New products from Happy Heinys!

Happy Heinys proudly introduces 2 new products and we are excited to bring these to you through our store Ottawa Cloth Diapers!

Happy Heinys have been working on a few new products over the last couple of months and are releasing them a little differently than usual. Typically they make a new product, have it go through testing, then release it to all retailers. This time they have done the usual testing, but decided to release these 2 new items as "Beta" products. They are also releasing them only in a couple of colors and only 100 of each product in each color. These 2 new products are not yet officially named, the company will be taking name recommendations from customers (including customers from Ottawa Cloth Diapers) and the name they choose, if it is submitted for the product by a customer, that customer will receive a $50 gift certificate from Happy Heinys.

First New Product: "BETA" Happy Heinys One Size Diaper cover w/gussets

This is an absolutely wonderful one size diaper cover that will fit most babies from 8-35 lbs. They have used the softest fold over elastic we could find for the entire edge of the cover and gussets. These gussets are wonderful for holding in the typical runny breastfed poo as well as most "illness poo". With a stuffed Happy Hempy this combination is a bullet-proof combination for over-night.

Second New Product: "BETA" Organic Happy Heinys One Size Pocket Diaper

This diaper has been born from the numerous requests for special diaper manufacturing of a pocket diaper with a natural interior. At this time there are no inserts included with these diapers. The hemp lining is fully absorbent and when combined with any insert of choice this has proven itself to be a bullet proof over-night product. There are several differences in this pocket diaper from other "Organic" pocket diapers. It is made with the proven Happy Heinys One Size design, a design that has now been around for 7 years. It is also made with Organic Hemp/Cotton. Hemp is antimicrobial and anti-fungal which decreases the chances of rash. Hemp is more durable and absorbent then cotton alone.

For both "BETA"models Happy Heinys is taking any and all input and suggestions both good and constructive. They are also in search for a name for these products. This contest is for customers only and the winning name submitter will receive a $50 gift certificate from Happy Heinys.

Good Luck everyone!

These 2 new products will arrive at Ottawa Cloth Diapers either this week (December 28th) or next week (1st week of January). You can order them now if you like. We will have a limited number of these in stock as only a few have been released from the company so far so get yours fast! Please contact us if you have any questions.

Happy New Year ... we wish you all the best in the year 2010!

What is the difference between inserts, doublers, boosters, soakers, liners, etc?

The cloth diaper world includes a lot of lingo and it can get quite confusing for someone who has never used cloth and even for those who already use cloth since many companies interchange the same term for different products. Hopefully this short post will help you out with lingo around inserts/boosters/doublers/soakers/liners, etc.

The term inserts (sometimes also called stuffers) is usually used to mean an absorbent multi-layer fabric that can be placed inside a pocket diaper. These can be made of various materials such as cotton, microfiber, terry, hemp and bamboo. Some inserts can be also be used as doublers (see definition below). An example of an insert is the bumGenius one-size microfiber insert that is used with the bumGenius one-size pocket diaper.

Doublers or boosters are thick pads that can be used to add absorbency to your diaper. These are usually added inside a fitted, AIO or prefold diaper. They often have a fleece lining that lies against your baby’s skin to keep it dry. These are great when extra protection is needed such as nighttime. Example: Gro Baby Stay Dry Booster.

Soakers usually refers to the inner layer of the diaper (the part that will absorb wetness) which can be made of various fabrics such as cotton, bamboo, hemp, etc. Some diapers have a detachable inner soaker (All-In-Two diaper such as the Gro Baby one-size diaper) and others are all one piece (All-In-One diaper such as the Annie Marie Padorie Stay Dry AIO). To confuse you even more, the term soaker can also be used in reference to wool or fleece covers.

Liners are thin layers of biodegradable paper (ex: Bummis biosoft liners) that are placed between the diaper and your baby’s skin. These are used for easier clean up by keeping poop from sticking to the diaper. Once soiled, they are thrown in the garbage or flushed down the toilet. Another type of liner is polar fleece liners (ex: AMP microfleece liners). These work great to keep the baby’s skin dry by wicking away wetness from the skin. They also help with poopy messes since stool tend to peel off the fleece. Once soiled these are machine washable. Another less commonly used liner is raw silk. Raw silk is the only option for 100% natural wicking material to help keep skin dry. The term liners is also sometimes used to mean doubler, booster or insert.

Hopefully this helped a little bit for whoever needed it. Please feel free to add any comments are to ask any questions.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas with their families.

Happy and Safe Holidays!! May all your Christmas wishes come true ...

Aplix (Velcro) or Snaps Closure on Diapers, what is best?

A common question from parents who are looking to purchase cloth diapers is whether they should purchase diapers with aplix (or more commonly known as Velcro) or with snaps closure. The answer is ... it depends :)

Here is a brief summary of the pros and cons of each closure option to help you make a decision.

Aplix is very adjustable, fast and easy. Most Daddies and babysitters will prefer aplix over snaps. However, some babies learn how to undo aplix (although some will also undo snaps). Aplix tend to wear off over time. When putting your dirty diapers in your laundry bag, make sure you use the aplix laundry tabs to prevent it to sticking onto other fabrics. If the laundry tabs come undone with your wash or dry cycle, consider purchasing a strip of aplix (the loop part) and cut them in squares that you can add to the hook (teeth part of your aplix) before placing your soiled diapers in the wash. This way you will for sure protect your other diapers from catching onto any aplix in the wash.

