Thickness of Cloth vs Disposable

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timidlythinking

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Hey everybody!
I have been shopping around lately and once again I almost (I got really, really close) caved in and bought a few cloth diapers to try out.

I like the idea of prefolds with pins and plastic pants but the one thing I can never tell for sure is the thickness of these diapers.

Here at ADISC we have all of these wonderful reviews with precise measurements for disposables and you get an idea of how big it would be to wear, and will you waddle, and can you close your legs :sweatdrop::biggrin:

But in the case of say, the rearz prefolds or the babykins prefolds, how big? waddle? close legs? Exact thickness vs disposable? Because all the cloth-fans always talk about how thick and thirsty they are but I don't know specifically.

Oh, and here's what I have in mind.
http://rearz.ca/product_info.php?cPath=116_59&products_id=338
http://www.babykins.com/store/adult-cloth-diapers/kins-flat-prefold-night-time-adult-diaper/

http://rearz.ca/product_info.php?cPath=116_59&products_id=244 (this one's obviously a bit of a special case, but just look at it! SOOO thick:laugh:)

Thanks as always guys!!
 
Cloth can be as thick as you want or as thin, for baby kins I would say you need the diaper and a doubler for night and just the diaper during the day (that what I do) If you want supper thick here what you can do, get the babykins, get some prefolds ( https://www.changingtimesdiaperco.com/ ) and put the prefold in folded up in the kins (I don't recomend mor then one, you want to still walk right?)

For me I have 10 Baby Kins, they are my thinest diapers.
Then I have 7 KCK ones [pocket diapers] ( http://brandysewingroom.com/pages/AboutDiaperStyles.php saddly this person was the only one that made the adult sized one but if you can sew you can go http://sewyourown.blogspot.com/ to get the pattern https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_gGRlM2je34UTJSeTFCNzJpaG8/view)
Finally I have 10 Flat prefolds from https://www.changingtimesdiaperco.com/

Mind you for 2 of the 3 diapers listed above you are good need water proof pants, I have some vinal pants from Kins, but I really like the PUL pants from Changing times, they last longer.
But you can make them as thick or as thin as you want, I could do a pair of the pocket diapers with nearly nothing in it to make it as thin as normal under pants. or I could put 2 prefolds on top of each other and fold them up and wear them, this is way to thick for me, but I could.

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I should also note I have 4 (with a 5th) on the way Super Undies now, 3 pair of the kins pull up diapers, and 2 baby pants my first trainers also, those are great for day time wearing they are thick enough to remind me I am not really a big boy but thin enough no one has noticed them.
 
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Your diapers may seem thin at first, but before using them, you need to wash and dry them at least a few times. They will get thicker and thicker and get softer and fluffier. You should also know not to use bleach or fabric softener.
 
Similar to the article on disposables, I’ve often thought formal/structured reviews of cloth diapers would be helpful.
 
Cloth diaper prefolds are pretty much the same, you'll get to choose from different fabrics and amount of layers and sizes to choose from.
 
So, for the sake of comparing, how would one cloth (no stuffers or doublers) compare in thickness to say a Bambino?

I don't know, do you get what I'm asking? I know that the thickness can really vary but I'm asking for specifics so we have a reference point.
 
timidlythinking said:
So, for the sake of comparing, how would one cloth (no stuffers or doublers) compare in thickness to say a Bambino?

I don't know, do you get what I'm asking? I know that the thickness can really vary but I'm asking for specifics so we have a reference point.
There is a reason no one has done cloth diaper reviews like disposables: they are not the same. Take a towel and fold it up: that is the thickness of terry cloth of equal layers. Flannel is the same thing: take flannel shirt/sheet/whatever and fold it to the desired thickness. Count the layers.

Depending on size, how it is folded, and how it fits, the thickness can vary. It is like folding towels: heavier folding makes shorter stacks. The real benefit of cloth is the use of boosters. It is easy to get the same cloth diapers to be anywhere from 1/4" (6 mm) to well over an inch (40+ mm). Unless a person puts on half a bag of depends, there is no way to get the thickness available with cloth.

