In the US, pampers made the switch mid year in 1999 on the baby dry line, I was buying size 6 baby dry diapers and was surprised with a hybrid diaper, the front taping panel and rear wings with the tapes were still plastic backed, then diaper core its self had a thin cloth like cover, there were pretty good, super soft and strong, they did not stretch out or anything. In that same time line of 98 - 99 pampers premium w/ aloe were cloth like cover, I could only find size 5's though locally and while they fit decently, size 6's were my obvious go to's.
I remember when huggies switched to a cloth like cover, I bought a pack of size 6's to try out and while the diaper fit a little snugger after wetting I would feel slimy on my thighs, didn't like that feeling, it was like wet newspaper resting on your skin, also the cover would wick through so if you wet you would pretty much have to change within the hour, kind of bad when your a dl that likes wet and squishy.
After pampers shifted over to cloth like I was pretty much alternating between them and luvs which still was 100% plastic backed, I though loves were pretty good, a little thinner then pampers but they could take a real good beating and not break up, the barney designs were kind of a turn off but you can have it all