Diaper Diaries: bumGenius

August 20, 3:34 AMEarly Childhood Parenting ExaminerAngele Sionna

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Thinking about jumping in the cloth diaper boat like a lot of other moms these days (including me)? The diaper I recommend starting with is the bumGenius 3.0. (For more on ditching disposables, read my article Switching to Cloth.)

My cloth diapering journey began with the bumGenius. And so far, it's the diaper to beat in my book. My husband agrees wholeheartedly - telling me we needed to buy more of them. They're the only kind he wants to put on our 10-month-old daughter Ellerie when he's at the helm. So we just ordered three more 3.0s last night and plus two of their new organic diaps too.

Others we've tried so far (and will post reviews of soon) are: Kushies All In Ones, Thirsties All In Ones V1, Bumkins Covers, Bummis Whisper Wrap and Sckoon Organic Cloth Diaper. Below is a breakdown of things you'll want to know about bumGenius 3.0 diapers from my experiences.

Pros:

• It's easy to use. You put a liner in the "pocket" and put on. Works just like a disposable.
• It is somewhat bulkier than a disposable but doesn't give the baby "bubble butt," like some of the others I've tested out.
• It is a one-size fits all diaper that fits well. (Though I can only vouch for it fitting well at 10 months and up.) It has snaps on the front to adjust the size height/length. It has hook and loop tape to adjust around the tummy, just like disposables.
• No leaks so far, even with my super soaker baby. She hasn't worn it overnight yet. My husband is a little scared that it will fail and then sheets will get wet and he'll have to deal with that on his watch. (But we will try it one day soon and I'll report back here about it.)
• The interior liner wicks away moisture, so it stays feeling dry longer. That means it is more comfortable for baby longer.
• It dries fast.
• It's easy to clean. I just take them off, toss them in the machine and wash every night with a no-additive detergent. Then pop into the drier. (For the official instructions on cleaning the bumGenius diapers, go to their website bumGenius.com.)
• So far, no stains despite several attempts by Ellerie to give it her best shot from dropping spaghetti with tomato sauce on the cover to pooping up a storm.
• They come in white, green, yellow, pink and blue, which makes them more "fun" then disposables.

Cons: 

• They cost $18 each. Not too bad when you add up how many disposables each cloth diaper replaces. Plus, that's about the going rate for most of the cloth pocket-style diapers.
• The liners are already looking a bit dingy after just a few weeks of use. I'll try adding some bleach to the next load to see if that helps. (But it has not affected their performance.)
• Poop is gross. That goes without saying. If it's a regular poop you just empty it into the toilet, then toss in the machine to wash later. But if it's a messy poop, you have to use a baby wipe and wipe as much of the poop as you can into the toilet. Then I rinse them with cold water until the rest of the poop is gone. Then I toss it into the machine and wash right away. Not so easy with a squirmy little one needing your attention. But this is the same problem no matter what cloth diaper you use. Granted, they're not stained but it was the first thing about cloth diapers that made me question the switch. Though the benefits outweighed the gross factor for me.

 I've done a few tests with the bumGenius and previously written about it on my blog, TheMommaBlog.info. You can read those posts HERE.

 If you have any questions about the bumGenius diaps, leave me a comment and I'll answer you as soon as I can.