Cloth vs Disposables

Are you interested in pros and cons of cloth diapers against disposables? We summed up all the relevant info in this one article. For more details, please go to links in the following text. That’s because cloth diapers have so many advantages that they cannot be described in just one article!

Pros:

+ Cloth diapers are always a better deal. In case you’re planning two or more children, you will save hundreds of euros: not just a little money, but actually a lot! For more info, we recommend our article How to Save Money on Diapers.

+ Cloth diapers are environmentally friendly, they’re a better choice ecology-wise. By using cloth, you will save the environment from approximately a ton of non-biodegradable waste with each baby! Imagine all the people using cloth – wouldn’t that help the environment remarkably?

+ Cloth diapers are a healthier choice for your baby. In cloth, the risk of getting diaper dermatitis or other inflectional inflammation, decreases considerably.

+ Thanks to sewed-in elastics in the waste and around the legs in our Diaper Covers (and thanks to the little wings around the legs) Bamboolik’s diapers hold liquids much better than disposables. You will certainly appreciate that during the first months with your baby, when the stool is really liquid.  

+ Cloth diapers are just CUTER!

Cons:

- Cloth diapers have to be washed. However, be honest with yourself… How much time does it take to empty your laundry bag in the washing machine and press the “on” button? Yes, sometimes it might take a while to get rid of some dirt, before you put the diaper in the pail or wet bag. But, in case you use separating liners (fleece or disposable liners), this task becomes much more simple and quick. Then drying takes some time, but again, it becomes pretty simple and quick if you own one useful appliance – tumble dryer! Not to mention that even disposable diapers require some work – you have to buy them, bring them home and then take out the garbage bag every day (or buy a rather costly diaper bin).

- Some people might dislike close contact with bodily fluids and other “products”. However, you won’t be able to avoid this kind of interaction even if you use exclusively disposables. A disposable diaper also has to be taken off the baby’s bum, the bum has to be cleaned, the diaper packed and put in the garbage. Not to mention that the chemical smells rising from a used disposable might cause you bigger discomfort than just the ordinary smell of bodily fluids.

- Some cloth diapers require more skills to change than disposables (prefolds or square diapers). That can be easily solved by choosing more user friendly cloth diaper – such as Bamboolik’s Pocket Diapers which are changed the same way as disposables. And Bamboolik’s All In Two system is not much different in this respect either.

- Some may find the initial investment in cloth diapers a bit too high. That is true, but in the long run you will save so much more! Find out more in How did we calculate.

- Travelling to places where there’s not an available washing machine can be a problem. However, a few weeks of holiday should not be the main factor in your decision for/against cloth diapers. Plus, Bamboolik is intensely working on finding a solution for you here!

 

To sum up, a comparison table for statistics lovers:

	Cloth Diapers	Disposables
Environment	ecological, can be recycled and the environment is not strained at all during their production	non-ecological, both in production and then after use
Family budget	economical, family budget is strained only initially and then the cost is minimal; with each child, the final cost per child becomes lower and lower	expensive, almost 1 000,- EUR per child, with each other baby it doubles, triples etc.; regular black hole of your family budget
Health	healthy, thanks to natural and breathable materials	made of chemical materials that can irritate babies’ skin, not very breathable
Relialibity	reliable	usually leak more than most cloth diapers
Appearance	esthetical, pretty, cute!	just... diapers :-)
Maintenance	have to be washed and dried	have to be bought and taken out
Changing	with some types of cloth diaper might be more demanding	easy
Manipulation with used diaper	you have to get rid of firm stool	you have to get the stool all in the diaper and then throw it out
Travel	difficult if you travel some place where there’s no washing machine	without problems

 

Don‘t you worry, using of modern cloth diapers is very easy and ... cute! See for yourselves: