Review and Giveaway: Bright Star All in One Nappy

As you may know, my babies are mostly cloth nappied and I've used a variety of different real nappy types. So I was only too happy to try out a new real nappy give my verdict on it. Amanda from Baby Bum Boutique sent me a Bright Star Baby All in One Nappy to try out and to give away to one lucky reader.

The Bright Star Baby Nappy is the first All in One (AIO) I've used. AIO are basically the closest to disposable nappies in relation to ease of putting on baby - it's just  like a disposable, just that you can wash it. While I don't have any comparison to other AIOs, the Bright Star Baby worked really well for Snowflake. It comes with the usual adjustable poppers and thanks to soft elastics, a perfect fit is quickly achieved. It closes with side poppers which are great for adjusting for the perfect fit around your baby. And because it's not velcro - chances are it'll stay on baby once he/she has figured out how to undo velcro!

Its insert is bamboo and folded three times which translates to really good absorbency even without a booster. The insert can be popped out for washing, or, in my case, for drying. Being bamboo, it's very absorbent but also takes that bit extra long to dry (which is logical, the more a fabric absorbs, the longer it'll take to dry). As I don't use a tumble dryer, it works well that the insert can be popped out and dried separately. The nappy is slim fitting, so it will fit under all those clothes designed for disposables wearing babas.

The nappy is super flexible, and fits tight yet gentle on baby. It's super soft thanks to being bamboo. It comes in a range of funky designs - so it also has something to show off. In fact, it caught the eye of many people who don't use cloth, which is right up my street because you can start an chat about real nappies and how good they are these days!

I've used the nappy a good few times now - it's still as soft and its absorbency is comparable to a disposable. I've had no leaks, and ended up wondering why I didn't get AIOs from the outset. I mean, really, what could be better than softest bamboo on your baby's bum and striking designs for your eyes? Save money and the planet as well, it's all good.
 
Oh and did I mention that one lucky reader has the chance to win a Bright Star All in One Nappy? How good is that? How you wonder? Well, you know the spiel:

-Leave a comment below for one entry,
- and share this post on facebook or twitter for an additional entry each (for twitter, please add @cartside to your tweet so I can see you shared it, and let me know in the comment box you've done so!)
Done. Draw will be on Friday, 13th May at 8pm.

Do check out Baby Bum Boutique for some special offers to celebrate Real Nappy Week, you may find a great bargain.

Would you consider giving cloth nappies a go?

(Updated with links and additional info)
My answer to this question, when I was pregnant with Cubling, was a resounding "no".

Look at me now, I love cloth. Used it for 3 years on Cubling and now 4 months in on Snowflake.

I started changing my mind when I saw my sister-in-law use them, and realised it wasn't as difficult, messy etc as I'd thought. I had to see it, and see someone use it, and I'd consider myself to be reasonably environmentally conscious. It means I know how the most normal reaction to the topic of cloth nappies is  - great idea, great you're doing it, but thanks, not for me - because that person was me.

So for anyone not planning to or not yet using cloth nappies, I thought I'd pull together a quick FAQ - questions that I would have asked or that I have been asked.

1. Surely it takes more time using cloth nappies?
Yes, but less than you think. If you get all in ones, it takes the same time to change. I prefer shaped nappy plus wrap, so it's like putting on 2 nappies, a few seconds extra at each change. I put on a wash every 3 days. So 2 extra washes a week - which isn't much in the scheme of the extra washes a baby brings along.

2. Do you need a tumble dryer for cloth nappies?
I never tumble dry anything, so no. Opt for cloth nappies that dry faster if you don't have a drier, such as cotton or polyester. Bamboo is lovely and soft, and environmentally friendlier in its production, but it takes longer to dry. Half of my cloth nappies are bamboo, and I dry them over the radiators which works fine. The bamboo ones don't really dry well on the rack in the Scottish winter. Cotton dries within a day even in wet weather.

3. Surely the nappy bucket stinks?
No it doesn't if you breast feed. After introducing solids, you put a liner between nappy and skin and flush it away in the toilet, so no bad smells either. I can't speak for formula poos as I don't know what they look like. You can occasionally add a few drops of tea tree oil to the bucket to freshen it up.

