Nelpe Fitted Diaper Review

             Hey there, party people! It's day 8 and the FINAL DAY of reviews before we get to the big Fabulous Fitteds Giveaway tomorrow! Woo hoo!

             Today I have a small business to share with you that specializes in cloth diapers: Nelpe. Nelpe is a mother-daughter collaboration based out of Littleton, Colorado. They offer cloth diaper covers, fitteds, and flats (all of my favorites!) and, best of all, they are affordable!

             Shelley from Nelpe gave me the opportunity to try out, you guessed it, one of their fitted diapers. They come in two sizes and we decided to go with the size 2 to be safe since Little Bit was approaching the limit of the size 1. Here's what I thought in a nutshell:

-Nelpe's fitteds are similar to the Imagine and Nicki's in that it is soft, floppy, and on the thinner side.

-Even though it is a sized diaper, it has a fold down rise on it like the Starry Nights Creations fitted I reviewed last week. These types of rises have really grown on me since I started reviewing them. It makes sense on this diaper too since it covers such a wide weight range.

-This one also surprised me in it's absorbency. We've gone 11 hours easily and have had no issues with leaking. Bamboo really is as fantastic as everyone makes it out to be!

-VERY stretchy. It's actually a little stretchier than I would like, but this will come in handy as baby reaches toddler size.

-Because of the extreme stretchiness, I would say the sizes run big, which Shelley did warn me about. As you'll see in the picture, I had to use a Boingo fastener at first because it was too big to secure the snaps!

This is actually from when I was still fastening it starting from the wrong side. ha ha Hey, whatever works, though, right?

-As far as ease of use, it took me a few times to get the hang of the Nelpe fitted. Even though it seems counterintuitive, I seem to personally have an easier time securing the stiffer diapers than the stretchy ones. I also found the left to right snapping weird. I always do the right wing first because I'm right handed, but you can't with this diaper. It felt like I was using a diaper specifically designed for a left-handed person. (Which might actually be easier for some of you!)

-Since this is similar to the Imagine and Nicki's Bamboo Fitteds, its dry time is the same too: medium for diapers in general and on the shorter end for bamboo.

-As I've mentioned in other reviews, pretty much everything fits in our EcoPosh cover. That's why I love it so much. However, this diaper barely fit under it. Needless to say, it's a bit big. But again, we have a size 2 which is intended for babies 15 to 40 pounds and Ripley is just now probably 15 pounds.

-The biggest qualm I had with the Nelpe fitted is the snap-in soaker. I wasn't crazy about the size and shape of it plus it is as wide as the diaper. Personally, I like any type of inserts to fit nicely inside the diaper, not flush with its edges.

             Overall, I am really starting to like this diaper. I will admit it wasn't my favorite at first, but now that I've gotten the hang of snapping it “backward” and am getting more used to the fold down rises in generally I am digging it. It's soft, absorbent, and very affordable compared to a lot of other fitteds on the market.

             Nelpe fitteds start off at $14.00 for a size 1, which you can purchase on their Etsy page, along with their covers and flat diapers. You can keep up-to-date with them on Facebook and Instagram. Come back tomorrow for a chance to win your own Nelpe fitted diaper along with other great prizes in the Fabulous Fitteds Giveaway!

Nicki's Diapers Bamboo Fitted Overnight Diaper & Overnight Merino Wool Cover Review

             Hey folks! Welcome to day 7 of the Fabulous Fitteds Event here on Mixed Bag Mama. Only two more days until the giveaway! Who's excited?

             Most of you are probably familiar with today's company: Nicki's Diapers. Nicki's Diapers is your one stop shop for all things cloth diapering and natural parenting-related. Did you know that they even have their own line of diapers, which includes all-in-ones, pocket diapers, and even wool covers?

             I recently had the opportunity to try two items from this line: The Merino Wool Overnight Cover and Bamboo Overnight Fitted. I had never tried any of the diapers from the Nicki's line, but I had read great things about the overnight fitteds, so I was excited to try them out for myself! Who doesn't love a complete overnight solution to cloth diapering, right?

