What's the best way to decide on a CD brand/system?

[lkmiscnet]

I'm not sure whether buying one of several different types would be enough to gauge how well the diaper would work since one wouldn't be enough to test it through different scenarios (e.g. overnight use, poop, etc), but I'm not sure how else to decide which brand or type of CD system to invest in and I don't want to be left with a stash of "one off" useless or disliked diapers.

I know there are at least a couple of online diaper retailers that have "try it out" programs, but from what I have seen, you only get one of each particular brand.

Any tips or things you would have done differently when you decided on your CD system?

Any retailers that offer better try it out offers or money back guarantees (though I know the latter may be up to the brand and passed through by the retailer)?

I've got paralysis of analysis...sigh.

[treeoflife3]

I originally started out with kissaluvs and bummis and bg3.0s when kiddo was born and as she grew into the bgs.  once she grew out of the KL's (size 0) I started wondering if I'd like something else and just bought cute things off hyenacart.  After awhile I ended up deciding that I liked fitteds and covers best and didn't reach for the pockets often.  Eventually I tried prefolds and really started to dig those.  Finally got up the courage to try fleece and then wool.. yup, liked 'em more than PUL.  Finally decided I wanted to go really old school and try flats.

Now, I prefer to use only flats and wool during the day and a really good fitted and wool at night (I love BSRB best but find them hard to get.. thankfully I have enough now for nighttime dipes)

I think you should definitely try a few things rather than investing in only one or two you might not like.  Definitely try a few different STYLES.  I wish I had started with trying styles rather than assuming I'd only want pockets.  There are pros and cons to all styles and you might be surprised.  I never ever expected to want to do prefolds or flats.  pins and snappis and folding and so complicated!  but wouldn't you know it, I only like pockets/aios for husband/babysitters or when I NEED something really fast.

I was able to decide what I liked after a few uses... but my needs kept changing so where I didn't like something 2 months ago, I ended up using it a lot later.  My perfect stash definitely has a variety of things.  Heavy on the flats/wool and fitteds but still some pockets/aios and some thirsties covers as well.  There are some brands I don't like at all because they don't fit my child well (or in the case of bella's bottoms, were too thin and wore out too fast) but mostly I've found that style is really what matters.  All fitteds are pretty similar, all pockets are pretty similar.  The cut can be a bit different and the material can be different (all cotton isn't going to be as absorbent probably as cotton with some hemp layers for instance) but mostly the differences are small.

So to sum up... try a few styles.. get a couple types of pockets, get a couple aios, try prefolds and a couple types of covers.  a couple types of fitteds.  Choose whichever brand you think might be good, either through recommendations from friends or because they just seem really popular (BG's sell really well haha) and as you use that first stash you create, you'll learn what you reach for right away, what you can't stand to use, what is harder to wash, what doesn't fit your child or irritates their skin and you can buy and sell to adjust your stash accordingly.  After two months, you'll already have a pretty good idea of what you like even if you have only one of a particular style/brand especially if you buy only about 24 diapers and you can definitely sell diapers only used that long for most of what you bought them for which will fund whatever you want to buy to replace them.  you can also buy used to save more money while you figure out stash nirvana.  You can still sell used too to fund more fluff :D

[aphel]

Originally Posted by lkmiscnet 

I've got paralysis of analysis...sigh.

 

we ended up taking a class at a local store. it was cheap and we got to see everything in person, ad ask lots of questions. maybe check to see if your local naturally minded baby store has something similar?

[erinleee]

yes, I agree on trying different styles. 

when i was pregnant, i went nuts online researching and buying many different diapers.

so we have tried lots of different kinds.

in the end, we found that the pocket diapers (a couple different brands we tried) leaked. 

Now we mostly just use Covers and fitteds or prefolds.

(Thirsties, Motherease, imse vimse, wonder wraps... covers)

all in ones with lots of connected layers work well for us too.  like dream-eze

happy diapering!

[laurabfig]

I would recommend buying one used for everything that you want to try....then if you absolutely love something, you can buy a bunch more used or even buy new and you know you are spending your money wisely.  People are so different and babies are all shaped so differently that what you think you like may not be what actually works for you and baby in the end.

[cristeen]

Well, i think deciding on a system is different than brand. For a system, take a look at your life. Some things that need to be considered: budget, how often you want to wash, how diligent you want to be w washing (flats/pfs wash clean easily, but AIOs require more work), will you be going back to work, do you plan to EC at all, who might be babysitting, etc. If daycare is in your future, pockets or AIOs are usually a better choice (many daycares wont take anything else). And then think about types of fabric (natural vs synthetic). Each has its pros and cons. And then there's closures to consider, again with the pros and cons When we started off, i settled on fitteds, organic, wool, snaps. I do have pfs, but DH was never willing to put the time in to figure those out At a year i added some pockets, but we're still mostly fitteds and wool.

As for brand, i did what a pp suggested, i hung out on DS and bought one or more of each brand i wanted to try. I wound up trying at least a dozen brands. But the really important part is that most of them didnt fit. We had constant blowouts from dipes that were the wrong shape. With my skinny little guy w tiny little chicken legs, we had to really look to find dipes that didnt gap and leak in the leg. I never expected a skinny baby, so was really thankful i had shopped around. As it turns out, in addition to being really skinny, he's also a super-soaker, which also affects brands. There were several brands that just couldnt absorb enough quantity fast enough. After lots of puddles and extra laundry, i figured it out.

And then i sold/swapped/bartered all the dipes that didnt work for me and bought more of the ones that do.