why fitteds or pockets?

[sbraz]

Ok, bear with me... im just starting to figure out cloth diapering systems and i have to wait a few more months to have a baby to try anything out on and actually figure it out myself...

Why use fitteds or pocket diapers?

I understand prefolds have the most economic appeal, easy to launder, etc.
AIOs I understand for ease of use.
It seems like a lot of fitteds and pockets are almost as costly as AIOs (in general...not one-sized AIOs, they seem more $$) and for the fitteds you still need a cover and with pockets you have to stuff...
Is it that with fitteds you get better containment/easier to put on than a pre-fold? but theres no AIO that would do that?
And for pockets, they have better drying times than AIOs... is it that much of a difference? and what about these All-in-twos I'm seeing???
TIA

[kickinitbabystyle]

I think the appeal for fitteds is because I think they have a better/tighter fit than pockets plus you can use wool covers, which are more breathable than PUL. And, yes, pockets dry faster than aio's because the insert comes out. AI2's have a snap in soaker where the cover can be reused if it isn't wet or soiled.

[npl]

I like fitteds because of the leakage protection at the legs/back/waist (think explosive poop!), and they wash more easily, plus I can reuse covers. They are my "luxury" diapers, as I mostly use prefolds. But, prefolds take longer on a squirmy baby and are more bulky. Overnight with really heavy-wetters, a prefold inside a fitted is better than two prefolds, and give protection from leaks for babies who sleep on their sides. On older babies, the fitteds are good for pulling up and down for potty training.
Pockets - I like these for in the diaper bag, but often will take prefolds/fitteds and and a cover for when I'm out. I don't like the way my pockets washed (I had fuzzi bunz) or the way they fit some of my kids. I found they got leaky because the pul degraded, and I'm not so keen on the microfleece against the skin (not that we had problems, and I know lots of people like having the fleece there). I might end up investing in some other kind of pocket for the next baby, or going with one of these new systems where you can have the disposable or reusable insert for when out and about. I do prefer the pockets over aio, because I can customize the absorbancy and they are easier to get clean.

[Bokonon]

I love pockets because like the PP said, I can customize the absorbency. They dry quickly and I haven't found them to be expensive, but I buy them on clearance so I never pay full price.

I love fitteds because they are trimmer than pockets or AIOs, and I can reuse the cover. And they have absorbency all over, and I don't have to do any special folding like I do with a prefold to get the same result.

[mamadelbosque]

I love my pockets - they dry pretty quick, I can customize how much absorbancy I need, and their one-size, so I only have to buy them once. Realy, stuffing isn't that much of a big deal - I stuff when their all clean & dry, and then they just go on like an AIO w/ only an extra 5-10 mins of work

[mambera]

I thought I'd be an AIO person but I bought one and HATED it. Seemed like such a waste to launder this whole bulky diaper for every little wee. (We have a tiny washer.)

Pockets have the same problem, but I use them for overnight bc I can double-stuff them.

My requirements for a CD were: one-size, low hassle factor, minimal laundry burden. I also like the dry-touch inners.

That's why for daytime I love my AI2s. Easy-on for wriggly baby (unlike prefolds or fitteds), dry-touch fabric (again unlike prefolds or fitteds), nothing to stuff (just a single snap), one-size, and no extra laundry (shells only get washed when they are dirty).

[Erinjvrn]

IME:

most aios take long to dry
pockets are awesome b/c they are like aios except you stuff them and they are quick dry
I love fitteds for comfort, I use wool over them, so I change my fitted and put my wool (longies) back on b/c they dont get wet.
I love fitteds for NB dipes, my NBs always peed/pooped through pfs/covers.

[cristeen]

AIOs take a long time to dry, seem to often have synthetic inners and therefore stink issues, PUL outers which some people don't care for and fail quicker than the rest of the diaper, and are pricey.

Pockets are customizable as far as absorbency, but have some of the same problems as AIOs in regards to synthetics and PUL.

Fitteds can have synthetic inners, but it's really easy to find the ones that don't. They can take a long time to dry if they have sewn in doublers, but it's easy to find ones with quick dry, snap in or lie in doublers. And it's easier to get a really good fit than prefolds.

