prefolds vs flats

[Cameron's Mommy]

I'm just curious because I have a good stash of all different types of diapers fitteds, pockets, prefolds etc.. (except flats) and I seem to always reach for my prefolds and longies (at home anyway). I really love them but I never bought any flats and i'm just wondering what the pros and cons are of them compared to prefolds... so ladies..anyone like flats better than prefolds? and why?

[possum]

We used mostly flats - some from GMD and some home made flannel ones.
We had a few CPFs, and some fitteds that were also given to us.

We LOVED, LOVED, LOVED our flats because the washed and dried SO easily, completely, and quickly. All the hoopla over diaper washing techniques - I think - is because of issues with multi-layer diapers that trap poop, pee, moisture, and germs between those layers. We were careful the type of detergent we used, but I just washed and dried on hot. After my son started eating lots of solids, I did rinse them in the toilet after poops and went to a second rinse after a complete wash.

They always came out clean and dried in a FLASH.

I just did not have the same experience with the PFs or the fitteds. My biggest issues was how LONG they took to dry. I was not able to dry them outdoors.
Part of our reason for using cloth was the green factor, so washing and drying with as little water and power as possible was a big plus for us.

I also liked how customizable they were. They literally went from birth to 2.5 years (8-40 lbs).

Melinda

[justmama]

I have been cloth diapering for 5 years straight. I've tried all types of diapers. For 4 of those years I was too scared to try flats, didn't even bother. I didn't want to have to fold them all complicated. BUT a year ago I took the leap and LOVED them. I sold everything else and we have been using exclusively flats and covers for the last year from 12months to 25months. They wash with just one wash and an extra rinse and no toilet dunking or sprayers. We line dry exclusively and they are dry in a few hours in the winter and 30minutes in the heat of the summer. We've never had stink issues and we've never had repelling. They fit so well and I don't use a complicated fold. I fold it in half and then almost in half the other way so it's a shortened rectangle and throw a gerber prefold in there all folded up for a doubler and put it on like a prefold. It's SO easy and fast and I don't regret switching at all. The only drawback that I see is being out and about and trying to change on those stupid little plastic rickety changers in public bathrooms. BUT when we go out I just lay a flat in a cover and throw that on to make it easier to handle. So even that isn't relaly a drawback as it's so easily fixable.

[Vvivo]

[QUOTE=justmama;15128452]I fold it in half and then almost in half the other way so it's a shortened rectangle and throw a gerber prefold in there all folded up for a doubler and put it on like a prefold. QUOTE]

Wait... so if you use flats, does that mean you also have to use prefolds anyways? I'm currently pregnant, had the same question as the person who started this thread, so I was reading through the replies. But this confused me. If you have to use prefolds anyways, doesn't that defeat the point of using flats? I mean, then you have to wash & dry the prefolds anyways, which you say is harder to do than flats. Do you not always use doublers? I think I'm missing something...

[moxygirl]

[QUOTE=Vvivo;15134610]

Originally Posted by justmama

I fold it in half and then almost in half the other way so it's a shortened rectangle and throw a gerber prefold in there all folded up for a doubler and put it on like a prefold. QUOTE]

Wait... so if you use flats, does that mean you also have to use prefolds anyways? I'm currently pregnant, had the same question as the person who started this thread, so I was reading through the replies. But this confused me. If you have to use prefolds anyways, doesn't that defeat the point of using flats? I mean, then you have to wash & dry the prefolds anyways, which you say is harder to do than flats. Do you not always use doublers? I think I'm missing something...

The PP is referring to using a prefold as a doubler to increase absorbancy. Cloth diaperers do the same thing with fitteds, or pockets, or AIOs to increase absorbancy. You can even double-prefold a baby.

I prefer flats to prefolds for all the above reasons, plus flats (folded using the origami fold) never leak (or have blow-outs) with my heavy wetter the way prefolds do. Prefolds don't seem to absorb much, and I have fairly decent ones (GMD).

[Vvivo]

Interesting...

I hope I'm not stealing this thread, but I have another question. Do you always need a doubler? Does it depend on age? Does a newborn need a doubler?

[DevaMajka]

I like flats, dislike prefolds.
I use them "trifolded" as inserts in pockets or AI2's. If I could ever find the snappi love, I'd use flats snappi'd. I prefer them to prefolds that way, because the fit and absorbancy are more customized, and you don't have to worry about it not being wide enough to go around the waist.

Flats dry very fast in the dryer. I hang my pockets and fitteds, and the rest (mostly flats, some other inserts) takes a lot less time than normal laundry. From what I remember of pf's (only had orange edge when ds was a nb), they take a while to dry.

As for doublers, it would depend on which flat you use, and how you use it.
On a newborn, I doubt you'd need a doubler, unless maybe you were using gerber flats. Little Lions flats would be too big for a nb, I'm sure.
If you were snappi'ing them, and you are using a smaller/thinner brand of flat on an older baby (like granitesmith and maybe osocozy), you probably would need a doubler. If you are using those padfolded, you may or may not depending on how heavy a wetter your dc is. I don't need a doubler for ds when I use padfolded granitesmith flats, but it wouldn't last very long (I change as soon as I realize he's wet).
Little Lions flats would be more likely to be able to be used without a doubler, even snappi'd. I use LL flats trifolded at night for ds who is 8 mos old, and it lasts all night. If you have a really heavy wetter or a toddler, you may need a doubler.

[moxygirl]

Originally Posted by Vvivo

Interesting...

I hope I'm not stealing this thread, but I have another question. Do you always need a doubler? Does it depend on age? Does a newborn need a doubler?

I've never needed a doubler with my LL flats, and my son is a heavy wetter. If I used prefolds regularly I would use a doubler as they don't seem to have as much absorbancy.

Re what DevaMajka said, LL flats ARE big on a newborn. I used them because that's all I had, not knowing any better before he was born. For my next LO, I'm considering getting the small GMD flats, or some infant sized prefolds with doublers.

[possum]

You don't need any other diapers or doublers with flats. As I mentioned, we used GMD flats and home made flannel flats (about 36" square before hemming). Both worked well for my 8 lb newborn because I could fold them to fit him. We used just one diaper and changed frequently until he was around 2 years old. As he matured and started going longer between pees, and therefore doing much bigger pees, I just stacked two diapers together and changed any time he was wet.
When we first started potty training a few months later, we went back to 1 diaper at a time.

Melinda

[srs]

Love flats here too. Least expensive, quickest to dry, versatile (doubles as a blanket, towel, whatever), can fit my newborn and my toddler if need be. Took about five minutes to learn how to fold. We Snappi them, and there's a much bigger margin of error on where you Snappi compared to a prefold. Downsides: can be a pain to fold when out of the house, and I have a really tough time folding in the middle of the night. But they can be folded ahead of time too.

My only regret is that I didn't try them sooner. And if you need a doubler, you can always double up another flat.