Someone new to cloth diapering asked me some days ago what the different kinds of reusable cloth diapers are. She was aware that there were new kinds of cloth diapers, but she was confused about the different terms.

I decided, then, to write a post today about the different kinds of cloth diapering systems. There are basically four types of cloth diapering systems:

1. Lampin/prefold + diaper cover. This is your traditional diapering method and it has two parts. The first part is the actual cloth diaper which can be a lampin (aka "flat diaper") or a prefold. A lampin is a flat piece of cloth (usually made of cotton gauze or birdseye cloth) that is folded and then attached to baby with diaper pins or clasps. A prefold is a lampin that has already been folded and sewn into a rectangle with a thicker middle. In the Philippines, you can buy various brands of lampin (Curity, Enfant, Sanggol), and you can also buy prefolds from Chino Pino.

One new innovation replacing lampins/prefolds is the contour diaper. The contour diaper is similar to a prefold but more luxurious: it's shaped so that it's narrow in the crotch and wider around the waist, meaning no more folding! And it's made of the same luxurious fabrics that more expensive modern cloth diapers are made of.

To prevent leaks and poopy blowouts, lampins/prefolds are best partnered with a diaper cover. The traditional diaper cover is the "plastic panty," which, as its name suggests, is a garterized panty made of thick plastic that you put over baby's lampin. However, nowadays you can also buy more modern diaper covers made of lightweight breathable material that are soft on baby's skin and cooler for babies to wear. The Pinoy Baby Store carries Thirsties diaper covers, the most popular diaper cover in the USA.

This is by far the cheapest and most versatile kind of cloth diapering system.

Update: The Pinoy Baby Store now also carries Thirsties Duo Wraps, an adjustable diaper cover that grows with your baby!

2. Fitted diaper + diaper cover. A fitted diaper is a cloth diaper that is shaped like a disposable diaper. Instead of using pins or clasps, the diaper already has closures, usually made of Velcro or snaps, so that you can just attach it to baby the same way that you would attach a disposable diaper. In the Philippines, Chino Pino makes fitted diapers (they call it "preformed diapers") from the same material as lampin (cotton gauze). The Pinoy Baby Store carries Thirsties and Kissaluvs fitted diapers that are lined with fleece which draws moisture away from baby's skin and deep into the diaper.

Fitted diapers don't have a waterproof lining so to make them leakproof, they are best paired with a diaper cover.

A fitted diaper + diaper cover is the most leakproof cloth diapering system.

3. All-in-Ones and Pocket Diapers. An All-in-One (AIO) looks like a fitted diaper, except that there is already a diaper cover attached to it. As the name suggests, it is an "all-in-one" diaper: you don't need to add a separate diaper cover anymore.

All-in-Ones, however, are more difficult to wash and take a long time to dry, so a kind of cloth diaper that is similar to an All-in-One is a pocket diaper. A pocket diaper looks like an All-in-One but you can take out the soaker/insert, which is the thick absorbent material inside the diaper. This has two advantages: it makes the diaper easier to launder because you can dry the two parts separately. Also, you can adjust the absorbency of the diaper by adding additional inserts when you need to.

In the Philippines, Tushy Wushy makes a pocket diaper. The Pinoy Baby Store will also be carrying US-made All-in-Ones and pocket diapers later in a few months' time (watch for it!).

All-in-Ones/Pocket Diapers are the easiest to attach to baby.

Update: The Pinoy Baby Store now carries Drybees Hybrid All-in-Ones, one of the US' most popular brands of All-in-One diapers!

4. One-Size. One-size diapers are all-in-ones or pocket diapers that are adjustable so that you can use them from the time baby is an infant all the way up to the time baby is a toddler. One size diapers can be folded and snapped/hooked in a special way to fit smaller babies, and then unhooked/unsnapped and unfolded to fit larger babies.

One size diapers have the convenience of All-in-Ones/Pocket Diapers, but are more economical because you can use the same diaper as baby grows.

There are no local companies that make one-size diapers yet, but the Pinoy Baby Store carries bumGenius, Wahmies, and Rocky Mountain One-Size diapers from the US.

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