Thirsties Duo vs. Original Thirsties? Help!

[adopted0105]

I'm getting ready to make my big diaper purchase for my baby girl, who could be here any day. I thought I had everything planned out. I was going to buy the following to get started:
-2 dozen Diaper Rite prefolds
-6-8 Thirsties Duo Wraps (size 1)<--I especially liked these because they make them with snap closures now

However, I had a friend tell me that the Thirsties duos run a bit small, and she suggested that I buy 3 duos and 3 regular Thirsties (size small), along with 3 regular medium Thirsties. My thought was that if the duos run small, I could just go ahead and buy the size 2 when my little one grows out of the size 1. But now I'm just not sure.

So what has been your experience with the Duos vs. the regular Thirsties? How quickly does the velcro on the regular Thirsties tend to wear out? I just don't know what to order now! Thanks!

[SilverFish]

i agree, the duo 1's do not go up to 18 lbs. my 7 month old is just barely 16lb and they are quite snug on her. she is a pretty long and lean 16 lbs too, i can't see a squishier babe fitting into them as long. the bigger problem in my mind is that the duo 2 isn't really a smooth transition after the duo 1's stop fitting. granted, i haven't actually used a duo 2, but i have looked at them and compared the smallest setting with the largest on the duo 1.

i'm not entirely sure the duo 1s will fit on a newborn either. maybe someone will chime in on that? Thirsties XS fit wonderfully from newborn to about 2 mos for us, but again, i have a fairly small babe.

i would get a couple XS, a few Duo1's and then wait and see how your baby grows. If you end up with a pretty big baby, you can skip the thirsties XS altogether and probably either return them or sell them, but if you end up with a babe in the 6-8lb range, the XS will fit beautifully for the first few weeks. i wouldn't bother with the S size, that is right in the range of the Duo 1s.

later you can purchase Duo 2. I am actually thinking i might get some M thirsties too. honestly, i would never not buy thirsties, they are so great in every other way, but the sizing is definitely an issue. that my bummis S fit approximately the same way as the Duo 1 just seems wrong.

either way, i definitely wouldn't get 6-8 duo 1s. even with newborn poop, you don't need 8 covers, and i definitely wouldn't get 8 of something i haven't tried before. you may not like the snaps that much either. i found it very difficult to get a perfect fit with snaps, and the covers we did have with snaps were outgrown long before the ones with velcro.

[dejagerw]

I found this site very helpful on duo info.

http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/thirsties_duo.htm

Basically, they showed different sized prefolds and babies in different sized duos. My babies usually run big. Or at least start off average and get huge fast. So, I was only planning on buying the infant sized prefolds (skipping newborn). I still have tons of disposable newborn diapers left over from DS1, so I'm just going to use those until this one gets a bit bigger. (Last time DS outgrew newborn diapers in less than 1 week).

I'm planning on getting 2 size 1 duos and I have 2 size 2 duos. (The duos do run a bit small). I'm thinking that will be sufficient for my newborn. (I also have a ton of bumgenius 3.0s). I figure I can always buy more too, so there's no need to overbuy in the beginning.

Good luck!

[Mom2M]

I really liked the duo size 1's when DD was younger but they do run small and she has very chunky thighs and belly.
She outgrew duo size 1 at about 15 pounds. I also had a few small Thirsties and they fit better around her legs.
Then I ordered 1 duo size 2 and a few medium Thirsties and I definitely prefer the mediums over the duo size 2 because the fit is better but I still use the duo because I love Thirsties anyway. I had to use the duo size 2 open all the way almost as soon as I got it.

[Chamomile Girl]

Meh, I have both Thirsties Duo 2 and Thirsties sizes small and medium. We used the size smalls from when he was about two weeks old until he transitioned into the mediums. Once he transitioned into the mediums he also fit just fine into a Duo2. We are still using the Med Thirsties and the Duo2's as our main wraps and he is now 15 months old and 25lbs. They both still work great.

Oh, and the snaps ARE awesome. And baby can't get them off himself.

[gunnarsmama77]

I have a 6 week old, and a snap Duo size 1 and just bought a size small. My 13 lb baby (not real chunky, just big and long) is about to outgrow the Duo, and the small still has plenty of room and fits him well. However, I don't think the small would have fit him as a newborn (and he was 9 lbs 2 oz). In your shoes, I'd buy maybe 2 Duos, 2 Xs and 2 Smalls if I expected a big baby. We're going on 4 PUL covers and 2 wools for night, and that's plenty even with frequent pooping. (I do laundry every other day)
I also realized once I started cloth diapering that I don't really like the one size covers (a kissaluv marvel and a flip) because I don't like the folded down part in the front--too bulky. So I don't think I'll be sizing up to Duo 2s, at least not immediately, though I do like the snaps; I'll just go to thirsties Mediums and stick with them, my older son stayed between 20 and 30 lbs for about 2 years Just something else to think about, HTH.

[meg_shannon]

XS cover

My little one is @ 14 lbs. and still fits her XS Thirsties covers (not the duo). I think I will be skipping size small (I have one size small) and moving straight to the medium.

We are using yellow edge GMD prefolds with the covers and they fit great. Though I do use the size small at night because I add an insert in addition to the prefold.

[Mulvah]

I think the Duos are smaller, too. I purchased three Size 1 Duos and my little chunker outgrew them within two months of using them. I would buy three and if you need more, buy more.

[thediaperingdoula]

Hands down the Duos are better- that's all we stock now. They have a great size range (6-18/ 18-40) and come in snaps or velcro. The velcro is awesome, so no worries about it falling apart like some other companies.

[neonalee]

I have both and like both. DS is about 13 lbs now, and was around 10 or 11 when we started using them, so I can't speak to when he was smaller. However - what I wanted to suggest was buying a few of everything you are considering used to see what you like. More than half of my stash (75% thirsties of some sort) was bought used. I also tried a bunch of other popular types before settling on thirsties and BG. There is a FSOT forum here, as well as my favorite, diaperswappers (can I say that here?).

[CookAMH]

Our velcro is doing well at 17mo, which is one year of use of the current size (medium). One time, I had to trim it up as it got a little frazzled and wasn't sticking as well. We line dry the covers btw.

We actually used XS for at least a month, maybe longer. DS was 9lbs at birth.

I have not used Duos but considered getting a couple with our next, if the baby is a girl (to get girly colors, otherwise, I really do have the covers I need and don't need to get any). And I agree that 6 is plenty. I actually really liked the bummis newborn snap cover for the early days with the cord stump, it dipped nicely where the xs thirsties cover sat higher (even with the dip) and rubbed some and caused minor bleeding.

HTH. One friend said that the duo seemed to come unsnapped on the one side when she fastened it, but it may have been the way she was cinching it around her LO's hips, it pulled the snaps undone.

[IdentityCrisisMama]

Subbing...

[Monkey Keeper]

Originally Posted by SilverFish

i'm not entirely sure the duo 1s will fit on a newborn either. maybe someone will chime in on that?

DS was 9-5 and 22.5" at birth, and he was on the tightest snaps. I can't imagine a 6lber fitting at.all!

[sk8boarder15]

I have duos size 1 and they fit from day 1 on my 7lb 9oz baby!

[somegirl99]

The Duo size 1 fit on my 6 lb 3 oz baby.