Cloth Diaper User

I haven't tried cloth diapers yet but thinking about it. Can you tell me the upside, advantages or just why you feel cloth is your diaper of choice.

I tend to wear cloth more in the winter so its seasonal for me.
With the diaper options I have, I can vary capacity from not much to almost infinite depending on what I need.
I never run out, as long as I do the laundry.
No heavy trash bags to dispose.
I can replicate the exact appearance of the diapers (and their performance) from when I was 2 or 3 ..or..
I can duplicate the “modern” cloth diapers that are used by everyone now, like PUL wraps, pockets or AIO’s
Plus use natural fibers like cotton, hemp and bamboo to absorb.

There could be just as many reasons not to use them like the huge learning curve so.. I understand they're not for everyone.

I wear cloth diapers exclusively. Cloth is much more comfortable to me, they are softer, and feel better than disposables. There are no tapes, just pins, which can be positioned as needed. My experience with disposables is that tapes do not allow for repositioning. Cloth diapers breathe better than disposables, I wear PUL diaper covers which breathe better than plastic. Cloth diapers come in either contour or prefold styles, Contour diapers are less bulky around the legs while prefold style gives more coverage in the inner thighs. Although more expensive than disposables initially, cloth is washable, and worn again and again while disposables are thrown into landfills. Purchasing disposables are time consuming and shipping may not be as reliable as needed. Cloth diapers can be stored easily. I can add a booster pad to my cloth diaper for extended wear, not so much with disposables, disposables are bulky but still leak, cloth will leak too but with a booster, leaking is lessened.

I also usually wear Cloths, although I keep buying and using disposables (public use, and when feeling lazy).

For the cloths one, I like their feel, softness and thickness, and as @drawer pointed out that it's very easy to get just what you need in terms of absorbency. For instance, for night time, you can put some absorbency on the sides if you sleep on your side (where a disposable usually just leaks). Personally I also like sewing, so it was fun to sew my own diapers, with the patterns/designs/fabrics I wanted.

The setup that I like the most, because it's really easy to prepare, buy and clean, is waterproof pants + Fitted diaper (the ones I've sewn) + Inserts (which are basically microfiber cleaning cloths or towels): having all inserts separate and thin makes cleaning + drying really easy and fast, better granularity on absorption you need, the fitted diaper keeps everything together and the PVC/PUL pants just make it waterproof (and makes cleaning + drying of the fitted diaper easier). And if I want a dry feeling, I just put a thin fleece insert on top.
I've also tried AIO and pocket diapers and they are not as good to clean (AIO, where they are next to impossible to dry out) or prepare (pockets, as stuffing things inside is a bit uncomfortable... specially to get things on the sides)

I was raised on cloth, so that is my mind set.

I find them more comfortable.

Compared to disposable, you can wet in any position and it is absorbed. I have had more leaks with disposable and if you are sitting the sides do not absorb and I fell wet.

Then there is the cost. It has run me around $300 for 5 diapers and several plastic pants over 5+years. Versus $85 for 12 diapers, tape issues, fit. So 12 one use Versus around 50 uses/per disposable and the washing ( I through them into a laundry load and do extra heave was, so the cost is nominal)

I got ecoable diapers.
You have to consider though that when you wear cloth diapers
That you have to have enough cloth for the absorbency you're going to soak up.
Cloth diapers don't have the polymers in them to absorb more liquid.
I bought 5 ecoable diapers and I'm quite happy with them.
Some people do both they wear the disposables out in public and then they wear the cloth ones when they're home or at night
But again the cloth diapers can be more bulky so you're going to have to wear looser clothing.
I hope this helps you.

This may be a little out of my skill level. Not knowing where to order cloth diaper, covers, pins. etc. Not knowing how to get a good fit. Seems that the learning curve is a little more intense that disposable.

The learning curve is definitely somewhat steep - or can be - and the initial expense is considerable.

I wear disposables only now and then, usually when I'm out and about. The rest of the time, I wear cloth. However, I've traded pins for Velcro®. I think my diaper pin days are over.

Diaper pins are almost always an impediment when you have someone else caring for you; younger caregivers, in particular, just aren't comfortable with pins. Velcro®, on the other hand, is a piece of cake.

I think I save several hundred dollars per year by using cloth most of the time and disposables only now and then. Of course, I have laundry to do and there's the storage concern. Other than that, I'm a happy cloth diaper user.

