Gro baby and snap-on liner style diapers

[expat-mama]

I'm new to this and just starting to think of diapers as I come up with a budget for our initial baby costs.

Has anyone used Gro Baby diapers?
I like the idea of a reusable outer shell and the snap-on liner. It seems a lot of diapers are pocket style and you have to wash both the diaper and the insert after one use.
Are there other diapers that are this style of snap-on liner with a reusable shell?
Do they really work?- I mean can you really reuse the outer shell or does it end up needing to be washed anyway?

[georgia]

bumping

[My3guys]

bumGenius just started the Flip which is very similar to the Gro Baby.

Gro Baby is terrific. I have not yet tried the flip so can't give you much advice on that. I really like the Gro Baby with the disposable liners for traveling.

Good luck

[leavemealone]

I have used Gro Baby, but not really full time. I don't know of any other ones that snap in, but there are others that are prefolds and covers that are basically the same. I was able to reuse the cover when the liner was only wet, but my child seemed to almost always have a blow out poop that would require a new shell. However, I used them on my child when he was mostly BF so maybe that would be different now that he's on solids.

[leavemealone]

FYI: The Gro Baby disposable liners are BOGO at some online stores for a few more days, if you wanted to try those.

[Blueone]

That's all I use! I love gro baby, they work so well. I just sent in all my shells last week to get converted to snaps though because I hate aplix, but they do work very well on those shells, but I just don't like aplix in general. I find though that if he poops I always have to change the shell. He only poops every other day so on those days we go through 3 shells. I would definitely get 12 shells if you go for those!

[cileag]

We just bought a Softbum, which is a mn local company that is that style--we've only had three diaper changes so far but the fit is great! It is one size and adjusts around the leg gussets which is where my 6 week old tends to leak with the Bumgenius or Happy heinys.

www.softbums.com

They also got really good reviews on diaperpin. So far I'm excited to see how they keep working.

[mambera]

I hate pockets - only use them for overnight.

Love love love the Softbums. Truly one size, super trim, infinitely adjustable. One cover lasts between one and four changes, depending. Poo doesn't always get on the cover (maybe half the time depending on the size and texture of the poo) but I usually do change the cover if she poos either way. After 4 changes the cover starts to really smell like pee so I change it. Usually go through 2-4 covers per day depending on how many poos and how much diaper-free time we have that day.

I do the covers with the regular laundry so they don't go through the hot wash and triple rinse/spin that the inserts get - I'm hoping this will extend their shelf life vs. pocket dipes that need to get the full treatment.

Lots of people seem to like Grobaby but I never tried them bc I don't like the idea of a cotton insert (too much bulk and baby feels the wetness), and I heard the mesh inner was annoying to clean. Softbums have your choice of dry-touch microfleece or organic bamboo velour inserts. (They did take a lot of washes to hit full absorbency so we had lots of leaks in the first month or two. The leak issue is better now.)

No option for a disposable liner with Softbums but I already realized I wasn't interested in that after a meh experience with Gdiapers. When I want a sposie I'll use a sposie.

I tried Gdiapers and a few different pockets before finding the Softbums. They were the hands down favorite and now comprise my whole stash except for the leftover experimental diapers, which I only use when all the Softbums are in the wash.

That said, I would not recommend buying a full stash of any one diaper before your baby is born and you can try things out. Everyone's preferences are different and the only way you can know how something works for you is to try it.

[mom-to-jj]

I have one GroBaby that I've used twice on my 7-week-old EBF baby. She has pooped in it both times, and I've had to wash the cover and the soaker pad. Both times those pads came out of the washer looking like they hadn't even been washed yet! The poop stained them so bad, even though I rinsed them right away and washed them within hours. The mesh cover came clean with no problem, but my soaker pads look terrible after one use! Not my favorite diaper for my EBF baby...maybe once she is pooping less often, I'll like it better.

[Blueone]

I remember looking at softbumz but decided I only wanted natural fibers. That and the one time I used fleece my son broke out in a rash. They look good though!

[Minerva0302]

Originally Posted by Blueone

I just sent in all my shells last week to get converted to snaps though because I hate aplix, but they do work very well on those shells, but I just don't like aplix in general.

How did you do this! Love my Gro Babies but I wish I'd gone for all snaps. I only have one snap and the rest are all aplix.

[mamagranola28]

Overall I really like my gro baby diapers but there are a few things I don't like....
The diaper is very narrow in the crotch; the snap in liner is also a bit narrow for the cover (I think this is why poop ALWAYS gets on the cover even when I change right away)
The liner plus the booster doesn't hold as much pee as I'd like. The cover is often wet after 2 hours.
Things I like...
SO CUTE
LOVE the velcro
easy to change
organic cotton
one size

[Blueone]

Originally Posted by Minerva0302

How did you do this! Love my Gro Babies but I wish I'd gone for all snaps. I only have one snap and the rest are all aplix.

On their site they have a snap conversion option. I printed out the paper, wrote a check for all my shells (9 shells totaled to 35.50, I calculated this on my computer) and then I sent it in to the address on the snap conversion paper. I can send it to you if you want. I have it saved on my computer. I got them back in 9 days and all were wonderfully converted to snaps! We have sposies left over right now and I'm trying to decide if I should finish those before using his cloth again.

[Minerva0302]

Originally Posted by Blueone

On their site they have a snap conversion option. I printed out the paper, wrote a check for all my shells (9 shells totaled to 35.50, I calculated this on my computer) and then I sent it in to the address on the snap conversion paper. I can send it to you if you want. I have it saved on my computer. I got them back in 9 days and all were wonderfully converted to snaps! We have sposies left over right now and I'm trying to decide if I should finish those before using his cloth again.

Thanks! Found it!

[milknsheep]

Hiney Lineys are also great. They have a stay dry liner and you can take the wet diaper out and reuse the cover.

[Galatea]

I think Gro Babys are great starting at about 6 months or so. But until then, EBF poop is likely to get on the shell every time, and they will be bulky. The one-size feature is a snap-down rise, but the inserts are one-size, too, so you have a lot of thick cotton to fold down in the front. I have had many customers love them, but think they were bulky and not functioning as a "replace the insert but reuse the shell" at the beginning. Their disposable inserts are great.

As with anything velcro, gentle washing and hanging the shells to dry will go a long way towards keeping them nice.

[hildare]

i like them lots!

i have used the gro baby among other things. now, my dd is only 6 weeks old, so take this fwiw.
i really really like them. they are small enough to not make "poofy pants" and they fit in the diaper bag well. they make light laundry. the shells wash really well, and the velcro around the waist just plain rocks. they fit my newborn pretty well. she's never had a blowout in them, either.
i ordered some doublers (? whatever they call them) but haven't used them yet.
the only potential problems i see with them: i could see with a big big baby that the waist might eventually be too small with a much older kid.. the shells are pretty easy to get dirty, you may wash them more than you think you would.

also, they recommend you buy WAY more shells than you actually need. i only have 2 and lots of the snappable inserts. it works out just fine but i do use them in conjunction with other diapers.
when you look at them it doesn't seem like they would work nearly as well as they do, but we're pretty happy with them. i'd recommend trying them for sure. also, it seems to me that they're more economical. if you can buy the inserts in a pack of two for around 17$, that is WAY cheaper than any other one size, assuming you already have shells.