Review: AppleCheeks Diapers

One of my favorite aspects of reviewing cloth diapers is seeing the creative and innovative ways diapers are made!  In many ways, each diaper is a unique work of art; it is the result of many hours of thought, ingenuity and creativity. While some diapers are just variations of other brands, others are truly unique and in a class all their own.  Enter Applecheeks.  These diapers are unlike any other diaper I've tried so far!

The outer shell, or "Envelope Cover" is amazingly versatile, both in terms of fit as well as function.  The two size options cover babies from 7-35lbs, so this is a system you could most likely use until potty training!  The feature that makes Applecheeks truly unique however, is the ability to be a pocket-type diaper--with no unstuffing required--or an AI2!!  And that my friends, is only the beginning of the innovation!

Overview

Brand:  Applecheeks
Style: Pocket, Cover OR AI2
Closure:  Snaps
Sizing:  Size 1:  fits babies from approximately 7-20lbs, Size 2:  fits babies from 18-35lbs
Materials:  Outer is PUL, Inner is super-soft microfleece lining, Inserts are Bamboo/Cotton Viscose
Pricing:  Envelope covers $19, 2 pli insert $8.80, 3 pli insert $10.80, 2 pack stay dry inserts $8, bamboo booster $3.80, stay-dry bamboo booster $6.70
Colors and Prints:  9 vibrant colors and 2 adorable prints


Design
Shell Outer
 One look at the Applecheeks Envelope Cover and you can see that it is unlike other diapers.
For starters, the shape is entirely unique--you'll notice is doesn't have the distinct "T" shape that most front snapping cloth diapers have.  Secondly, the entire perimeter of the diaper is serged, not turned and topstitched.  This accomplishes two things:  1)serging accomodates more stretch, making the cover very flexible and stretchy and 2) serging keeps the edge as trim as possible, so you get a very slim-fitting cover!

 

The front has two rows of snaps, ensuring that you get the perfect fit in both the waist and the legs.  The front panel also has super-soft elastic gathering in the front, which acts as a barrier against leaks and prevents gaping.  The back also has the same soft elastic gathering to guard against blow-outs and contain the nasty messes.  The extra-wide tabs prevent annoying wing droop.

Shell Inner

Take a peek inside the envelope cover and you'll find amazingly soft lining and a pocket opening in the middle of the diaper.  While most pocket diapers have the opening at the front or the back of the diaper, Applecheeks places theirs in the middle, make it hassle-free to stuff the pocket even for wider hands.  This ingenius placement also means that the insert will work its way out in the wash, unstuffing itself so you don't have to!

Insert
I'm just going to slip a little personal preference in here and say that I love bamboo in cloth diapers!  It's soft and holds twice as much as cotton.  This means that you can have the same amount of absorbency with half the bulk!   Plus, bamboo is anti-microbial so it's a healthy choice for babies bottom and in my experience, resists the stinkies better than other fibers.  Naturally then, bamboo is the perfect choice for Applecheeks Inserts!  Depending on the absorbency needs of your baby, you can choose from either 2 or 3 pli inserts and if you need additional absorbency, boosters are available as well (including a stay-dry option!).

 The insert is rectangular and meant to be folded in thirds, giving you either 6 or 9 absorbent layers depending on which pli insert you are using.  Fold it lengthwise for a longer insert and widthwise for a shorter one.

Together

Below:  2 pli insert, folded widthwise and set on top of the Envelope cover to be used as an AI2.

Below:  2 pli insert folded lengthwise and set on top of the Envelope cover to be used as an AI2.

Below:  Insert folded widthwise and inserted into the envelope cover to be used as a pocket.

The following pictures have a 2 pli inserts inserted into the envelope cover

Fit

My daughter is 17 months, 20lbs and approximately 29" tall.   In the pictures below, she is wearing an Applecheeks envelope cover size 2, with a 2 pli insert trifolded inside.  Both the legs and waist are snapped to the smallest setting and are perfectly snug.  The cover fit her well, and I imagine that a size 1 would actually still fit her alright at this point, judging from how much room she has in the size 2 cover.  Because she's smaller, the cover does "blouse" a little, but under jeans you don't really notice it.  It really is a fairly trim fitting diaper.  The blousing isn't a negative issue--it just means that there is plenty of room to grow :)

Performance

The Applecheeks reusable diaper system is fabulous!  I loved being able to use it as a pocket, cover or AI2, depending on what I needed at the moment. 

