Rearz Review and Giveaway

Rearz Review

Brand : Rearz
Type : fitteds, covers, wet bag
Overall rating : 8/10

I was about seven months pregnant when I first discovered Rearz brand cloth diapers. I was doing one of my near daily Kijiji searches for used cloth diapers, and came across an ad for a "newborn pack" of Rearz diapers. It came with four itty bitty white diaper covers with the cut out for the umbilical cord, one purple newborn Couture cover with double leg gussets, four cloth wipes, 6 microfiber inserts and a huge wet bag/pail liner. It was $60. I was excited and made arrangements to pick it up that weekend. I wish I'd taken a picture then - it all was packaged up nice. Of course, it was a couple of months later before I got to try them out.

Noah was three days old when I first used the covers. The white ones were so stretchy and thin - they worked over all of his fitted diapers and were nice and trim. It was July so I didn't need to worry about putting pants on him very often, but it was still nice to have that trimness. Those white covers were used and washed so much they literally started falling apart at the seams. I still have two of them in good shape to use again with our next baby, though.

The purple cover was a newborn Couture cover.

Here's Noah, 3 days old, wearing it.

It has double leg gussets which was awesome at holding in the newborn poop, and it was my go-to cover for the first four weeks. I used it over tiny newborn fitteds and prefolds. It was a sad day when I realized he had outgrown it.

I loved It so much that I bought the same cover in the next size up, small, along with two Rearz fitted diapers - red and green stitched. The light green small Couture cover was (surprise!) my go-to cover until Noah was about 16 lbs, when it started being too small. I used it over his small BG fitteds and small Thirties fab fitteds, mostly. That cover is now packed away, waiting to be used again for our next baby. It fit big, and the elastic wasn't too tight on his chubby thighs like many other covers were. And of course the leg gussets again was a plus. If I was still using PUL covers, I would have bought this cover in medium as well.

Here is Noah wearing the small cover, at about 1.5 months old

The red stitched fitted (French Velour, size 1) still fits him now at 20 lbs, but maybe not for alot longer. The green stitched (size 2) is bigger and will definitely fit him for awhile, probably until potty learning. What I love about the Rearz French Velour fitted diapers is the shape and the trimness. I now use mostly wool covers with fitteds, but these are usually the first fitteds I grab for. They dry alot faster than my other fitteds (I air dry everything), they stay soft after being washed and air dried, they wash up well (no stains) and they are perfect for day time use and for naps. I've never used these fitteds for overnight, mostly because I've always used a bamboo fitted for overnight and I've never had a leak. The French Velour fitteds do absorb alot and contain poop very well, so if I didn't have a super heavy wetter I'd probably consider them for nighttime as well. These fitteds are a great addition to any cloth diaper stash!

Picture from their website

I'm itching to try Rearz newest diaper, the Smitten. If only I could convince my husband that I (Noah) needs more diapers.

Lastly, I will quickly tell you how much I love my Rearz diaper pail liner. It's huge and bright yellow and has a drawstring rather than a zipper, which I like. I love the outer material of it too, it's sort of stretchy. It washes up great and dries fast, and still looks brand new, even after almost 6 months of being washed at least once a week. I love this pail liner. It stays upstairs in the pail, in Noah's room (and I have a hanging wet bag downstairs as well). I use this one for upstairs because the pail gets the stinky morning diapers. My hanging wet bag downstairs is smaller and doesn't fit in my huge diaper pail. I'd love to get a second Rearz pail liner for backup/wash days. Again, if only my husband would understand. :)

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Rearz is a Canadian (local to me, actually) company. I love supporting Canadian companies, and they have graciously allowed me to do a giveaway! So everyone that comments on this post before Friday, January 6th, 2012 will be entered in a draw to win a $20 gift certificate for Rearz!

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Travelling with Cloth Diapers

I've been using cloth diapers since my son was born, so naturally when we planned our trip across the province to visit my family in early December, I didn't question whether or not I'd be taking cloth with us. We were flying, and it's only 1.5 hours the air. We were staying at my Mom's house. I just didn't see how there would be a problem. But yet I still had people asking if I was using disposables for our trip. My mother-in-law even told me she'd pick me up a pack [of disposables] the week before our trip. I politely said no thank you. She said, "oh, the cloth diapers will be too much work."