Snaps are not as adjustable and take a bit longer too fasten which can be tricky for those babies on the move. They tend to last longer than aplix (especially since most companies offer a lifetime warranty on snaps). If you want your diapers to last for more than one child, you might consider choosing snaps over aplix. The other option however is you can replace your worn out aplix easily once it is worn out.

Another option is to purchase a bit of both. This way you have the advantage of both closure system in your diaper stash. Some cloth diaper companies offer the same diapers with either fastening system (ex: Happy Heinys One-Size Pocket Diaper, Gro Baby One-Size Diaper (in vanilla only for snap option)

If you have any questions about this post or any other cloth diaper questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Please leave us comments about your favorite cloth diaper fastening option and why.

Have a great week!

Vicky

Thristies Duo Diaper Review

After trying out the new Thirsties Duo Diaper for a couple of weeks now on both our boys, I thought it would be timely to write a quick review on our blog about it in case anyone is interested in this great new diaper.


For full details about the Thirsties Duo Diaper, click here.



Quick Description of the Thristies Duo Diaper ...
The Duo diaper is a pocket diaper that includes a combination insert (two layers of serged microfiber terry snapped together with five serged layers of hemp jersey). The pocket is opened in the front and back of the diaper. The diaper comes in 2 sizes (size 1: 6-18lbs and size 2: 18-40lbs). It is available in 8 colors, features double leg gussets and features aplix closure. Retail price at Ottawa Cloth Diapers: $19.95 each

Performance and fit ...
We have been using this diaper over the last 2 weeks with both our sons (27 month old weighing 27lbs and 9 month old weighing 19lbs). Both our boys fit in the size 2 diaper. Our 9 month old is at the smallest setting and our 27 month old is at the middle setting. The fit is awesome on both boys (see pictures below). They fit nice and snug, very trim and so far have left no marks on their skin. They both have fairly average to skinny legs so the double leg gusset is nice. However on a baby with chunky thighs it might not be ideal as it may be too tight on the thighs?? If you have ever used the Thirsties Pocket AIO diaper or the Thirsties Duo Wraps, the fit is very similar.





My 9 month old (19lbs) in a size 2 Thirsties Duo Diaper at the smallest setting (color: ocean blue)











My 27 month old (27lbs) in a size 2 Thirsties Duo Diaper at the middle setting (color: ocean blue)




I love the combination insert of microfiber and hemp for this diaper giving it a lot of absorbency. I have always liked the Thirsties Pocket AIO for my boys when they were smaller but I found that as they got older and heavier wetters, that the pocket AIO would not give me enough absorbency unless I double stuffed it. With the new Duo diaper, I get lots of absorbency even with my 27 month old. So far, I have not had any leaks with this diaper and the longest I had it on on my boys was 4 hours. I have not tied it at night yet as I do not usually use pocket or AIO diapers at night (I am a fitted/cover girl when it comes to night time diapering :)) Another comment about the insert is that the unique hemp jersey is unlike any other hemp products I have used in the past. Hemp is not my favorite fabric (I prefer bamboo) but I really like this hemp jersey as it is much softer and silkier than regular hemp products I carry.


I also love the fact that this diaper comes in 2 sizes as opposed to a one-size diaper that is too bulky on a newborn and sometimes too small on a toddler. This diaper offers you a chance to save money by only having to purchase 2 sizes without sacrificing the fit as well as having 2 sets of diapers will give your diapers a chance to last longer (2, 3 kids).


Ease of use ...
The front snaps are easy to adjust for sizing and the pocket is easily stuffed with a front and back opening. The insert is fairly wide so you have to make sure you lay it down flat in the middle section of the diaper where it is a bit more snug. When you stuff the pocket, make sure to put the microfiber part on top (closest to the baby's skin) and the hemp underneath to get the best absorbency as microfiber absorbs faster than hemp (I can see Daddy's being confused here :)


Putting the diaper on is fast and easy with the overlapping aplix closure and taking it off is also a breeze. The laundry tabs are easy to use and you also don't need to take out the insert for washing as it will come out by itself in the wash with the front and back opening of the pocket (although I prefer separating the diaper anyways to make sure it washes well).


Downfall ...

Not much to criticize here except that the diaper does not come with snap closures for those who prefer snaps over velcro and the microfiber/hemp insert does take a bit of time to dry. But that is always the case when you have a highly absorbing insert. At least the combo insert can be separated to dry faster and also to be used separately if you want to.



Also, even though I love the double leg gussets, some might not, especially for the chunky thigh babies.


Overall ...

GREAT diaper. I will definitely be adding more of these to my stash for my boys. I think this is truly a great diaper from newborn to potty training within the 2 sizes. The only question remaining is its night performance for those of you who would want to use this diaper at night time. For me, as mentioned above, it is a non issue as I prefer using fitted/covers for night.


Rating out of 10
I give it an 8.5/10!

I'd love to hear your questions/comments about this diaper.


Have a great weekend everyone!

MoBoleez Breastfeeding Hat Giveaway - Winner

Last month we did a giveaway for 1 MoboLeez Nursing Hat. Our lucky winner is ...

Charlene Maki Argàez

Congratualtions Charlene! I will be contacting you shortly to see what size hat and which color/design you would like.

Stay tuned all readers for another giveaway in the month of December.

Vicky