The Search for the Best Cloth Diapers

A Bit of Background
Reusable diapers have been around in one form or another for a very long time with various native peoples using wraps of animal skin padded with grass or moss. Cloth diapers became popular in the 1800's, and were significantly improved following world war II when a series of innovations came to market. In 1946, a housewife named Marion Donovan invented the waterproof cover (Donovan also invented the first disposable diaper). She sold the patent for $1 million dollars, quite a sum in the day. In 1950, the prefold diaper was invented by a diaper service owner, and in that same year the first cover with snaps to replace safety pins was invented.

In the 1960's, the disposable diaper took hold in the United States and quickly became the ubiquitous choice for most new parents. Subsequently, cloth use declined dramatically in the following decades.

Recently though, taking hold in increasing numbers since 2000, modern cloth systems have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. A number of innovative new systems for cloth were developed to make the process simpler, easier, and less messy than ever before.

We consider there to be four key elements to modern diapering systems:

1. Colorful waterproof cover — 
   
   let's face it: your grandma's diapers were pretty bland and boring. Not so with cloth systems today, which come in cool patterns and bright colors that, dare we say, can be aplaygroup fashion statement. Today's best systems provide an attractive, machine washable, cover in your choice of colors and patterns that can be sized to babies of different ages by adjusting snaps or velcro closures.

2. Absorbent inserts — 
   
   inserted inside the cover are absorbent inserts made of stay-dry synthetic materials, organic cotton, bamboo, or hemp that can be washed separately from the cover. For overnight use, inserts can be doubled up for extra absorbency. Contrary to our expectations, in our tests we found the top cloth systems to perform better on absorbency than most of the disposable diapers we've tested.

3. Flushable liners — 
   
   a game-changer for many parents considering cloth is the option of using flushable liners. These sit on top of the diaper and catch solids (i.e. the poop). This can make diaper changes far simpler and cleaner as the liner is tossed into the toilet (poop and all). Liners will add a bit of cost to each diaper change, but we consider the convenience of disposing most of the poop in a clean and environmentally sound manner is worth it.

4. Helpful accessories — 
   
   the rising popularity of cloth has led to a wide variety of helpful accessories including specially designed laundry detergent, dirty diaper pails, sprayers that attach to your toilet's water intake, and more. These conveniences further help to make going cloth simpler, easier, and faster.

To learn more about how modern cloth systems work, get answers to frequently asked questions, and narrow down to the right system for you, you may want to read one of these companion articles:

• Cloth Diapers vs. Disposables: How and what to choose?

• Cloth Diapering Laundry Basics and Helpful Hints

Why Use Cloth?
The case for using cloth is simple:

• Saves you money — we estimate the average expenditure per child for a disposable diaper like Pampers Swaddlers is approximately $1,700. A premium green diaper likeBambo Nature will cost you approximately $2,100. Compare that to the cost of a lifetime supply of the Best Value Award Winning Flip Hybrid at approximately $300. Our Editors' Choice system, the Rumparooz G2 costs a bit more at $720 lifetime cost, but still relatively inexpensive compared to disposables. Your full costs will include about $200 to $600 more depending primarily on whether you use flushable liners or not: $50 in electricity for machine wash/dry, $150 for cloth laundry detergent, and about $400 for flushable liners. Going with cloth results in a substantial savings per child, and it may be even more since you can re-use your diapers for a second child as well as sell gently-used diapers online.

• Better for baby's health — You may be concerned about the possibility of hidden chemicals in disposables and want your baby to avoid them or at the very least, to reduce their exposure. You may have a baby with sensitive skin who is prone to rashes. Well, cloth diapers do not contain fragrances, lotions, or latex. They are also available in a variety of natural and sustainable materials. Many parents report that going to cloth results in far fewer diaper rashes.

