What Diapers are Made Of

One of the most important aspects of a cloth diaper is the material they are made out of.  Material will determine how much it absorbs and how water proof it is. There are also some other cool properties of different materials which will make a difference in your diapering experience.  There are two general types of materials you will find:

• Synthetic Materials are man made materials. These tend to be a bit cheaper, but more prone to stinks.
• Natural Fibers come from either plants or animal materials.  These tend to be more expensive but wash cleaner with fewer smell issues.

Diaper Covers (including the outside of pockets and AIO diapers).  The material of your diaper cover will determine how waterproof your diaper is.

• PUL/TPU Covers.  These are the most popular and commonly found type of diaper cover.  They are made from a lamented polyester and tend to be a very affordable option.  They provide a great waterproof layer to prevent leaks, however they are not very breathable.  These covers are fairly easy to care for.  You machine wash them every 2-3 days and usually hang them to dry.
  

  PUL Flip Diaper Cover

• Minky Covers.These are also synthetic and made form a polyester microfiber.  They are super soft – “Mink” like, which is really fun.  Like PUL/TPU they are not very breathable and are machine washed every 2-3 days.
  

  Minky Diaper - Itti Bitti Tutto

• Cotton Covers.These actually aren’t all cotton, but rather a PUL/TPU covered in cotton, to make it soft and allow it to have a fun print. The only big difference between these and traditional PUL/TPU covers is that they are more prone to leaking and wicking, requireing more frequesnt diaper changes.
  

  Cotton Diaper Cover - Weehuggers

• Fleece Covers.These are my favorites!  I LOVE Fleece.  Here’s why.  Even though they are synthetic, made of polyester – a thicker fleece like a sweatshirt – they are more breathable than PUL/TPU covers, allowing your babies bottom to get some air circulation, which is great for sensitive skin.  Also they are the easiest material to care for.  You can wash them with just about any detergent, any buildup tends to help increase their ability to keep moisture in the diaper.  This is awesome because if you don’t use a cloth diaper safe detergent on all of your clothing you can still toss these in with your family’s laundry.  They also come in a few styles: covers, soakers or longies (night time favorite!)!  Also can either be dried on any temperature or since they don’t hold much water in the washer they hang dry very quickly.  The downside is that it is not as water proof as a PUL/TPU cover, though I have successfully use them at night.
  

  Fleece Longies - Wild Child for Babies

• Wool Covers:Wool is a really cool material!  It is a natural fiber made from sheep wool.  It is naturally anti-microbial, fire resistant, water, mildew resistant and stain resistant and it is very long lasting! All these things make them great diaper covers.  What is even better is that because of all this you only have to wash them every couple of weeks. Wool is the most breathable diaper cover material and can absorb up to 30% of its weight in liquid without feeling wet, making it a perfect choice for a diaper cover. They also come in the same fun styles as fleece: covers, soakers and longies!  Contrary to popular belief wool doesn’t have to be hot, it can be quite cool in the hot months and depending on how they weave it, it also doesn’t have to be scratchy!  So what are the downsides?  Wool is pricy and they must be hand washed (though only every couple weeks). Most parents I know who try wool, never go back!
  

  Wool Pull On Soaker

Diaper Absorbency (pocket inserts, prefolds, fitteds, AIO absorbency etc). This material is going to determine how absorbent your diaper is.

• Cotton Inserts.  Cotton is what most people think of when they think of old school prefolds.  It is the most affordable natural fiber insert.  It washes really well, is resistant to holding smells and is soft against the babies skin.  Many parents find that it is a great choice for little ones with sensitive skin. One downside is that your baby will feel wet when they pee in cotton, it is also prone to staining.  Another downside is that cotton is not a very sustainable crop and depletes the soil of many nutrients.
• Hemp Inserts.  Hemp is a fantastic diaper material which is usually found in a hemp/cotton blend (usually 55% hemp/45% cotton).  It is roughly 8x as absorbent as cotton and is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and  anti-microbial making it a fantastic choice for a diaper insert.  It also grows very quickly, doesn’t need pesticides to grow and doesn’t deplete the natural resources in the soil.  Like cotton, hemp also washes very well. Some down sides of hemp is that it is a bit rougher than cotton to the touch, babies feel wet in it and it absorbs rather slowly, which leads to some super pee-ers to have some leaks (can easily be solved by topping with another quicker absorbing material).  Hemp is a more expensive insert option, roughly 2-3 times the cost of cotton. Overall it is a great choice for nighttime diapering.
• Bamboo Inserts. Bamboo is a fantastic diaper material which is usually found in a bamboo/cotton blend (usually 80%hemp/20% cotton).  It is slightly less absorbent than hemp but shares many of its great qualities such as being anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and  anti-microbial and being very eco-friendly to grow.  It is also SUPER soft and absorbs VERY quickly.  Like cotton, hemp also washed very well.  The downsides are that bamboo, like hemp, is a more expensive insert option, roughly 2-3 times the cost of cotton and also it leaves your baby feeling wet. Great choice for night time diapering.
• Microfiber.  Microfiber is a synthetic material which is very absorbent.  So much so that it shouldn’t be left directly against a baby’s skin as it can dry it out and lead to rashes.  It is a very popular insert choice because of the absorbency and the affordable cost.  You will find it in most pocket diapers on the market.  One of the downsides of microfiber is that it is prone to holding in stinks, making it a bit more work long term, as you will need to strip (series of hot washes) more often than other insert materials.
• Minky.  Just as it can be used a cover, it can also be an absorbent insert, though it is uncommonly used in this way.  It is made from a polyester microfiber. Like the covers they are super soft, and unlike traditional microfiber it can actually touch a baby’s skin.
• Zorb/Zorb II. Zorb is in interesting man made material which is a combination of microfiber and natural fibers.  It is very absorbent, about equivalent to microfiber, though thinner. It is fairly stink resistant.  Regular Zorb can’t go next to the babies skin, though Zorb II can.

Stay Dry Layers (liners, pocket material and insert toppings).  You will find a staydry layer inside all pocket diapers, it often used as the top layer of an insert and they can also be found as a stand alone layer which is laid on top of a diaper or insert.

• Micro Fleece.  Microfleece is a synthetic material made from 100% polyester and is great at wicking moisture.  This means that it pulls moisture from next to baby’s bottom into the absorbent material below, leaving baby feeling comfortable and dry even in a wet diaper.  It also is stain resistant helping keep your diapers white.  The downside is that it is prone to pilling and looses it’s new look fairly quickly.  That said it will last a very long time.
• Suede Cloth. Suedecloth is also a synthetic material made from 100% polyester.  It is thinner than micro fleece but maintains the same great benefits – it wicks moisture away from baby and is stain resistant.  However, unlike microfleece it doesn’t pill & stays new looking longer.  These qualities make it a great choice to top other inserts with or as a pocket diaper liner.

There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to inserts.  It is all about weighing the pros and cons and figuring out what works best for you, your family and your baby!  If in doubt try a few things or let us know and we can help you find a good solution that will meet your needs.

Continue to Next Chapter. Diaper Sizing.
Previous Chapter. Styles of Cloth Diapers.

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