Ok home now so I can spend more time on a reply, I'll try to keep this short and succinct but anyone on here who knows me will know my posts tend to get quite long.
When it comes to cloth nappies there are many types. From those you have to prepare properly and pin on to those which are worn/changed much like a disposable, those that are waterproof and those which need separate plastic pants/cover.
First we have the pin on types:
- Flats, exactly as it sounds a flat diaper is just a square piece of fabric, usually cotton twill or Terry towelling. They need to be folded into a suitable shape to use as a diaper, there are dozens of different ways to fold them and depending on which you use it will change the number and the positioning of layers in the crotch area, more layers generally means better absorption before leaking. They need to be pinned on using either safety pins or some kind of clasp (a popular option these days is a Snappi which is a silicon band with tiny plastic teeth at the ends to grip the fabric.) They also need waterproof pants or a wrap of some kind over the top to contain it all.
- Prefolds, similar to a flat this is a square piece of fabric but vertically down the middle there is a strip which has multiple layers already sew in. These still need folding but the folds are easier, they also still need pinning and waterproof pants.
- Contours, Contours are basically a prefold but instead of being square/rectangular they have the thinner sides cut into an hourglass shape in order to fit the body better, they generally don't need folding but may still need pinning (or a cover to hold them in place) and waterproof pants
These are the oldest and most basic types and have a fair learning curve to folding them however they generally wash really easy and dry fast because they open out flat and thin. They are also often the cheapest option.
Next we have non pinned and more disposable like:
- AIO's, this stands for All in One, these are the closest thing to a disposable diaper, they have the same basic shape and features (leak guards on the legs, elastic cuffs, wings with some kind of attachment like tapes (usually Velcro or snaps). An AIO has many layers of absorbency built into it, usually has a "feel dry" fabric inside and will have a waterproof outer already on it. You put them on like you would a disposable and can easily boost capacity with extra pads. with an AIO you have everything you need on it. when you need to change you take it off clean yourself and put a whole new one on.
- AI2's, All in 2's are similar to AIO's the difference being that the waterproof layer on the outside is usually some kind of wrap that has the wings which come around to the front to hold in in place (Velcro or snaps) and on the inside an absorbent pad can be attached. These pads are usually a straight rectangular pad or an hourglass/shaped pad with multiple layers. once the pad is attached in place it can be put on and worn much like a regular diaper but when changing all you need to do is remove the pad and if the wrap is clean fit a new pad in and put it back on.
- Fitted, A fitted diaper is exactly like an AIO just without the waterproof outer layer, it is a full diaper consisting of several layers in the crotch and often a couple of layers in the wings, it's likely to have the same features like standing leak guards, elasticated leg cuffs, elastic waistband feel dry liner etc. They also have the same basic shape as a disposable with wings that com around to attach at the front with velcro or snaps, but you will then need a separate waterproof cover to go over the top.
- Hybrids, A hybrid is more like an AI2 it is a waterproof wrap that fits around you and attaches at the front but instead of a cloth pad they are generally meant to be used with a disposable pad, however a good Hybrid should able to use both cloth and disposables pads (hence hybrid) depending on the situation you need it for.
Finally you have the pocket types:
- Pocket, A pocket diaper consists of just 2 layers, the outside is waterproof (like PUL) and sewn onto that is a either a feel dry fabric or some other soft, non absorbent fabric. They are sewn together all around the outside and can have things like leak guards etc, they are usually elasticated at the waist and can have snaps or Velcro to fasten them. On one end (usually back but can be the front) right on the waistband the two layers are not sewn together in one section leaving it open to create a "pocket" reaching inside the diaper, into this pocket you place absorbent pads (mostly only rectangular ones).
- Sleeve, A sleeve diaper is exactly the same concept except that they have an opening at the front and the back, this is often done to help with washing since you can throw the whole thing in the machine with pads still inside and because of both openings there is about a 98% chance the pads will fall out on their own during the cycle (rather than having to manually remove them as you often have to do with pocket's.
Now this is only a very basic break down and there are variations on many of these to do something a bit different, There are also variations to include Pull up types (i.e. and AIO pull up or a pocket pull up).