• Better for the environment — the impact of disposables on our environment is dramatic with an estimated 6,000 diaper changes per child. Going cloth allows you to lessen your impact on the environment by not contributing to the approximately 28 billion disposable diapers along with their toxic solid waste that end up in US landfills each year.

Selecting the Right Type of Cloth System
Choosing which cloth system to buy is a big decision, especially since it is meant to be a long-term investment. There are a lot of choices out there when it comes to cloth, and we wanted to get to the bottom of it, no pun intended. We cover this topic in more detail in ourBuying Advice article.

There are three major types of cloth systems, but as we explain below, we recommend you focus on the pocket diapers and hybrid all-in-two types:

All-In-One

Thirsties AIO. The insert is attached at the inner thigh. These are easy to use but quite bulky and take a long time to dry.

Credit: Alison Buck

All-in-one (also known as AIOs) get their name because the outer cover and absorbent core insert are sewn together, and thus are all one piece. These diapers are most comparable to a disposable diaper in that there are no separate parts to manage and this adds some convenience when performing a diaper change. An AIO system is often preferred by daycare centers or babysitters who are either reticent or intimidated by cloth. Alternatively, many cloth diapering parents choose the option of using green disposable diapers for these situations. The downside of all-in-one systems comes in the form of added cost and considerably more bulk to launder. Since the cover and insert are sewn together, you'll need one for every diaper change and they typically take longer to dry. This means buying a supply of dozens of the more expensive AIO system; we recommend a supply of 30-36 diapers for convenience. Lifetime costs of AIO systems in our tests ranged from $600 to $920.

Bottom line: pass on the all-in-one systems. If your daycare center or babysitter needs something simpler than your normal cloth system, we recommend you consider a quality green disposable diaper like Bambo Nature or Earth's Best Tendercare for these occasions.

Pocket

Rumparooz's wide pocket opening, even stretches with elastic. Makes for very easy insert stuffing.

Credit: Alison Buck

A pocket diaper uses a style in which the cover has an inner layer of soft material that is sewn with a pocket opening into which an absorptive insert is stuffed. This is something like a kangaroo's pocket, but instead of stuffing a little baby joey in, you stuff in an absorbent core of cloth material. You'll see pocket brand names often playing with the kangaroo theme, such as the Joey-bunz insert made by BabyKicks, or Editors' Choice winner by Kanga Care, the Rumparooz G2. Pocket diapers are preferred by many because they keep the absorbent core insert locked into one place, and make it easier to stuff an extra insert in for overnight. The disadvantage is similar to AIO's in terms of higher cost and increased laundry bulk as you'll need to replace the pocket cover with each diaper change. As such, we'd recommend a supply of 30-36 pocket covers along with a supply of inserts. Our estimated lifetime cost of the Rumparooz G2 is $720.

Bottom line: Pocket diaper systems are one of our two favorite types of cloth systems, and we frankly recommend you narrow down your selection to either a pocket diaper system or one of the well-performing all-in-two Hybrid systems described below (or a combination of the two).

All-In-Two

A big selling point of an All-in-Two system is that you can drop the wet or soiled insert into the pail without even having to touch it, as here with the Flip. And, because there is no stuffing involved, it is very easy to replace a new insert in the cover if you want to reuse it.

Credit: Alison Buck

All-in-two (AI2) systems rely on two parts: a separate waterproof cover (sometimes referred to as a "wrap" or "shell") and an absorptive insert. Unlike a pocket diaper the absorbent insert isn't tucked in, but rather simply laid into the cover. The advantage of this over a pocket diaper is that it takes less time to prepare the diaper for placing on baby during a change. Perhaps more significantly, there is less laundry bulk and reduced overall cost to this approach. Why? Because there is the opportunity to reuse the cover if it is not soiled. While you'll need a recommended supply of 30-36 covers in an all-in-one or pocket system, you might get by with no more than 10 covers in some all-in-two systems, combined with a supply of 30-36 separate absorbent inserts. The all-in-two approach offers the lowest lifetime cost, and our Best Value Award winner, the Flip Hybrid, offered an impressive combination of nearly top scoring performance and the lowest lifetime cost at $300 estimated.

