of the problems. There are just too many options and not a ton of consistency for what diapers are called, so people get really overwhelmed. Plus, hardly any diapers come with instructions or suggested uses (like "this diaper is great if you want to be able to customize how much absorbancy you want by adding or removing inserts for day and night"). I won a Sweet Pea AI3 in a giveaway and I was freaked out when I saw how many pieces it had and I have no idea how to use it!

Thanks!

Madeline

Well first of all, flattery will get you everywhere with me, hee hee.  I'm so glad you find my blog useful!

I learned very quickly that diaper lingo is an entirely different language.  You can't apply normal English definitions.  Before I'd actually started cloth diapering, I said that I wanted an "all in one" diaper like the Bumgenius 3.0, meaning that I didn't want a separate cover.  I was corrected that it was not an all in one, but a pocket diaper, and the confusion just grows from there!  I tend to talk in circles with the diaper lingo subject, so hopefully this isn't too hard to follow!

In my noodle, I think of an all-in two as a diaper with an outer shell, and an insert that doesn't go inside a pocket (like Doodle Dypes).  I tend to think of one with a wipe-able inner, marketed as being reusable with a fresh insert (disposable or cloth) as a "hybrid."  (Like Flip, the Best Bottom Diapering System, GroVia and others.)

However, I've seen all-in twos referred to as all-in-ones (like the Goodmama One), all-in-threes (if the soaker snaps into two pieces like PLUMP) and who knows what else.  The lines are also being blurred as more companies come out with pocket/AI2 bybrids like the Softbums Omni and the AMP Duo Diaper.

The hybrid/AI2/covers designed to be used with inserts (like Flip) do tend to be trimmer than covers cut to fit over bulkier fitteds.  In my mind, these systems have a few advantages over prefolds and covers.  They are quite trim, and there are "stay dry" options where microfleece touches the baby.  This caused some confusion for my husband with the Softbums, since you have to fold the insert as you put it on, but make sure the microfleece (not microfiber) touches baby.  My son ended up really red after having microfiber directly against his skin.  Still, I think this would be far easier for him to handle than a prefold!

The pocket/AI2 diapers in general are a little trickier to me than the ones that are PUL only. Simply because they would become more easily soiled or wet, having a fabric inner.  I do notice that AI2s marketed as reusable with fresh inserts, but having fabric inners, tend to have wider inserts, that cover more area. 

I had someone tell me that I was wrong to call a diaper with a snap in insert an AI2, that the only true AI2s are the type with the wipeable PUL inner.  This just came from another Mom, not a diaper expert or manufacturer, so I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion!

I don't see why you couldn't use any pocket diaper as an AI2, but you'd have to be careful to choose an insert that fits well in the diaper, covering most of the fabric inner, but not so wide as to interfere with the leg elastic.  You'd also have to make sure microfiber didn't touch the baby of course!

My husband has trouble with the term "fitted."  I guess he thinks of fitted hats and thinks they are diapers that are sized S, M, L.  Even the term "one size" is confusing, since it really means "one size fits all/most."

All of this gets even more confusing for a newbie when you then learn that Fitted diapers can have sewn in soakers, lay in, snap in, or pocket soakers!

Diaper terminology is quite confusing.  I think it's at least partly because of the way cloth has evolved.  If there were only flats, prefolds, contours and fitteds, the name "fitted" would make sense.  None are waterproof, but this one is "fitted" to baby.  Once you add diapers that look the same, but have a water resistant layer, it makes far less sense.

You're right that the companies don't always spell out to you why you should choose that particular diaper over another.  I also think the stock photos are often lacking (hence my surprise that the Goodmama "One" was an AI2, not an AIO!)  Of course, I think the solution is reading reviews, especially mine, which always have lots of photos!  :-D

So how about you gals?  Do you use AI2s?  How do you like them?  Do you find that you're able to reuse covers throughout the day?  Were you confused about cloth terminology when you started cloth diapering?