Look at the cloth diapers available and read about their absorbency. Some are available with 6 layers of fabric in the middle. Fold it in thirds and it is now in the 10-14 layers range. Folded like this, it must be layed down the center of another diaper to be worn. This makes the resulting diaper 16-20 layers of thick cloth. Additionally, pining on 2 diapers instead of just one is easy enough; now we are at 22-26 layers. That is redicously thick. The most I have worn is 6 night-time diapers at once, a thickness so laughable that I needed a pillow under my back to comfortably lay down! At that point, the absorbency is far beyond my ability to stay in one diaper.

Thickness of cloth verses disposable: cloth wins for variety, absorbency, and available thickness every time. Try using large safety pins to put a bath towel on like a diaper and do your own comparison! Good luck walking.
 
Jeremiah said:
There is a reason no one has done cloth diaper reviews like disposables: they are not the same. Take a towel and fold it up: that is the thickness of terry cloth of equal layers. Flannel is the same thing: take flannel shirt/sheet/whatever and fold it to the desired thickness. Count the layers.

Thanks a lot - that is a great way to get an idea of the thickness. I'm gonna go try that!
 
With Babykins you can also for a small up charge have two or more soakers added into the diaper,the beautifully thing about that is Jenny adds the soaker in the entire diaper not just the center crotch,so it's compact and can last an entire day,cloth unlike disposables the whole diaper absorbs not just the center and small wings,awesome protection anywhere.
 
As everyone has said, cloth diapers can be as thick as you want them. But realize, the more layers in an individual diaper, the longer the drying time. That is why it is better to use cloth diapers with fewer layers and 'double up' for the desired absorbency.

You asked for details, so here is what I use for bedtime:
I double diaper using Changing Times prefolds: 1 large and 1 medium, both of which are 4 layers on the sides and 10 layers in the middle
The large is 36" x 29 " unfolded, with the 10 layer center section measuring 12” wide.
The medium is 33” x 26 " unfolded, with the 10 layer center section measuring 9” wide.
Instead of pinning, I use a PUL pocket diaper, which requires folding the diapers differently.
The large diaper is folded a quarter in on each side, making it 36" x 16" with 8 layers along the now 2” sides and 14 layers in the 12” middle.
The medium diaper is folded in thirds, making it 36" x 10” with 18 layers.
The medium diaper is placed center on top of the large diaper. Total uncompressed thickness down the middle is about 1.5”.
The extra width of the large diaper is wrapped around the medium diaper, forming an indentation down the center for roomy comfort.
The assembly slides into the pocket diaper, and then I reach in and make sure the edges of the large diaper are spread flat through the front and back of the pocket diaper to provide the full coverage. The crotch of the pocket diaper holds the sides of the large diaper wrapped around the medium diaper, forming a nice u-shaped pocket around the groin.
A pair of Gary plastic pants go over the top for extra protection.

It is bulky overall, but does not interfere with my sleep. I can output a large amount of urine while sleeping because of my genetic condition. Plus, if I am not doing well in the morning, I can be stuck in bed for several hours, still outputting a large amount of urine. I may wake up thoroughly soaked, but I don’t have to worry about a leak with this ensemble.

The other thing that must be said about cloth diapers, is that the full coverage, plus fast wicking prevents leaks when sleeping/wetting on your side. Plus, they don’t have to be fastened as snug as disposables, as leaks are prevented by the plastic pants, which are independently fitted to the user.

The biggest caveat with cloth diapers is I find them impossible to wear out of the home. Too much bulk is required to prevent leaks, they are difficult to change in a different environment, and they are extremely heavy and smelly to carry around in a diaper bag. I have made a quick run to the store in a cloth diaper (single, not double), but I had just changed, was dry and new I would be back home quickly.
 
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