We tested two different varieties of AI2 systems: Hybrids and Prefolds.

• Prefolds — 
  

  A prefold insert can be folded a number of ways to fit into almost any type of cover.

  Credit: Alison Buck
  Prefolds are the kind of insert your grandmother may have used, as they first came into popularity in the 1950's. A prefold insert is a flat, rectangular piece of cloth, typically thicker in the middle. They are folded and placed into the waterproof outer cover, and provide the absorbent core material that sits next to baby's skin. In our tests, we found prefolds to be relatively low-cost on average, but with poor performance in absorbency. Unless used with a synthetic liner over the prefold to act as a wicking barrier, we don't recommend the approach.

• Hybrid — 
  

  Examples of rectangular inserts side by side: The Thirsties Stay Dry Duo Insert, gDiaper gCloth Insert, and Flip Diaper with Stay Dry Insert.

  Credit: Alison Buck
  Hybrid systems represent an innovative improvement on the old-school prefold approach and are one of our favorite types of systems. Like a prefold, you simply lay the absorbent insert inside the cover. But, unlike prefolds, hybrids typically have 2 to 3 different insert options to choose from, usually a couple washable cloth options fabricated from different fabrics (polyester, cotton, hemp, bamboo) and a disposable insert option. The term hybrid refers to the option of using either a cloth insert or a disposable insert, making this approach something of a hybrid between disposable and cloth. Surprisingly, the ability to have a disposable insert is not why we like hybrid diapers. In fact, we think you'd be better off using a quality green disposable diaper such as Bambo Nature or Nature Babycare instead of hybrid disposable inserts when you want increased convenience. Why not use the disposable inserts from Flip, GroVia, or gDiaper? Because they cost about the same as the top performing green diapers, but are less convenient and no greener in our opinion. From our point of view, you are better off buying a top green disposable diaper. So if it is not the disposable option that makes us love these so-called hybrid diapers, what is it? The answer is that we like hybrid diapers for their higher performance in absorbency when using cloth inserts. We essentially consider hybrids to be a better all-in-two diaper than prefold systems. And some brands have lower lifetime costs relative to lower performing competing prefolds. In addition, as with pockets, hybrid covers offer the option of using any insert you'd like, if you desire to mix-and-match brands. Bottom line: In our absorbency tests, the hybrid cloth inserts we tested performed significantly better than prefold inserts.

Bottom line: the all-in-two hybrid cloth diapering systems along with pocket diapers are our two favorite cloth approaches. Hybrids have the advantage of offering low lifetime cost and strong performance. Our Best Value Award winner, the Flip Hybrid, is a fantastic hybrid diapering system and one we recommend without hesitation. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the Flip Hybrid's Stay Dry Insert offered the very best absorbency performance of any cloth system we tested.

For more detailed information on the full range of cloth systems available today, take a look at our Cloth Diaper Buying Advice article.

Criteria for Evaluation

Credit: Alison Buck

In testing each product we focused on five key performance criteria with absorbency and fit/leakage as the two most heavily weighted. Our ratings are based on a combination of real-world testing on babies of differing ages, from infant to toddler, and side-by-side lab tests such as our absorbency test.

Absorbency
More than any other performance factor, absorbency is the one most critical to preventing diaper rash. Ongoing moisture next to baby's skin creates the perfect environment for diaper rash city. All modern diapers, whether disposable or cloth, are designed to wick moisture away from baby's skin and lock it into an absorbent core material. Disposable diapers, even green diapers like Honest Company Diaper rely on a petrochemical called Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) as their key ingredient to absorb and lock-away moisture. Instead, cloth systems use an absorbent insert made of one or various combinations of cloth materials, such as stay-dry synthetics, cotton, hemp, and bamboo. Some inserts incorporate quite sophisticated layering designs, incorporating a synthetic top layer next to baby's skin offering nice wicking performance with naturally absorbent fabrics underneath to form the inner core which gets saturated.

