I want to start out by saying that this is an unsolicited review. I purchased these diapers with my own money and am not being compensated in any way.
Are you shopping around for inexpensive pocket cloth diapers? Scouring eBay? Need reviews? Stop here and read on!!
When I started my diaper hunt, I knew I wanted to use the pocket diapers. They seemed easy to use and quick to launder. I started hunting around for good deals online, eventually ending up on eBay. There I found many different pocket diapers from all sorts of bulk sellers. What I couldn’t find was much input on what actual users thought.
So today I’m writing this for you…
I have already written about the Coolababy and Rainbow BB in a review HERE, as well as the Babyland diapers HERE. Armed with several new samples, I am going to compare them all. The diapers include: Fuzzi Bunz, Coolababy, Rainbow BB, Sweet Doll Baby, and Babyland.
Materials and Look:
All of the diapers are made from an outer shell of PUL (polyurethane laminate), plastic snaps, and fleece lining. The inserts are microfleece and extremely absorbant.
Fuzzi Bunz: very sturdy outter PUL that comes in several nice colors as well as cute patterns. The buttons snap tightly and seem like they’ll last. The inner fleece is thick and plushy. They are sometimes sold with 1 insert.
Coolababy, Rainbow BB, Sweet Doll Baby: These all have similar PUL, snaps and fleece lining. They don’t seem to have quite as sturdy PUL as the Fuzzi Bunz, although I think the Coolababy is probably the best PUL of the eBay diapers. These also come in many fun colors, but not patterns. 1-2 inserts are usually included. For whatever reason, the PUL of the Rainbow BB is more sticky on the inside of the pocket. This doesn’t change the functionality, but makes the inserts a little bit more difficult to slide in. The only real problem I had was with poor elastic in the Rainbow BB diapers. If you are handy with a needle and thread, this is an easy fix that I explain HERE.
Babyland: These snaps were just as good as the other brands. The PUL seems a bit more stretchy and came in several colors and also a couple patterns. The SpongeBob PUL is actually flannel-feeling, very soft and comfy. Babyland’s fleece was also very plushy and would rival the Fuzzi Bunz material. 1-2 inserts are usually included.
Fit and Wear
Fuzzi Bunz: These are not one-size diapers, the one I have is a Medium. The 2 rows of snaps are staggered and the off-set tabs make the fit easy to adjust. The tabs meet in the middle, but do not overlap. With the staggered snaps it was easy to adjust the leg as well to provide the best fit for a thin or chunky baby thigh.
Coolababy: These diapers are sold as “one size” to fit 6lbs up to 29lbs. They have snaps down the front to adjust the rise. Even with the rise adjustments, I have a hard time believing that they’d fit a newborn. For a chunkier baby they are perfect. The buttons are in even rows and do not overlap at the middle. This makes the fit for the legs and waist a little limited, but fine on older babies.
Rainbow BB: These diapers are sold as “one size” to fit 7lbs up to 30lbs. They have snaps down the front to adjust the rise. Even with the rise adjustments, I have a hard time believing that they’d fit a newborn. For a chunkier baby they are perfect. The buttons are in even rows and do not overlap at the middle, but they do have a middle snap that Coolababy does not. I also noticed that the crotch area is a bit wider than the others. Nice for extra inserts, potentially a problem for early walkers as the diapers can be a big bulky between the legs. Still a better fit for older babies.
Sweet Doll Baby and Babyland: These two are so very similar that I am lumping them together. Both are one size sold for babies 7lbs to 29lbs. The snaps are in straight rows across the top and down the front for rise. Unlike the other “one-size” brands, I actually believe these would fit a newborn. The tabs have an extra set of buttons that allow them to overlap to fit a skinny baby, and the legs are more snug.
The eBay diapers all seem to suffer from “wing droop” at times. I don’t have this problem with the Fuzzi Bunz.
They are all, as expected, bulkier than disposable diapers, but not enough to keep pants from fitting (snugly). I have gone up a size on some pants for a beter fit and I'm also a huge fan of leg warmers for around the house. (Makes diaper changes and crawling easier!)
This picture shows the two patterns I found as well as the rise difference from the newborn snaps to the full size. Below, you can see how very similar SDB and Babylands are.
The pockets of the Rainbow BB, Sweet Doll Baby and Babyland Diapers are all similar and include and extra top flap to fully enclose the inserts. As I mentioned, the Rainbow BB’s PUL is a bit more difficult to slide the inserts across.
The Fuzzi Bunz and Coolababy diapers have regular pockets, with no additional flap at the top, this can lead to the inserts sticking up in back, but I’ve had no problems with that.
Function
I have had very good results with all of these diapers. They hold a lot, stay fairly dry through naps and overnight, and do their job. I have had a few “blowouts” around the legs usually. I think a disposable in those situations would have had the same problem. I usually use 2 inserts during the day and 3 for sleep times. Very rarely do they wick on to the clothing. I am not a change-every-90-minutes cloth diaper-er so I expect them to hold a few hours worth of…. well, whatever. They do.
I launder everything in Crunchy Clean Diaper Soap (and it smells soooo gooood!!) and occasionally use 1 cup of white vinegar and a shake of baking soda. Because the microfiber inserts are SO absorbent, they can get stinky after a while. The best solution I’ve come up with is to separate the inserts from the rest of the diaper shells and wash them alone. Soak them in hot water with 1c of bleach and your usual detergent in a full washer (just stop the cycle after the washer fills), then wash and dry them as usual. I always use a second rinse with my diapers and dry them outside whenever possible, or in the lowest setting in the dryer.
NONE of these diapers are stained. The fleece is really stain resistant and all of my diapers look great, even after a summer and fall of use. I did buy flushable liners that catch the solids (usually) and they do help with changing and clean up (and husband participation!).
Good: The eBay diapers are at a good price, they are made of nice material and function well. The Fuzzi Bunz are the only ones made in the USA and are of quality material. Both have inserts that are super absorbent.
Not So Good: The eBay diapers are NOT made in the USA, the Rainbow BB elastic was substandard in several diapers. You will need to strip the microfleece inserts more often to keep away the stinkies. The Fuzzi Bunz are about twice the price of the eBay diapers.
I would definitely recommend these diapers if you are looking for an inexpensive alternative to the name brands that are out there. Please feel free to ask me about anything I haven’t covered, and leave your comments! I’d love to hear what you think!!!
Buy Them: You can get Coolababy, Rainbow BB, Sweet Doll Baby, and Babyland Diapers online through eBay. These may also be available in bulk from their respective companies. Do some hunting, you should be able to snag these diapers with TWO inserts for about $8 including shipping.
Fuzzi Bunz are available through several retailers online, you can search for them at the main site FuzziBunz.com.
Please do not copy this review without proper credit. Feel free to link this review back to this page!
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