I happen to really like pocket fitteds, myself. They have the benefits of the pockets, and the benefits of the fitted. But I've only found 2 companies that make them. I use a pocket fitted for my night-time dipe.

As for AI2s, I use wool AI2s. Wool is my preferred cover, but it cannot be tossed in the wash. So an AI2 gives me the easy on of an AIO, with the easy washing of the fitted, and the breathability of wool. And if we're out and about I can just pack several inserts, and just snap in a new insert when the one he's wearing needs changing.

I only actually own only 1 PUL cover in each size - and those are just for those times when I want to put him in a one-piece outfit. He spends most of his time in wool or fleece bottoms with a t-shirt. I prefer wool for the breathability, not to even mention the cuteness factor. Every time we go out with him in wool pants he gets comments on them.

[AlwaysByMySide]

I wanted to have the fitted love, I really, really did, but I kept coming back to my pockets. I like having everything in one step (not having to put on the diaper, then put on an additional cover), and the pockets kept baby's skin drier than fitteds.

[ExuberantDaffodil]

I'm not huge on pockets. They are bulky on my skinny daughter. They leak out the legs a lot, and I'm scared of stink issues (I used pockets exclusively with ds, and battled stink and wicking the whole time). I also loathe the feeling of the microfiber inserts. They creep me out so badly I can barely stand to touch them.

That said, I love fitteds with a cover. They fit well and contain everything with no leaks. I can reuse two covers throughout the whole day. It seems to be a much trimmer option for us, so her clothes fit well, with just enough cute fluffy butt. Best of all, for me, is ease of care. My fitteds are all natural fibers, so stink has not been an issue at all. And my prowrap and bsww never, ever wick.

Downsides? I have to change very frequently because they "feel wet" when they are...well, wet. And she hates to feel wet. This doesn't bother me, though, because I want to change her as soon as she goes. The idea of having her sit in pee, whether is "feels dry" or not grosses me out. The extra step of putting on a cover after putting on a diaper isn't too daunting to me.

I guess if I had an AIO or pocket option that worked fantastically, was economical, dried quickly, and didn't require some fancy laundry detergent/system, that would be great.

[DevaMajka]

I like fitteds because they're breathable, and you can go coverless or under fleece pants or pajamas. You can tell right away when they pee, and can change them quickly. If they are coverless or under fleece pants, it's just as easy an an AIO. I have lots of fitteds, reach for them first, and never use a pul cover over them.
Another benefit of fitteds is, if you use them with an actual cover, you are WAY less likely to have leaks of any kind. Even if poo gets past the fitted, it probably won't get past the cover. In fitteds, there's more absorbant surface, so you're less likly to have pee leaks too (IME).

Pockets- the drying time is great. You don't have to put the diaper in the dryer, so the pul and elastic last longer. I used to love pockets but I'm losing the love because, imo, fleece isn't very staydry. I don't mind stuffing, and once it's stuffed it's as easy to put on as an AIO (which I can't stand because of drying time). A huge downside of pockets is that if they are fleece inners (which most are) they are quite prone to repelling.

I've been using my pockets as AI2's, and it's working well for us. I was tired of repelling and leaking. AI2's are great because you can use the shell over if the "insert" isn't soaked through so that the shell is wet. It cuts down on washing wear and tear on the shells.

[leavemealone]

Why use fitteds or pocket diapers? I like them b/c they are easy to use. I don't mind stuffing them b/c it only takes a few minutes right after they come out of the dryer to stuff them. It's no different than folding a load of laundry. I have tried a few AIOs before and didn't like them b/c of the drying time. I would run it through two cycles in the dryer and it still wouldn't be dry. At that point, I'd hang it to dry overnight and it would be dry by morning, but for only a small amount more of work (stuffing), I could get the same thing with less dry time. Now, I have only used pockets on my child (except for a few Gro Baby diapers) so I don't really have much to compare them to, but I really haven't had any problems with stink or repelling that others have mentioned. I have also only been using them since last April so maybe I just haven't been using them long enough to run into those issues.

[pumpkin]

We use fitteds because they are easy and we can use a wool cover. DD gets red from too much time in PUL.

We have a few pockets for outings.

I can't stand using prefolds. Life is too short to try to get a prefold on a squirmy baby.