Review: SoftBums AI2

SoftBums - Pricing is a little complicated due to varying insert types.  But, a single shell plus one microfiber soaker is $25.95.  A single shell with a bamboo soaker is $30.95.  Basic Packs which are 1 shell, 3 interchangeable soakers, and 1 doubler are:  $36.95 microfiber, $52.95 bamboo.

Materials:  Outer layer PUL, with an inner liner of microfleece, double long snap in soakers made of microfiber with stay dry microfleece on top, or oganic bamboo with either a velour top or stay dry microfleece.  Velcro or snap closure.  OS adjustment through an elastic and toggle system in the legs of the diaper (more on that later).

Fit:  5 - 40 lbs.

How it works:  SoftBums are an AI2 (All In Two) diapering system.  The diaper consists of an outer shell with a PUL outside and microfleece inside for comfort.  The diaper absorbs by the means of a snap in soaker.  This soaker can be taken out when wet or dirty and replaced with a new soaker, allowing the same shell to be used multiple times.  If any poops get on the shell though the shell must be put in the diaper pail to be washed.  Don't attempt to use it again in that situation.  If the shell is slightly damp from pee just lay it out to dry and use another shell or diaper in between uses.

Thoughts from Amanda:

Aesthetics -  SoftBums come in nice bold or soft colors, as well as prints.  They also come in either Aplix closure or snap closure.  The snaps come in cute coordinating colors to the outside of the diaper.  This is a very trim diaper making it great for the diaper bag.  My only qualm would be that the top tends to roll a little bit and expose the microfleece on the wings with the snap version, but that hasn't caused us any problems.

On another side note I am often asked if the knotted elastic and toggles inside of the diaper are annoying for my son as they may seem bulky to others.  But, with the comfy soaker in between my son and the shell he doesn't even notice that they're there.  And the diapers is also left with a very trim look.  I never notice bumps in the front from the knotted elastic or the toggles.

Functionality -  I am in love with this diaper.  But, that doesn't mean it's perfect.  It just works well for me.  Lets talk about the most obvious feature...the snap in soakers.  We'll break this down by section.

SOAKERS:  I like that you have a variety to choose from when purchasing per your baby's needs, and you also have the option to buy a SoftBums package that contains 3 soakers per shell.  That makes this system very convenient to try out.  The soakers come in:  Dry Touch (microfleece top with 2 layers of microfiber-terry for absorption), SUPER Dry Touch (microfleece top with 3 layers of microfiber-terry for absorption), Organic Bamboo Velour (this one will not leave baby with a dry feeling...3 layers of bamboo fleece topped with velour), Dry Touch Organic Bamboo (just replace the velour layer with microfleece for the dry touch feeling).  The doublers are:  Dry Touch - 3 layers of microfiber-terry; Bamboo - 3 layers of Bamboo.  Okay?  Confused?  lol  

The soakers are nice because they are double long so you actually fold them under in the front which will double your absorbency with every use.  So the two layers of microfiber-terry become 4, 3 layers becomes 6, and so on.  Add the doublers and you could end up with 9 layers of absorbency!!!  And all of the soakers are nice and trim even when folded.  I love the variety you have to choose from.  I have the Dry Touch Bamboo and the Bamboo Velour b/c my son is a heavy peer.  I have noticed that the Dry Touch doesn't stay completely dry, but after consulting with some people we came to the conclusion that he must pee very hard and fast not giving the dry layer an opportunity to really work well.  If he peed slower then this wouldn't be happening.  But, it's only a little damp and doesn't bother him.  And the bamboo velour doesn't stay dry at all and that doesn't bother him either.

SHELLS:  The shells are functional but take a bit of practice learning how to use effectively.  I find that the crotch of the shell is very narrow, which is nice but also means you have to check to make sure the soaker is covered by the shell around each leg.  I do a leg check every time I put these diapers on him because if even a little bit of the soaker is sticking out you will have a leak.  That's a bit of an annoyance, but with all of the other great features of this diaper not something that would keep me from using it.  The SoftBums shell is VERY stretchy.  You will need to size this diaper a smidge smaller than your other diapers.  When you pull it up over baby you will see that it has TONS of stretch.  This is a good thing in my opinion because it means the SoftBums will truly last you to potty training.  My biggest qualm about this diaper (which is also something I love about it) is the microfleece inner lining.  This lining is soooo soft, but if your baby poops this diaper will hold onto that smell until washed again.  I find that a sprinkle of Baby Powder helps with that issue.  It's not that the shell is dirty, but that the smell lingers.  