I knew it would be just as easy as always, and it was. I made sure I washed diapers late the evening before we were leaving. Then, I took the dirty diaper from the next morning with us, packed in a wet bag. This was so that no dirty diapers were sitting in a wet bag at home for five days. We drove to the airport, and I changed Noah's diaper before we got on the plane (and zipped it into the same wet bag). The flight was short enough that he didn't need to be changed on the plane, but if I had needed to, I would have changed him in the washroom and zipped the dirty diaper in the extra wet bag that I keep in the diaper bag. By the time we got to my Mom's house (she picked us up from the airport and only lives five minutes away), I changed him again. He didn't have to go any longer than usual without being changed and the dirty diapers were safely tucked away in wet bags in our luggage.

Of course we stayed at my Mom's house so washing diapers wasn't an issue either. I asked her to buy a bottle of my cloth detergent, Nature Clean, in advance. She has a top loader machine (I have a front loader) so I had to figure out a routine, but it still worked well. I only brought a day's worth of diaper (plus the one from that morning and the one he wore when we left the house), so I had to wash them every evening, which I'm not used to. But still, not enough of an annoyance to bother me.

I did get the dreaded question from my sister, who lives with my Mom. "Doesn't that leave poop in the washing machine? That's gross, I wash my clothes in there." She even tried to convince my Mom to not let me wash them in the machine. Did she want me to hand wash them? I had to tell her, with a laugh, that no, it won't leave poop behind. The cold rinse gets rid of the yucky stuff, and the hot wash definitely sanitizes the machine as well as the diapers. She still rolled her eyes and said she didn't "get" why I cloth diaper my baby. I guess there's always going to be people who disagree with my parenting decisions.

We were only gone five days, but I'd say my first experience traveling with cloth diapers was easy. I got to show them to lots of people who'd never seen modern cloth diapers. My Aunts who came to meet Noah were amazed - they had cloth diapered their children (my older cousins) the "old fashioned" way. They used flats and diaper pins and plastic pants, just as my Mom did with us. It was fun to show them the different kinds of how they work.

To be honest, cloth diapering is just a way of life for me, so traveling with them was just my "normal". We are planning a week-long trip to a beach town a few hours away, in July. Noah will be one (holy crap!) and we will be staying in a cottage with no washing machine. I'll figure out exactly my plan as it gets closer, but I think I'll probably bring a couple days worth, wash them at the laundromat once and also buy and bring a box of disposable liners for my Grovias.

Anyone want to share your stories about traveling with cloth?

How many? What kind?

So, you have decided to cloth diaper your baby. That's a good start, but now you're overwhelmed with the options!

No matter what type of diapers you choose to use, if you are diapering a newborn, you will go through about 12 diapers a day. Newborns poop alot.(every diaper change for the most part) and absorbency is less of an issue, except at night Once they are 2-3 months old, they will poop less often and pee more. Still, you will need about 8-10 diapers per day after the newborn stage. So, if you want to wash diapers every other day (which is the norm) you'd want to have minimum 20 diapers. I'd suggest around 24 though, so you're not cutting it close before its time to wash.

So now you know how many you'll need, but what kind do you want to use?

The cheapest way to go (whether on a budget or not) is using prefolds and covers. You can buy a dozen small prefolds brand new for around $30, and you'd want 5-6 covers ($12 or so each new). With prefolds you need diaper pins or snappis, which are inexpensive. If you go this way, it would cost you around $120 for 24 diapers and 5 covers. Of course prefolds and covers aren't for everyone. And if your baby is in daycare or at a sitter, this may not even be an option.

If you're looking for a easier option, all- in-ones (AIOs) might be for you. They can cost anywhere from $17-$25 each new, so it can really add up if you were to build your entire stash with these. It could cost closer to $500 for 24 AIOs. Still though, when comparing to disposables, this is 1/4 of the cost (over the entire time your babe will be in diapers).

There's no reason why you can't mix it up, though. I suggest you do, actually! You could use prefolds at home, AIOs for daycare and being out and about. Or why not throw in some pocket diapers as well? They are less expensive than AIOs (anywhere from $8 to $18 each new) and are great for daycare, grandmas and dads!