We put each diaper system through tests to find out how effective they were at drawing moisture away from the inner surface and holding it in the absorbent layer within. We also tested them on babies day and night over more than a year to discover which ones could hold better than others.

The photos above are examples from our absorbency tests. The amount of green indicates the amount of mock urine left on the surface of the diaper next to baby's skin. The more green you see, the worse the diaper performed in our absorbency score.

In our absorbency tests, we found the microfiber stay-dry inserts performed better than natural material inserts due to superior ability to wick moisture away from baby's skin. In general, the cotton, hemp/cotton, bamboo/cotton inserts and inner pocket materials performed worse in absorbency and remained wet to the touch long after competing synthetics had tucked away most of the moisture into the core of the insert. For this reason, we recommend at least having a synthetic liner next to baby's skin for its wicking ability when using natural materials. Otherwise, there is a definitive functional trade-off between green and synthetic cloth diapering materials.

As such, it came as a pleasant surprise to us that the best scoring system in our absorbency test, the Flip Hybrid with their Stay-Dry insert, also turned out to be awarded Best Value due to its low lifetime cost.

Fit & Leakage

Notice the double gusset along leg opening within the cover - our favorite feature about the Rumparooz diaper! Also notice the very soft fleece that lines the cover of the diaper.

Credit: Alison Buck

Finding a dependable diaper with a good fit that has zero to minimal leaking is like discovering the holy grail. We sought to find those cloth diapers that held in mess best. We examined each diaper's anatomy as well as how well they fit babies of different ages and sizes. Of course, day-to-day use and laundering taught us more than we'd ever imagined about how to get the right fit, how to diaper heavy wetters, how to use diaper cream when cloth diapering, as well as how to wash and care for diapers appropriately to keep them squeaky clean, prevent repelling and leakage, and keep them in good overall shape for years of wear.

The diaper with the best fit and minimal leakage in our testing was the Rumparooz G2, which we awarded Editor's Choice. The G2 is uniquely designed with a double-gusset. In terms of fit, it is the diaper with the most rows of snaps at the rise than any other cloth cover we tested. Though a one size diaper, there are so many configurations both in terms of fit and absorption with the G2 that it truly suits an infant, toddler, and young child excellently.

Comfort

Thin and trim. The Flip Hybrid tied with the Rumparooz G2 for a perfect 10 of 10 score on comfort. Baby can move around easily but still be protected with lots of absorbency.

Credit: Alison Buck

We set out to find those diapers that provide the most comfort for baby without forfeiting performance. Diapers that have a trim fit without bulk in general did best in comfort. After all, a baby both needs to move appropriately or and fit into their clothes. We also considered the materials in each brand as well as overall fabric softness and quality. In particular, we kept a keen eye as to how each one held up wash after wash. If they remained soft and cozy, this was a big deal!

While a bit bulky, we love the Rumparooz' incredibly soft and effective dual inner gusset.

Credit: Alison Buck

Top scores to comfort went to the Flip Hybrid and the Rumparooz G2, both of which earned perfect 10 of 10 scores on comfort. The Flip stood out for being thin compared to competing products, and allowed baby to move freely. The snap system provides ample opportunity to adjust to a comfortable fit as baby grows, and the inserts are soft to the touch.

However, our big surprise was that the Rumparooz G2 which, even though bulky, also scored a perfect 10 of 10 in comfort. How can this be? Well, there are several reasons for this. For starters, its fabric is both luxuriously soft with nice stretchy elastic at the legs and back, so it hugs the legs without leaving uncomfortable marks. The fabrics hold up nicely to laundering, remaining very soft. In addition, two rows of waist snaps and 4 rows of rise snaps allow for a great, adjustable fit as baby grows without gaping. Need we mention that these are also dang cute diapers? They are so cute and so awesome, in fact, that the fluffy butt never even bothered us. Simply put, the G2 was the one we reached for time and time again.