The future of Cloth, Part III of ? Types and sizing

This is part 3 of my ramblings on the future of cloth.  See Part 1 and Part 2 if you missed them!

As modern cloth evolves, I expect to see more "hybrid" diapers like the Amp Duo Diaper and the Softbums Omni.  Diapers that allow you to use them as a pocket diaper, all-in-two, or a cover with prefolds.  So you don't necessarily have to choose and invest in just one type.  We've already seen a pretty big boom with the hybrid/all-in two styles with wipe-able shells like the Best Bottom Diapering System, the Flip and others.

I also hope/expect to see even more insert options, more natural fibers, trim inserts, perhaps combined with a soft, wicking fabric on top, like microfleece.  I think if there were even more disposable/flushable/compostable inserts available, it would help people test the waters with cloth, and realize that washing the inserts really isn't a big leap!

One-size diapers have gained enormous popularity in the past few years.  When I researched cloth in 2004 for my daughter, I don't recall seeing any pocket diapers with the "snap down" rise one-size feature that is so common today.  Bumgenius was founded in late 2005, but I don't know who was the first to do this style.  I believe the "one size" fold down rise that's common on fitted diapers today, was introduced by Mother-Ease.

While they are great, in the future I see more companies considering a two-size system like the Thirsties Duo Diaper.  I didn't start cloth diapering my son until he was about 14 pounds at 4 months old, so I don't have experience cloth diapering a newborn.  Many "one size" diapers claim to fit starting at 6 or 8 pounds, but I hear many say they didn't fit well until about 10 pounds, and I don't at all doubt that is truth.  This means that most people will need to purchase newborn/extra-small diapers, unless they plan to use disposables in the beginning.

On the other end of the spectrum, Moms with larger babies or late potty trainers (learners) say the "one-size" diapers didn't fit through potty training.  Not only that, but you can't necessarily expect a diaper that's been in constant use for 2 1/2-3 years, to last through another child.

The two size diapers seem to be the perfect compromise between sized and one-size diapers.  No need to buy newborn, one-size and extra-large, or newborn, small, medium etc.  Two sizes truly cover the range from newborn to potty training.  it seems like such an ingenious idea to me, I'm surprised more companies haven't caught on.  I am still hoping that Bumgenius will come out with a mini-one size pocket diaper!

I think I'm going to stop here since I'm trying not to make these posts tl;dr worthy (too long, didn't read!)  I have more on my mind about the future of cloth, so stay tuned!

Flip Hook & Loop Closure Diaper Cover and Organic Insert - Photo Review and Giveaway (CLOSED 11/27)

In April, I reviewed a Flip cover with stay-dry insert.  I'm less a'skeered of snaps now than I was then, but I was still happy to learn that Flip Diapers was coming out with a hook and loop (a.k.a. Velcro or Aplix) closure diaper cover!  Right now, they are only available for purchase separately for $13.95, but Cottonbabies plans to sell them packaged with inserts, and in day packs in the future.  Lucky for one of you, I also bought an organic insert ($7.95 retail) to send along to the winner too!
 
The other Flip I bought came with a cardboard "wrapper" so I hadn't planned on taking photos of the hook & loop Flip, since I didn't want to give away an opened item!  I was a little surprised to find that both the diaper cover and the insert came without tags, wrappings or packaging, so I've done a little photo review.  The winner will receive the butternut color cover and organic insert pictured in this review however, we do not have pets (unless you count the kids) and the items were only on my laundry room counter, which is very clean, and my hands were clean as well!
 

Some of us were wondering whether the hook & loop would be the "old" Bumgenius 3.0 style, or the "new" Bumgenius 4.0 style.  Fortunately, it is the new style!
 

 
The "new" style laundry tab velcro is actually grippy, instead of just the fuzzy fabric of the 3.0s.  If you haven't had the pleasure of trying the 4.0s, the laundry tabs will touch baby's skin, but they are very soft, and haven't caused my son any irritation.
 