I never run out of cloth diapers. Once you buy them, they are good for years. Use them, wash them and re-use them. Fold them to fit your own situation. Don't have to worry about tapes coming undone; I have never had a problem with pins either. Very seldom have any leaking issues (wear plastic pants with them); easy to change when wet or messy; can add extra layers when you need them; used ones don't stink up the trash can either.

Its what I was raised on cloth/plastic/pins, I love how they feel and fit, it is what babies wore in the 50's. They take me back.

Still trying to wrap my head around switching to cloth diapers. I know I'm probably over thinking this but the more I think about it, the more going to cloth diapers makes sense. I know messing in a cloth diaper would prompt a quick change and that you probably could get a couple of wettings in a cloth diaper before changing. My questions to those who wear cloth diapers routinely, and everyone system is different but how many diapers would one go through in a 24 hour day. I was looking at cost of cloth diapers and they are not cheap. I understand the long term cost as they are reusable.

Ok, so you need to decide what it is you want to wear, to simplify..
First theres old school cotton prefolds that are pinned in place and waterproofed with a pair of plastic pants.
This is what most people here seem to be mean when saying “cloth diapers”
Or theres what most actual parents call “cloth diapers” these days which are systems consisting of an insert made waterproof by a pul cover or even a “pocket” cover, which holds the insert in place.
This second system has a billion options regarding which insert, which style of cover etc. The options are complex!

How many? Old school: in 24 hrs 6 cotton prefolds and 2 pairs plastic pants ( re use a few times if only wet)
New school: 6 pul pocket diapers 6-12 -inserts depending on material
Or 6 prefolds tri folded and laid inside of a pul cover that snaps or velcro’s. You'd need 3 or 4
of those.
So once you’ve gone through those and you've shaken them into the washer out of your waterfroof pul laundry bag you stored them in, you need a a whole new set of the same thing to wear while those are washing. So double the above amounts, and thats washing every day. I like washing every other day so that means like 18 prefolds, 6 covers etc.
It can be alot but there are some good suppliers for each thing that are surprisingly reasonable.
So... old school or new school? Have you seen something you want to try?

I guess that I am "old school" I change my diaper 3 to 4 times a day (one at night) I also use a booster in my diaper which extends wear time, and PUL diaper cover. At night I have found a pull up cloth diaper doesn't leak if I sleep on my side, with large plastic pants covering them.

Everyone had been a big help, especially drawer and always. Think I'll order a couple to try size. Now where is the best place to order from? I'll take any input you can give me to help make the transition from disposables to cloth. Think thats the way I want to go!

There are several suppliers that I use. Changing Times Diaper Store, and Adult Cloth Diaper Company. I found these companies to be reputable. Thnere are others but I use these two

Alwayz, thanks. I'll give them a try!

I have 60" square terry diapers which I fold using the kite fold. I have a 48" waist and they fit me fine. I cover them with PUL pants.
I find that these dry much faster then the prefolds and they also remind me of what I wore when I was a baby (in the 1940s).
The sellers also have 40" size if that will work for you. The only sellers I found are in UK and there is a significant shipping cost that has to be added. Right now the UK pound is down significantly on the U.S. Dollar, so that helps.

I appreciate all the good info. from each of you. If I wash diapers every other day like some have said they do. I will need a diaper bucket to keep soiled diapers until washing???????let me know if there is a better way

Amazon also sells a number of reliable brands like Altogether Diaper Co. They come with the brand, Leakmaster. I wear night weight and they are very absorbent. Recently, I've been using the PUL plastic pants over the cloth diapers.

Use a so called “wet bag” instead of a pail, a pul one ( polyurethane laminated cloth) waterproof one, put them into it and then wash it with the diapers. You’ll need 2. It can go in a laundry basket or something you already have till wash time.
I second Changing Times Diaper Co. You can’t miss with their prefolds, plus you can always use them folded inside pul covers you buy from Little Onion Sewing on etsy sometime later. The most comfortable plastic pants come from Babykins, I recommend the “softies” ones that are like $12, you’ll get 6 months out of them before the start to stiffen but they're cheap enough. By then you'll be over it or want more that catch your eye.
Thats really all you need to get started.. old school... a few hundred $ on prefolds $30 for pants.. some pins..a few wet bags and some detergent..
Come back for washing routine advice the internet’s full of conflicting info on it.. Alwayz has good advice there as well I’m sure.