             Let's talk about the wool cover first.

-I love the style of this cover as it's similar to the EcoPosh, though I do wish it had fold down cuffs.

-Nice colors to choose from instead of boring ole standard ones. There is a teal (Lagoon), a dark pink (Mulberry), and gray (Stone). They're all really pretty if you're looking for some pizazz for your stash!

-They are pretty trim. They don't add a lot of bulk to your overnight solution.

-Perhaps I didn't wash it well enough the first time, but I noticed the dye bled onto our fitteds some. I haven't noticed any staining, though, after washing. (The fitteds, that is.) I'm not sure if this is normal.

-This is the first interlock wool cover we've tried. I'm not surprised, but it's not very stretchy, at least compared to our other ones. This is fine for daytime fitteds that aren't as bulky, but it gets tricky for our big mamba jambas at night.

-There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason as to what size of fitted I can get the Merino Wool Overnight Cover over. It fits over our Starry Nights Creations fitted, which is one of our larger ones since it is a one size diaper, but I couldn't even get all of the Nicki's Overnight Bamboo Fitted tucked inside! We had it on the smallest rise setting too and our wool cover is a medium, so I thought this was strange. Who knows. Maybe it's user error, but I tried.

-I find the leg cuffs to be a little tight for my liking. The medium we reviewed is for babies 14-22 pounds. We started using this when Ripley was around 13/14 pounds. Again, maybe our fitteds are just ridiculously big.

-I definitely wish the rise were higher in the back. I think we'd be able to use it with all of our fitteds then.

-With all of that being said, it works really well! It has easily held up for 10 hours. The only time it's leaked some was in the butt and it had been 2 or 3 weeks and we had been using it a lot since we were reviewing it, so I knew it was time to re-lanolize.

-Nicki's Merino Wool Overnight Cover is reasonably priced compared to similar covers at $29.99.

Nicki's Bamboo Overnight Fitted:

-Floppy and similar to the Imagine Bamboo Fitted.

-Bigger than I expected (even for an one-size) for being all floppy and relatively thin. Again, I couldn't get it to fit inside the wool cover. It's a bit bulky with the insert folded over to fit the rise setting, but the floppiness of the diaper makes it possible for Little Bit to close her legs more than with other fitteds, at least.

-Surprisingly absorbent! These thinner, floppy diapers amaze me at how much they can hold, but, it is bamboo. ;) Again, Ripley was 4 months old when we started trying this one out, close to 5, and it easily lasted 8-9 hours with no extra inserts. With the insert it comes with it has lasted at least 11 hours!

-Medium dry time and at the quicker end for bamboo. It's pretty close between this one and the Imagine Fitted as far as which one dries quicker.

-Super affordable! Nicki's Bamboo Overnight Fitteds are only $9.95, so it's no suprise that they are currently out of stock! These are definitely budget-friendly, especially since they are one-size as well.

-I think I mentioned this in the Imagine review as well, but I've noticed this fitted sort of gets scooted down in the front during the night too. I think it's just because it's so floppy and Ripley doing her leg lifts in the morning. Lol

-Size-wise, these are great for older babies and toddlers (day or night-time use) and overnight for younger babies, though it would probably work well during the day as well without the insert for younger babies. The size recommendation starts out at 8 pounds, but I feel like a baby that small would be swimming in this. However, that's the nature of one-size diapers in general.

             If you're ready to purchase your own Nicki's Diapers overnight cloth diapering solution or would like to peruse more of the diapers in this line and from other favorite brands, be sure to head over to their website. Use code "mixedbag" to save 5% on your order! (Good through the end of August.) Plus, you'll be interested to know that when you purchase a Nicki's Diaper's Exclusive Brand, a diaper or blanket (depending on which you purchase) is donated to a baby in need! Don't forget to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram as well to stay up-to-date on sales, giveaways, news, and more!

             Last, but not least, don't forget to come back on Tuesday for the chance to win your own Nicki's Merino Wool Overnight Cover in the Fabulous Fitteds Giveaway! See you then!

