Newborn Cloth Diapering: Covers

(This is part of a series on cloth diapering. See my post on fitteds and prefolds here, and a post on pockets coming up soon.)

Dappi Nylon Pants - These are a pull-on cover, and actually were my favorite for when Esther was just born. I reached for these covers the most until her chubby legs outgrew them (this is the newborn size). The elastic on the legs is nice and soft so it doesn't pinch or leave marks. The cover is big enough that its easy to pull on and has plenty of room for the diaper. These are very inexpensive, 2 for $6 at Nicki's Diapers.

Thirsties - These are my favorite diaper cover overall. I like that the leg gussets help keep leaks contained as opposed to some other covers I've used that wick moisture through the elastic. They have a wide range of fit and are generously sized. There are lots of fun colors to choose from with this diaper. We used x-smalls for a while, but quickly outgrew them. In general I think you could skip that size and just get smalls. The one in the photo is a small. It has cross-over tabs so you can make it fit a pretty tiny baby.

Mother-ease Airflow - Another great cover! This one looked huge to me, but actually fits nicely. Its tight enough around the legs, but the elastic is soft so it doesn't pinch. It snaps at the sides and has separate snaps for the legs and the waist. It comes in cute prints and is generously sized to fit any diaper underneath. I received this cover for review and have a fitted diaper and cover to giveaway - check back soon for that.

Swaddlebees Wool Cover Small - Although I like wool covers, I'm not impressed with this one. I think the cover is over a Kissaluvs fitted in this photo. Swaddlebees just seem to be too trim fitting, I can't get it to completely cover the diapers and it ends up leaking moisture out the sides.

Stacinator Wool Cover Small - This cover is just enough bigger than the Swaddlebees that it works well for us. Its stretchy and has enough snaps that it will fit for quite a while. I like using wool because its breathable, but I do have to be careful to change her frequently so that wetness doesn't leak through too much. Its a fairly bulky cover, but works well. You can see the size difference in the picture below, the Stacinator is on the bottom and the Swaddlebees on top:

Aristocrat - As you can see, this one is quite bulky as well. This is my absolute-no-fail cover. Julia uses a large one of these at night and doesn't ever leak through it. Esther hasn't worn hers much yet, but it will be great for night time over a pocket diaper, or for use in the summer with just a t-shirt top. Its very thick through the wet zone but still soft and comfortable. This is a size small and should fit Esther up to 20lbs. I like these so much that I got the longies also:

Aristocrat Longies - Esther hasn't worn these much yet, they are just kind of hard to pull on squirmy newborn legs. I like the fit one her and think she'll get more use out of them as she gets bigger. This is basically an aristocrat cover with legs added on. I think its cute.

Sleep Sack - I crocheted this sleep sack for Esther to wear at night. It hasn't really worked as well as I thought. The idea is that the bottom is open for diaper changes, but really its easier to take it off than to try and bunch all of the fabric up to reach her diaper. Lucy and Julia think she looks like a mermaid in this. I may stitch the bottom shut to keep her legs warmer and then she could just wear it around the house (it wouldn't work in a car seat).

Longies - This is another one that hasn't gotten much use yet. As she gets older it will be easier to get these on and off of her. I loved using longies with my other girls and got tons of compliments when they wore them out somewhere. I have a super cute skirty that I made also in a bigger size.

That's all for today. Check back soon for another post on newborn diapering (pockets) and a giveaway!