It has come to my attention that I haven't reviewed Tail Feathers FUSION since the baby was born. My original review doesn't include my real-world experience.
Cost: The FUSION diapers are a good deal. They're still only $19.50 each, a good price for an AIO. They're cheaper than Flip 'n' Fly, and a bit more expensive than Thirsties pocket AIO.
Absorbency: They're not as absorbent as Flip 'n' Fly pocket AIOs, but that is not a problem. The FUSION has microfiber sewn onto the back of the microfleece inner. It doesn't feel like a lot of absorbency, but it's plenty adequate. If you want to use these at night, you can add some hemp inserts. Sometimes I stick a small hemp doubler inside the pocket, but generally we don't bother. The microfiber really is enough.
Trimness: They're trim. There's some poofiness to them, which leaves lots of room to add as much stuffing as you like. Without extra stuffing, these diapers fit very well into the diaper bag. The poofiness also gives them a wide range of fit, as there's lots of stretch in the elastic.
Dry time: super quick. The pocket opening lets the microfiber dry even faster than it otherwise would.
Leakproof: average.
Sizing: These TFDs come in two sizes: S/M (small to medium) and M/L (medium to large). Custom sizes are available on request. The fit range on each size is very broad. My three-year-old can squeeze into a S/M when she tries. The M/L were perfectly usable on Lindita before four months. You could pretty much go from 3 months to potty training on one size, the smaller if you have smallish kids and the larger if you have little porkers like mine.
Customer service: wonderful, of course. Jamie makes these and she is careful in her selection of materials and snap colors. (I'm a sucker for coordinating, varied snap colors.)
Jamie has lots of patterned PUL available. Evelyn loves the Diego PUL so much that she wouldn't let her baby sister wear it. We bought her another Diego FUSION in M/L for Christmas, even though she's long since potty trained. She likes it. The FUSION diapers are thin enough that they make decent trainers too.
TFD Fusions are sold on Hyena Cart. The biggest negative to the shopping experience is that all the photos, including available fabrics, are on photobucket. That's blocked from work. The customs description is fairly intimidating, too. I find it easier when a customs description refers back to a web site with sizing, fabric, and option details. But don't let that stop you from buying these diapers -- they're a great choice.
07 May 2008
04 March 2008
Nana's favorite diaper
Nana does almost all the diaper laundry and nearly half of the diaper changes in our house. She is more interested in fast and easy, and less interested in bright colors and embroidery. Which diaper is her favorite?
It is the bumGenius AIO from Cotton Babies. This is the ultimate in simple and easy. It is a basic all-in-one diaper with an internal soaker, a stay-dry inner, a waterproof PUL outer, and front velcro closure. The velcro tabs have a stretchy piece on them, so the diapers feel more like a disposable one when you put them on the baby. This is a plus for babysitters and daycare providers. The velcro tabs are rounded at the end, so no poky scratchy corners to fold up. They're also narrower than the soft receiving strip of velcro, so no scratchy edges hanging off. They cross over for skinny babies. (That means one velcro tab can stick to the back of the other tab.) The velcro is a good stickiness too, not too strong like the Blueberries.
The stay-dry suedecloth lining works very well; we have a hard time telling whether she's wet even when we stick a finger in the diaper. Sometimes it seems like she's just a little sweaty in there, and this feels the same as a wet diaper. We can tell by the weight of the diaper that it has absorbed a lot of pee. The bG AIOs are absorbent enough but dry in just one dryer cycle, the optimal level of absorbency.
Negatives? Well, the laundry tabs are a little harder to use because of the stretchy section. The velcro tabs have to fold a little farther back into the diaper. They only come in five different colors. This means I won't buy more than five in a size, because heaven forbid I have two identical diapers.
For customer service, I've always been happy with Cotton Babies. They're local, so packages arrive super-quickly. They have a delightful little resale store, and there host diaper yard sales a few times a year where I can sell diapers. Jenn, the owner, is a Java programmer like me! She and her husband programmed their own site, and it is a good one.
