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All Prefolds Are NOT Created Equal

2013/07 By Lauren B. Stevens 23 Comments

I would like to thank everyone for stopping by for my Preference for Prefolds Party – I hope that you continue to visit!  I would like to thank all of our sponsors.  
Today’s post is a sponsored post by Thanks Mama, your one-stop shop for all cloth diapering and natural parenting needs.

Prefold cloth diaper comparison/review.


I was inspired to write this post because there are barely any diaper comparisons out there…involving only prefolds.  I see people write comparing new ‘models’ to old, name brand v. china cheapie knockoff, but I’ve never come across any prefold comparisons.  I’ll be honest and say that I am typically a minimalist with diapering (at the end of the day, diapers are really just pee and poop catchers), and really thought that all prefolds were pretty much the same.  I’m happy to say that I’ve been proved wrong.

Thanks Mama was kind enough to send me a selection of 5 different prefolds to try, all of which are available to order here.  All of these prefolds styles/brands (I’ve used a different OsoCozy prefold…and liked it) were new to me, so it was a fun experience!  I should add that I do have experience using several other prefold brands, including Bummis, Econobum, Green Mountain, and Geffen Baby.

This is an absolutely unscientific comparison.  I will be rating prefolds based upon the following criteria:

  • the diaper’s ability to absorb and distribute moisture
  • the material (soft, stiff, stretchy, breathability, etc.)
  • fit

I’m going to start with my least favorite prefold of those that I tested: The OsoCozy Stay Dry Better Fit:


I disliked this diaper before I even had the chance to try it out.  After prepping, washing, and drying, the OsoCozy Stay Dry Better Fit pilled…and left pills all over a brand new fleece cover I had thrown in with my prefold wash.  Not a happy camper, especially since the pills were white and the fleece cover primarily brown.  If you look at the center photo above, you can see the pilling that occurred after washing.  While I’m sure that this prefold would perform better when trifolded, I have to give this one an ‘F’:

  • Absorbency?  What absorbency?  This is one of the few diapers I have that gets completely soaked when D wears it.
  • The redeeming factor for this diaper would be the microfleece lining, meant to wick moisture away from baby’s skin, except it pilled so badly in the wash.  The outer layer of the diaper is bleached & scratchy cotton.
  • Because this is designed for folding into thirds and laying in a cover (which I don’t do, as I like my little guy’s diapers to fit snugly and contain messes) pinning this prefold really doesn’t work.  The diaper is way too short to be a good fit when pinned and just doesn’t have the absorbency.

This diaper is good for stuffing pocket diapers or used trifolded into a cover.

I also received an OsoCozy Better Fit Unbleached Prefold to try.  Much like the Stay Dry Better Fit, this diaper is meant to be trifolded and placed into a cover like a pad.  This diaper gets a slightly higher grade than the Stay Dry, as it doesn’t have a fleece lining that pills.  This diaper, however, is not good for pinning, as it fits just like the Stay Dry above, and doesn’t have great absorbency (when not trifolded).  This diaper is good for stuffing pocket diapers or used trifolded into a cover.

Now on to some diapers I really like.  I’m thinking it’s no coincidence that these are all hemp prefolds…

I have to start with a disclaimer with the Hemp Babies BiggerWeeds, this is yet another prefold that is designed to be trifolded and placed into a cover or stuffed into a pocket diaper.  However, as the above photo shows, it works perfectly fine pinned as well.

  • Despite being designed to be trifolded for use, it’s no surprise that this hemp diaper is pretty absorbent.  I really like the absorbency and distribution of moisture, and find it interesting that it performs as well as my unbleached organic cotton prefolds with tons of layers.  That, my friends, is the beauty of hemp.
  • The Hemp Babies prefold is nice and soft, as you can see from the photo — would you believe that this is line-dried?  My only complaint?  The material is really stretchy, which is not so great for pinning (but it’s not meant to be pinned).  And, the material is a little thinner than my other hemp prefolds, but again, this diaper is meant to be folded into thirds, not used as one layer.
  • This prefold is a lot wider than the others, likely because it’s to be folded down.  However, the elasticity of the fabric makes is incredibly easy to shape on baby; in the above photo, I’ve tucked excess material into the legs at the upper thighs.

If you like to lay your prefolds into your covers, or use prefolds to stuff your pocket diapers, Hemp Babies prefolds are the perfect choice for you.  This prefold will provide a ton of absorbency, with all of the awesome antibacterial properties of hemp.  (I want to try flats with my next kiddo, and am totally eyeing the Hemp Babies Flat Weeds)

Okay, so my favorite diaper of the bunch is a total toss-up.  The two remaining are amazing hemp diapers, each with it’s own merits!

You’ll laugh when I say this, but the BabyKicks Hemparoo Fleece Prefolds are so soft that you want to cuddle with them!