4. How do you wash the nappies?
I wash them at 60 degrees, but apparently you can do them at 40 too. I do a separate wash for nappies, which is not necessary but I do it anyway. I also add some Napisan to make sure all the germs are definitely gone. Again, it's not necessary. You can add some vinegar or a couple of drops of tea tree oil occasionally into the softener compartment to make them smell fresher (don't use fabric softener on cloth nappies!).

5. Do you need to soak the nappies before you wash them?
No. Simply throw them in the bucket and then transfer them (with gloves) to the washing machine.

6. My nappies have yellow stains from the poo, how do I get them out?
Hang up in sunlight. You may have to wait until the summer if you live in Scotland, but the colour isn't dangerous so don't worry.


7. How many nappies do I need?
15 nappies and 4 wraps is the minimum. I have 25 nappies and 7 wraps and never run out. You can get birth to potty nappies, i.e. one size that lasts throughout, or like me get a nappy that comes in 2 sizes.

8. How much do they cost?
A shaped nappy is about £9 and wraps are a bit more. All in ones may cost £15. That sounds a lot but have a look on forums (Bounty, Babycentre etc) for gently used or even new nappies. I bought a pack of 15 nappies for £75 and they were unused. Cloth nappies also have a resale value.

9. How much money do I save?
Cloth nappies will cost you around £200-£300 all in all, plus the cost of extra washes. They last for 3 years, and another 3 years and if you have a third child, another 3 years.
You can get them cheaper if you trail the forums. Disposables will cost you that in 6 months.

10. Do the nappies last all night?
There are special night nappies that do. I use disposables at night. You know, you can mix! I also didn't use cloth for the first weeks after having Cubling because I felt overwhelmed and not able to deal with cloth - that's fine, you can always start later!

11. Will nurseries/childminders accept them?
Most do. This is a recent and very welcome change. I make a point of asking child care providers if they accept them.

12. What about nappy wash services?
They exist in many places. Basically, they pick up the dirty bucket and deliver clean nappies, magic. The cost of such services is equivalent to using disposables. So you won't have a cash saving, but you're doing even more for the environment as these washes are done in bulk and use less energy/water per nappy (plus you don't have the hassle).

13. What's the best thing about them?
They are so soft and cuddly and I just love it that baby has something so soft against her bum, rather than plastic and absorbant chemicals. It just feels right. Even Spencer bear, Cubling's darling teddy, her baby, now wears cloth.

14. Any tips?
Find someone who uses them and have a look. Join a trial scheme (such as your local real nappy network, or Waste Aware Scotland also runs a trial scheme) to give it a go without committing. Watch someone who uses cloth change a baby, feel the nappy, ask questions. Everyone will be keen to answer!

15. What about when you're out and about?
I know many parents who used cloth who are reluctant to use it when out and about. I'm not sure why. Yes, you have to take the nappy home, but that's the only inconvenience. Just put it in your usual plastic nappy bag (degradable if possible) and Bob's your uncle. I'm often out all day and it's not a problem.

16. Do cloth nappies leak more than disposables?
Not really. I mean, if you have a poo explosion, they will leak, just like disposables. However, I don't change more often than I would with disposables. With urine, disposables hold more but with more I mean you could leave your child for 5-6 hours which is just not nice anyway. You can add cloth liners to make cloth nappies more absorbent and you'll easily get 4 hourly changes out of them. If you use wraps, make sure you have a good wrap that sits well.

17. I'm confused by all the different types and brands. How can I choose the right one?
Again, try out, ask people. Anyone who uses cloth nappies will be delighted to explain and show. Read this guide to cloth nappies. It's not that complicated - the principles are the same. Shaped nappies are easiest, no matter what brand, and then it's between all in ones (more expensive per nappy) or shaped nappy plus wrap. If you're brave you can do terry squares or prefolds which are cheaper. Personally I use Tots Bots because they're made in Glasgow and I like to support local business.

