Ok so the bumGenius 'Flip Nappy' is set to turn the nappy industry on it's head and bring re-usable nappies firmly into the mainstream. It's all talk so far so when a sample of the real thing was delivered to Babi Pur towers we thought we'd share with you what the flip nappy looks and feels like.
Flip Outer Cover - First of all the wrap or cover of the flip nappy looks remarkably like the bumGenius organic cover. A one size outer shell with sizing poppers on the front and a popper fastening system as opposed to velcro. The popper fastening makes for a hard wearing a long lasting cover, velcro has a lifespan and starts to loose strength especially with repeated washing and wearing that you get with washable nappies. There are plenty of stretchy elasticated bits around the leg gusset and the back for a nice trim and tidy fit on your baby. The idea is you re-use the outer wrap and replace the inserts after each use. You will need to change the wrap once or twice each day we would guess.
Flip Stay Dry Insert - A rectangular multilayer piece of absorbent microfibre material which you place inside the cover to absorb all the wee wee. There are two stitched lines at one end where you fold the material to fit different size babies, this gives you 3 size options and words are stitched into the material, small, medium and large. . . simple really. The only other noticeable difference from previous bumGenius absorbent pads is a top fleece layer which is non absorbent and designed to keepbabies bottom dry. We expect this flip stay dry insert to be the most popular choice for normal use, being microfibre it will be very fast drying and from experience of past bumGenius microfibre nappies it will be very absorbent as well.
Flip Organic Cotton Insert - A large square pad of organic cotton fabric measuring roughly 38cm (15 in) square. The material has two stitched lines running in two directions dividing the nappy into 9 squares, you fold the fabric in thirds along these lines to make to make a rectangle and place the fabric inside the flip cover. We expect this to be very fast drying for a cotton nappy because the cotton fabric folds out so big allowing it to air. This looks set to be a great choice for people wanting natural fibres next to their babies skin while still being able to use the versatility of the flip nappy. . .
Versatility is what this nappy is all about and this next bit is what everyone is talking about.
Flip Disposable insert
The only disposable nappy to achieve Oeko-Tex certification which means it has been independently tested for harmful substances and has been found to pose no risk to health whatsoever. Can pampers say the same? The Flip Disposable insert is a rectangular piece of material which appears to have a thicker centre with a thin piece of fabric around each edge. The first thing that we noticed about the flip disposable insert is how incredibly soft it is, it doesn't feel like a disposable nappy at all and that's probably down to the bamboo viscose outer material. The next thing you notice is how thin the disposable insert is, bumGenius recommend using a smaller size on the outer wrap when using it for this reason. Using the same flip nappy cover you place the flip disposable insert inside and when used you throw it away. The flip disposable can be composted or put with your green garden to be recycled, check with your council recycling department. The flip disposable insert is made from the following natural materials; 5g of non-woven bamboo viscose, 14-15g of wood pulp (this is the absorbent part), 3g of SAP and 1g of starch based glue. All this is natural material that biodegrades but from what we've heard the european certification is likely to state the disposable insert is up to 97% biodegradable due to the starch based glue. Still the best disposable nappy option by a million miles on our opinion.
So what do we think? - When we heard about the bumGenius Flip nappy it sounded like a real innovation and because it's designed by those clever people over in the states, bumGenius, we knew it would be well made. Having a good inspection of the nappy confirms how good this nappy really is. In a way it's back to the basics of nappy design, a two part system, a separate wrap or cover with the absorbent nappy placed inside. The flip is a two part nappy combined with everything that's been learnt about one-size birth to potty nappies and with the added versatility offered by the flip disposable insert.
The Flip nappy is available now shop online at Babi Pur
We as a family always buy Fairtrade bananas, it becomes such a habit that you forget sometimes why you buy them. I was passed a link to this fantastic supermarket in London with an article on their website about Fairtrade bananas. Just a little reminder!