Pocket nappies-any good?

[ben0510]

HI all. Been looking on ebay at ab stuff. there are some pocket nappies on there, which I'm thinking of buying. can someone answer a few questions please.

would these be any good for wearing under my clothing?
what kind of capacity should I expect, as it doesnt state it on the ebay listing.
do the pads come in different absorbencies, and sizes?
thanks.

 

[Belarin]

Not at home right now so i'll keep this quick.

Pockets can be OK in the right usage cases.

Just know that they will not hold as much as a real diaper (disposable or cloth) but you can get many sizes and shapes of pads with different materials and capacities/speeds.

They can be quite comfy and also quite discreet compared to other cloth types but they can also be prone to leaks/wicking outside if kept on when wet for longer times.

Capacity depends on how many, thickness and type of pads used, some pockets can fit more or thicker pads than others so might be better.

A bonus point is they can generally be used with disposable booster pads so if needing a change when out you can simply pull out the old one and throw it away, slotting in a new one. This way you won't have to be carrying wet pads with you.

I personally don't like them much as they don't work well for me but that is probably because I try to use them more than i know they are capable of. If used right they van be quite effective and useful.

 

[greatlake5]

I use Ecoable snap-on pocket diapers but only on specific sport activity (tennis, biking, golf and softball). They are comfortable and help secure the diaper (often with compression shorts). I like these because I can adjust absorb levels. Cleaning them could be an issue but my cleaning lady does the laundry (she doesn't mind).

 

[TeeMousy]

I have a couple Rearz pocket diapers. They do not hold a lot, one good wetting and I need to change, of course that will depend on how much padding you put inside. But when I am wearing them out in public I like that they have some elastic in the back so I can just pull them down like regular underwear if I need to use the restroom. They are pretty discreet under my clothes. I just have to be careful the waistband doesn't show. Although one time a friend noticed them when I bent over, but he just thought I had on colorful regular underwear.

 

[Cottontail]

I have an assortment of pocket diapers, most of them Snap-EZ brand. (Snap-EZ recently changed hands and is now Brevity.) My one-line synopsis of pocket diapers would be: They're like all-in-ones, except that when the cover inevitably fails, your investment in padding is safe. As @Belarin said, they have their uses. The Snap-EZ ones, like many, are designed with rather narrow, purpose-made pads in mind, so there's a pretty low limit to how much you can stuff in them. It's probably best to accept that pockets are on the low end of the scale as far as cloth diaper absorbency goes. If discreetness is a major concern, or else if you like the comfort of them and don't mind changing more frequently, they can be a good thing. I like to wear mine out and about, mainly just for the feel and for the knowledge that I'm in a diaper. With a single pad inserted, they're very discreet. Like with the Threaded Armor pull-ups, I enjoy thinking of them as training pants.

You might also investigate wraps, like these from Rearz. Versus most pocket diapers, the crotch is much wider, so you can customize the absorbency a lot more. You can simply lie padding, like a size-XS adult prefold, in the wrap and then fasten the wrap. The fit is snug enough that the prefold itself doesn't need to be fastened. (There are, of course, many other options for padding.) What's more, because the wrap has no pocket, it's quick and easy to simply swap in dry padding and continue using the same wrap. With regular changes, I'll often make it 8-10 hours in the same wrap. These wraps have lately become one of my favorite cloth diaper arrangements, although I usually still pin my prefolds and wear pull-on covers over them. That's partly because the performance is fantastic, but also because I grew up with pinned prefolds and my little side feels a really strong connection to them.

In short, I don't think pockets are a bad out-and-about solution for when discreetness is the name of the game. If you also see yourself wearing in private and wanting something with a bit more absorbency, you might look at the wraps too. I they offer a great balance of price/performance/customizability.

 

[Belarin]

Home and able to add more a bit easier.

My one-line synopsis of pocket diapers would be: They're like all-in-ones, except that when the cover inevitably fails, your investment in padding is safe. As @Belarin said, they have their uses...

...In short, I don't think pockets are a bad out-and-about solution for when discreetness is the name of the game. If you also see yourself wearing in private and wanting something with a bit more absorbency, you might look at the wraps too. I they offer a great balance of price/performance/customizability.

That synopsis is pretty much exactly what I say about fitted nappies and why I recommend them over an AIO any day of the week. Also I agree that for discretionary needs they are great and also for those with lighter to moderate IC, people who will not want to be sitting around wet for very long or emptying whole big bladder loads at once.

would these be any good for wearing under my clothing?

Yes they are probably among the most discreet of cloth products with the only things more discreet being the pants that have just a little padded area (like 100-300ml worth) in the front like these.

Or a pocket pull up that are meant to look like pants without any snaps/velcro to do up. (like the Threaded Armor although those are designed to be more nappy like in terms of the amount of padding you put in).

what kind of capacity should I expect, as it doesnt state it on the ebay listing.

As said that depends entirely on the pads you use, their size, shape, number of layers, fabric material (cotton/microfibre etc.) How many you can fit into the pocket without overstuffing it and quality/GSM.

As an example, in the UK I tend to buy these if I am not making them myself, they come in packs of 6 for £25.

They are a 4 layer pad with a blend of bamboo and microfibre, I have run multiple "scientific" tests on these (the science is very basic but I have done some deep testing under a number of methods and situations) alongside several other pads I had collected/made.

Now sadly the table I made with all my results has disappeared (really annoyed by that as it had a lot of good data and I don't want to go through it all again), But from memory I can say that one of these pads (that has been through many uses and wash cycles) will take around 500ml max of fluid before just starts running out and will hold on to about 420ml or so with a bit of compression and about 390ml after really trying to press the fluid out.

Given that an average bladder holds about 500ml (can get up to around 800ml at night or if holding for long times) but usually gives the urge to go at about 200-300ml, then In theory one of these pads should be plenty to hold one good wetting with maybe a little room to spare for a couple very small dribbles afterward. Two pads should hold a couple of good wettings quite securely.

Now I had another pad the same shape and similar size but with different fibres that only held: max 380ml, 320 after compression and around 270 after really squeezing them. Which means for those pads if you wee regularly and at the first hint of needing then In theory it they might take one moderate wetting but will probably leak if you try and sit down or use them again, so you would need at least 2 of them to hold one good wee before a change.

I say in theory there because this was under lab conditions where the full length and width of the pads were used to soak up water, in a real life situation there will likely be parts of the pad that do not get the same exposure or gravity will have an effect on where to wee pools/drains too leaving some parts of the pad drier than others, potentially meaning they will end up holding less wee.

do the pads come in different absorbencies, and sizes?

See above, but yes they come in many shapes and sizes, some will be too big for a brand of pocket and other my be to thin or short. They can be basic rectangles or a more contoured shape, some may only be double layered some 3 layers some may be 4+ layers, some might combine different fibre types to utilise their best different abilities others all the same.

We can probably help sift through option for advise but often you just have to play around and try a bunch of different ones to find what works best for your needs.