Ease of use

For many parents, ease-of-use is the deciding factor between cloth and disposables.

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Many parents would like to embrace cloth, but back off because of fear that they will be too darn hard to use. While modern cloth systems are much easier than the cloth approach your grandmother probably used, exactly how easy varies considerably from one competitor to another (our lowest rating was a 2 of 10, and the highest a 9 of 10). We took this metric very seriously when scoring competing products.

In our ease-of-use testing, we compared how each of these diapers worked on a day in, day out basis, through the process of prepping them for use, putting them on, taking them off, throwing the poop into the toilet, the insert and/or cover into the pail, and then, of course, laundering them. If there were special laundering steps that needed to be adhered to for stink management, this was noted. If the covers could only be line-dried, this was taken into account. If the system wasn't one size, we factored in having to buy multiple sets as baby grows. Needless to say, cloth diapering doesn't entail constantly running out to the store for a sudden disposable diaper glut or ordering case upon case of diapers online.

When all was said and done, however, we found that the diapers that our testers most preferred overall were also those that were easiest to use and launder with a good fit and minimal leakage. We paid close attention to this (although we still only weighted ease-of-use 20% in our overall scoring). Interestingly, however, the easiest to use diapers, each with a 9 of 10 score, were the top 3 award-winning cloth systems, the Rumparooz G2, the Flip Hybrid, and the GroVia Hybrid.

Eco-Health

For most parents, reducing the impact on the environment is a key motivator for going to a reusable cloth solution. But, how green your cloth diapering is will depend on your washing and drying habits. The Sierra Club references a 2008 study by the UK Environmental Agencywhich looks at the global warming impact of cloth verus disposable diapers (termed "nappies" in the UK). That study concludes that the carbon footprint of either approach is approximately the same if you machine wash and dry. But, what the UK study ignores (except in terms of a green house gas analysis) is the environmental impact of the 6,000 diapers per child being put into the landfill, and from our point of view, this is the swing vote. With an estimated 28 billion disposables entering US landfills each year, which includes a significant amount of toxic human feces, we don't feel the landfill impact of disposables can be ignored. In strong contrast, the poop from cloth changes is put in the sewer system where it is supposed to go, and processed in a safe and environmentally sound manner.

The 2008 UK Environmental Agency study notes that you can reduce your cloth global warming impact to be 40% less than disposables by following these eco-tips:

• Line dry when possible

• Use energy efficient appliances

• Reuse diapers on your 2nd child

• Wash fuller loads

• Use a washing water temperature of 140F/60C or less.

In practice, this means a hot wash cycle is OK as most hot water cycles are less than or equal to 140F/60C.

Note that the sanitize cycle is hotter than 140F/60C. Sanitize is actually too hot for proper washing of cloth diapers and should not be used. For further washing tips, see our article Cloth Diapering Laundry Basics and Helpful Hints.

In terms of health, our opinion is that cloth diapering is the better alternative for baby. Though parents who cloth diaper may need to change baby more often in general than those using disposables, this is not a bad thing for baby. But why more diaper changes, you ask? Because all disposables on the market today contain a secret petrochemical ingredient called Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP). This synthetic, petroleum-based product is the secret sauce that magically soaks up urine like a wet sponge and literally locks it into the diaper, away from baby. Though largely deemed non-toxic and harmless to baby, it is not natural by any means and as we note in our article, What's Inside those Disposable Diapers, we are left with some anxiety about this petrochemical being next to baby's skin 24x7 for the first several years of their life.

Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP). While believed to be safe and non-toxic, this crystal-like gel material freaks out many-a-parent if it escapes from a soaked disposable diaper's absorbent core and onto baby's skin. Manufacturers recommend just wiping it off.