The hook & loop cover has the same, easily wipeable PUL inner as the snap closure Flip.  My snap flip has the same white fabric, but only over the closure snaps, not the rise snaps.  I assume it's to keep the PUL from leaking where it was punctured to attach them.

Here it is on the small setting, folded and stretched:
 


Medium setting folded and stretched:



Large setting folded and stretched:



The organic inserts are made from 100% Oeko-Tex® certified organic cotton.  Cottonbabies sells them for $7.95 each; $6.65 each if you buy 3 or more.  Buying a cover with an organic insert adds just $6 to the cost of the cover alone.

I was surprised by how soft this is!  Granted, it is new and hadn't been washed but wow, it is baby blanket soft!  Since this hasn't been washed/dried/prepped, you can definitely expect it to shrink a bit.  You simply fold the insert along the long or short side to fit inside the insert.
 
Here it is measured along the short side:
 

 
Measured along the long side:
 

 
In the cover on the small setting:
 

In the cover on the large setting:

As you can see, the hook & loop and flip covers are very much the same.  Of course, mine was purchased 7 months ago, so small changes wouldn't surprise me anyway!  One difference is that the Hook & Loop cover stinks!  I noticed a very strong, plastic-y/chemical smell that gave me a headache, as soon as I opened the mailer it came in.  I have never noticed this with any other diapers I've purchased.  My guess is that others begin with the same smell, but they've sat in warehouses and been shipped back and forth enough to air out before I get them!  Hopefully it will do the same before I ship it to the winner!



Here's a side by side of the small organic insert (remember, it hasn't been washed/dried so it will shrink!) compared to the small stay dry insert, and the same for the large.



Hooray for hook and loop!  Now when it Cottonbabies going to come out with newborn versions of their pocket diapers and flip covers?  Hmm?

Giveaway: One winner will receive the Butternut (sorry, boring, but I wanted it to be gender neutral!) Hook & Loop Closure Flip Cover (ARV $13.95) and Organic Insert (ARV $7.95) pictured.  Combined value $21.90 if my brain is working.


Here's how to enter: All entries go in the form below.  Mandatory entries include Your name and email address.  I always email winners, and I do try to look for them before giving up on them!  However, if you want to be sure it's you when I announce the winner, please use a middle or last initial, or nickname, so you'll know it's you.  I do announce names just as you enter them!  I'm offering a single bonus entry for following this blog.  You may choose GFC, RSS feed or email.  If you prefer, you can elect to "like" me on facebook or follow me on twitter instead.  Whatever will bring you back!  :-)


I will accept entries until Saturday, November 27th, 2010 at 9:00 P.M. Eastern.  I will select a winner using random.org's true random number generator and notify him/her by email. Winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen. View my giveaway rules page for complete details. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.


I'd love for you to leave a comment (also a great way to just remind yourself that you entered) but comments don't count as giveaway entries.  I will update the post daily with the # of entries received!

# of entries received as of November 27th at Giveaway close: 241



Please note: This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, approved by or affiliated with Cottonbabies, Flip or any cloth diaper retailer.

FTC compliance: I paid normal retail prices for all items pictured.  I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.

The future of Cloth, Part I of ? Cloth and Disposables

When I asked for Mailbox Mondays submissions back in August, Hannah gave me the following idea for a post:

I think this would make an interesting blog post:

What do you think or hope cloth diapering will be like in the future (5-10 years)?

-Hannah  

Interesting indeed, but as long winded as I am, even when I am trying to keep it short, I could never fit it all in one post.  I had thought about writing a post about what my "dream" diaper would be, but I think this is even better.
 
As I thought about this, it got me thinking...why haven't disposable diaper companies gotten in on the action, instead of attacking cloth diaper users?  I don't know if anyone followed the Pampers Dry Max debacle, but there were a lot of fingers pointed at the cloth diapering community, saying that we were making it up/instigating it to further our "agenda."
 
