Review: Nubunz Diapers - CHEAP DIAPERING SOLUTION!

While I have been blogging about CDing cheaply I thought it would be nice to review some of the "cheaper" diapers out there for you to consider.  :)

Nubunz Diaper - $9.50 (Currently on sale for $8.00) w/2 inserts, or you can get seconds diapers with inserts for $5.50, seconds without inserts are $3.00.

Materials:  The outer material is PUL with a liner of polyester microfleece.  The closure is available in snaps or velcro (some velcro are rounded tabs and some square).  The inserts are 3 layers each of polyester micro terry cloth.

Fit:  8 - 38 lbs. (as claimed by Nubunz Diapers)

How it works:  Nubunz Diapers are a One Size (OS) pocket diapering system.  The absorbent inserts are placed in the pocket and can be adjusted for your absorption needs.  Snaps on the front of the diaper allow the diaper to adjust in the rise for a baby as they grow.  The closure on this diaper is available in either snaps or velcro.

Thoughts from Amanda:

Aesthetics -  Currently the full price Nubunz Diapers are available in only 8 pastel colors.  (Think bumGenius colors.)  You an get seconds diapers in brighter/bolder colors though while supplies last.  There are no prints available.  They have put a hold on the brighter colors due to some quality issues with them (much like bumGenius had to do recently).  I believe it is a PUL issue that many companies are dealing with.  The snaps are all white...that doesn't matter to me personally.  The velcro is white, unless you get the square tab ones which are sort of a less bulky version of the original Happy Heiny's closure.  With limited supplies of colors, and possibilities of problems with the bolder colors in the seconds section I can only give the aesthetics of the Nubunz diaper a three pin rating.  I will say that I bought mostly seconds diapers though and didn't have any bleeding issues or problems with the quality of the PUL on any of them.

Functionality -  These diapers function like a bumGenius 3.0 for the most part.  They have that top layer of PUL which will stop compression leakage.  LOVE that feature.  And I'm glad it can be found on a "cheap" diaper to boot.  I found the rise to be comparable to the rise of a bumGenius 3.0.  Keep in mind that bumGenius has recently updated to the 4.0 which includes a higher rise.  If your child runs on the average to small side of the scale the rise of the Nubunz should be plenty for you.

My "big" complaint about the Nubunz diaper was the lack of stretch.  The other thing I love about bumGenius is that the area around the velcro tabs is stretchy giving you a tighter fit.  This diaper just didn't have as much "give" to it.  However, when you're only paying $9.50 for a full price on a diaper one can't complain too much.  :)  As far as the rounded velcro tabs v. the square.  I didn't experience any issues with either.  However, I could see how the corner of the PUL could get caught on carpeting while baby is crawling around, or rub on furniture when baby is climbing, and become undone.

Durability -  The Nubunz diaper held up to washing as well as any other diaper I have does.  I honestly can't complain at all.  The velcro was really sticky.  I did get a little nervous when undoing snaps as the snaps would really grip and I didn't want to tear the PUL. I never did, but alas I was nervous.  Although I guess it's nice to know that the snap closures are really closed well.  The PUL held up to washing, and as usual my outers were hung dry the majority of the time.  Another plus...the Nubunz Diaper is constructed in the good ol' USA.  :)  Keep in mind though that people have had problems with the bold colored diapers, and although that hasn't been my experience it is something to consider when purchasing.

Availability -  This is not normally a section I put in a review, but as far as I am aware the Nubunz diaper is only available from Nubunz.  This can be a damper to those who want to shop around.  The price is good on their website and they are efficient about shipping, but if you're looking to buy your diapers all in one spot then this isn't the diaper for you (unless you want a whole stash of Nubunz...which wouldn't be a bad thing.).  Also...they seem to be going through a phase of changing what is available and what not so you will be limited as to what you can find and in what colors.  This can be annoying if you're picky about your diaper colors.