OS ADJUSTMENT:  I will say it right now and I will stand by it.  This is the BEST OS adjustment system ever!!!  Seriously.  Ever.  Softbums uses a very unique internal leg/diaper adjustment system.  At the front of the diaper there is an opening between the PUL and the microfleece.  You will find the two leg elastics knotted together.  If you pull on these and push the diaper shell back you will find two toggles.  One on each side of the diaper.  Now, this will take some practice.  I used another diaper of my son's and laid the SoftBums on top of it to help me find the right sizing.  Press and slide the toggles up or down the elastic making the diaper either smaller or larger as needed.  This diaper gets the smallest I've ever seen and the largest I have ever seen, and has infinite sizes in between.  This is truly a OS diaper.  The toggles will stay in place when washed so there is no need to mess with them again until your baby grows enough to need an adjustment.  

Now a little tip.  When sizing your diaper make it about a 1/2 an inch shorter than your other diapers.  This elastic is super stretchy and you will find it a little too loose in the legs if you don't adjust it smaller.  

TIPS - PUTTING ON THE DIAPER:  The SoftBums system is great but can take a little patience while getting used to it.  I find that it's nice to have the shells already ready to go with one soaker snapped in place.  Lay baby on the diaper and pull up the soaker only first.  Fold it down to double up and make sure that the important areas for absorption are properly covered.  Hold the soaker in place and using your free hand pull up on the SoftBums shell.  Make sure that the soaker stays nice and flat against the shell.  It is easy to get bunching if you're not paying attention.  Pull up tightly and secure in place.  Lastly check the legs to make sure they are fitting snuggly and tuck in any soaker that may be peaking out the sides.  I know it sounds complicated, but with a few tries this takes me no time at all now.  Even on a wiggly 13 month old.

Durability -  This diaper holds up very well to repeated use and washings.  The bamboo inserts will take 6-10 washes to be fully prepped so don't give up on them before then.  I started using mine at three and they did absorb well enough though.  The aplix is nice and strong, and the laundry tabs work beautifully.  Never a diaper chain problem with diaper in the wash.  The snaps are nicely placed and do give you the ability to cross the wings.  The elastic is of a good thickness and very secure.

This is a wonderful diaper and I HIGHLY recommend it.  Not only that but it is made in the USA!  So great.  SoftBums do take a bit of practice, but if you stick with them I think you'll love them as much as I do.  I can't wait to use this system on vacation.  It is going to make being out so much easier.  

Review: Rocky Mountain Diapers

Rocky Mountain Diapers - $19.50, Seconds for $15.50; Some styles $18.95 here.

Materials:  Outer layer PUL, with an inner of suedecloth, internal leg casing snap adjusters on the elastic for OS abilities, 1 microfiber insert.

Fit:  5 - 30 lbs.

How it works:  Rocky Mountain Diapers are a OS Pocket diaper with an unique rise adjustment system.  The pocket is stuffed with the included microfiber insert or insert of your choice.  The internal rise adjustment works similar to FuzziBunz in that the adjusters are in the leg casings rather than on the outside of the diaper.  More on that in Functionality.  The waist closure system is snaps only.

Thoughts from Amanda:

Aesthetics -  I love the colors of the Rocky Mountain Diaper.  They have fresh fruity colored diapers, yummy chocolate PUL diapers with colorful suedecloth inners, Cow print, and monkey prints.  I also like that the rise adjustment system is hidden in the leg casings giving this diaper a cleaner appearance on the outside.  This diaper only comes snaps for the waist closure system.  The snaps are in a single row which helps with the simplified look of the diaper, and I have never experienced wing droop.

Functionality -  I would like to start off by saying that I love that this company actually is truthful in their fit.  5 - 30 lbs. seems very accurate to me, although they may appear bulky on a newborn because they will bunch in the front.  I would compare the rise to a BumGenius 3.0 diaper.  Although, somehow, my son is still not on the highest setting in his Rocky Mountain diapers, although he is in his bumGenius diapers.  Go figure.  However, when looked at side by side (and maybe it's due to snap closure v. the aplix) they look about the same.  This diaper is very trim.  Much trimmer than other pockets I own.  And I find the pocket to be nice and wide which makes it easy for myself or my husband to stuff.

The rise adjustment system on the Rocky Mountain Diaper is unique.  It can be found in the leg casings of the diaper so you will actually have to go inside the pocket to each leg gusset to find the elastic.  On each leg elastic there are a series of snaps.  Just pull the elastic tighter or let it go looser and snap in place to adjust the fit.  Because the adjusters are in the casing there is no rubbing against baby's skin.  :)  The only thing to be careful of is that you get both legs on the same setting but that is very easy to do.  I actually like this a lot more than the FuzziBunz system as you only have to adjust the back and not the front as well.