It is the bumGenius AIO from Cotton Babies. This is the ultimate in simple and easy. It is a basic all-in-one diaper with an internal soaker, a stay-dry inner, a waterproof PUL outer, and front velcro closure. The velcro tabs have a stretchy piece on them, so the diapers feel more like a disposable one when you put them on the baby. This is a plus for babysitters and daycare providers. The velcro tabs are rounded at the end, so no poky scratchy corners to fold up. They're also narrower than the soft receiving strip of velcro, so no scratchy edges hanging off. They cross over for skinny babies. (That means one velcro tab can stick to the back of the other tab.) The velcro is a good stickiness too, not too strong like the Blueberries.
The stay-dry suedecloth lining works very well; we have a hard time telling whether she's wet even when we stick a finger in the diaper. Sometimes it seems like she's just a little sweaty in there, and this feels the same as a wet diaper. We can tell by the weight of the diaper that it has absorbed a lot of pee. The bG AIOs are absorbent enough but dry in just one dryer cycle, the optimal level of absorbency.
Negatives? Well, the laundry tabs are a little harder to use because of the stretchy section. The velcro tabs have to fold a little farther back into the diaper. They only come in five different colors. This means I won't buy more than five in a size, because heaven forbid I have two identical diapers.
For customer service, I've always been happy with Cotton Babies. They're local, so packages arrive super-quickly. They have a delightful little resale store, and there host diaper yard sales a few times a year where I can sell diapers. Jenn, the owner, is a Java programmer like me! She and her husband programmed their own site, and it is a good one.
27 February 2008
Three Spiffy Fitteds
I've postponed writing on this blog because I don't have time to take and upload pictures, but it's time to write anyway. I'm adding pictures as I get them uploaded. Here is Lindita around 4 months old, learning to roll over in Stinky Couture:
Today we have three similar fitted diapers to compare and contrast: Holden's Landing, Hillbilly Bunny, and Stinky Couture. All three have a similar fit. The leg-to-waist ratio is a little small for Little Miss Thunder Thighs, but that's every diaper. All are well-made, high-end fitted diapers. All are size medium.
Holden's Landing was a semi-custom slot on Hyenacart. It cost $28 including shipping. This diaper is made of organic bamboo velour. I chose the colors, turquoise outer and purple inner. It is side-snap, and the snaps, except for the front caps, are white. Normally her soaker is external, but I asked for an internal soaker. The velour on this diaper is amazingly soft. It is Lindita's softest diaper. See my previous post (with pictures) about it. Now that I've used it, I find the fit to be trim and the absorbency good. The rise is fairly high for a medium. The dry time is long, but that's because of the internal soaker. The legs are turned (but not topstitched). There's one negative: the elastic in the back of the diaper is unusually thick. It feels like it makes quite a lump under her little back. That's the main reason I don't reach for this diaper first, even though the velour is luscious. That softness has not been affected by repeated washings.
Hillbilly Bunny is also velour, but cotton this time. Soft, but not nearly as soft as the bamboo velour. I purchased this one at Diaperware for $25 plus shipping. I like the look of it because it's dip-dyed half purple and half green, very striking. However, the snap sockets are white. This looks particularly sad because it's a front-snap diaper. There are two rows of snaps, just like a side-snap diaper, but the sockets are on the front, detracting from the bright green velour. It looks just like a side-snap diaper, making it easy for husbandito to put it on backwards. The interior is white velour, with a soaker sewn in at the back. This soaker flap means faster drying but requires more attention at changing time. It's tricky to line up the soaker; it wants to stick out, like the diaper is sticking its tongue out at me. The fit is trim with a high rise. It barely fits Miss Chunkso at the thighs, but is a little loose at the waist. I don't reach for this one often, mostly because of the soaker tongue.