You can definitely build a stash to get you through 2-3 days of diapering for a couple hundred dollars, no need to go crazy. But be warned, you can also spend much more. Some people (including myself) admit to be a little addicted to buying adorable cloth diapers!

What you need to know

Handy (basic) Cloth Diaper Information

There are (what feels like) a million different types and brands of cloth diapers available today. It’s definitely not like in our parents' days of cloth diapering. It can be hard to distinguish between an AIO (all in one), fitted, AI2 (all in 2), prefold, cover, hybrid, etc… especially if you are just getting started. Here I will describe the different types of diapers, as well as name a few of the brands of each type. Yes, there’s a lot. And yes, it can sound overwhelming. I promise, once you get to know the basics, it’s pretty easy to grasp.

Types

Prefold – The most simple way to cloth diaper you baby is to use a prefold. You can either fold it onto your baby using one of the folding methods (newspaper, basic, twist, etc.), or fold it in thirds and place it inside a cover.



Fitted diapers - Usually made of cotton or bamboo, they also need a cover over them, since fitteds are not waterproof. They have snaps for aplix (Velcro) to close the diaper, and they often have a sewed in or lay-in soaker. There are many different brands of fitted diapers (Thirsties, TotBots, etc.) and many work-at-home-Mom (WAHM) fitteds as well.




Pocket diapers - have a built in waterproof cover and require a separate insert for absorbency. This is probably one of the most popular way to cloth diaper these days. There are tons of brands/styles of pocket diapers - most common are Bum Genius, Fuzzibunz, and "cheap" eBay diapers.





All-in-one (AIO) - are the most like disposables. They are simply on/off, no insert to stuff, no cover to put on. These are great for babysitters, granndparents and daycare. Popular brands of AIOs are Bum Genius, Grovia, TotBots. The main "con" about AIOs is that they take a long time to dry.





All in Two (AI2) - Are almost as simple to use as AIOs. They have an additional liner seperate from the "body" of the diaper, which makes for easier washing and faster drying. An example is SoftBums.


Hybrid diapers - Are sort of a mix between an AIO and a pocket. They have a waterproof cover and a snap in/lay in liner, and the liner can be changed out for a new one, while reusing the same cover (as long as it's not soiled). Examples are Grovia, Flip and Monkey Doodlez "Tuck And Go".





Terms

Inserts - usually made of microfiber, they are used to "stuff" pocket diapers. They can also be made of hemp or bamboo, or a combination of these. Inserts are the absorbent part of pocket diapers.



Doublers - Are used to add extra absorbency to any type of diaper, for overnight or heavy-setters. Doublers are usually made of fleece or hemp.

Wet bag - A small bag with a waterproof liner, to be used in a diaper bag to hold soiled cloth diapers.

One Size - A term used to describe a diaper that can be used from nearly newborn til toddler age. Many pocket diapers are One Size. They usually have 3 rows of snaps that, as you unsnap them, make the diaper "grow".








This post will be updated periodically with more basic information!




(All pictures in this post taken by me, Laura McKee)

Welcome...

...to my world. World of cloth diapers, that is.

I decided to start this blog for various reasons. I know there's a ton of other websites and blogs that are dedicated to cloth diapering. There's alot of great info out there, for sure. Heck, I know alot of what I know because of the websites like All About Cloth Diapers, The Cloth Diaper Whisperer, etc. But what I didn't find too much info on (when I first started researching) was cloth diapers that were available in Canada. And on top of that, cloth diapers that I could buy without a credit card. That's right, my husband and I don't have credit cards and never have. We don't do much (any) online shopping because of this. I've only recently set up a paypal account, but I still prefer to shop in brick and mortar stores.

