gExperiment
Have you contemplated gDiapers?
We get asked a lot about them, especially at our workshops. They are alluring…the promise of cloth (ie reduced enviro-guilt) without dealing with the poo because you flush it. Or without dealing with the pee diapers because you compost them. And they are darned cute…who can argue with that?? But are they all they are cracked up to be? Read on for our thoughts.
So we decided to give them a whirl – in the name of research. And to look at cloth reusable options for parents who have bought the system but no longer want to go back again and again to re-purchase the refill pads. They really add up ($0.50-$0.75 per pad).
Our thoughts:
- the cute factor is definitely there
- they are relatively easy to put on with velcro closures and seemed to fit my 11 week old and my 25m old well with respect to the liner coming in good contact with their skin – the elastic waist was a bit tight in order to get a good fit with the liner (left marks on their tummy)
- You get two covers with the starter kit ($35) but more than two covers are needed otherwise re-loading the diaper takes a lot of time – if you had more – you could keep them pre-loaded and that would be handy
- there is lots of “post diaper change” time commitment – you don’t get to just toss in the diaper pail – you must find a garbage to toss or go to the toilet, rip, swish and then flush (at least once)
- they are NOT toddler proof with rear closures – velcro in any direction can be ripped apart (as I found my toddler running around starkers!)
- with only one 11week old poo, the waterproof liner was stained as the poo did not stay on the pad
- we were not flushing – I was way too worried about a steep plumber’s bill if I clogged the toilet – so had to deal with the poopy diaper – this involved waaaaay more poo-hand contact than cloth diapering
- the flushable inserts bunched up in my toddler’s diaper leaving her delicate diaper skin smooshed up against the waterproof material of the liner
- the flushables were reasonably absorbent, even for my toddler’s night time
- 11week old poo does not get absorbed into the pad like it does into cloth = more poo to clean off cheeks (IMO, the less, the better!)
Conclusions: cute, more work than cloth (even with the washing workload of cloth – at least its all condensed into one go, not at every change) would be good alternative for times where you can’t use cloth (ie no washer when camping, travelling), more work at the diaper change time than cloth, still need to wash the covers. A very expensive option – do you like to flush or compost you $?? Cost comparison here.
Findings: we discovered some great options for cloth inserts if you have the system but don’t want to use the expensive flushables all or any of the time. Stay tuned…
PS – photos to come, too.
Tags: Hybrid Diapers
February 8th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
I’ve had similar experiences with g-diapers. I found that g-diapers were an acceptable substitute for cloth when we were traveling on a long journey with multiple destinations (and were unsure that we would have time with a wash machine). But overall, I much prefer the one-size pocket diapers (bum genius) that we use. The g-diapers involve an awful lot of advance preparation. They bunch. The liners stain (carrots…oh, the horror!). And just as you have experienced, I wind up handling a lot more poo than with cloth. I can see one possible situation where g-diapers are preferable on a day-to-day basis, and that is at night. We find that our daughter wets through the cloth diapers at night and wakes up, whereas the g-diapers last all night. But perhaps you have a solution for the night time diapering issues? cheers.
February 16th, 2009 at 4:58 am
I never considered g-diapers. It really does seem easier to do my drawn out washing routine then to deal with them. And they are so expensive! Might as well stick with the disposables. Yes, they are cute…but a little cloth diaper bum is soooo cute even in a flat or prefold.
ps. love the new blog!
February 16th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Our customers sometimes commit to cloth once they’ve tried (and usually don’t love) g diapers. I’ve tried them and agreed with you – they’re expensive and don’t perform as well as cloth. They are good at opening the door to some who would not have considered cloth…but in my opinion, I’d take a nice fluffy bum any day!
February 16th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
I used gdiapers with my daughter for about 8 months. The fashion factor is definitely there but that is the only thing they have going for them. They are very expensive and I found the plastic liners (which are not environmentally friendly at all) wore out so fast. The elastic around the legs broke down causing leaks. In addition to that I found the fold back tabs for laundering did not work. I was consistently picking out the fuzz from the velcro. I would never recommend these diapers to anyone. On the other hand, the cloth diapers I have purchased from New & Green are amazing and I as well would love a nice fluffy bum any day.
February 16th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Hi Michelle,
How long did it take for the elastic on the liners to break down? How often did you wash them and how many cover/liner combos did you have in action?
Glad that you’re liking the new cloth diapers – I agree – bring me a fluffy bum any day, too!
February 16th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Hi April,
Yes, I was really surprised at the amount of work and (YUCK) factor with these diapers. I agree, cloth is so much easier on the fronts of function, ease of use and cost!
February 16th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for the blog love
What is your washing routine?
Have you seen our diaper care page at http://www.newandgreen.com?
February 16th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
1Hi Karen,
Thanks for your thoughts on the g’s.
Have you had a look at our post on nights? What cloth diapers are you using for nights? We can definitely make some recommendations for you.