bumGenius 4.0 Cloth Diaper Review and Giveaway

Regular readers of this site know how much I dig yapping on and on about poop. They also know that we decided to use cloth diapers when they read about it here. What none of you know, until now, is that after lots and lots of trial and error, we decided on one particular brand of cloth diapers. We chose bumGenius 4.0 with snap closures, and here’s why.

The bumGenius 4.0 is easier to use

To the uninitiated this may not seem like a big deal, but the first cloth diapers that we chose required six snaps for complete diaper installation. The bumGenius only needs four. Only when your baby is in the squirming, writhing and twisting ball of don’t-put-a-diaper-on-me-because-I-just-want-to-be-free stage, will you come to truly appreciate this 33% snappage reduction.

The bumGenius 4.0 looks better

The other cloth diapers that we tried were so bulky that the boy was destined to have “Baby Got Back” as his theme song (everyone has a theme song, right?). They also made dressing him tougher as his new pear shape was not conducive to the latest in baby fashions.

The bumGenius 4.0 just works

A diaper can be the easiest to use and look amazeballs, but if it doesn’t work then there is no valid reason for owning said diaper (other than glamour shots and nursery props). Luckily, the bumGenius 4.0 works like a champ. While I am sure that there are babies with more output than Popeye, he will defeat most in a sanctioned poop-off or pee-a-thon (using standardized scoring, of course).

A quick, and totally unproven, Google search tells me that less than 10% of parents have used cloth diapers. I have no idea what the real number is, but it’s safe to assume that many of you reading this haven’t tried them. Most of you would probably say that the main reason why you don’t use them is because it’s disgusting. Soiled diapers are disgusting, it’s a fact. The thing is, they’re gross whether they’re cloth or disposable, and you handle them pretty much the same way:

• The baby commits their act against humanity.
• You remove the evidence (therefore making you an accomplice).
• You clean up the crime scene.
• You put on a new diaper, giving them a solid alibi.
• You dispose of the evidence.

With a disposable diaper, you toss it into the trash or a diaper pail and once full, you hold your breath, tie up the bag, toss it into the trash and then exhale in relief. With a cloth diaper, you remove the insert*, toss both into the diaper pail and once full, you hold your breath, grab the bag, toss it into the washer and then exhale in relief. It’s the basically same amount of misery for the same amount of time.

*I’ve been told that once babies eat real food, they produce real poop. While this is alarming, it is dealt with by emptying the diaper into the nearest toilet before removing the insert.

The other big reason is that you have no idea how cloth diapers work, and while there are countless websites and videos that will teach you, I will share what works for us. Your results will most likely vary.

Prepare the Diaper

NOTE: Roughly 10% of the internet is devoted to all the tips, tricks and advice you need to correctly prep a brand new cloth diaper. It is beyond the scope of this post and quite frankly, beyond the scope of my knowledge. Luckily for me, mama has prepped all of our diapers. The following steps assume that your cloth diaper is ready to roll.

See below for a diaper height formula that will not help you at all.

Having a poopy baby with no diapers prepped is a special kind of hell, and it is a hell that I actively try to avoid. While sizing and stuffing a cloth diaper isn’t the greatest way to spend 10 minutes, it’s also not that big of a deal. The first step is to size the diaper. We’re just now getting to the second setting and it’s really just trial and error to decide when to do this. There is probably a math formula that involves the length of the baby divided by the distance the poop travels up their back, times the velocity of said poop divided by pi squared (because if there’s not pi, then what’s the point).

Seen here, a formula that is most definitely incorrect in every conceivable way.

The second step is to choose the insert. For us, we always use the larger one because Popeye is a huge, huge fan of urinating. Also, the other insert is really for itty bitty newborns and their itty bitty poops and peeps, though some people double up and use both. So anyways, you take the large insert, then fold and snap the one side for extra peeps absorption.

Snap, crackle, poop.

The final step is to stuff it into the diaper. The key here is to strategically put the doubled part of the insert in the general area where the pee will be dispensed.

For boys, the doubled up part goes in the front. For girls, it goes in the back. Because, you know, the plumbing is different.

Install the Diaper

For this, it’s far easier to show you a short video of a typical cloth diaper installation.

Conclusion

The first time that I saw a cloth diaper, I had no idea where to begin because the amount of snaps can be intimidating (there’s roughly 300 snaps, give or take 271). Once you understand their purpose though, it’s actually incredibly simple. Now, it’s just as easy to put on a cloth diaper as it is to put on a disposable. As far as cost savings, environmental impact and other touchy aspects go, I’ll leave that for you to decide.

If you do decide that cloth diapers are what you want to do, or if you are already using cloth diapers, then I definitely recommend that you use the bumGenius 4.0. They are well made, easy to use, look great and most importantly, they work. We prefer the snap closures versus the hook & loop, but that’s just our preference. Here are some other features:

• Accessible, replaceable elastic.
• Stretch-to-fit sides.
• Adjustable absorbency.
• Gentle elastic prevents leakage.
• Waterproof outer cover.
• Soft lining wicks moisture away from baby.

We currently own 14 (all with snap closures) and we wash a load basically every other day (and dry them in the sun on an outside line). At $17.95 per diaper, it’s a pretty hefty investment but we have a mix of new and used which cut down the cost considerably. Since they are well made, you can use them for years, and with multiple kids, so the initial investment will definitely pay off.

bumGenius 4.0 Cloth Diaper Giveaway!

To help you get started, or to add your collection if you already use cloth diapers, the awesome folks over at Cotton Babies gave me an additional bumGenius 4.0 cloth diaper with snap closure to give away to one lucky reader! You can enter below and the winner will receive the diaper in the photo (the color is called Mirror, but I would call it light teal):

a Rafflecopter giveaway