With designer disposables actually selling at their crazy prices, people clearly want a cute diaper.  GroVia and gDiapers both make disposable inerts/soakers for their covers, so why aren't the big names in disposables getting in on the act?
 
Now, if they did, I would expect it to be a marketing scheme; I wouldn't expect inserts they manufactured to be compostable or flushable.  But really, why not?  They could sell their own covers, or even just make a durable disposable cover that could be reused several times.  They could make a thin soaker, maybe even work on making it compostable/flushable.
 
All of my thoughts on the future of cloth diapering are pretty intertwined, but maybe the baby step of getting disposable diaperers used to the concept would be a step in the right direction?
 
On a totally different tangent, I think another huge leap in the right direction would be getting the free disposables out of hospitals.  I know that even the biggest cloth diaper companies don't have infinitely deep pockets, but what if we "practiced" diapering babies with cloth diapers in the classes at hospitals?  What if every hospital used prefolds and covers on newborns instead of disposables? 
 
I know that will happen at about the same time they start refusing the formula freebies but hey, even a choice would be huge!  In fact, if I had the money (or the sponsorship) I would LOVE to take some diapers over to my local hospitals, and offer a quick Q&A on cloth during all of the new parent classes!

Favorite things "mini stash" giveaway - 3 diapers CLOSED

I've said before how I wish I were wealthy, so I could send each of my readers a package with one of each of my favorite diapers.  Unfortunately for all of you (and me too), I'm not.  I have however, gotten lots of great stuff because of this blog, and I just earned my first little bit of money.  None of that would be possible without you.

So, I decided to pay it forward and offer one blog reader a "mini stash" of three of my favorite diapers.  Here's the deal: This is just three of the diapers I like a lot.  I have other favorites too.  I don't want my other diapers to be sad that these three were getting special attention! 

You'll notice they are all snap closure diapers.  That may seem strange since you probably know that I prefer aplix/Velcro for ease of use and adjustability. Unfortunately, I don't have a single Velcro diaper that hasn't given me some kind of trouble, usually from the aplix itself.  It either immediately won't stick to the laundry tabs, sticks too much and is difficult to remove, or is good initially but poops out over time.  Also, my son has discovered the Velcro, so now as soon as I close a diaper, I hear "rrriiiipppppp."  Hee hee.

Here's how it's going to work: Follow the "rules" at the bottom of the post as usual to get your entries.  I've taken photos of my own diapers for this post, but the winner will choose their own.  I buy them and have them shipped to you.  The winner will give me a first and second color choice for each item!

As of now, I'm planning to buy from Diaper Junction, but I reserve the right to change my place of purchase based on availability, price, or my whim.  :-)  Diaper Junction is one of a few online stores I like to buy from; they're usually the second place I look, if my first choice is out of stock or doesn't sell the item I'm looking for.  They have a good selection and are usually well stocked.  You have to spend $75 to get free shipping, but their shipping rates are very reasonable.  You don't have to pay $5 or $10 flat rate shipping charges for one item. 

The winner will get one Kissaluvs Marvels AIO, one Flip Diaper with stay dry insert, and one Smartipants diaper (insert included).

My Kissaluvs diaper was one I was blessed to receive as a review diaper.  Click that link to read my full review.  I haven't quite been using my diaper for two months, but it quickly became a favorite.

It's an all in one diaper, but the insert is only sewn at one end.  When I wash it, it turns completely inside out for thorough washing and faster drying.  I haven't had any stink issues, but the design would make it easy to remove the insert if you had to, and use it as a pocket diaper, or replace the insert.

The Marvels AIO is one size by way of a snap down rise (my favorite) has the microfleece inner I prefer and has an easy snap setup.  It fits wonderfully and doesn't leak.  It's one of a few that I would grab if we were going out or if my son was getting ready to nap.  It's a little pricier than some others, but definitely not the most expensive.

I bought my Flip when the Bumgenius spend $10 get a free AIO coupon was out.  Again, you can click that link to read my full review. 