Dri-Line Bamboo Baby Form Fitted Diaper Review

             Hey folks! It's day 6 of the Fabulous Fitteds Event here on Mixed Bag Mama. We're getting closer and closer to that giveaway!

             Today I'm sharing a company that you may not be familiar with as it is one of our Canadian-based neighbors to the north: Dri-Line Products Ltd. Dri-Line offers a whole slew of products, including, of course, baby diapers and other child and baby necessities, home and healthcare products, such as hospital gowns and mattress protectors, and bags and blankets, to name a few. Their baby line will keep your little one comfy-cozy with everything from cloth diapers to receiving blankets to sleepers!

             I recently had the opportunity to try out their Bamboo Baby Form Fitted Diaper. In case you haven't noticed, bamboo is one of my new favorite things, especially when it comes to cloth diapers. This bad boy isn't just made of the bamboo viscose (which tends to be on the thinner side), but instead of bamboo rayon fleece. What's the big deal? That means it's SUPER absorbent! With four different sizes and the option of snaps or aplix, you and your child both are sure to love the fit of these diapers.

What I Liked:

-Super thick and absorbent! (More on that below.)

-Not too bulky, which is kind of surprising since it's such a thick diaper.

-It fit in my “small cover”. (Babee Greens) This surprised me as well again because of the thickness.

-This is one of our better fitting fitted diapers. Perhaps it's because these are sized diapers or just that all babies are different shapes, but this one really seems to fit my average sized baby well.

-It's easy to use. I think as cloth diapering parents we all have had some diapers that we just have to, well, fidget with more than others to get just right. This is not one of those, which is especially nice because if you have older children whom you also cloth diapered, you know diaper changes get more and more difficult as baby gets more mobile!

-The Bamboo Baby Form Fitted Diapers hold up a long time, even without extra inserts, doublers, ect. This is a major plus in my book because it makes for a less bulky diaper!

-This goes along with the previous statement and I wasn't sure whether to list this as a pro or con, so here it goes. (I guess it just depends on whether your child is a heavy wetter or not.) There is not much room for “poofy” inserts, but again, there's really no need for them, especially since these are sized diapers and they seem to be holding up to my average wetter just fine.

-Don't tell the other guys, but this is my favorite fitted that I have reviewed for this event. If you've been following me for awhile, I would hope that you know I don't throw compliments out lightly. If I had to choose one fitted diaper to completely repopulate my stash of fitteds with, it would be this one.

Roughly 5 months old with the medium on.

What I Wasn't So Crazy About:

-The snaps are kind of hard. I'm hoping they just need “broken in” some.

-I received both a medium and large Bamboo Baby Form Fitted Diaper to try out since Little Bit was right in-between the sizes when we received them. The size discrepancy between the two seems a little large. The medium still fits ok, but it is starting to get to where it's not covering as much of her booty/backside as I would like. The large, however, is so big that I can't even use the snaps yet and have used a Boingo fastener the few times I've used it because hey, why not? This might just be a personal preference, though, as far as how much I like having her behind/backside covered.

Size comparison. It may not look like much, but it's a big difference!

-They take FOR-EV-ER to dry completely. By far, they take the longest out of any of our diapers to dry. But honestly, I don't mind because I know it's just because they're so thick and absorbent! (In case you're wondering just how long, I usually line dry everything outside and stick the fitteds in the dryer for an additional 30 minutes or so to completely dry them and these are still always damp afterwards.)

             Now. A little more on absorbency...Little Bit went for a whopping 12 hours the first time trying this out with no inserts and the wool cover wasn't really wet on the outside. That's especially saying a lot because she went #2 also, which usually causes her diapers to leak for obvious reasons if I don't change her before she pees in it again for whatever reason. (Naps and night-time)

             As she's gotten a little older, I've started using a hemp doubler inside just to be safe. (Again, we only use these at night-time.) At least one time (that I recorded) she went for 8 hours and was completely dry on the front outside of the diaper. The only reason I changed her is because I didn't want to push it since her butt was fairly wet. (She's been sleeping in her crib instead of the bouncer most nights now.) However, I think the Bamboo Baby diaper could have lasted probably another 2 hours. (Have I mentioned how awesome the absorbency is?)

