Review: Bright Star Baby

A few loyal readers with excellent memories may remember my soliloquy over Fishnoodle diapers. In short, since the moment I tried my first, I knew I was using something remarkable. 

Imagine my reaction when I learned Fishnoodles were slowly going the way of the dinosaur. Sigh. Brett Farve. Light brown M&Ms. All my favorite things retired (ok, so perhaps a bit dramatic, but you get the idea....) 

But wait, party people, do not dismay! 

Enter Bright Star Baby. From the maker of Fishnoodles comes a diaper, dare I say, even better? 

Read on for a review of the new Bright Star Baby All-in-One! A note - most of the review will focus on comparisons with the Fishnoodles AIO, as I know the similarities and differences are what people are most anxious about. 

The Changes

Upon first impression, I would say a Bright Star Baby (BSB) All-in-One and Fishnoodles Solo Flyer (FN) AIO are doppelgängers. They both have the same luxuriously soft and stretchy PUL outer, smooth front, waist and hip side snaps and similar leg openings. 

BSB on the left, FN on the right

However, once you unsnap the diaper and look inside you will quickly discover the changes. 

Four snap settings rather than three.

This will ensure you get maximum use out of your diapers, no longer sizing up if your baby outgrows the waist (well, that still might happen, but you (or should I say, 'your baby') have a lot more wiggle room).

Longer wings. 

To accomodate the extra row of snaps, BSB has over an 1" more in the waist than a FN. This will be great for those babies with bellies or thighs that earn cute names like 'buddha' or 'Michelin.'

Note for those with very slim babes - the tightest row of snaps is the same from FN to BSB.

The Soaker. 

Not only has the soaker's material changed to a lovely and buttery-soft fleece, but the design also has changed. Unlike the FN, you no longer need to fold the tongues into place!!!

Rather, they are the perfect length from front to back!

To keep the diaper as trim and absorbent as possible, the soaker is folded back on itself and tacked into place. This ensures minimal work on your part, with maximum absorbency.

now a buttery soft bamboo/organic cotton fleece

first layer of soaker folded back

bottom layer tacked into place, allowing for thorough washing, quick drying and minimal prep on the part of the caregiver

The Shell Dries Faster!

Many customers complained of the extra drying time the FN's hidden layer of bamboo caused (hey FN users - did you know that is what is stitched behind the shell's inner layer?). With that layer of bamboo removed, your BSB shell is going to dry much, much faster. 

BSB on left, FN on right

(click to enlarge)

The Specifics

Price $21 Solids / $22 Prints

Product Details

• Amazingly trim - stretching to fit a wide range of babies
• 100% bamboo/organic cotton fleece soaker
• absorbs fast
• Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified, meaning, free of any harmful substances - this is the strictest standard for infant products
• soakers sewn into layers, ensuring thorough cleaning and quick drying
• no folding of the soaker required!!
• soaker snaps into place, allowing you to remove it for prepping and/or stripping
• Soaker's snap placements compatable with the Fishnoodles Snap-in Hemp Doubler
• Side snaps ensure an all-but-invisible diaper under baby's slim-fitting pants
• Four rows of snap adjustments 

Sizes Available 

 Size 1 fits a wide-range of babies! 

Three notes on sizing 

• 'Pounds' is the approximate weight range, of course affected by your baby's body type
• 'Rise' is a front-to-back measurement. How to measure: run a string or measuring tape from the small of the back, between the legs, and up to just-below the belly button. If measuring over a prefold or fitted diaper, add 2 inches for ease. If measuring a bare baby, add 3-4 inches for ease. Then look at the size chart and go up to the next rise measurement. 
• Size 0 corresponds with FN's size 'Small,' Size 1 with 'Medium,' and Size 2 with 'Large'

My Own BSB, Put to the Test

Prepped? 

Washed three times on hot with detergent, then dried. 

Absorbency? 

First use - two hours during the day. The absorbency seemed equal with the FN.

As it hadn't been thoroughly prepped, I continued to use it during the day for two weeks. It continued to perform well, lasting from one change to the next without issue (I diligently change every two hours during the day). 

After it had been washed 7+ times I put it to the ultimate test - overnight. (Side note - I've often been quoted saying I won't use FN overnight, while trim, adorable and easy to use, for our family they are a daytime-absorbency diaper only). Adding just a hemp doubler behind the tongues and a scrap of fleece  as a wicking layer (DD's bum requires that stay-dry feeling at night), I put Avalee to bed. Unfortunately, we only made it until 4am or so, and then had leaks. 

For the next nighttime test - I boiled the insert for another 30 minutes, added two hemp doublers, the fleece scrap, and a fleece soaker over the top. This combination worked! (I must confess, I haven't tried this combination with our FN to say whether it would be comparable.)

Pockets work so well for us at night that they will remain our nighttime go-to. But, I no longer need to fret if we are out of pocket diapers, as I now know we have a backup solution that will do just fine! 

Last word on BSB vs. FN absorbency - I will be anxious to hear other users weigh in. As my lovely daughter is holding her bladder longer and longer, she is no longer the most objective diaper tester (although she is still as cute as a peach!), and I have a hard time definitively saying whether it is equal to, or greater, than a FN in the absorbency department. 

So Abby, where do I go from here? 

Fishnoodles won't quite go the way of the dinosaur, in the cataclysmic sense anyways. Rather, Fishnoodles will continue to be available until the inventory has sold out. You can get them at Itsy Bitsy Bums or Fishnoodles website. 

But should I buy a diaper that is on the way out? In my opinion, yes. If you are a FN fan, and have a skinny baby, I think you will still prefer the fit of the FN. In addition, the FN is a bit more economical, and available in some colors and prints that the BSB will not be. 

In closing....

In my opinion, FN is still the trimmest diaper on the market. BSB's extended wings and added snaps, for babies that are on the smaller size, will add some bulk to the front of the diaper. This bit of extra fluff makes the trimness equal to a Grasshopper, or a side-snapping sized Bottombumper (the other two AIOs often compared with FNs).

But for for those whose baby is larger - either through belly, thighs or both, the BSB AIO is going to be a fantastic solution. It offers much more room through the waist, and an additional snap setting on each side ensures you get the most use out of each size of diaper. 

Ready to Buy! 

And now..... party people who are ready to try a Bright Star AIO or two, you can shop the preorder at Itsy Bitsy Bums, or at Bright Star Baby! Release date January 15th, with preorders shipping on the 16th. 

Lastly, a big thank you to Dawn for allowing me to be a tester for this great new product!