The flip is a hybrid or an all-in-two, depending on who you talk to.  You can get stay dry, organic, or disposable inserts for it.  Pairing the flip with inserts (changing the cover only when soiled, wiping between uses) or prefolds can be a very affordable way to get started in cloth.

Again, it has a snap down rise to make it one size, and an easy snap closure.  I only have the one insert, so after I've used it, I use the cover with my fitteds.  It's trimmer than a true cover would be, but it still works fine.  It fits great, doesn't leak and again, it's one I reach for if my son may be in it for a while.

I've been using my Smartipants diaper for over six months now.  Initially, I wasn't that impressed.  It's not that I didn't like it, I just thought that it wasn't that great.  It didn't seem like anything special, and it was only $3 cheaper than the Bumgenius 3.0, but didn't include a doubler.

The Smartipants is the perfect example of why I give things a good use, trying not to make a judgment based on initial impressions.  I also think it's smart to try different things, rather than put all your "eggs" in one basket.  You never really know what you will like, or how your feelings will change over time!

The common theme here of course is that it's one size via a snap down rise, has a simple snap layout, fits well and seems to be leak proof.  In fact, I keep this diaper upstairs, and if it's clean, it's the first one I put on my son in the morning.

I just took this photo, so this is what it looks like after 6 months of nearly daily use!  What's unique about this diaper is that the insert goes under more of a patch of fabric than a pocket.  It has openings at the front and back, and the insert agitates out in the wash.  With my other pocket diapers, I pull the inserts out before I put them in my wet bag, so I can just dump it in the washer on wash day (don't want to touch them again, ick!)  This one, I can put directly in the wet bag.

So, there you have it.  A few of the diapers I reach for first, just don't tell the others they're my "favorites!"

Here's how to enter to win one of each, in your choice of color (subject to availability, I reserve the right to make substitutions):

Do any or all of the below.  Leave a comment for each entry.  Be sure to leave your email address in at least one of your comments, if it isn't visible in your profile.  This giveaway may seem swayed toward my followers since I'm offering some extra entries for using my button, adding me to your blogroll etc.  That's because it is.  I want everyone to enter (hence the easy peasy entry as always) but hey, I want to encourage people to keep coming back and give my loyal readers a good chance to win!

1. Leave me a comment.  Anything you'd like to say.  What's your favorite diaper?  What's the first cloth diaper you used?  Have your likes changed over time?  What would you like to see me review or give away?  Do you like how I run my giveaways?  Any other entry options you'd like to see?  Are there too many? You don't have to answer all that, just some ideas of what to talk to me about!

2. Follow my blog.  Your choice of Google friend connect, RSS feed or email.

3. Like me on Facebook.

4. Follow me on Twitter.

5. Tweet about this giveaway and include a link.  One tweet per day please.  I go back and forth on whether to allow tweeting more often, but I don't want people to associate my "name" with annoying giveaway tweets, nor do I want to make it too confusing!  You may use this tweet if you like: kissaluvs, flip and smartipants #clothdiaper #giveaway from @chgdiapers. Build your stash! Ends 7/8 http://bit.ly/aC6UYz

6. Blog about this giveaway and link back here.

7. Grab my button and tell me where to find it.  (Put it in a highly visible area somewhere on the main page of your blog for this entry.  Sidebar etc.  If it's on a harder to find page, you qualify for the blog roll entry only.)

8. List me on your blog roll, leave me a link to it.

I will accept entries until Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 9 P.M., Eastern.  I'll select a winner with random.org's true random number generator and notify the winner by email.  The winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen.

Please note that this giveaway is not approved by, endorsed by or affiliated with the above diaper companies, or any diaper retailer.

Quick reminders to please send me a message if you'd like to be listed on my blogroll or if you have a link that should be included on my link page, or if you know of an affiliate program you think I may like to add to the bottom of that link page.  Also if you have any questions or have suggestions for reviews or giveaways!