When it comes to waterproofing fabrics there is a bit of choice, vinyl, nylon, PUL, PVC, rubber etc. when it comes to cloth diapers for babies PUL has become incredibly popular and is largely being adopted for adult diapers that are waterproof like AIO's and pockets, you can get PUL covers (pant style as well as snap on/Velcro wraps) for adults but the most common material for adults is still PVC (I personally prefer PUL and use it with all of mine).
PUL is great, it is easy to get in printed fabrics and effective enough to use for diapers however it can "seep" or wick around the edges and through stitches making the outer get wet and that can then wick onto clothing. This only tends to happen if you are over wetting the diaper inside or sitting in it for too long. PVC is a good choice that doesn't do this however it can dry out easily and break down. all the options have good and bad points.
There are also a large variety of fabrics to choose from for the absorbent parts, Terry cloth, Fleeces, woven and knitted cotton like twill etc. Each has pro's and con's, strengths and weaknesses. There are also a number of fibres used to make those fabrics from synthetic microfiber, cotton, bamboo, hemp, Zorb etc. and again they each have things they are better or worse at.
Making the most effective absorbency for a cloth diaper will often entail using different fabrics and/or materials in ordered layers to get the best result, but honestly it is not overly necessary when you consider that a simple flat diaper, a square of just one type of fabric and fibre, does the job quite well if folded properly. Unless you are either going for the absolute pinnacle of performance or to get good performance with minimal cost, and are willing to put in the time researching it all.
And finally for completeness sake you have the "feel dry" fabrics, these are a type of fabric that does not hold on to moisture at all, the way they are made means that fluid can pass right through it with no trouble and they still feel dry against the skin afterward. Microfleece is quite good for this but it will allow fluid to go through both ways meaning if you wet a diaper enough that wee is coming back out of the absorbent material it can come back through the microfleece onto the skin.
My latest favourite for this layer is what's known as "athletic jersey mesh", it is incredibly good at wicking moisture away from the skin and into the absorbent fabrics below it, is incredibly thin, breathable and soft, but best of all there are companies making it (Pro Cool being one) in such a way that moisture can only go through it one way. Now obviously it's not perfect, given enough time and pressure fluid can come back through the wrong way but it does the job well enough in every day use cases.
The downside for the one way jersey mesh is that it's £25 per meter (compared to about £12 per meter for the standard jersey mesh.) but if a diaper that lets you feel dry and really works to keep urine off the skin is important to you it's a dang good fabric.
Now personally as for recommendations for you, I do love a good flat diaper, I enjoy the process of folding/preparing it and pinning on, I like the bulk, and I like that the sides have more fabric so sleeping on a side and peeing has less chance to leak. But they do have a learning curve and prefold's are similar.
So my usual suggestion for people stands here too.
Start with a fitted diaper. They are just like a disposable for putting them on, have good coverage all round and a good capacity (more than any type that uses pads), they can be boosted with inserts if you need more but most importantly, the waterproof outer (plastic pants) is a separate item.
This is important because it means if the waterproofing starts to fail (and it does after a while) the diaper is still perfectly usable you just need new plastic pants which is so much cheaper to replace. If the waterproofing goes on an AIO you need to replace the whole thing. The opposite is also true if the diaper gets ruined (maybe you put off washing it for far too long and it's falling apart) you still have your cute plastic pants to use with the next diaper.
Moreover if you decide you don't like cloth or just want a disposable one day you can still use your cute printed plastic pants with a disposable, and if you do find you like cloth and end up with a whole bunch of cute printed plastic pants/wraps then you can use them with any of the diapers you have whenever you like, whereas if you had AIO's made then you can only wear each print once until you wash it.
Hope this helps, sorry for length, any more questions feel free to ask. Going to cloth diapers can be quite a big rabbit hole to go down, it can seem quite daunting with all that you might need/want to know. It's not really that much though when you can cut through it for only the things you most want or need to know.
But prefolds can be bulky and waddly, and might not be your first choice for out-and-about wear. There are always trade-offs, as also mentioned above.