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

In comparison, cloth diapers do not contain SAP, yet in our tests we found they can deliver similar levels of absorbency performance. Nor do they contain synthetic, chemically-based fragrances, dyes, or lotions. Refreshingly, cloth diaper companies are very transparent about the materials and components that make up their diapers. There is no secret petrochemical ingredient in the cloth systems we tested. In our opinion, the same can not be said for disposable diaper manufacturers today. Refreshingly in the cloth diapering world, what you see is what you get. We appreciate that cloth system manufacturers provide parents with configuration options that put them in control of how green they'd like to be; similar options are simply unavailable to disposable diaper users.

Not surprisingly, as a category, cloth scored better in eco-health than every disposable in our 2014 test with the exception of Bambo Nature, which earned a score on par with cloth competitors and won our Top Pick Award for Best Green Disposable Diaper as well.

In scoring cloth systems on Eco-Health, we dissected the make-up of each diaper from the cover to its waterproofing to the absorbent inserts. Basically, we scored those diapers that were composed largely of natural fibers like cotton, hemp, and bamboo over those that were synthetic-based with fabrics like polyester and microfiber. We also scored diapers that usedTPU lamination over PUL lamination higher. We were also interested in how these materials measured up against one another in ability to keep baby dry; diapers with both good absorbency and good wicking, scored higher.

There was a three-way tie for best performance on eco-health in our review, with GroVia Hybrid, Bummis Super Brite Wrap, and BabyKicks Premium Pocket all earning 9 of 10 scores. But, of the three, the GroVia stands out for also performing extremely well on every other metric, and most significantly on absorbency where many of the most green cloth systems failed to deliver. We awarded the GroVia Hybrid our Top Pick for Best Green Diaper.

Editor's Choice Award: Rumparooz G2

Credit: Rumparooz

The Rumparooz G2 with its Microfiber 6r Soaker receives our Editor's Choice Award with an overall score of 89 out of 100. We were very impressed by how customizable this diaper is both in terms of fit and absorbency as well as its supreme comfort and high quality construction. Both the cover and inserts are soft, soft, soft! We found the pocket to be wide, roomy, and very easy to stuff, yet it is very effective at keeping the insert from shifting around because it's quite secure in the pocket. One of our favorite features about this diaper are its unique dual inner gussets, that help keep messes away from the edge of the diaper. If ease of use is important to you, both the cover and inserts can be machine dried on low.

There are 6 configurations for the Rumparooz G2 6r soaker. The Newborn and One Size soakers can be used alone, or as a customized doubler for maximum absorption where it is needed most.

Credit: Kanga Care

The G2 has more snaps than any other cloth cover we tested, helping parents create that perfect fit. And, as seen above, their 6r Soakers are included in two different sizes; a smaller, hourglass-shaped one for use with newborns and small infants and a bigger one size soaker for larger babies. They can also be snapped together for use as a doubler to increase absorbency if needed; this works wonders at nighttime. In fact, both Soakers have snaps, so they can also be folded over and snapped down to create a medium size.

Although we tested the Microfiber 6r Soaker made of polyester, Rumparooz also offers 6r Soakers in Hemp or Bamboo. Hemp and Bamboo both have good absorptive qualities and are natural, sustainable fibers. Like the GroVia Hybrid, the cover of the Rumparooz G2 cover is laminated with TPU, rather than the less earth-friendly PUL found in every other cloth covers we tested.

Best Value Award: Flip Hybrid

Flip Individual One-size Snap Closure Diaper

Credit: Flip Diapers

The Flip Hybrid receives our Best Value Award. It led the pack in terms of absorbency, comfort, and ease-of-use. We consider it very impressive that the Flip is both our second highest scoring competitor AND the best option for those on a budget. Overall, it scored an 88 out of 100, just a hair behind our Editor's Choice, the Rumparooz G2 (which scored just one point higher, 89 of 100).

