Disposable Inserts: Flip, gDiaper and SoftBums

Last week I stared the series about how I have been trying out disposable/hybrid inserts for my cloth diapers and putting them through my cloth diaper trial.  Last week I posted the results for Charlie Banana disposable inserts and Grovia BioSoakers and today I am sharing the results of the remaining three inserts I tested: gDiapers Disposable Inserts, SoftBums H-Pods and Flip Disposable Inserts.

 

Flip disposable inserts

Number times of uses: 11

Number of leaks: 1
Longest wear without a leak: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Cost: $6.95 for a pack of 18 or $0.39 an insert

 

The flip disposable inserts are the cheapest of the disposable inserts that I tested but they worked just as well (if not better) than most of the brands.  They are slightly larger than most of the inserts (gDiapers are the largest) so I only used them in my flip covers because they were too wide for the SoftBums and Grovia shells.  These are flexible and can easily be folded to fit how you want and can also be doubled up for additional absorbency.  I doubled them up for night time use and didn't have a single leak.  They are really trim (all of the disposable inserts were) so I found that I had to snap down the rise snaps to a smaller setting so that the cover fit well.  Cotton Babies says that this inserts is dye and fragrance free and are made of bamboo viscose and wood pulp.  Overall this was a great insert.

 

 

 

SoftBums H Pods

Number times of uses: 13

Number of leaks: 2
Longest wear without a leak: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Cost: $7.95 for a pack of 20 or $0.40 an insert

 

The SoftBums pods were great also.  When looking at them I honestly couldn't figure out a way to distinguish them from the Charlie Banana inserts.  They are the same size, same material, look exactly the same and even performed the same.  I did have 2 leaks with these inserts but both were at 3+ hours so I would say that these still perform really well.  I was able to double them up for night time and even my super heavy wetter was fine over night.  These fit great in my SoftBums covers, Charlie Banana Covers and Flip covers. The SoftBums website says the these inserts are biodegradable and made from soft bamboo viscose. Overall I was really happy with these inserts.

 

 

 

gDiapers disposable inserts

Number times of uses: 8

Number of leaks: 0
Longest wear without a leak: 4 hours

Cost: $14.99 for a pack of 32 or $0.47 an insert

 

gDiapers is one of the more mainstream brands that I have never tried (but I will have to add it to my list ;)) so I wasn't sure what to expect from their disposable inserts.  I don't have an gDiaper covers to use these in but they worked well in my Flip covers.  These were the widest and longest of all of the inserts so they would not fit in my other covers, but the Flip covers were wide enough to accommodate the size.   These worked really well and like a lot of the other inserts are very customizable with how you can fold them and that they can be doubled up.  I did try these out doubled up for overnight with great results, never a leak.  Even during the day a single insert lasted at least 3 hours!  The gDiaper site says that they are chlorine free, latex free, perfume free and dye free. They are also biodegradable and compostable made of cellulose and wood fluff pulp.

 

Overall I was really happy with all of the disposable inserts that I tried.  I was apprehensive at first but really pleased with how well they worked.  I love that you get the absorbency of a disposable but with less waste and less chemicals.  After this experiment I am definitely a believer and will be using disposable inserts in the future (and for sure the next time I travel)!

 

 

 

**Post contains affiliate links.  Some inserts were provided for my review but all opinions and results are my own**

Disposable Inserts Trial Results: Charlie Banana and Grovia

Earlier this week I posted about how I have been trying out disposable/hybrid inserts for my cloth diapers and putting them through my cloth diaper trial.  Today I am sharing the results for two of the brands (the other three brands will be later this week): Charlie Banana disposable inserts and Grovia BioSoakers.

 

Charlie Banana disposable inserts

Number times of uses: 10

Number of leaks: 0
Longest wear without a leak: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Cost: $15.88 for a pack of 32 inserts or $0.50 per insert

Size: 4.5 inches wide x 10.5 inches long
 

 

The Charlie Banana disposable inserts were the first ones that I tried and I was really impressed.  I have previously reviewed the Charlie Banana pocket diaper with both the microfiber inserts as well as the hemp insets so I was glad to round out my review of the brand with the disposable inserts.  As their website notes they are also chlorine free, plastic free, dye free perfume free and hypo-allergic. The materials used include bamboo fibers on the outside and biodegradable wood pulp fibers at the core.

I previously did not have an interest in any disposable products due to the perceived cost but I am glad I finally got to try them. The cost is slightly more than mainstream disposable diapers and about the same cost as eco disposable brands.  I used the Charlie Banana inserts with both the Charlie Banana pocket shells (laid on top), SoftBums shells and covers.  One insert easily lasts 3+ hours (since these were the first ones I tried I didn't push them too hard) and two inserts will last all night (I only tried this one but it was 12+ hours).  I love the flexibility with these inserts, they fit with a variety of brands and I never had a leak! I also like these better than disposable options because I felt like I wasn't wasting as much.  Overall these are a great disposable option.