  • This is an unbelievably absorbent diaper, so much so, that I almost feel guilty only using this for daytime.  If we were able to cloth diaper overnight (my little guy’s urine is too concentrated & his skin is too sensitive to go overnight) this would be one of my go-to diapers.
  • As I said, this is an incredibly soft diaper.  Made from 55% hemp/ 45% cotton fleece, you could repurpose this diaper into a stuffed toy.  Not that you would particularly want to do that, but I’m just saying….  I think that Declan would deem this diaper the most comfortable of the lot, as far as softness goes.  I do, however, think that he gets a little hotter in this diaper than in his jersey hemp.  Again, I’ve not taken actual temps, it just my impression that the jersey breathes a bit more.
  • Because the material has a bit more movement to it than cotton, the fit is better.  Declan is actually at the smallest end of this size (you can tell by how it comes down on his hips/upper thighs), but I’ve used a bikini twist fold to fit him nicely.

Looking for a super soft and absobent prefold, then the BabyKicks Hemparoo Fleece is the right fit for you.  Don’t forget, this diaper is great for nighttime diapering.

And last, but certainly not least, I present the Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold:

I have to say that I am a huge fan of jersey hemp, which is why the Thirsties Duo Hemp may just have a slight edge over the BabyKicks Hemparoo Fleece diaper.  I recently tried my first jersey hemp prefold when I reviewed Geffen Baby, and absolutely fell in love.

  • This is a super ‘thirsty’ diaper!  Again, I feel guilty only using this for daytime use, as this diaper is hardly wet after 2-3 hours on.  The fabric distributes moisture superbly and is an excellent choice for a nighttime diaper.
  • Thirsties Duo Hemp has an ingenious edge, in that it is sewn with an opening between it’s two 2 ply hemp jersey knit layers (see center photo above).  This allows this prefold to dry a lot faster.  This diaper has an excellent stretch to it, so it forms to D’s body and moves with him (versus cotton prefolds, which have no ‘give’ to them).  Another thing that gives this diaper a slight edge over the others?  Breathability.  The Duo Hemp is comprised of 4 layers of jersey knit hemp, and breathes a bit better than some of the other diapers I’ve tried.
  • This is a very trim diaper.  The 4 layers of stretchy fabric form easily to D’s body, and provide an amazing amount of absorbency without a lot of bulkiness.

What are your thoughts?  What prefolds are your favorites and why?

Thanks again, to Thanks Mama for making this post possible.  You can connect with Thanks Mama on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter to find out the newest in natural baby products, and be the first to find out about specials.

*This post contains affiliate links.



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Filed Under: Cloth Diapering, Prefolds Tagged With: baby weeds, babykicks, bummis, cloth diapering, cloth diapers, econobums, geffen baby, hemparoo, osocozy, prefold diapers, prefold reviews, thirsties duo hemp

Comments

  1. Misfit Momma aka Missy says

    2014/05 at 11:31 am

    As absorbant as it is, I admit I hated hemp for diapers. Always felt so stiff and uncomfortable when wet. My favorites were GMDs used with with fleece liners. I bought them used so got a size that’s no longer available and it fit just right on my hard-to-fit daughter. I love how prefolds can be inexpensive and ugly as ever but once you put on a cute cover no one needs to know! 🙂
    Misfit Momma aka Missy recently posted…Sharing My Story for Rare Disease DayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Lauren Stevens says

      2014/05 at 2:27 am

      I never figured out how to use a fleece liner with a prefold – do you trifold yours? While I love buying used cloth diapers, your example is a great one – one of my favorite diapers is one you can’t buy in the US! (the Pop-In by Close Parent)

      Reply
  2. Tonya says

    2014/05 at 2:36 pm

    I used to hate prefolds. But then somehow someone talked me into trying the green mountain diaper prefolds. There truly is no other prefold I prefer over these. I refuse to use any other prefolds. And now much to my surprise I can say I’m a prefold mama. I liked the thirsties hemp ones ok but not for using with a snappi or boingo so green mountain diapers are the ones I keep.

    Reply
    • Lauren Stevens says

      2014/05 at 2:24 am

      It is difficult to use a Snappi with the jersey hemp prefolds (but they’re SO soft!). You know, I have never tried GMD prefolds, as many times as they were recommended to me!

      Reply
  3. Suzanne Michele says

    2014/05 at 2:46 pm

    How does the Thirsties compare to Econobum? We’ve only used Econobum and we pin like you do, but DS is quickly outgrowing his Econobum dipes and while we could trifold, I may get a few prefolds for night to get us through until he’s night potty trained (the only time we use dipes anymore is at night).

    Reply
    • Lauren Stevens says

      2014/05 at 2:22 am

      While I loved our Econobums because the size fit for the longest time on my son, Thirties Duo Hemp has a little bit of a stretch and would likely accommodate a larger baby and provide more absorbtion over time.