Back in January of this year, when I was about 3 months pregnant with our first baby, I started talking about cloth diapering. My husband wasn't exactly on board. I heard, "that's gross" and "won't that get poop in the washing machine?". I laughed, but humoured him and looked into the cloth diaper service in our area. Well, I came up with not so favorable information. It cost $20 per week and only included the fitted diaper itself, not the covers. I'll explain more about fitted diapers later - all you need to know for now is that $80 a month plus the initial cost of 4-6 waterproof covers (around $75) wasn't exactly within our budget. It wasn't only about the money for us, though. And using a diaper service is still alot cheaper than disposables, I assume. And the diaper service drops off clean diapers and picks up the dirty ones. Definitely handy in that aspect. But it just wasn't for us. I liked the idea of buying my own diapers (and washing them myself) much better. I just had to get Paul on board.

In March, we went to a Cloth Diaper Seminar at one of the local baby shops, Diapers 'N More. I had already done tons of research and knew a bit about the different types, etc. The seminar was for Paul. I knew it would either make or break the deal for him. Luckily for me, he was on board after that. And we made our first diaper purchase that day as well - 3 Monkey Doodlez Tuck N Gos. They are now my go-to diapers for when we leave the house. (I hope to be reviewing them in the near future, so watch out for that).

Shortly after that, I found my love of Kijiji. It's a buy/sell site, like craigslist. From the moment I typed in "cloth diapers", that was it. Half of my current stash are used diapers from Kijiji. That may sound weird/gross to some, but I've had nothing but great experiences buying off this site. Moms selling cloth diapers just want: 1. For someone else to enjoy the diapers as much as she did, and 2. To get some of the money she spent on the diaper back. It's win/win for the buyer and seller. Up until Noah was born I had calculated that I'd spent around $400 in cloth diapers and accessories (wet bags, pail, pail liner - we will get to these things in the next post). So, over approximately 6 months, I'd spent $400. Technically (had I stopped buying diapers at this point), that's all I would have spent on diapers for Noah's entire 2.5 years in them (approx.). If we compare that to buying disposable diapers, it is estimated about $2000 -$2500 for each child who wears them from birth to potty training. If we have two kids, that could around $5000, just spent on diapers. That thought makes me feel like tossing my cookies. And that's not even bringing the environmental impact into consideration. That will be another post entirely.

So, there I was, nine month pregnant and counting, sorting through the many diapers I had purchased "blindly". I say that because I had no way of knowing which type/brand of diaper would work with my soon-to-be-born baby. I wondered, as I looked at these tiny diapers on a daily basis, which would fit him best, which would be easiest, which would be most comfortable for him. I never wondered, though, if I'd be able to stick it out, keep with it. I had many people wondering that for me, of course. My neighbour, when I mentioned we'd be cloth diapering, laughed, "we will see how long that lasts". My mother-in-law said she'd keep disposables at her house, "just in case". I didn't let these things get to me, but it did make me irritated. I just knew I'd had to prove them wrong (and I have).

Noah was finally born, a week late, in mid July. I had a planned homebirth with my midwives, my husband Paul, my mom and Paul's sister in attendance. It was a long (35 hours from early labour til his birth) day, but the best, most amazing one of my life. And after the midwife did his check and declared him healthy, she asked for a diaper to put on him. And my mom brought her the diaper I had picked out to be his "first". It was a tri-folded prefold diaper, tucked into a Bummis Super Brite, green, cover - newborn size. I'll never forget it. I'm proud to say that Noah is 2.5 months old and has never been in a disposable diaper.

He's now long outgrown his stash of about 20 newborn/extra small diapers. I did diaper laundry every other day for the first month - now usually every 3rd day. I way more than enough diapers to get through 3 days, but I still wash that often because I hate the idea of dirty diapers sitting there for any longer than that. I also decide which day to wash diapers depending on the weather - if it's a sunny day I do them, if it's going to rain I wait til the next day. The sun is the most amazing thing for getting diapers back to their beautiful whites. Plus I hate running my dryer in the summer, unless absolutely necessary.

I've also recently began selling some diapers that don't work as well for us. I have listed some on Kijiji myself, as well as a Cloth Diaper Swap group on Facebook. I've only sold a few so far, since I'm planning on keeping the ones he's outgrown for a future baby. But the money I've got from selling has gone back into the cause - either more diapers we love, a new wet bag, etc. It's definitely a vicious cycle, an addiction of sorts, but I love it.

Check back soon (tomorrow, hopefully) for my first "information" post!