My Cloth Nappy Experiment: Popeazy and Bumgenius V4

"Wee" man in a Popeazy

I've been using cloth nappies now for over four months, it's been a fun experiment that has turned into a permanent change..  I can honestly say I would never look back.  Initially we had some setbacks as we learned how to use them and get around leaks and find the right nappies for our wee man.  When I was out and about originally I reverted to disposibles, but now that I'm comfortable with cloth, I have been using them all the time. Haven't seen a disposable since June!  I've reviewed Fuzzibunz and Little Comfort Bambees, but today I want to review my two favourites, the new Little Comfort Popeazy and the Bumgenius V.4 One size.

The Wee Man in a Bumgenius V4

I've been using Bumgenius since I started and they quickly became my favourite nappy. They are versatile, cute and very absorbent. I use two inserts at night and never have a leaking problem and use one insert during the day.  I still prefer Bambees at night, but Bumgenius is my next best bet. They are great for using out and about when double stuffed as well. If there's a long car journey I know that I will have no problem with leaks or discomfort.  They also seem to fit him the best with no rashes.  The poppers seem to be better than the velcro in terms of comfort and fit, but the velcro option is husband-friendly and is really just as effective.  My little man is not so little and has very chunky thighs, the Fuzzibunz ended up causing rashes as he grew and no matter how much I adjusted them, nothing would help.  Whilst the elastic on the Bumgenius is not adjustable, I have never had a problem with fit.  I also find the nappies to be top quality and made really well. The poppers are very strong and even when you're tugging on them to get him changed, they rarely pop open.  I truly didn't think these nappies could be beaten and they remain the bulk of my (now full) stash.

A few weeks ago Little Comfort announced their new One Size pocket nappy, the Popeazy.  Knowing how soft and reliable the Bambee's were I knew I'd have to try these.  There was an amazing sale on them leading up to the All About Baby Fair which I took advantage of and purchases a 5 pack.  Upon picking them up at the (very awesome) fair, I was immediately struck by the softness and high quality of both the nappy and the inserts.  I couldn't wait to get them on himself. 

You are supposed to wash new nappies before you use them to increase the absorbency but I am both lazy and impatient so I put them on him right away.  Usually with new nappies I would change them more frequently until they reach full absorbency but I kept checking the popeazy and he was fine. I finally gave in and changed him after three hours. Couldn't believe I'd gotten so long out of a brand new nappy.  They've now been through the wash several times and I am seriously impressed with the absorbency.  The fit is just perfect too.  They also feature sturdy poppers and there are loads of versatile fitting settings.  I am absolutely thrilled with these nappies, they are incredibly cute with lovely colours, they are of top-notch quality and have a great fit.  They last quite awhile and seem to be very comfortable on baby. 

They would be my new favourite if it wasn't for one minor flaw.  I suspect this flaw might be more of an issue for boys than girls, but it is definitely problematic and could be improved upon.  That is the fact that the fleece comes all the way to the top of the nappy on the front.  If you look at the picture of the popeazy versus the bumgenius, you can see that the BG PUL layer comes over the top of the nappy on the inside.  The Popeazy has fleece all the way to the top.  With boys and trousers that press against the waist just as the nappy ends, the fleece seems to get pushed up and the trousers/vest get wet.  It's not a major leak per se, but the clothes get wet and make baby uncomfortable.  It's something BG changed from v2 to v3 and it's something I hope the Popeazy will address in future versions.  If it wasn't for this little flaw, I'd be ordering a load more and making it my primary stash as I do think it's a superior nappy on all fronts.  I suspect if you ave girls or avoid trousers, this wouldn't be such a problem. 

So there you have it, two brilliant nappies that I highly recommend.