This is a review of the night nappies we have been using for Zoe between the age of 3 and 4 months. She weighed just under 6kg during this time and has an average build (no really chubby legs). Let me just say right from the beginning that we have had NO LEAKS at all as of yet, which I am very pleased to be able to report. During this time we have mainly used 2 types of nappies, Snoozywuns and Baby Beehinds Bamboo with night booster. I have kept each nappy on Zoe for between 10 and 12 hours each night. Both have held poo and wee during this time (such lovely conversation). I have written my thoughts in point form to keep myself organised and for easier reading. If anyone has any comments or suggestions regarding how these performance updates should/could be better structured please feel free to leave me a comment and I will try to keep them in my mind for the next one.
(photo taken after 1 month of regular use)
-Available in size medium and large only. Medium is listed as fitting a weight range of 7kg to 15kg, however they will fit smaller babies (especially if Christie extends the tab for you). Ask if you have a smaller baby and see what she says. Large is listed as fitting a weight range of 10kg+. Most people find the large very big so if your baby falls within the medium weight range get medium (unless your baby is very tall).
-Each nappy has a booster system that is comprised of a quad fold booster (8 layers of bamboo fleece) sandwiched between 2 hourglass boosters that are joined at the top, with the bottom one being 2 layers of bamboo fleece and the top being a layer of bamboo fleece and cotton terry topped in sherpa. The outer is sherpa on the inside and malden mills windpro polar fleece on the outside.
-Available with touch tape (velcro) or snaps. I prefer the touch tape (even though all the day nappies we have are snaps). This is because I feel like I can get a truly custom fit on Zoe with the touch tape. The introduction of snaps is fairly new to Snoozywuns and some 'wing droop' has been reported by those who are trying them. Wing droop can occur when a front fastening nappy is too large for a child or poorly fitting in other ways (rise too small, baby with very chubby legs), or the nappy is put on quickly without placing the wings in the correct spot. This is not a fault in the nappy, it is a fit issue. Some extra snaps on either side will fix this problem so if you are worried that this could be a problem either discuss it with Christie (the lovely lady behind the nappy) before purchasing or if you are handy in the sewing department and have a snap machine you can add a few yourself if necessary.
-These nappies are great. You will be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't like them. After washing they appear to shrink a little but I believe this is just the material 'bunching up' a bit more. The combination of high quality polar fleece outer and sherpa inner provides a fantastically stretchy, custom fit. The stretch in this nappy is just amazing and definitely my favourite part about it. I love putting it on Zoe and knowing I can get a snug fit without being too tight so that it is still comfortable for her.
-I can often see the outline of her wee on the quad fold which I think could be useful if I ever have to provide extra boosting as I can see exactly where and how much wee there is.
-The quad fold has sewn guidelines to make folding easy and exact every time.
-The outer polar fleece is no longer smooth and even as it was when new. It has 'pebbled', which you can see in the above photo, however this is merely aesthetic and does not affect the absorbency of the nappy in any way. Washing in a washbag may help prevent this to a certain extent.
-The 2 hourglass boosters that are joined together at the top appear to have shrunk slightly as the quad fold you put between these layers hangs over a bit. I have 2 Snoozywuns and each has shrunk a bit differently. One seems smaller all over and on the other the top of the hourglass booster (the layer with sherpa attached) is a little shorter than the bottom layer. I try to combat this problem by making sure I stretch the hourglass booster in every direction with firm pulls before hanging it over the rack to dry.
-The thickness of the outer seems to pull the laundry tabs apart in the wash so I still put them in a wash bag just to be safe. The reason I believe the thickness is responsible is due to the fact that I have one of their lighter weight day nappies and this problem does not occur.
-The Snoozywun is such a great AIO night option. . If it works for you (like it does for most) then this is by far one of the trimmest, most economical, comfortable options available for night time. If the idea of an AIO for night sounds appealing then you could also look at
Wombots SNAIO,
Krap Katchers,
Keester Kovers,
Zada Night Nappies or
Sandman Night Nappies. I have not tried these types yet but will hopefully get to most of them eventually.
