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.