We've saved the best for last. The Stinky Couture fitted is my favorite. I reach for it whenever it's clean. A lot of it has to do with the print: little fuzzy monsters saying "ooga booga!"
It also has matching green snaps and sockets. It also has a pretty tag sewn on the outside.
A lot also has to do with the warm fuzzies I got from the most amazing customer service yet -- and that's saying a lot in the WAHM diaper market! This diaper was purchased at HyenaCart for $34 including shipping. Yes, that's a lot for a fitted, and I had to stalk a bit to get it. It arrived quickly, but I was discouraged to find that it had no internal soaker, but rather an external, lay-in soaker and doubler. See that diaper in the photo.
A few days later, Daphne, the diaper's creator, emailed to ask whether I liked the diaper. In a burst of honesty (not rare), I told her that I was planning to sell it, since lay-in soakers don't work for us. I was amazed when Daphne offered to make a replacement for me with an internal soaker, at no additional charge. Sweet! I sent the diaper back to her, and a few days later an "ooga booga" diaper with internal soaker and lay-in doubler arrived at my door. It is just what I wanted. I don't use the velour-topped doubler, preferring the simplicity of a one-piece diaper. There's plenty of absorbency. The dry time is good, usually just one cycle. The fit is trim, with a rise not quite as high as the others. The legs are turned and topstitched. Maybe I'm biased because this diaper is my favorite, but I like the fit on Stinky Couture best. It looks and feels like a designer diaper.
In conclusion, Stinky Couture wins the prize. Even though it was the most expensive, it was worth the money. The other two weren't cheap either, and aren't favorites. However, they're all good diapers, so if you see some for sale at a price you like, snap them up.
Today we have three similar fitted diapers to compare and contrast: Holden's Landing, Hillbilly Bunny, and Stinky Couture. All three have a similar fit. The leg-to-waist ratio is a little small for Little Miss Thunder Thighs, but that's every diaper. All are well-made, high-end fitted diapers. All are size medium.
Holden's Landing was a semi-custom slot on Hyenacart. It cost $28 including shipping. This diaper is made of organic bamboo velour. I chose the colors, turquoise outer and purple inner. It is side-snap, and the snaps, except for the front caps, are white. Normally her soaker is external, but I asked for an internal soaker. The velour on this diaper is amazingly soft. It is Lindita's softest diaper. See my previous post (with pictures) about it. Now that I've used it, I find the fit to be trim and the absorbency good. The rise is fairly high for a medium. The dry time is long, but that's because of the internal soaker. The legs are turned (but not topstitched). There's one negative: the elastic in the back of the diaper is unusually thick. It feels like it makes quite a lump under her little back. That's the main reason I don't reach for this diaper first, even though the velour is luscious. That softness has not been affected by repeated washings.
Hillbilly Bunny is also velour, but cotton this time. Soft, but not nearly as soft as the bamboo velour. I purchased this one at Diaperware for $25 plus shipping. I like the look of it because it's dip-dyed half purple and half green, very striking. However, the snap sockets are white. This looks particularly sad because it's a front-snap diaper. There are two rows of snaps, just like a side-snap diaper, but the sockets are on the front, detracting from the bright green velour. It looks just like a side-snap diaper, making it easy for husbandito to put it on backwards. The interior is white velour, with a soaker sewn in at the back. This soaker flap means faster drying but requires more attention at changing time. It's tricky to line up the soaker; it wants to stick out, like the diaper is sticking its tongue out at me. The fit is trim with a high rise. It barely fits Miss Chunkso at the thighs, but is a little loose at the waist. I don't reach for this one often, mostly because of the soaker tongue.
We've saved the best for last. The Stinky Couture fitted is my favorite. I reach for it whenever it's clean. A lot of it has to do with the print: little fuzzy monsters saying "ooga booga!"
It also has matching green snaps and sockets. It also has a pretty tag sewn on the outside.