As an AI2, it is very easy to use and reuse!  Simply lay the insert on top of the cover and put the diaper on.  When it's time for a change, pull the wet insert out and put a dry one in it's place. 

The reason I love being able to use the Applecheeks as a pocket is because it made a great night time diaper--I just placed a Babykicks hemp insert in the center of the insert and wrapped the 2 pli insert around it, then stuffed it in the pocket!  (The 2pli insert wasn't quite absorbent enough for a 10 hour stretch).

If you prefer fitteds for nighttime, the envelope cover can also be used over flats, prefolds, fitteds or contours. 

Regardless of which way I was using the system, I never had any problems with leaks or irritations. 

The versatility of type and material (the option for natural fibers or stay-dry), make Applecheeks an ideal system for those who want to cloth diaper, but aren't sure if they need natural fibers or stay-dry and don't know if they would prefer pocket, AI2's, or covers and prefolds.

You may also be interested in Softbums Omni.

OhKaty! Pocket Diaper Review

Another photo review from our fabulous resident diaper addict/reviewer Anna - the Oh Katy One-Size Pocket Diaper. 

I know what you are thinking - 'seriously, another one-size pocket?' I won't lie, that is what I thought when I walked by Oh Katy's booth at the fall ABC product show. IBB already has a wide variety of one-size pockets, and I didn't know if that category could support one more option. But keeping an open mind I asked Oh Katy for a sample to try on my daughter. That night at the hotel I discovered you can instantly be in love with a diaper (ok, so I already knew it was possible, but I discovered there is another diaper I add into my top echelon of favorites!). 

This is the trimmest one-size pocket I've ever tried, bar none. Amazing! And the cross-over waist snaps (Anna will talk more about these) really do allow for a great fit on a newborn (I had the chance to see an Oh Katy on beautiful new baby boy this week. He is around 8lbs (update: 7lbs 2oz) and the Oh Katy pocket fits him perfectly - even better than a sized newborn pocket diaper! I wish I would have remembered to ask to take photos, as I am still amazed at the fit through his legs and waist). A few photos submitted by his momma:

Love what you see? Want to give Oh Katy a try? Now through Thursday, November 24th, buy three or more Oh Katy Pockets and get a free small Wahmies wet bag (a 9.50 value) Fine Print: Limit one free wet bag per household. No code necessary - just tell me 'girlish' or 'neutral' at checkout in 'notes to seller.'  expired

A few weeks ago, I received the best fluffy mail EVER!  That's right, I received not one, but two packages of diapers from Abby to review for you fabulous Bitzy Buzz readers!  It has been so much fun trying out so many brands, types and styles of cloth diapers.  Some I love, some I like and some are not my favorite, but one thing I want to assure of is that even though these diapers did not come from my personal stash, I will still review them as honestly as if they had. 

The thing I am loving most about trying all these diapers is finding that there really is a perfect fit for your baby!  (If you haven't already bought your fluffy stash, I highly recommend doing a trial first!).  The flip side is that while there is a perfect fit out there, every one-size diaper I have ever tried has provided a good fit that contained the messes and kept leaks at bay.

Until I received the "review diapers" from Abby, I had only ever tried BumGenius and Sunbaby pocket diapers and figured that most pocket diapers were generally the same.  I thought that BumGenius 4.0 were pretty much the end-all-be-all pocket diaper and hadn't even considered trying other brands.  Boy, have I been missing out!  BumGenius are still amazing, but there are a lot of other high quality pocket diapers out there.  OhKaty!  is one of the fabulous pockets I would have missed out on, had Abby not sent it.

OhKaty! Overview
OhKaty! pocket diapers (formerly Katydid) are one-size pocket diapers designed to fit most babies from birth through potty training.
Brand:  OhKaty!
Style:  Pocket Diaper
Closure:  Snaps
Sizing:  One-size fits approximately 8-35lbs

Materials:  Outer is made from TPU, a more environementally friendly alternative to PUL.  Inner is a super-soft polyester microfleece.  Inserts are microfiber.

Price:  $17.95
Manufactured in China.