Anything I haven't covered? Just add in the comment box and I'll try and answer.

Happy Nappies!

No, not really happy nappies. That would be, well, a bit weird. However, I'm nappy happy because I got a nappy bucket full of trial nappies sitting here for a month, all for free! How good is that?

The Real Nappy Network runs a fab scheme in Glasgow. Basically, to encourage people to give cloth nappies a try, they run a nappy trial scheme. It's really quite simple, for £20 of a deposit (which you will get back) you receive a bucket full of different types of cloth nappies and wraps to try out. You keep them for a month and return them. Then you have the opportunity to buy some gently used nappies at their bring and sell, for truly bargain prices. If the bring and sell isn't on, you can just have a nappuccino in a cafe, and find out about cloth nappies from the friendly Real Nappy Network people.

It really is a great idea. I've used cloth nappies for Cubling and now I'm reaping the big benefit by using them on Snowflake too and saving myself a fortune while reducing our contribution to landfill. However, I've made some slightly wrong choices about which nappy is best and this initiative is a great help to rectify this. It offers the opportunity to try out some different makes and also to buy some additional nappies that add to my stock.

Initially, I used prefold nappies with Cubling, Cotton Bottoms to be precise. They are simple cotton rectangles that are folded and go in a waterproof wrap. They come in many sizes and the initial outlay is affordable - but because you have different sizes, the total over the baby years does add up. I found they worked great for Cubling, but strangely, they don't for Snowflake (who pees a lot more). I still really like Cotton Bottoms wraps though.

Later I discovered the magic of shaped nappies, particularly Tots Bots. They are made in Scotland and have a fast drying version, Fluffles. At the time they came in 2 sizes, apparently now they are one sized. For Snowflake I bought some preowned bamboo Tots Bots in size 1, as they are more convenient than the prefolds I already have.

The drawback is that the bamboo version is slow drying. Painfully slow drying. They are incredibly soft and nice to touch though. I'm developing a love/hate relationship with bamboo at the moment - in the form of nappies and yarn. It feels great but there's always a drawback to them, be it drying (nappies) or losing stitches (yarn).

The trial scheme is great because it introduced me to some other types of nappies, such as all in ones (not sure if I like them, the difference is that the wrap is built in, so if nappy is wet, you wash the whole thing. The ones in the pack leaked a tiny bit, while the combination of Tots Bots with Cotton Bottoms or similar wraps don't leak easily). There are also different makes of nappies and I love trying them out and comparing them to my baseline of prefolds and Tots Bots shaped nappies.

My initial thoughts are that Little Lamb shaped nappies are pretty nice. They have velcro which is oh so simple to use, really the same as a disposable. I do realise that velcro doesn't last as long as poppers fastening, but it is rather nice nonetheless.

Then there are terry squares, they feel very soft and fluffy, but can I be bothered folding them? Not sure. Haven't done in the week I've had them. Yes, it's laziness, I'm sure once you've done it, it won't be a problem, but who wants to fold terry squares if they have prefolds lying right next to them?

As to fastening techniques: Velcro rules for ease but may not last two babies. Nappy Nippers are just not my thing - they work great on the trial nappies but I despaired on Tots Bots (I have a few size 2 that fasten with nappy nippers) as they won't hold - I ended up just sticking the wrap on top and not fastening them at all.

The pack also contains various versions of boosters and cloth wipes. The latter are for anyone who's serious about reducing rubbish. Not that I'm not serious, it's just that I think wet wipes are the best thing since sliced bread so I'm not ready yet to make that transition.

My general verdict is that I love the scheme, it really lets you try out various types of nappies, it has easy information on how to use cloth nappies, and really it should be available to everyone (how about advertising the trial bucket of nappies on postnatal wards?). The only slight quibble I have is that my bucket came with wraps the wrong size so they were useless, and that there could have been a few more nappy brands.

The bring and buy sale of cloth nappies is a great initiative too - I grabbed a bargain with unused shaped nappies at £3 each. Now, doesn't this prove the point about cloth nappies? Who would get so excited about disposables?