A lot also has to do with the warm fuzzies I got from the most amazing customer service yet -- and that's saying a lot in the WAHM diaper market! This diaper was purchased at HyenaCart for $34 including shipping. Yes, that's a lot for a fitted, and I had to stalk a bit to get it. It arrived quickly, but I was discouraged to find that it had no internal soaker, but rather an external, lay-in soaker and doubler. See that diaper in the photo.
A few days later, Daphne, the diaper's creator, emailed to ask whether I liked the diaper. In a burst of honesty (not rare), I told her that I was planning to sell it, since lay-in soakers don't work for us. I was amazed when Daphne offered to make a replacement for me with an internal soaker, at no additional charge. Sweet! I sent the diaper back to her, and a few days later an "ooga booga" diaper with internal soaker and lay-in doubler arrived at my door. It is just what I wanted. I don't use the velour-topped doubler, preferring the simplicity of a one-piece diaper. There's plenty of absorbency. The dry time is good, usually just one cycle. The fit is trim, with a rise not quite as high as the others. The legs are turned and topstitched. Maybe I'm biased because this diaper is my favorite, but I like the fit on Stinky Couture best. It looks and feels like a designer diaper.
In conclusion, Stinky Couture wins the prize. Even though it was the most expensive, it was worth the money. The other two weren't cheap either, and aren't favorites. However, they're all good diapers, so if you see some for sale at a price you like, snap them up.
15 February 2008
Medium Long
Medium Long is a strange size. It's about as big as a medium, except it's as long as a large. The rise is higher than a regular medium, but the diaper is not much wider. Many diaper makers offer this size.
Linda, at 4 months, is outgrowing the medium size. She can wear larges now, but Medium Long fit her beautifully. We have some medium long diapers in Fly Baby AIOs and in Flutterby Baby Very Baby AIOs. The Very Baby AIO Medium Longs are an especially beautiful fit. They fit Linda at three months, and they fit Evelyn now at three years.
The Flutterby Baby AIOs are only $17 in this size. Embroidery is available for about $7 each, depending on the design. That's a great deal for a custom diaper by a very experienced, well-reviewed WAHM. They cost more if you go for a quick-dry soaker or a material other than birdseye, but the default internal birdseye soaker is my favorite. It's easy, it dries quickly, and it's plenty absorbent. They come with a doubler too, but I never use it. These are easy, pretty, affordable, handmade diapers.
Here's the fit of the Very Baby AIOs on Lindita right around 4 months of age:
Linda, at 4 months, is outgrowing the medium size. She can wear larges now, but Medium Long fit her beautifully. We have some medium long diapers in Fly Baby AIOs and in Flutterby Baby Very Baby AIOs. The Very Baby AIO Medium Longs are an especially beautiful fit. They fit Linda at three months, and they fit Evelyn now at three years.
The Flutterby Baby AIOs are only $17 in this size. Embroidery is available for about $7 each, depending on the design. That's a great deal for a custom diaper by a very experienced, well-reviewed WAHM. They cost more if you go for a quick-dry soaker or a material other than birdseye, but the default internal birdseye soaker is my favorite. It's easy, it dries quickly, and it's plenty absorbent. They come with a doubler too, but I never use it. These are easy, pretty, affordable, handmade diapers.
Here's the fit of the Very Baby AIOs on Lindita right around 4 months of age:
25 January 2008
How to Better your Boppy
If you like your Boppy, a cover like this could take it from a nursing pillow to a living room accent. I have one cover from Baa Baa Black Sheep already, and have been stalking for another. This one is now on its way to me.
Betsy's covers are fabulous. Mine fits as well as the cover the Boppy came with. They're easier to get on, if anything. The fleece side is soft, and the patterned side is gorgeous. The trim is attractive. The covers wash and dry well. If you have a Boppy or are buying one as a present, a cover like this is a fabulous accessory.