 

Grovia BioSoaker

Number times of uses: 8

Number of leaks: 0
Longest wear without a leak: 4 hours

Cost per Insert: $7.99 for 20 inserts or $0.40 per insert
Size: 4 inches wide x 13 inches long

 

Another one of the disposable inserts that I tried was the Grovia BioSoaker.  As you can tell from the picture these are a little bit different than the other inserts.  They have a gathered leg so that the insert is contoured, sticky tabs at the front and back of the insert so that it can be attached to the cover of your choice and a waterproof layer on the back of the insert. These features were actually really cool, I loved that the insert would stay where I put it and the contouring made the insert fit more like a disposable.  Although I didn't have any leaks with any of the disposable inserts I'm sure that the waterproof layer would help contain any leaks.  I was able to use these inserts with my Grovia shell, SoftBums shells, Charlie banana covers and other waterproof covers.  The one bad thing about all of these features is that it makes the insert less customizable.  One of the things that I loved about the other inserts was that I would adjust the absorbency or layer them (I didn't try layering with the BioSoakers but I think the waterproof layer would make that hard) to get the desired effect.  With that being said I never had a lead with these inserts so I was very, very happy with how well they performed on their own.

 

After trying out these first two brands, I am a believer when it comes to disposable inserts.  Stay tuned for my results of the final 3 brands later this week!

 

**Post contains affiliate links.  Some inserts were provided for my review but all opinions and results are my own**

 

 

Cloth Diaper Disposable Inserts

With all of the travel that happens at this time of the year inevitably people are asking about tips and tricks for traveling with cloth diapers.  I have posted before about travel with cloth diapers but this year I wanted to do something a little different and try out disposable inserts (hybrid inserts) for cloth diapers.  Of course I couldn't just try them out, I had to put them through my cloth diaper trial.

 

I did some research to identify what brands I wanted to try out and decided to try the following 5 brands: Charlie Banana Disposable Inserts, Grovia BioSoakers, gDiapers Disposable Inserts, SoftBums H-Pods and Flip Disposable Inserts.  I used each one at least 10 times and over the course of this week I will be sharing my results of the trial for each one.  Before I get to the results I wanted to discuss a bit about what I learned from using the disposable inserts.

 

 

 

Prior to trying the disposable inserts I honestly thought they were a waste of money.  They are comparable to the price of a more expensive disposable diaper brand and I didn't know why I would bother with cloth diaper hybrid.  After using them for a few days I actually really loved them!  Of course there are all the benefits that everyone knows: disposable/flushable/compostable, limited chemicals and hypo-allergenic but there are other benefits I was excited to realize during my trial. 

 

One of the things I liked the most was that you got the benefits of a disposable diaper but the feel of a cloth diaper.  After using cloth diapers for the past 2 years I hate the papery feel of a disposable diaper but using the disposable insert means that I still have my pretty cloth diaper and isn't all gross and crunchy like a disposable.

 

I also loved the customizability of the hybrid inserts.  For overnight or for longer trips I was able to double them up so that they last longer.  I also liked that I could fold the insert so that the absorbency was where I wanted it for my child.  I found that one insert would last about the same amount of time as a regular disposable, but you aren't able to customize a regular disposable diaper like you can a hybrid insert.

 

Another thing that I found that I loved about the disposable inserts was how trim they were.  This was great not only for clothes that I want a smaller bum but also for packing purposes.  We went out of town for a 5 days during Thanksgiving and I packed 6 covers and about 40 inserts and it took up barely any space in my suitcase (less than disposables and regular cloth diapers). 

 

Overall I ended up really liking this trial. There are definite benefits to using the disposable inserts and I am excited to share my results with you this week.  Stay tuned!

 

**Post contains affiliate links, all opinions are my own.**

Charlie Banana Hemp Inserts Diaper Trial Results

Over a year ago I put the Charlie Banana diaper through my original diaper trial with good results (no leaks!) using the microfiber insert that included with the diaper, so I was excited when the company asked me to review their hemp inserts.  I have destashed a lot of my pocket diapers but the Charlie Banana's I bought are one of the few pockets that I held onto so I was glad to still have the shells for the trial.  When I got the hemp inserts I noticed that on one side (2 layers) they are microfiber and the other side (2 layers) is a hemp/cotton blend.  I stuffed them in my pockets with the microfiber towards your baby and the hemp facing out.  Microfiber absorbs quickly so you want that close to their body and then the hemp is trim but hold a lot of liquid, because it absorbs slow you want it on the outside.  On to the results!

 

 

Number of uses: 12

Number of leaks: 3
Longest wear without a leak: 4 hours
Big Booty factor: 3.5
Best Use: Daddy, Daycare, Naps

Pros:

·         Includes both the fast absorbing microfiber and the high capacity hemp
·         Easy to swap out for other pocket inserts

·         Could be used outside the pocket since the hemp can be against baby's skin
 Cons:
·         Insert ripples a little bit after being washed
·         Approximately $4.50 an insert so more pricy than other microfiber inserts

Overall I was very pleased with the results, I had a few random leaks but for the most part they had really good staying power.  As noted above the longest wear without a leak was 4 hours compared to the results from the regular microfiber insert of 2 hours.  I also liked that the two layers of hemp are really trim so while you have extra absorbency you don't have any extra bulk.  These fit right into my Charlie Banana covers well and would probably fit almost any brand of pocket diaper.  Additionally because they are hemp on one side you could use them as and AI2 insert with the hemp touching baby's skin.  These are a little pricier than other replacement inserts (microfiber does wear out and lose absorbency so try to change your inserts about every 12-18 months) but the hemp makes it worth it.  I am very glad that I was able to try out these inserts and when my microfiber wears out I will be replacing with these hemp inserts for sure!