             I think it goes without saying that I would highly recommend Dri-Line's Bamboo Baby Form Fitted Diapers. I forgot to mention too that they start out at a mere $7. Yes, you read that right. $7! I will definitely by purchasing some more as Little Bit gets older and needs bigger sizes and you should too on their website! Don't forget to stay up-to-date with them on Facebook as well. And again, don't forget to come back Tuesday for a chance to win your own Bamboo Baby diaper (in winner's choice of size) along with many of the other great fitted diapers reviewed this week in the huge Fabulous Fitteds Giveaway!

Mixed Bag Mama received a product in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own and may differ from your own.

Imagine OS Bamboo Fitted Diaper Review

             Hey, cloth lovers! It's already day 5 of the Fabulous Fitteds Event here on Mixed Bag Mama. That means we're that much closer to the big giveaway at the end! 

             Today I have another company to share with you that many of you are probably already familiar with: Imagine Baby Products. If you've not familiar with them, they offer pretty much every type of cloth diaper you can think of: fitteds, flats, pocket diapers, all-in-one diapers, even wool covers! (And more.) They also offer cloth diapering accessories, such as pail liners, wet bags, and wipes, so really, it's like a one stop diaper shop! The best part? Their prices are VERY affordable!

             I recently tried out their, you guessed it, one size bamboo fitted diaper. It is comprised of 70% bamboo and 30% cotton, so it's both really absorbent AND super soft! It comes with a snap-in soaker that's made up of 4 layers, so you end up with a total of 6 thirsty layers. Recommended for babies and toddlers from 8-35 pounds, the Imagine OS bamboo fitted has 3 rise settings so you're sure to get the right fit for your child.

What I liked:

-It's really absorbent with the insert. The only time I've had an issue with it “leaking” was my own fault. We had a weird night after she had her 4 month vaccinations and I just had it on her for too long and she had eaten twice. All the other times I've used it on her for anywhere from 8-11 hours without issues, even with poop!

-Again, I'm a fan of the snap-in inserts. Since most of the poo ends up on the insert, I find them easier to clean and they certainly help with drying time!

-I like how soft and floppy this diaper is. It seems like it would be comfortable for baby to wear and be easier for older babies to move around in since it's not stiff like some fitteds.

-You can get this with snaps or aplix. (aka Velcro) I've been coming around to snaps recently, but I'm still a fan of aplix. I'm learning firsthand what people are talking about when they say their baby is inbetween sizes on snaps and not being able to get a good fit. (Not with this diaper, but with other fitteds we have.)

-It's quick and easy to put on. I'm not sure exactly what makes this one so much easier for me to get on than others. I'd like to think it's because there are enough snaps that I'm not fidgeting with it trying to get it just right or at least close...And because it's so floppy and stretchy.

-The crotch is nice and wide, which makes it a good option for older babies and toddlers. Plus, you should be able to get some extra inserts in there if you have a heavy wetter.

-At $16.95, it's at the lower end of the price spectrum for fitteds, especially those made with bamboo!

What I had issues with:

-While very absorbent, I've noticed it seems to all concentrate in the crotch area. This makes sense, obviously, but it's like the pee doesn't spread much, which could be an issue when she gets older and has deluge pees as toddlers seem to do.

-It's bulky on younger babies with the insert, but that's to be expected with most one size diapers.

-Even though it does dry quicker by being able to remove the snap-in insert, it still takes quite a bit of time to dry completely. (Also to be expected with bamboo diapers, from my experience.)

-It might have more to do with the cover I usually use with this fitted diaper, but I've noticed part of the front top of the waist gets kind of tucked inside of the diaper during the night. This hasn't caused us any issues if she just gets wet during the night, but poo has gotten on the wool cover because of this.

In case you missed yesterday's review of the EcoPosh cover, here are some shots of it over the Imagine Bamboo Fitted.