-Takes at least 3 days on a rack, inside with no help from fans or heaters to thoroughly dry all parts. Outer drys much more quickly (within a day) than the booster system. I have wondered whether the makers would consider selling just the inside layers (like Itti Bitti do for their snap in AIO day nappies, see
here) although it's probably not a financially viable option for them. In a pinch perhaps you could lay other things in there though. Like when I washed all my wool covers at once and was desperate for something. Drying time can be significantly reduced by placing nappies in front of a heater or in a well ventilated room.
-For between $38 - $46 (depending on size and embroidery options) you can't beat this nappy. I can't promise it will work for you, however if you are trying to decide on a night nappy (which is a big deal and always represents a significant investment) then I honestly believe a Snoozywun is an excellent place to start. If for some reason you find it unsuitable you should be able to on sell it without losing too much of the money you paid for it as these nappies have excellent resale value.
-A big drawing card for the Snoozywuns (other than the fact that they perform so well) is the customer service provided by Christie. She is one of the nicest women you can imagine and always willing to do whatever is required so that you are happy and comfortable with your purchase.
-Snoozywuns are available for purchase
here. If you do not see any listed contact Christie at widdlewuns@westnet.com.au as she is occasionally able to fit in custom orders. You can only ask!
-Each nappy is made of bamboo fleece making the entire nappy absorbent (not just the crotch) and comes with one small and one large snap in bamboo booster. Night boosters are made of the same material, however they are optional and sold separately.
-The bamboo material is no where near as soft as it was before washing but is still ok. You wouldn't call it hard, however I was a little disappointed because I loved the feel of them so much when they first arrived. The trade off being that they are considerably more absorbent now than they were when first purchased.
-At 3 months of age and just under 6kg I was no longer folding the top down for Zoe (a step in the one size fits all fitting system) although I like a higher rise on her in general. Because there is no folding there are snap tops touching her skin. This is not a huge problem but just something to note that I haven't seen with other nappies. There has been no irritation to her skin as a result of this.
-The night booster needs to be folded in three and placed between the legs on the outside of the nappy (between the nappy and cover). This works great but I still find this such a weird place to put absorbency. The reasoning behind this is so that the nappy is not overstuffed on the inside, causing leaking at the leg openings. Trying to keep the booster in place whilst I pull the cover up and on is a little difficult. If you like the idea behind this design I would also recommend looking at a nappy like the
Bubblebubs Good Night Sleep Tight Nappy as the absorbency on the outside of the nappy snaps into place rather than you having to hold it whilst slipping a cover on. I have not personally tried one of these nappies but can see it would be great and am keen to give it a go.
-I do like the Baby BeeHinds Bamboo nappies because they are working for us plus it gives me the chance to use the Disana covers, which are a quality product that I really enjoy using.
-I have used the Baby BeeHinds Bamboo nappy on Zoe at night with a
Disana wool cover (available at
The WeeWuns), a
Dancing Bears night weight polar fleece cover and a
Bummis polar fleece cover (all with success) although I used the Bummis in an emergency and would not want to use it regularly as I like that the other two covers come down the leg a bit, providing much better coverage and leak protection.
-They take at least 3 or 4 days to dry properly (hanging inside on a drying rack which is how I dry all my nappies) with regular rotation of the nappy.
-I like that if these ever do stop working for us at night that they will become a great day nappy as they do not have the bulk that many other designated night nappies have. With the one size fits all option as well as the possibility of using them for day and night you really can't go wrong if you decide to buy some. Having said this I don't think I love them enough to ever buy them full price. The sales (when they have them) are great though and it is a nappy that I would consider buying more of simply because for us, it works!
