Saturday, March 20, 2010

Review: GroBaby (a.k.a. The Diaper I Wanted Desperately to Love)


Diaper:  GroBaby - $24.95 (This gives you 1 shell, one soaker pad, and 1 booster)
Materials:  Outer layer PUL, is a mesh with snaps for attaching the inserts, Velcro closure, one size adjustment on the outside of the diaper, Organic Cotton 6-layer elasticized snap in soaker and booster.
Fit:  8 - 35 lbs.
How it works:  GroBaby diapers are a hybrid, or AI2, diaper.  This differs from most of the diapers that we have reviewed because each diaper is a shell that has a front and back snap on the inside.  An insert snaps into the shell.  This allows you to remove an insert from the shell, and to replace it with a new insert thus reusing the same shell multiple times throughout the day.  No stuffing of pockets with this diaper, and the inserts supposedly dry faster than an AIO diaper system.  GroBaby diapers are a OS diaper with snaps on the outside of the shell.  The insert is elastic so it stretches as you "up-size" the diaper.  It closes with a hook and loop closure, but unlike other diapers the velcro on the tabs attaches to a soft loop fabric rather than your traditional strip of female velcro on the outside of the diaper.

Thoughts from Amanda:

Aesthetics -  The colors are very bold (well, aside from vanilla of course and they have a few prints.  However, color selection and print selection is VERY limited.  In the end this shouldn't really matter though because you will be reusing shells throughout the day.  You may only need 3-4 shells in the beginning (newborn) and fewer possibly as your child grows.  So, if you want to look at a variety of cute diapers in your stash this type of system may not be for you.  I also found them to be nice and soft.

Functionality - These diapers are HIGHLY functional.  The system itself is very user friendly.  Prep your shells by snapping in inserts.  When it's time to change a diaper simply remove the insert (or shake/rinse off poops first if necessary) throw it into your diaper pail or wet bag and do one of the following:

1) If only a poopy diaper and the poops didn't get on the shell, snap in a new insert and voila...re-diaper the baby and you're done!
2) If the diaper is wet, and it got wet enough that the shell is a smidge damp on the inside, no worries, just remove the insert and toss it in a wet bag or pail.  Lay the shell out to dry and it will be ready to use again at the next diaper change.  Simply use a new diaper.

I cheated when I was out and about.  I reused the shell, and simply wiped it out with a wet wipe. Yeah, sue me.  lol  But, it sure made being out a lot easier.  Just carry a little ziploc of inserts and use the shell your kiddo is wearing.  If you're in a runny poop stage though...I'd carry along an extra shell as well though.  :)

Now...why this is "The Diaper I Wanted Desperately to Love."  I LOVED the GroBaby!  Truly I did. I promise.  Are you convinced now?  Okay...here's where it went wrong for me.  It did bother me that the insert got damp and that was touching my kiddo's little bum and private area.  Easy enough...toss on a fleece liner.  But, for me...it was the fit.  There was NO way this was going to make it to 35 lbs. for my kid.  And knowing what a big wetter he is, I must say in the end it wouldn't have held up well to his high volume of tinkle either.  It appears as though on their website that have added some more heavy duty soakers, but I still think they could have even more absorbency in their soakers.  Now, you could add in your own, but that would potentially mess with the snapping system.  

Please, please, please keep in mind that my son is a ridiculously heavy peer.  I have only met a couple of moms who are dealing with the same wetting issues I am.  So, most likely your kiddo is of average wetting and this shouldn't be an issue for you.  But, size was the biggie for me.  So, I sold them.  Part of me regrets it because I could have toyed with it more, but I was desperate at the time.  I plan on trying this brand out, plus some newer versions on the market with the same concept with the baby on the way.

Durability -  I have read some complaints that the velcro on these wears out, or that the wings start to curl.  I never had this problem and the velcro was very sticky.  I did have issues with diaper chain in the washer with these.  But, they held up very well.  The stitching on one of my soakers was pulling away a smidge, but that would have been an easy fix.  All in all I highly recommend GroBaby diapers to average size kids and average wetters.  :)

7 comments:

  1. I'm with you for most of this -- I really want to love them, and my husband does. They're a terrific husband diaper, lol. I can't imagine using them exclusively, but I love them for traveling, and husband uses them around the house.

    Agreed that unless my son stops carrying his pudge in his belly, it's not going to make it to 35lbs on Miles. He's got these huge thighs and tummy, and they're already unsnapped entirely.

    Do you have trouble getting the soakers entirely dry? We have an apartment dryer, and it's already a piece, but even when I take it to the laundromat they seem to stay damp in some parts.

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  2. Ashely - I did have trouble getting the soakers entirely dry. On my old dryer I ran them twice in the dryer as I did two loads of diapers. Just made sure the GroBaby's were in the first load. On my new dryer I just set the time for drying longer. But, when I did diapers in the evening sometimes I would just run them once and then let them air dry the rest of the way overnight. Hope that helps.

    If you like this kind of diaper, but are looking for ones with different inserts these brands are similar:

    Flip System: (Made by BumGenius...the rise would probably be equivalent.)
    http://www.cottonbabies.com/index.php?cPath=139

    SoftBums:
    http://www.softbums.com/

    Best Bottom Diapers (by Nicki's Diapers):
    http://nickisdiapers.com/catalog.php?category=1900

    I have yet to try any of these brands but I have a note in to LeAnn at Giggle Britches regarding the fit and absorbency of the SoftBums. I'll keep you posted on what she has to say.

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  3. Oops...I wrote "Ashely." My bad. Sorry, Ashley!

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  4. Re: name misspelling -- happens, lol. XD

    I've been hang drying them as well, once they're out of a dryer. I also once turned them inside out, and that helped.

    I'm not sure how I feel about the Flips; I almost bought one for Miles's birthday, but I'm taking a diaper-buying break and it seemed like trying a new system would result in buying more than we need, y'know?

    That said, I do love trying new diapers. XD

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  5. I TOTALLY understand the buying-break. On one hand I feel an "obligation" to the blog to be trying new brands, but for every one I sell I make less than what I paid to buy it in the first place. I don't often buy without selling something off anymore, and we're getting down to the diapers I'm pretty happy with.

    Although I will say...I am turning to my husband's opinion that Aplix is the way to go. Trying to keep my son still enough to snap him up is taking longer and longer and becoming a battle I no longer want to fight. lol I just ordered some Nubunz. Made in the USA and with inserts $9.50. Seconds can be $3.00 without inserts. So, I got a few of those with some money from diapers I have sold. We'll see. Not many color choices, but they look like a BumGenius/Haute Pocket cross. :) I have high hopes for them.

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  6. Oh god, my son acts like we're killing him every diaper change, which us s part of the reason we've drifted from prefolds a little, and while I love the two snap diapers we have (a FuzziBunz and a BG), it's a nightmare to get him to stay still to get the fit right.

    That said, I do dig his FB, if only because it's prisoner orange. And their system of one-sizing is really interesting.

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  7. Ashley...If you like the leg casing sizing...sometime you may be interested to try the Rocky Mountain Diaper or the SoftBums.

    Rocky Mountain has a snap system on the elastic in the leg (I find it easier to use than the FB - Ha! I also had prisoner orange.). SoftBums uses a toggle system in the leg so you have infinite settings from infant to toddler. Kinda neat.

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