Recommendations: AI2s with snap in soakers UPDATE w/REVIEWS

Okay, I bought 4 different AI2s and I will review them each for other curious mamas! My ds is 24 lbs and tall (like 33") (not chubby), so I guess the fit reviews refer to a similar body type.

I wanted to try AI2s because although I love my one and only AIO by swaddlebees, it takes forever to dry and I liked the idea of buying extra inserts and changing them while out, so...here it goes...I will list them in order that I grab them, but mind you I like them all, so I don't really have a favorite per se

1) Lucy's Hopechest $18
Wow, was this diaper a surprise! I ordered it last and really wasn't thinking I would like it as much as I do! I ordered a size Large per her specs, in white with rainbow serging and rainbow snaps plus the hemp quick dry soaker lined with velour. She lined the cover with yellow fleece which shows through the white PUL, so I would have gotten white fleece if I had known, but it is super cute. I thought it would be girly because of the frilly pattern, but I really wasn't bothered by that at all. The soaker is a 2 piece. It snaps onto a doubler and then into the diaper. It is the only soaker in the diapers reviewed that is not contoured. The soaker also has rainbow serging (SOOO CUTE) and very soft (velour). The fit is amazing! I have it on the second smallest setting and it fits like a dream. The rise seems a bit high because I am used to SB, but I love how it peaks out the top of his pants! The soaker is super absorbent and although I did not purchase a second soaker for this one I am planning on it because the fleece stays nice and dry around the soaker and it would be easy to change out soakers on the go. I have not had any leaks and it has laundered like a dream!!!

2. Baby Softwraps $23.65 w/ supersoaker
This was the first one I ordered because it looked so cute and I saw a mother using one and LOVED the look of the fleece leg gussets. I ordered it in seaspray PUL with the super/night soaker because that was the only option at Wildflower diapers and I really wanted to buy a sprayer from them, so that is where I initially bought the diaper. I got a size L per specs and it fit like a dream with the super soaker and never a leak. This is the only diaper reviewed that has snaps in the front and back to keep the insert in place ( ) Well, I decided to get the trim soakers after the fact because I loved the diaper so much, but I immediately got leaks. I emailed the mom at babysoftwraps and she told me to try adding a doubler and washing the inserts a few more times. Long story short, I had some velour doublers around and they work perfect! I just put them between the 2 layers of her soaker nice and snug! She and I had a nice chat by email and she is working on improving the trim soaker in the future. Because of the fleece leg openings and the super soft fabric of the soakers, I will be keeping an eye out for those new and improved soakers and I will likely get more dipes. The only other downside is that there are only a few colors available. I really like my seaspray and I saw someone with red, but I would love to have one in orange! Again, I love the fleece inner and the other nice thing about her soakers is that they are contoured and wide and fill almost the whole diaper, so even when my son pooped I was able to just change out the soaker (this is not possible with the narrow soaker in Lucy's above).

3. Very Baby Hybrid by Blue Lake Diapers $25.50
I chose this style because I prefer snaps. I got size Large and it is still a bit too big for my ds and it has a high rise and I tend to prefer a low rise. There are so many options and it gets very expensive very fast, so I am not sure whether there was a fleece inner option (ordering instructions are vague), but I got a birdseye inner with a contoured snap-in bamboo fleece soaker. I love all the PUL and snap color options (I got lime with fuschia buttons) and it is beautifully made. The soaker is trim, but super absorbent, and yummy soft, but it takes FOREVER to dry and stained with the first poop (I wish I had spent the extra money to have it bamboo velour topped. The major downside to this dipe IMO is the birdseye inner. When it gets wet is feels wet and you can't just change out the soaker because the diaper is still wet against the skin. I still love it! and use it, but I won't order more unless I can get it with a fleece inner (I do see a fleece option, but the birdseye was not an option, so I couldn't figure out how that works). Blue Lake Diapers is just one a whole group of Very Baby Licensees, so I guess I could check out the ordering on another website, but mostly I offer this info because I think you must have fleece or suedecloth in an AI2 if you want to switch out soakers.

4. Softbums $21.50 (but on sale right now for $17.50)
I ordered size Medium because large starts at 25 lbs. Wow, this is the trimest diaper (similar to SB) in my stash and certainly the most innovative. I haven't had as much time to use this diaper as the others so it is still growing on me, but today I got some trim jeans over them and he really soaked the diaper and NO LEAKS! Oh he also pooped in it before we left and all I did was change out the soaker! The soaker is fleece lined, two layers sewn together in the back and snaps only in the back. You get a deal when you order multiple soakers and they have a lot of great packages available on their website. I order 2 soakers and one doubler, but I doubt I will ever need/use the doubler! I really like how the soaker fits the entire shape of the cover because when you do get poop the cover stays clean . When I saw this diaper it looked way to streamlined to work, but it is the perfect combination of fit and function. I will probably save this diaper for trim outfits or I will have to buy more! She has 8 different colors to choose from. This diaper took the longest to get to me, she said she was backed up with lots of orders.

Please post any questions or share your reviews! This little experiment was quite fun and I am happy to share more! FYI when all is said and done I personally wouldn't choose any of these dipes for a newborn, I still think pfs/fitteds and covers are the best option until the poops get more manageable.

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The one I have wasn't a custom so I don't really know if it was sprayed with DWR or not. (It was an in-stock selection.) I haven't had any trouble with leaking so I assume it was but... It is PUL and side-snapping. My DS just wore it when we went shopping today and he didn't get changed for 3 hours and no leaks at all.

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I believe it is a waterproofing spray. PUL prints sometimes will wick and a coating of DWR could help prevent that.