             Overall I'm really pleased with the Imagine One Size Bamboo Fitted, especially for the price. It's a great way to start your fitted diaper stash out. You can find out more about all of Imagine's cloth diapers and related baby products and purchase your own bamboo fitted by visiting their website. (Be sure to use coupon code mbmama to save a little! Ends August 31st at midnight.) Stay up-to-date with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Don't forget to come back Tuesday for a chance to win your own OS Bamboo Fitted from Imagine Baby Products in the big Fabulous Fitteds Giveaway!

Mixed Bag Mama received a product in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own and may differ from your own.

Cloth Diapering for Cheaper: BST Groups are Your Friend!

             Hey folks! If you've ever looked into cloth diapering, whether you decided to or not, I think we can all agree that it can be very overwhelming and intimidating at first. Overwhelming because there are so many different types of cloth diapers to choose from nowadays and intimidating because the upfront cost can be expensive.

             As far as choosing which diapers would be best-suited for your family, my best advice is to research, research, research! You can also check out my cloth diapering page for a little insight. Once you decide what kind of diaper(s) you want to try out, I highly recommend looking for cloth diaper B/S/T groups on Facebook. It's something I had heard of quite awhile ago from a cloth diapering blog I used to follow, but never looked into it much because I didn't know that much about different types and brands of cloth diapers and was afraid I would get ripped off somehow. Now, though, they are my new best friend!

             So, what does BST stand for? Buy Sell Trade. It is a great way to get your stash started or sell off some old diapers you no longer want or need. Depending on your location and what shape the diapers are in, you can get some really good deals and not lose much money on the diapers you are selling.

             Speaking of location, you may be able to find a local cloth diaper BST group, which is great because then you can meet people in person and 1) See the diapers you want to purchase in person before committing and 2) Save on shipping costs! I have also seen regional/state-wide groups, national groups, and brand specific groups. There are even cloth diaper auction groups!

             The brand specific groups are nice if you're just really in love with a certain one. While not exactly the same, I recently joined a wool and natural fiber only group and am already eagerly awaiting a Disana wool cover. To give you an idea of what you can expect price-wise, I bought it for $12, postage included, and it normally retails for around $26. How awesome is that?! There are also some nice wahm diapers on there as well, which I think is pretty cool.

             As far as the cloth diaper auction groups, be sure to do your research on a diaper before choosing to bid on it. (That should just go without saying, right?) Keep in mind you will have to pay for shipping as well. It would be silly to end up paying more for a used diaper than it would cost brand new, right? I've not personally bought anything from a group like this, but there seems to be quite a few unique diapers up for grabs instead of the endless stream of GroVia and BumGenius like my local BST group seems to have. (Does this seem to be a “thing” in anyone else's local BST group? Just curious.)

             If you do decide to check out a BST group, be sure you look through ALL of the sales posts, not just the most recent ones on the wall. At least in my group, there are a lot of old posts with diapers that are still up for grabs. Also be sure to use the group “search” option to look for something specific, such as a brand or type of diaper you like. This is how I came across some of my fitted diapers.

             So far I have purchased three fitteds and the wool cover mentioned above from BST groups. (I also sold all of my small Best Bottom inserts too! Yay!) The first was a Sweet Pea bamboo OS fitted that was in very good/excellent condition, in my opinion. I got it for $15. It is normally $25 brand new. My second purchase was two snapless multi-fitted Sustainablebabyish diapers. I bought both for $15. They are normally around $24 each, if I remember right, brand new. That's a total savings of $57! (Including the wool cover.) At the least, you could buy like two or three more diapers with that amount of savings.

             I am still learning the lingo myself, but here are some acronyms to help you out with BST groups.

FTOS-For Trade or Sale

FTO-For Trade Only

ISO-In Search Of

EUC-Excellent Used Condition

VGUC-Very Good Used Condition

GUC-Good Used Condition

OS-One Size

AIO-All In One

PPD-Postage Paid (Included in price.)

             Again, if you're looking to build your stash or add to it for cheaper and don't mind some pre-loved diapers, definitely look into a BST group. They're my new favorite thing, so if you have any questions about them shoot me an email or comment below! I DO check my comments and will get back with you. :)