Design

Remember my insanely naive statement earlier that I thought most pocket diapers were pretty much the same?  Well, I couldn't be more wrong--especially when it comes to the unique design features of the OhKaty! pocket diaper.  The color shown in the pictures is "Berries,"  a beautiful, creamy pink.

 

  

Outside:

You'll notice that there are 2 rise snaps, allowing you to adjust the diaper to sizes small, medium or large, depending on your baby's size.  At the waist, you'll notice that there are extra snaps you don't normally find on other pocket diapers.  These are hip-snaps.  Hip snaps are fabulous additions that keep the "wings" from drooping on newborns and skinny/petite babies like my daughter.  More on that later.

Inside:

One of the first things you'll notice about the inside of the OhKaty! is that the pocket is located at the front of the diaper, which keeps everything laying flat and neatly tucked in place.  In most cases, it also makes it easier to stuff and less messy when removing.

Waist:

At the waist, you will find a LOT of snaps!  Snaps are nice because they are typically more durable than aplix/velcro style closures and much more difficult for babies to undo.  Although you might feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of snaps, don't worry--it's really quite simple! 

The double row allows you to adjust the waist size, and the two in the center on the sides are the hip snaps.  If you've got an older baby, you probably won't need to use the hip snaps.

 

Wing Tabs:

OhKaty! offers one of my all-time favorite cloth diaper features--cross over snaps.  Cross-over tabs allow you to get a good fit on brand new babies because it makes the waist really small.  The real reason I love them though is because I'm forgetful.  I can't tell you how many times I've left the house and forgotton to put a wetbag in my diaper bag.  The cross-over snaps of the OhKaty! pocket diapers let you fold that messy diaper up into a little pocket that neatly contains the ick, so you can put that diaper back into your diaper bag--even if you forgot the wetbag!

Inserts:

Each OhKaty! pocket diaper comes with two microfiber inserts.  One is a "one-size" insert that can be snapped down to the appropriate size for your needs.  The other insert is a newborn size which can be used on its own for the newborn stage and as a booster to the regular insert later on when your child requires more absorbency.

PERFORMANCE

This diaper is newer to me, but so far in the few weeks we've used it, it has been superb.  I have found it to be easy to use and reliable.  The absorbency is great and when used with both inserts, can stand up to overnight use.  During the day, we just use the one-size inserts and it has been sufficient, even during naps.

FIT

I am very pleased with the fit of our OhKaty!  My daughter is 16 months, 19lbs and 29"--so she's pretty petite!  Her waist is still small enough that the hip snaps come in handy for us.  On other diapers, wing droop is something that often annoys me, so it's nice not to have to worry about that with these.  As you can see from the pictures, this is a very trim fitting pocket diaper! 

If you have a skinny or petite little one, OhKaty! is definitely worth considering! 

If one-size pockets are your preference, you may also be interested in:
BumGenius 4.0
Rumparooz
Fuzzibunz Elite
WAHMIES

Review: Bright Star Baby All In One Photo Review

So very excited to bring you another review from Anna, our guest blogger/reviewer extraordinaire! You already know how much I love the Bright Star Baby All-in-One (BSB AIO), and I'm pleased to present a second person's take on this (ahem, amazing) All-in-One. 

Not only are all Bright Star Baby All-in-Ones on sale through Sept 30th (including IBB's exclusive), but this is your chance to snag an extra special bonus. Through Sept 22nd, buy three or more BSB AIOs and get a free BSB Snap-in Hemp Doubler. Simply mention 'Anna' at checkout (in 'notes to seller' field, or email me if you miss it during checkout) to grab this extra freebie! 

Limit two free BSB Hemp Doublers per household. Not valid on previous purchases. 

Ultra Trim.  Fast Drying. Natural Organic Fibers.  Stretchy Soft.  Super Cute.  Made in the USA

Surely one diaper cannot be all those things, or can it?  Many diapers claim to be.  Some are very close, but fall short in one category or another.  Only one so far in our cloth diapering adventure manages to wrap all those things up in one fabulously adorable diaper--and that diaper is none other than Bright Star Baby!

OVERVIEW

Brand:  Bright Star Baby (Formerly the makers of Fishnoodles Solo Flyer AIO)

Style:  Sized, side-snapping, all in one cloth diaper.