      Reply
  4. Laura A says

    2014/05 at 11:11 pm

    Very helpful post. I love how absorbent prefolds are, but now my boy is mobile diaper changes are extra wiggly I have trouble getting a good fit and pinning a full size prefold so I’m suck only trifolding when using prefolds. Sigh*

    Reply
    • Laura A says

      2014/05 at 11:12 pm

      “Stuck” oops
      Laura A recently posted…Apartment Green Living: Hand Washing Cloth DiapersMy Profile

      Reply
      • Lauren Stevens says

        2014/05 at 2:20 am

        lol! We transitioned to AIOs and AI2s when my son was around a year old because of the all-out wrestling matches — I just couldn’t get him to stay still enough to go through the two-part process of diapering with prefolds!

        Reply
  5. Petra Sartor says

    2014/11 at 6:43 am

    I had not given prefolds much thought when it came to buying diapers for a first grandchild due early next year, but this post is really making me rethink adding these to the stash! Great review. Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  6. Denise Beeman says

    2014/11 at 8:13 am

    This was an incredibly helpful post! We are looking to use mostly AI2 with prefolds, yet it is hard to know the quality vs price of prefolds. I was looking at purchasing Osocozy bamboo because their price point is so good. When are guy is little I would love to be able to pin them. I am starting to lean towards some more of the hemp options. We live in Africa – which equals hot and sweaty most of the year so I thought bamboo might be a good option to keep dry. I would love more reviews of prefolds/inserts

    Reply
    • Lauren Stevens says

      2014/11 at 6:45 am

      I would definitely consider adding some wool covers to your cloth diaper stash, especially if you’re in a hot climate. Lanolized wool covers will provide leak protection (and even serve to wick away moisture) AND are the most breathable cover you can use with cloth diapers. I only use wool covers in the summer with my son. Good luck!

      Reply
  7. Joann says

    2014/11 at 11:09 am

    Thanks for all the great information about prefold diapers.There are so many choices to chose from. I think I have a better understanding of the diferences now.

    Reply
  8. Jen Valure says

    2014/12 at 3:53 pm

    Thank you for this review! So far I don’t have any hemp prefolds, just cotton ones. I admit I was hoping you had reviewed some cheapies for me. 🙂 Still, now I know not to buy Osocozy!

    Reply
    • Lauren Stevens says

      2014/12 at 4:07 pm

      Thanks for taking the time to read! I wouldn’t say to stay away from OsoCozy, just stay away from the better fit prefolds if you’re planning on pinning your prefolds. If you’re planning on trifolding, they would work for an average wetter, but I wouldn’t recommend them for a heavy wetter.

      Reply
  9. Sheryl Lynn says

    2015/04 at 4:42 pm

    Green mountain prefolds (or fitteds) wrk great and aren’t super expensive either.

    Reply
    • Lauren Stevens says

      2015/04 at 10:38 am

      I never had the opportunity to use them, as I had so many other brands. My favorites are Bummis and Econobum for low cost organic cotton, and then Thirsties & Geffen for jersey hemp.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Beware of the Dark Side of Blogging | the ginger ninja says:
    2014/11 at 10:46 am

    […] and share them to your readers. An example can be found from Lauren’s blog when she claimed that not all prefolds are equal and ran a test on each to prove her […]

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  2. 5 Reasons to Use All-in-Two (AI2) Cloth Diapering Systems - lo-wren says:
    2014/11 at 2:22 am

    […] twenty months in the making, has been varied and taken many turns.  We’ve used flats and prefolds, pockets and fitteds, hybrid fitteds, all-in-ones (AIOs) and all-in-twos (AI2s).  Pocket diapers […]

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  3. D.I.Y. Fleece Liners...for 97 Cents? - lo-wren says:
    2015/01 at 8:51 am

    […]  As of right now, I have 10 AIOs, 2 hybrid fitteds, and 2 fitteds, in addition to my bajillion beloved prefolds.  I will clarify, I still stand behind prefolds, but some days I just need to go without a […]

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  4. Budget Cloth Diapering: 7 Places to Buy Used - lo-wren says:
    2015/01 at 8:54 am

    […] want to spend a lot of money on pee and poop catchers either, so I focused on purchasing prefolds and covers to build the bulk of our stash.  Because the cost of prefolds is minimal, I purchased all of our […]

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  5. 5 Ways to Repurpose Cloth Diapers says:
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    […] I first started cloth diapering, a friend gifted me a few of her used diaper covers and a couple of prefolds.  I had purchased a stash of pocket diapers and wasn’t even considering prefolds as an […]

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  6. Best Cloth Diapers for Boys says:
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Lauren B. Stevens is a former publishing rep-turned-writer, whose work can be found on ChildVantage, The Huffington Post, Scary Mommy and Care.com, among many other websites. When she's not chasing her precocious preschooler, Lauren pens hilarious and heartwarming stories about her life as a mother, ghostwrites blogs for businesses, and sometimes even finds the time to write a bit of creative non-fiction.
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