eco nappies

I decided to use washable nappies instead of disposable even before my baby was born. The decision was easy due to the following facts about disposable nappies:
- they contribute a substantial share of world's non degradable waste
- they contain chemicals (harmful of course) to make baby feel dry
- the expenses are high, in thousands of euros

So there came the harder job - choosing the nappies. The offer is varied and available online. So I had to define the criteria otherwise I would be lost in the market. I decided the following:

- I want organic cotton or bamboo nappies for better comfort and health
- nappies should be one sized so I won't have to buy new size when baby grows (one-sized nappies are better value for money as well)
- for better convenience I chose "all in one" nappies - without separate nappy cover and with attached soakers (so you don't need to put the nappy together before use)

After reviewing the offer I chose the following for testing:
- ItiitBitti All in One (they're not one-sized but I tested them anyway)
- TotsBots Easyfit
- bumGenius all in one organic cotton
- Pop-in nappy by Close parent

I decided for TotsBots which are far the best due to the features:

- best fit (baby doesn't look as the bottom is the center of his body :)) and shape, it looks as thin as disposable nappy
- best material - very soft bamboo inner material
- fast drying (soaker can be pulled out when drying).

IttiBitti are to thick and they are not one sized. bumGenius are nearly as thin as TotsBots (but not so thin since organic cotton is thicker) but the organic cotton needs too much time for drying. And they are not shaped as good as TotsBots (less trimmed I suppose). Pop-in are very thick, not shaped very well and slow drying. And the soaker material is not soft at all.

Now we enjoy with TotsBots. They are also great for mum to use, very easy to fold and fasten on playful baby. And they have very nice design. We have some white and some colored nappies so that can be washed with either white or color laundry. To be honest, if I wanted to choose even more completely organic nappies, I would buy unbleached bamboo TotsBots with separate nappy covers. But this was a kind of compromise. I tried the disposables as well (Moltex and Bambo, both eco certified). Unfortunatelly the first month my baby was to small for any cloth nappy to fit him. What bothered me the most was that enormous amount of waste. And buying them all the time. Now I use them sometimes when going out (to a doctor or somewhere where there isn't the right time and place to handle the dirty washables).

There are many online shops with washable nappies so I only refer here to those where I bought them: www.softbots.co.uk, www.babipur.co.uk and stoffwindelcompany.de. Or just google the "washable nappies" or "eco nappies" and you'll find many offers. In Slovenia, washable nappies are available in online eco shops (e.g. Ekolife), in online baby shop Soncek and by nappy vendors Racman and Storklja (both online as well).

Critics say that washable nappies contribute to higher energy and water consumption due to washing and drying. I wash them with other laundry and I bought enough nappies so I only have to wash them once or twice a week. I don't use laundry dryer. And I use soap nuts instead of any harsh washing powders. The only disadvantage I see is a little more of a "dirty job". But it's worth it.

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