My son is 24 lbs. and we are not in danger of him outgrowing them anytime soon.  :)  This diaper does have a low rise though, so that is something to be aware of as it may not last you through potty training.

Durability -  I bought my diapers from Rocky Mountain as seconds and they are in GREAT condition.  The suedecloth always stays nice and soft and they have held up well to many washings over the last 6 months of use.  

Although smaller in rise, I do highly recommend this diaper.  Rocky Mountain Diapers are sturdy and trim.  They stand the test of time and are super cute to boot.  

Review: FuzziBunz One Size

Diaper:  FuzziBunz One Size - $18.95 (Without extra elastic $17.95)

Materials:  Outer layer PUL, inner layer Fleece, Snaps for closure, buttons inside of the legs for the one size adjustment (I will explain more later on that), one regular sized microfiber insert and one microfiber doubler.

Fit:  7 - 30 + lbs.

How it works:  FuzziBunz One Size Diapers are a pocket diaper in which you place inserts to adjust the level of absorbency.  The rise on this diaper is not adjusted from the outside like most OS diapers.  This diaper's rise is adjusted with the elastic inside of the leg casing of the diaper and secured at each end with buttons.  The elastic is marked with a numbering system to help you adjust the room in the thighs to fit your child better than a diaper that adjusts with snaps on the outside.

Thoughts from Amanda:

Aesthetics -  Very vibrant diapers.  The colors are bright and cheery.  There are 12 colors available for these diapers.  I own yellow and orange and they are like neon...so keep that in mind when looking at the brighter colors.  They do not have prints though if that's what you're looking for.  

Functionality - First off I didn't find that the fleece inner wicked moisture away very well.  My son was damp to the touch each time I used this diaper.  I also find the fleece to be very thin and of poor quality.  The microfiber inserts that it came with also don't seem to absorb very well.  I often found myself replacing them with inserts from other diapers before making the switch to prefolds as inserts in all of my diapers.  (Which I highly recommend if you have a heavy wetter.)  

Regarding fit...I found the waist of this diaper to be even a little loose on my (at the time) 7 1/2 month old.  Now at 9 months I am just moving off of the smallest waist setting.  There is no way that this would fit comfortably on a newborn in my opinion.  This diaper seems to run a little big. I also find the thigh snaps to be placed a little too close to the leg opening.  I have a hard time getting a comfy with those snaps around my sons legs.  There are only 4 snaps to choose from around the thighs and even though the waist has two snaps on each side the thigh snaps seem to pull down on the wings of the diaper creating wing droop anyway.  Annoying!  

As far as adjusting the rise of the diaper.  FuzziBunz provides a handy dandy chart on their website to aid you in figuring out the proper setting for your child.  FuzziBunz utilizes a system in which the elastic inside of the leg casings has button holes and at the front and back of each leg opening there is a button.  You can pull on the elastic to adjust the rise of the diaper by making the leg area smaller or larger.  There are 6 or 7 setting on each end of the leg elastic.  The excess elastic then tucks into a "hideaway hole" in the diaper.  So, for example...my 21 lb., 9 month old son, is on the 3rd hole on the leg elastic.  This can become complicated and can take a while to figure out if your child doesn't fit into the 50% for everything.  (And really...how many of them do?!)  With buttons and snaps this diaper just becomes complicated to figure out at the beginning.

Now once I got everything set right, it worked, but it's still not a favorite of mine.  The elastic comes out of the "hideaway holes" in the wash and the elastic curls (which is the nature of elastic that isn't sewn down on the ends).  The buttons don't stay tucked away so the press up against my sons skin.  (He's not uncomfortable but it still bothers me.)  All in all I am just not overly impressed with this diaper.

If I get a chance sometime I'll make a video of this diaper as I think a visual will help you to better understand how this diaper works.

Durability -  The inner fleece of this diaper seems to get thinner and thinner with each washing.  I'm not sure why, as my other fleece lined diapers don't have this problem.  Otherwise this diaper is of good quality.  I like that mine came with extra elastic for the legs incase mine break.  But, I think if mine broke I would cry over it and would probably discontinue use anyway.

*** I know people who swear by this diaper.  They love everything about it.  Which just goes to show...it pays to try different brands which is why a starter pack is such a good idea when starting out.