where to buy prefolds and covers, not satisfied with last order.

[anomaly13]

I need to buy a dozen prefolds and a couple covers to get my dd through the winter before we start potty learning.  

The last bunch of prefolds were bought from green mountain, I got both red and yellow thread sizes, these did not last.  They came when dd was born in 4/2010, the yellows were used for a short time, maybe 5 months, and lasted fine. However the reds had been in use for less then a year before they started to come apart.  Now, after 13 months of use, on every single one of the red threaded prefolds the entire side has separated and fallen completely off from the middle of the diaper.  Needless to say I am less then satisfied and not going to be buying more diapers from them.  

Prior to buying those diapers I had a stash from ds1, born 2006, that still has a few going strong after he used them and ds2 used them.  I want to get those again but cannot remember where I got them from or what kind they are.  They have blue stitching on the ends, but not over like the ones from green mountain. 

With the same purchase from green mountain I got 4 thirsties dou wraps that have also not lasted.  The "plastic" lining is coming off each one of them and the elastic at the leg opening is no longer elastic, again no more then 17 months of use mixed in with other covers.  I wash them separate from the diapers and hang them to dry inside out of direct sunlight, sometimes I put them in the dryer on no heat with dry towels, but that is pretty rare.  I have bummis sww from ds1's stash that have lasted ok, starting to leak and the hook and loop doesn't really work any more. 

any suggestions?

tia.

[Mama2mc]

I bought some unbleached imagine indian prefolds from Nicki's Diapers, they seem soft, and quilted nicely after being washed, but I haven't tried them on my LOs yet, though. I've heard the Under the Nile prefolds are quite nice, but they're definitely more expensive.

[Midwesterner04]

Have you tried Bummis prefolds at all?  I used the organic ones until my LO outgrew them, and they held up pretty well, even though I subjected them to daily washing with too-frequent use of Oxobrite, etc., and boiled them during and after bouts of thrush and rotovirus. I once read on DiaperPin that they are the most absorbent prefolds on the market, but I haven't tested the claim myself (I find them similar to GMD in absorbency and much more absorbent than most DSQ Indian prefolds).

I also have found the Indian prefolds sold by Cotton Babies to be very durable. They are thin and don't hold as much as GMD or Bummis, but the ones I purchased a year ago look exactly the same as they did right after I prepped them. They're on the longer and narrower side, so I like them more now that my LO is a young toddler.  They work very nicely for a bikini twist.

I do like my Duo snaps (I have one aplix Duo and it looks like it is going to fall apart pretty quickly), but if I could do it over again I would probably get fewer PUL covers and put the money toward a Little-to-big-beetle wool wrap. My LO and I love this cover. It is much easier to care for than any other wool I have tried and it is so soft and seems so comfortable. Adorable, too.

I also really like the Econobums covers. I got them on sale 2 for $9.99, and they have been great. I'm not that easy on the PUL covers, and the Econobums are in great shape after about a year. I think it helps that they don't have the delicate inner gusset that the Duos have.

Good luck!  :-)

[Italiamom]

I purchased our Chinese DSQ prefolds from WeeBunz more than 2 years ago and they are still holding strong!  And I occasionally run mine with bleach, if that tells you anything about their amazing durability...

[ZakareyasMama]

I use Bumkins premium sized PFs (ordered on Amazon) they have a green edge. They work great and haven't fallen apart whatsoever. I also am not a huge fan of the Thirsties duos (fronts pull down and wet diaper sticks out the top) or the Bummis covers (too stiff). I tried Fishnoodles/ Bright Start Baby (side snapping) but they left awful red marks on his thighs. I am experimenting with wool and fleece covers, but I'm also getting some of my PFs converted to fitteds (this may be more than you want to invest!) I've heard Sandy's covers are good, but I have tried so many things I don't like that I'm feeling a little hesitant to buy before I try. I feel like there aren't enough options for covers out there! I'd like to hear other ideas!

[swd12422]

I got DS's blue-edge prefolds from www.zoolikins.com. Wonderful company, wonderful customer service!

[Mom2M]

I got the DSQ prefolds from cotton babies, they have blue stitching on the end, and they have lasted for, I guess it's 18 months now! No problems with threads or anything and they are very absorbent. I also have Thirsties covers from there but no issues with the elastic or PUL.
Oh yeah, ETA that I do use bleach sometimes also on both the covers and prefolds. I guess I'm lucky that I haven't ruined them!

[chel]

My unbleached from gmd are going strong. I only have 2 dz at a time and full time cloth, so lots of use. Maybe it was a bad batch or washing/sunning issues.

Motherease covers are super strong

[Carynia]

Hi Tia ~

We offer five different types of prefold diapers, and based on customer feedback all seem to be both sturdy and long-lasting. Options range from the economical Cotton 'Chinese' Prefolds (DSQ), to Bummis Organic Prefolds and Under the Nile Organic Prefolds, to our USA-made Babybirdseye Prefolds and Organic Cotton/Hemp Fleece Prefolds. If you'd prefer to first try out just one diaper, single diapers can be ordered on our Diapering Samples page. We also carry a variety of quality diaper covers as well.

It sounds like you're doing all the washing and drying correctly to keep everything lasting as long as possible, but it might be a good idea to check the ingredients in your detergent. From what you describe in terms of product deterioration, it sounds like the detergent you're using might be harsher than you think. Besides avoiding the more obvious harsh ingredients like chlorine bleach, it's also best to check and see if your detergent has other added bleach alternatives like borax (sodium borite) or oxygen bleach, extra whitening enzymes, or softeners. These types of additives hasten the breakdown of fabric similar to what you're describing, and are usually worse on waterproof covers than on plain diapers. (Stain sticks or removers usually contain these types of additives as well.) Some fabrics are also inherently stronger than others, and that could be why some items are lasting longer than others. Hard water can also be the culprit in some cases.

Hope this is helpful, and let us know if you have any questions! :)

[elus0814]

I would call green mountain diapers and tell them about the problems you've had. They're really nice on the phone and the one time something was slightly wrong with an order I placed they took care of it quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if they pay the shipping for you to return the diapers that are falling apart and send you new ones in the size you need now. They would probably refer you to the manufacturer's customer service number for the covers because they're not the ones who made them. 

[octobermom]

Deffiently contact them.. I have some sosposly delicate diapers for example I use nicky/Niji 100% cotton covers that are like sosposed to be very gentle cared for never hight heat or dryer and only with XYZ detergents... HA!!! I wash those thing sin Tide toss in bleach wash and dry on HOT and they look and function as good as when I first bought them, most date back to 2004/2005

AS for GMD the prefolds are great however I once had a batch of orange edge where one side on like 7 of 12 not only preped weird like it laid flat never fluffed up but the edging unravled on 4 of those.. They sent me another dozen no questions and didn't even ask for eaither the bad ot the remaining good ones back.