Baa Baa Black Sheep is part of the Lemon Tree Lane congo on HyenaCart. Congos are groups of WAHMs who band together and list their items in one HyenaCart store. When you go to look at one mom's merchandise, you see lots of others'. Good for impulse buying. Congos often stock on a regular day of the week. They often have themes or collaborations as part of a stocking. This adds to the fun.
26 December 2007
Fly Baby Flip 'n' Fly AIOs
I've reviewed these Fly Baby stuffable AIOs before, but now I have more information. I've given up on finding time to get pictures online, and will post info on diapers anyway before this blog gets totally stale.
Fit: nice. They're fat, because the attached soaker is more material than I usually stuff in a pocket. The smalls fit Lindita for almost two months (to about 12 lb), and mediums fit pretty well before she outgrew the smalls.
Absorbency: plenty. We haven't reached the end of it. I can't imagine needing to stuff it with additional material.
Convenience: high. Pull the attached insert halfway out (by the tag, no need to touch pee-filled material) before putting in the laundry, and they'll flip themselves inside out in the washer.
Cuteness: good. Amber shares my predilection for patterned fleece inners with solid PUL outers, and she picks out cuter combinations than I could. Snaps are colored when appropriate.
Containment: good. No poop has escaped.
Drying time: good. We had some trouble with them not flipping themselves inside out in the wash. Amber suggested setting the water to a faster agitation and to a lower fill setting, like the real size of the load. I had been setting the water setting higher, to give the diapers extra rinse water. These suggestions worked; the diapers now flip themselves inside out. Drying time is now about the same as other AIOs with attached external soakers.
These are favorites at my house. Nana and Husbandito both like them. They also impress friends with their cleverness. They're like pockets minus the matching-up-the-insert step. Me gustan.
Fit: nice. They're fat, because the attached soaker is more material than I usually stuff in a pocket. The smalls fit Lindita for almost two months (to about 12 lb), and mediums fit pretty well before she outgrew the smalls.
Absorbency: plenty. We haven't reached the end of it. I can't imagine needing to stuff it with additional material.
Convenience: high. Pull the attached insert halfway out (by the tag, no need to touch pee-filled material) before putting in the laundry, and they'll flip themselves inside out in the washer.
Cuteness: good. Amber shares my predilection for patterned fleece inners with solid PUL outers, and she picks out cuter combinations than I could. Snaps are colored when appropriate.
Containment: good. No poop has escaped.
Drying time: good. We had some trouble with them not flipping themselves inside out in the wash. Amber suggested setting the water to a faster agitation and to a lower fill setting, like the real size of the load. I had been setting the water setting higher, to give the diapers extra rinse water. These suggestions worked; the diapers now flip themselves inside out. Drying time is now about the same as other AIOs with attached external soakers.
These are favorites at my house. Nana and Husbandito both like them. They also impress friends with their cleverness. They're like pockets minus the matching-up-the-insert step. Me gustan.
19 December 2007
Arm's Reach Cosleeper
When you want to keep the baby close at night, but are nervous about letting the baby sleep in your own bed, consider a cosleeper. It is somewhere in between.
Take a pack & play with bassinet attachment, strap it to the edge of the bed, and then cut off the side of the bassinet that is against the bed until the bassinet's wall is only as high as the mattress. The result would be like the Arm's Reach Cosleeper. The baby's mattress is about three inches below the parents' mattress, with no wall blocking the mom's view of the baby.
I like the cosleeper. It is handy. It has some flaws, though, and it won't help everyone. Most of the time it is too much trouble to bother moving the baby to the cosleeper after she nurses in the bed. Usually she sleeps next to me. However, when my husband comes to bed and we want some space to cuddle, it's handy to move the baby to the cosleeper. We can reach over to pat her or check her diaper without sitting up or reaching over a barrier. Clean diapers inhabit a portion of the cosleeper, ready for use in the night. The cosleeper is a useful extension of our bed.
