Reusable Nappies: Pros & Cons

Welcome to the internet’s nappy wormhole!! Strap yourself in good and tight, because it’s about to get wild!! I can’t even fathom how many hours I spent googling nappy-related questions when I was pregnant. A lot! I wanted to jump enthusiastically aboard the reusable nappies train but 1. I knew NOTHING about them, 2. I struggled to figure out what the heck a booster was or a wrap or a “bamboozle wrap” (thanks a lot Baba & Boo for that unnecessary confusion), and 3. I wasn’t really convinced they’d be as easy to use, wash and reuse as the internet made them out to be.

If you’re nodding your head vigorously then you’ve come to the right blog post today, because I’m about to answer all these questions, give you a sweet breakdown of the pros and cons. Better still, I’m also going to drop you a discount code (at the bottom of this article) so you can stock up on reusable nappies from a range of different companies for less.

This blog post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase through some of the links I provide I can earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support.

INTRO TO PEANUT & POPPET

If you’re shopping for reusable nappies then I’m SO excited to tell you I’ve partnered with Peanut & Poppet, a local, female-owned business that I adore and you can 10% off all Peanut&Poppet nappies and accessories with my code KAT10. I’ve also linked some of my favourite Pocket Nappy brands from Peanut & Poppet below.

Little Lamb Pocket Nappy

Pepi Pocket Nappies

Sigzagor Pocket Nappies

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WHAT ARE REUSABLE NAPPIES & HOW DO THEY WORK?

Reusable nappies are exactly what the name suggests - unlike disposable nappies which get tossed in the bin after one use, you can wash reusable nappies in your washing machine and hang them out to dry then reuse them. Which ultimately saves you money. It’s estimated that the average baby will go through over 5,000 nappies in their lifetime - that’s thousands of £££!! But you can invest around £500 in reusable nappies that will last the same amount of time.

THE MAIN KINDS OF REUSABLE NAPPIES

Reusable nappies are created in three distinct ways:

ALL-IN-TWO NAPPIES: the inner, cloth nappy catches and holds all the wees and poos and the outer shell, which has a nice, pretty pattern, keeps the nappy waterproof.

ALL-IN-ONE NAPPIES: the whole nappy will come as one unit which you just wash and rewear like regular pants.

POCKET NAPPIES: the whole nappy will come as one unit and you’ll buy inserts which you can take out and replace and wash separately. I tend to favour these because you can add more support if you have a heavy wetter.

WHICH REUSABLE NAPPIES ARE BEST FOR ME?

Different types of nappies have different benefits and suit different babies. It’s annoying, but it’s just the truth, so I’d recommend buying all three different types and seeing which work for you before you stockpile. My baby is and always has been a heavy wetter so I went with pocket nappies and use a double or triple booster (the booster is the insert) which seems to work well and lasts around three hours. The All-In-One nappies just didn’t cut it for him. I would have to add an extra absorbent lining, which was too much a faff. I also didn’t enjoy the Two-In-One nappies, because securing one nappy correctly felt like enough of an effort already! That’s just me though - lots of people find constantly fitting the inserts in and out of pocket nappies annoying.

Like I said, the best thing to do with reusable nappies is try a few different types then stock up on the ones that work for you.

REUSABLE OR DISPOSABLE? THE PROS AND CONS OF REUSABLE NAPPIES

Before Harris was born I stocked up on disposable nappies. I didn’t want the pressure, immediately following his birth, of having to care for him, myself and do bucket loads of laundry - most which would comprise of nappies! I would 1,000% recommend doing it this way. After six or so weeks I was more in tune with his needs, with my own and then I started testing out the small collection of nappies I had without the pressure of running out of nappies or getting behind on laundry. I used Kit&Kin disposable nappies, which are biodegradable and soft on his skin. I love them. These days I use 50/50 reusable pocket nappies (I found LittleLamb nappies to be the best) and disposables (biodegradable nappies from Kit&Kin). And this works really well for us for now. It means I’m not spending a crazy amount of money on nappies, but I don’t feel pressured to keep on top of laundry. I also only use disposables at night, which seem to work infinitely better than reusables.

COTTON/BAMBOO OR HEMP NAPPIES?

I use Bamboo inserts, which I’ve found to be the most absorbent, and if you’re not sure which are for you I’d always suggest going Bamboo or Hemp as they are also the easiest on the environment. There’s a lovely infographic from Peanut & Poppet below that explains the qualities of each material.

PROS OF REUSABLE NAPPIES

1. Money. Investing in reusable nappies means a big wad of cash upfront but a HUGE amount saved in the long run.

2. Friendlier on the planet. If you’re stockpiling dirty nappies and doing one load a week. Less than that I would question how much more eco-friendly this option is.

3. Lots of fun colours and prints to choose from - nappy time is never boring!

4. No loaded bin bags full to bursting with dirty nappies!

CONS OF REUSABLE NAPPIES

1. Using reusables is more time consuming - having to wash and dry them each time. If you’re a busy mom this may not be practical.

2. Bulk. Perhaps an unexpected con, but it means you often have to size up on pants to fit.

3. Cost upfront. This is a con but also not, because you can build your stash over time and take advantage of deals and discounts as and when they pop up.

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MY 6 TOP TIPS FOR USING & WASHING REUSABLE NAPPIES

• Try a variety of styles and brands before you commit

• You can always find discounts (see my discount code for Peanut & Poppet nappies at the top of this post) and even small discounts will save you big bucks in the long run

• Scrape any scrap-able poos into the toilet before you wash them

• Most machines have a “baby” washing setting which you absolutely need for pooey nappies

• If you’re breastfeeding and your baby is producing those yellow poos that stain a sure fire way to remove the stains is to hang the nappy in direct sunlight after you’ve washed it

• Hang bamboo and cotton nappies and boosters on the top or middle rung of your dryer, where the air circulation is better and they can dry faster

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That’s that. Who knew I could write a whole page about nappies? Wild times. I’d love to know your top tips for nappies - both reusable and disposable!

Kat x