A Cloth Odyssey – Flips & Bumgenius V4’s

Flip’s

Thank you to all of you who recommended I try flips after my last post. Nearly two years ago that’s exactly what I did, and boy do I love this nappy!

Slim enough for a newborn and roomy enough to see a very chunky toddler through potty training, the flip re-kindled my passion for cloth which had sadly waned after repeated nappy rash problems with my original stash of (mainly) terry two part nappies.

The idea of the flip is simple, a PUL wrap into which you place a rectangular organic cotton or microfibre ‘stay dry’ insert. When the nappy is wet, you just change the insert and re-use the wrap making the flip very economical.

As they were on buy one get one free when I first tried them I tried both the organic and stay dry insert assuming I’d prefer the latter. However, with the organic cotton insert the wee is held close to the skin leading to a bit of nappy rash for us again (DW does have exzema though and is therefore very sensitive) so I actually ended up preferring the ‘stay dry’ because, well, it does exactly what it says it should.

As the organic cotton is more absorbent, it’s strength comes overnight. I’d previously struggled to find a nappy that saw DW all the way through, but a flip with an organic insert and a stay dry insert on top  did the trick beautifully.

Yup, I love the Flip, but there are pro’s and con’s though, and here they are:

Pro’s
1. Economical – As the flip is birth to potty, and you only change the insert, each wrap goes a long way.  From personal experience I would say 10-12 wraps would see you through full time cloth use with one child, with probably two to three times as many inserts.
2. Versatile – The flip is quite roomy and saw chunky DW through potty training (and he was in size 3-4 clothes). But it is easily adaptable and the slim stay-dry insert is perfect for a newborn too. This makes the flip a great nappy for anyone with two kids in cloth.
3. No bulk – The stay-dry insert in particular is very small, taking up very little space either under clothes, or in the wet bag while out and about.
4. Easy to use – Just laying the insert in the wrap is so much easier than stuffing, and adjusting is straightforward too.
5. Very little leakage – With DW I found the flip to be nearly bombproof.
6. I love Ribbit! – Ribbit is a fab colour, and the reason why my wraps drawer is pretty much all green!

Con’s
1. Insert not very secure – The flip has a fold in both the front and back to hold the insert in place, and the rear one is very loose. This can present a problem, especially when putting the nappy on a toddler who just doesn’t want to stay still.
2. Not great overnight on small baby – As you need two inserts to see you through the night, it can get a bit bulky for a little baby. This can lead to a bit of gaping around the leg and hence a little leakage.
3. Lacking in cute factor – Although I love Ribbit the flip range doesn’t have the most exciting colours, and is nowhere near as cute as some nappies, minkies particularly.

BumGenius V4

Having loved the Flip, when I knew NW was on the way and needed to increase my stash, I thought I’d give the classic BG a whirl. I’d heard lots of good things about it on forums, and as the best selling cloth nappy in the US, I though it must have something going for it.

It is similar to the flip but is a pocket nappy, meaning it needs stuffing. This is marginally more work than laying an insert in the flip, but it does mean the insert stays in place better. It also makes the nappy significantly more expensive as you need to change the whole lot every time.

It’s easy to use though, and does give you a good fit, especially on a smaller baby.

Pro’s
1. Easy to use/fit. – More like a disposable than a flip.
2. No loose insert – easier to get on a wriggly baby.
3. Versatile – It can be stuffed with as many inserts as you like to cope with different situations e.g. overnight.
4. Easy to take out and about – Can be pre-stuffed and then used just like a disposable while out of the house.
5. Sturdy – Good build quality.

Con’s
1. Velcro is a little flimsy on the Aplix.
2. Not as big as the flip so may not see a larger child through potty training.
3. Velcro gets a bit used looking quickly.
4. Overstuffing can lead to leg leakage.
5. Could work out pricier than the Flip.  I would say you’d need about 20-25 nappies for full time use.

Overall I really like both these nappies, and my stash now consists of mainly these two types. The complement each other well, and the few faults there are with one are remedied by the other.

Next time – The rest! I’ll go through the other types I have tried, before asking you guys what I should invest in next.