What does the cosleeper not do well? It is not a pack 'n' play, that's for sure! Ours is the Original Arm's Reach Cosleeper, full size and not height-adjustable. It is technically convertible to a bassinet and a play yard. It is supposed to be portable - ha! I'm not carrying it. That thing is heavy. You can turn the cosleeper into a bassinet and move it to another room, but I wouldn't plan on moving it back and forth.
Initial setup of the cosleeper particularly difficult, more difficult than assembling the crib. It does not set up and tear down nearly as easily as a pack 'n' play. Initial setup is especially difficult because the anchor that straps it to the bed needs to go under the big bed's mattress. The anchor is a plastic square attached to a strap; the strap goes under the mattress and the plastic square goes against the side of the bed opposite the cosleeper, holding the cosleeper tight against the bed. This prevents a baby from squeezing between the cosleeper and the bed.
The mattress is similar to any other pack 'n' play mattress: thin and hard. Crib mattresses are pretty hard, too, so this is not a big disadvantage; it's a safety feature. Some people complain that the cosleepers are ugly. Ours includes the long liner for greater aesthetic appeal. The liner is a pain to wash (which we do very rarely, like once per child) and covers up the handy pockets on the outside of the cosleeper, but it's prettier.
I like the cosleeper. It's a good place for the baby to sleep sometimes, and it holds diapers, wipes, extra blankets, etc. right at bedside. They're pretty expensive, though -- about $200 for the one we have. A pack 'n' play is a lot cheaper and more versatile, but the cosleeper is tops for its main purpose: keeping the baby right next to you without keeping the baby in your bed.
Take a pack & play with bassinet attachment, strap it to the edge of the bed, and then cut off the side of the bassinet that is against the bed until the bassinet's wall is only as high as the mattress. The result would be like the Arm's Reach Cosleeper. The baby's mattress is about three inches below the parents' mattress, with no wall blocking the mom's view of the baby.
I like the cosleeper. It is handy. It has some flaws, though, and it won't help everyone. Most of the time it is too much trouble to bother moving the baby to the cosleeper after she nurses in the bed. Usually she sleeps next to me. However, when my husband comes to bed and we want some space to cuddle, it's handy to move the baby to the cosleeper. We can reach over to pat her or check her diaper without sitting up or reaching over a barrier. Clean diapers inhabit a portion of the cosleeper, ready for use in the night. The cosleeper is a useful extension of our bed.
What does the cosleeper not do well? It is not a pack 'n' play, that's for sure! Ours is the Original Arm's Reach Cosleeper, full size and not height-adjustable. It is technically convertible to a bassinet and a play yard. It is supposed to be portable - ha! I'm not carrying it. That thing is heavy. You can turn the cosleeper into a bassinet and move it to another room, but I wouldn't plan on moving it back and forth.
Initial setup of the cosleeper particularly difficult, more difficult than assembling the crib. It does not set up and tear down nearly as easily as a pack 'n' play. Initial setup is especially difficult because the anchor that straps it to the bed needs to go under the big bed's mattress. The anchor is a plastic square attached to a strap; the strap goes under the mattress and the plastic square goes against the side of the bed opposite the cosleeper, holding the cosleeper tight against the bed. This prevents a baby from squeezing between the cosleeper and the bed.
The mattress is similar to any other pack 'n' play mattress: thin and hard. Crib mattresses are pretty hard, too, so this is not a big disadvantage; it's a safety feature. Some people complain that the cosleepers are ugly. Ours includes the long liner for greater aesthetic appeal. The liner is a pain to wash (which we do very rarely, like once per child) and covers up the handy pockets on the outside of the cosleeper, but it's prettier.
I like the cosleeper. It's a good place for the baby to sleep sometimes, and it holds diapers, wipes, extra blankets, etc. right at bedside. They're pretty expensive, though -- about $200 for the one we have. A pack 'n' play is a lot cheaper and more versatile, but the cosleeper is tops for its main purpose: keeping the baby right next to you without keeping the baby in your bed.
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