In fact, we found this to be the one of the most user-friendly diapers we tested. As a hybrid system, it is simple and flexible to suit daytime, overnight, and on-the-go needs. Parents have 4 insert options to choose from, all compatible with the same cover. In addition to the Stay-Dry Insert that we tested, they have an Organic Cotton Day Time insert, an Organic Cotton Night Time Insert, and a Disposable Insert.

It's a one size diaper so there's no need to keep purchasing additional diapers as your baby sizes up. Although one size, this diaper is trim and sleek, providing a snug and comfortable fit on baby with no extra bulk. The insert fabric is soft to the touch, consisting of three absorbent microfiber layers and topped with a smooth stay-dry layer. The cover feels wonderful too - you can tell that it's a high-quality product. It doesn't have the plastic-like feel that many hybrid covers do and we appreciate the stretchy tabs for the extended movement they allow.

There are no complicated steps to get the diaper ready. All you have to do is fold over the insert to the correct size (they are marked by stitching so you know which size you want) and lay the insert into the cover. We really like the way the insert fills out the cover so nicely, which makes the likelihood that you can reuse the cover at changing time much greater. And, with a waterproof lining, the cover's inside can be wiped down in between changes if necessary.

Top Pick Award for Best Green Diaper: GroVia Hybrid

GroVia's diaper system includes an outer cover (shown above), and your choice of cloth or disposable inserts.

Credit: GroVia

The GroVia Hybrid, our Top Pick for Best Green Diaper, is an AI2 system which combines the GroVia shell with their 3 different Soaker (insert) options. We tested it with their Stay Dry Soaker Pad. The other soakers available are: an Organic Cotton Soaker and a Disposable BioSoaker.

This system combines top-notch, eco-healthy materials, quality fabrication, great fit and comfort, and ease-of-use. Both the cover's and soaker pad's water-resistant laminate is TPU, a more earth-friendly option than PUL, as mentioned, the most common waterproofing laminate found in cloth diaper covers. The inner layer of the Stay Dry Soaker Pad, the part right against baby, as well as leg gussets are made of 100% polyester microfleece. The gussets are very soft yet functional to help hold in the mess. The absorbent core is 55% hemp/45% cotton. All soaker pads with this system brilliantly snap into the cover to keep it put.

We prefer the Stay Dry Soaker Pad to the Organic Cotton Soaker Pad because its polyester microfleece lining wicks away moisture from baby very well. The cotton lining of the later just has very poor wicking ability which means that unless some sort of synthetic liner is used next to baby's skin, he/she will be wet.

GroVia offers great package sets at a discounted price to get you started. They also have a Snap Conversion Program where you can send in your GroVia shell with hook and loop closures and have them convert into snaps. On this note, we only tested the GroVia Hybrid in snaps.

Best for Specific Applications

bumGenius Freetime All-in-one One-size diaper

Credit: bumGenius

The bumGenius Freetime is our favorite All-In-One diaper, and for those who want to use cloth in a daycare center, this may be just the ticket. Changing an all-in-one diaper is not much different than changing a disposable diaper, and if you provide your daycare center with a supply of AIO diapers and a wet bag for dirty diapers, it may meet their criteria for use. If not, consider using a green disposable such as our Top Pick, Bambo Nature.

We recommend the bumGenius Freetime to anyone looking for a cloth system that is most comparable to disposables. It was the highest scoring All-in-one cloth system we tested in our round up of 15 cloth diapers systems, and placed an impressive 4th overall. In addition, the Freetime performed admirably in fit/leakage and comfort with a 9 of 10 and in ease-of-use with an 8 of 10. Absorbency is where the Freetime lost points, however, with a score of 5 of 10, the 8th most absorbent diaper of the bunch we tested. Although line-drying is required, it dries very quickly with energy conservation being a nice bonus.