Material:  Outer:  PUL, Inner Lining:  Organic Cotton & Bamboo Viscose, Insert:  Organic Cotton & Bamboo Fleece

Sizing:  Size 0 fits babies 7-16lbs with a rise up to 15"; Size 1 fits babies 12-28lbs with a rise up to 17.5"; Size 2 fits babies 24-35lbs with a rise up to 19"

Price:  Solid colors $21.50; Prints $22.50 Sale price through Sept 30th - Solids $18.28; Prints $19.13

DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION

The diaper featured in this review is a Bright Star Baby AIO, size 1 in the gorgeous black butterfly print.

Front.  Mmm!  The top panel is nicely finished with a turned & topstitched seam.  I love the crisp, clean look of side-snapping diapers, and Bright Star Baby is no exception! 

Back.  Two unique features of the Bright Star Baby can be found in the back of the diaper.  The first is the unique way the elastic is sewn in, and the second is the serging at the top back.  Many diapers have elastic at the back, but none have it sewn in such a way that it not only acts as a barrier agains leaks, but also contributes to the ultra-trim design.  The serging at the top also keeps this diaper super trim, because it means that no layers have been folded over (thus creating extra bulk).  Also, notice that while the diaper is very trim, it is amply cut through the bum so those cute little cheeks stay covered.

Side.  Notice how the side-snaps contribute to the Bright Star's slender silhouette?  From the side view, you can also see the unique leg openings--the elastic is not sewn into a casing, nor does it roll--ensuring that even the chubbiest of baby legs won't get red marks!  I love how they picked snaps to coordinate with the print too ;)

Crotch.  You can tell just how trim the Bright Star Baby AIO is, just by looking at how little bulk is at the crotch.  

Waist.  You can see just how thin the "shell" of the diaper is.  It's no wonder this diaper is so trim!

Wings.  The wing tabs are not only nice and long with four rows of snaps to accomodate a growing babe, but they are also nice and stretchy!  You're sure to get a perfect fit :)

INSIDE

Inside the Bright Star Baby AIO, nothing but soft organic cotton/bamboo fabric touches your baby's delicate skin.  Snaps are hidden beneath the inner lining.  The insert snaps out for easy laundering & quick dry time.

Insert

The insert for the Bright Star Baby AIO is made of buttery soft bamboo fleece that is amazingly absorbent!  Don't be fooled by how thin it is--it soaks up liquid quickly and holds quite a bit.

Back of insert                                                             Front of Insert

The insert design is unlike any other snap-in insert I've seen!  At first glance, it looks like a bi-fold soaker like most other diapers with snap-in soakers have.  However, if you look closely at it from the side, you can see a third layer in the back panel.  

PERFORMANCE AND FIT

We love our Bright Star Baby AIO's!  In fact, sometimes, I wish I needed more so I had an excuse to buy more of the fabulous new prints :)  These are some of my favorite "showing off" diapers that I save for outings.  I love that even under leggings you can't tell she's wearing a cloth diaper because it's so trim!   Given its trimness, the amount it can absorb is rather surprising!  Although I prefer to change J every 1.5 hours or so, in our experience, Bright Star Baby diapers can withstand 2-3 hours of use without wicking.  In circumstances where I know ahead of time that I'll need it to last a bit longer, I use our Bright Star hemp booster for added absorbency. Thankfully, we've never experienced poo escaping!

Aside from the trimness, the fit of Bright Star Baby is probably my favorite aspect of these superb diapers.  I love that the bum is cut generously enough to cover, but not so wide that it puckers from the excess material.  The crotch is amply narrow so to speak--it is just perfect!  The elastic in the legs is so gentle that even when J was a chunky monkey at 6 months, it didn't leave red marks.  Now that she's 13 months and is lean through the legs, the same size 1 diaper still fits her perfectly!  And of course, the front looks like a million bucks thanks to the side-snap closures.  I could not be more please with the fact that the same diaper that fit J 7 months ago, still fits her perfectly now, and will continue to fit her for months to come!!   She has 10lbs to grow before she'll need the size 2--and hopefully by then she'll be potty trained ;)


For reference, J is almost 14 months old and weighs around 18lbs and wearing a Bright Star Baby size 1.

If you've been holding out for the day time diaper that has it all, look no further!  Bright Star Baby AIO really is trim, absorbent, cute, and a great value for your money.  I highly recommend them!