In recent years, cloth diapers have made a comeback in a huge way! Modern cloth diapers have come a long way from the folded hand-washed pieces of fabric that our grandparents used, and many parents are seeing the benefits of using them instead of disposables. Still, many parents (seemingly the majority of parents), continue to choose disposable diapers. Clearly there are pros and cons of using cloth diapers. So how do you decide between cloth and disposable diapers for your baby? What are the biggest pros and cons of cloth diapering? Check out this post for a quick and dirty overview of some of the deciding factors.
*Please note – this post contains affiliate links. I may make a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of the links below. See sidebar for more details.
Cloth diapers are gaining popularity
A quick trip over to Pinterest will show you that the mommy internet is talking about cloth diapers. Even within the past few years, cloth diapers have made their way into mainstream parenting techniques and conversations. Cloth diapers have become very similar in use to disposables in a lot of ways. Some of the most popular cloth diapers are one or two pieces that fasten with snaps quickly and easily. The conveniences of modern cloth diapers has many people considering reusable diapers over disposable. The choice is a personal one because there are several pros and cons of cloth diapering. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest factors to consider.
Pros of Using Cloth Diapers
Save Money
One of the top two reasons that most parents choose to cloth diapers, is that cloth diapering saves money. The cost savings of cloth diapers will depend on the type of diapers that you use, but the numbers generally make sense that cloth diapers save money over time. A baby can go through a diaper stockpile of a few thousand disposable diapers in their first year. Generally, a month’s supply of diapers
For more information on what is needed to start cloth diapering, check out this post.
Reduce Waste
The other reason in the top two reasons that parents chose to use cloth diapers, is the environmental impact. With disposable diapers, you will be throwing thousands of diapers into our landfills. By choosing cloth, you will be reducing your household waste in a huge way.
Cloth diapering is such an important part of my family’s lifestyle because it is an easy way for us to limit our contribution to the local landfill. I recognize that environmental conversations around cloth diapering are complex, but we can work together to find solutions and reduce our waste output through reusable products, like cloth diapers. I continued to cloth diaper, and enjoy being an advocate of cloth diapers, because of the supportive community that thrives on social media and in real life.
Bailey, Cloth Diaper Podcast
Cute Prints
Cloth diapers are adorable! They come in all kinds of cute prints, so there is something that fits every baby’s little fashionista booty.
No Blowouts
Now, I can’t guarantee this, but I have never had a poopy diaper blowout in a cloth diaper. The friends that I have that use cloth diapers claim the same. Cloth diapers can hold a lot of poop.
Never Run Out of Diapers
Your stash of cloth diapers includes all of the diapers that you need. No more urgent diaper runs because you thought that you had an extra box in the closet.
Less Exposure to Chemicals
Disposable diapers contain a handful of chemicals including chlorine, dyes, fragrances, etc. Many sources agree that these chemicals are not dangerous in the amount found in diapers, but if you are a household that wants to decrease chemical usage, then this one definitely falls in the pro column.
Cons of Using Cloth Diapers
Extra Laundry
Most parents wash diapers once every 2 or 3 days depending on your wash routine. This means that you will add 2-4 loads of laundry per week by cloth diapering. This does also come along with a little added cost because of higher water and electricity usage.
Washing Poop
There is no denying that washing poop out of diapers is a dirty job.
Carrying Around Dirty Diapers
If you exclusively cloth diaper, then you will be transporting dirty diapers while you are out and about. Most cloth diaper users just stick them in a wet/dry bag
Pee Leaks
There is a bit of a learning curve when you first start to cloth diaper. There are plenty of guides out there to help you make sure that you get the right fit to avoid unnecessary leaks. Once you get past this though, cloth diapers are just not as absorbent as disposable diapers. If you miss a diaper change, have baby in a tight car seat for a long time, or if baby pees in a poopy diaper, you may still experience an occasional pee leak.
Daycare Might Not be Onboard
Many daycare centers are on board with cloth diapers, but you may come across a care provider who isn’t. Some people also just don’t like the hassle of having to pack cloth diapers and potentially educating your childcare provider in cloth diaper techniques.
Can Take Longer to Change
This one becomes a problem when you have a squirmy, fighting toddler at diaper changes. It can take a little longer to make sure that a cloth diaper is fastened and fitting properly.
It is possible to cloth diaper part time
Cloth diapering doesn’t have to be all or nothing. By using both cloth and disposable diapers, you can get some of the benefits of both. Many parents choose to cloth diaper at home and then use disposables on the go or at daycare. Still others just use both interchangeably depending on their schedule for the day or week.
I spent about a year trying different routines out to find our rhythm, and at first I strived to use cloth exclusively. I’ve tried just about every routine I can possibly think of, and part-time use seems to be a beautiful balance of saving money, producing less waste, and not losing my mind in the process.
There are several instances where disposable diapers fit into our schedule for one reason or another. Namely, nighttime diapers, when we’re travelling, and when I’m backed up on laundry. Nighttime blowouts were something I couldn’t seem to figure out, and no amount of advice has helped in that department. When we travel to see family, we bring disposable diapers as well, to lessen the burden on their laundry situation.
The biggest reason of all for our part-time use of cloth diapers, is to give myself a bit of a break when necessary. I can only add so much to my plate.
No matter what, there is a learning curve when it comes to cloth diapering. I always suggest giving them a try, at least for daytime wear. Part-time still makes an impact on your budget and saves one less diaper from a landfill.
Victoria, Modern Homestead Mama
Is cloth diapering worth it?
As with all things parenting, every family works differently. There are plenty of pros and cons to cloth diapering, and ultimately the decision comes down to what is most important to you. For our family, the cost and environmental savings outweighed the extra work and “gross factor.” For some families, the convenience of disposable diapers outweighs the downsides. There are also a lot of families who use cloth diapers part time to get the best of both.
Thank you for this lovely article, so helpful! 🙂