-Whilst they appear cheaper than Snoozywuns you do have to take into account the purchase of a cover as well as the nappy itself, which Snoozywuns do not require. If you buy a quality cover though (particularly wool) you should only need one or two as wool covers do not require frequent washing and can be used night after night for several weeks (airing between each wear) before laundering (unless they become soiled). Adding the cost of one or two covers onto the price of purchasing a few Baby BeeHinds Bamboo nappies for night use makes the price of both night options very similar. I am basing this price comparison on the purchase of three Snoozywuns (approx. $120 before postage) or three BBB with 1 Disana Wool cover (approx. $111 before postage). I have found three night nappies is a good number as it gives you adequate drying time without getting caught without a dry night nappy. Having said this buying 4 or 5 would make it much more relaxed and comfortable if drying time is a concern for you.
-Baby BeeHinds Bamboo Nappies are available
here.
Neither Snoozywuns or Baby BeeHinds Bamboo nappies have stay dry inners. This is great for those of you who prefer all natural fibres next to baby's skin, however if you believe that a wet nappy touching skin for 10 to 12 hours during the night is responsible for rashes then you may want to consider purchasing
stay dry liners to use inside these nappies. You could also explore another night nappy option that does offer a stay dry inner. My first choice for a night nappy such as this would be The Bed Bug by Peep-O which I will be reviewing next month.
As an aside, I have started putting a raw silk liner in all Zoe's night nappies and have found that any redness she had when I put her down is almost gone by morning. I will keep doing this and let you know if anything changes. I would not say she has severe nappy rash but she does have redness in the skin fold between butt and leg and also between butt cheeks. I don't know if this is nappy rash or simply her sensitive skin, but either way the raw silk liners do good things for it. The only bad thing in regards to the silk liners is that Zoe often does a poo before I can get her out of the night nappy and the raw silk liners have become stained. Stains just don't seem to come out of these like they do the nappies themselves. I am considering soaking them rather than dry pailing with the nappies. The raw silk liners also need to be washed by hand so be prepared for this extra work if you want the benefits of them. You can get raw silk liners at
The WeeWuns (click on nappy liners in the menu on the left hand side) or
Nurture Nappies, as well as many other online modern cloth nappy stores.
Over the next month I will be introducing the custom
Peep-O Bed Bugs that the lovely Nicole from Peep-O made for us, a
Whizz Kidz Nightz and a
Wild Child Dreamy Night Nappy into the mix, all of which require covers, so the Disana's will be getting a good work out. I will also be trying a new cover I bought from eBay. It is a brand called
Babyology. Whilst they are a Canadian company the covers themselves are apparently machine knitted in China (hence the low cost of approximately $23 AU). My initial thoughts on this cover is that it is a little scratchy (which the Disana covers definitely are not). I can't wait to commission our first pair of custom longies. There are many amazing knitters out there in 'Nappyland' who create what can only be referred to as 'works of art' when it comes to longies and I look forward to collaborating with some of these amazing women in the near future to create something truly unique for Zoe. My only hope is that she will be able to wear them with her skin as sensitive as it is. I must admit I am already having doubts about the suitability of the Babyology covers. More in depth reviews on all these products will appear in the coming weeks and months.
On such a dull, dreary and rainy morning like we are having today it's always nice to be able to grab something full of life and happy colour. Am I referring to the nappy or my baby? Not sure. Perhaps both. This mornings nappy choice was one of our brighter Chloe Toes from Katnappies. The nappy lit up the room (but no where near as much as Zoe's smile did).
The nappy is bright sunshine yellow featuring sweet little sparrows and delicious red cherries.
In the mix we also have these dainty blue flowers. The nappy features equally bright yellow fold over elastic (FOE) and the inside is a butter yellow microfleece, A beautiful springtime day in a nappy! What a great way to fight off the winter chills we see out the window.
This nappy came as part of a lovely set of three called 'Bright Summer Florals and Sparrows'. This same set just happens to be available right now on the Katnappies etsy store. If it isn't the right size for your little one you could always email Kathy (kathy@katnappies.com) and see if she has the material to make the set in the size you need. If not, I'm sure she will have something else you will love. She always does!
