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Sunday, March 22, 2009

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Update from our 14th Winner - Sara M.

Here are my initial impressions and thoughts after seeing/using Softbums:

First Impression: Oh my goodness..these are soo tiny and cute! They come sized all the way down and honestly made me want to have another baby. I can definitely imagine a newborn baby wearing these. Unlike some other One Size Diapers, these definitely look teeny tiny like newborns and don't have all of the bunch between the legs. They are definitely trim fitting.

Second: These are INCREDIBLY soft inside! The lining is just oh, so soft. I kinda wanted to cuddle them...

Third: I wonder how they get bigger and smaller? ~At the top of the front of the diaper there is a little opening. Inside is elastic with a knot in the top. I pulled on it for a while, not sure what to do then decided to look at the directions. Further down, next to the leg gussets, there were two "toggles," one on each side. They are very small and in no way would bother the baby. To size the diaper you only have to push in the toggle button, pull the elastic the direction that you would like and release the toggle button...VERY EASY!

A great thing about these diapers is that there are SO many different sizes you can have! Sarah V (creator of this amazing diaper) recommended that I size it a little bit tighter then I think it should go to prevent leaks. She said that if there are red marks on the baby after a change then it is TOO tight, so loosen it about 1 inch. When first sizing them, it was trial and error, but after finding that "Perfect Fit," I simply matched up the elastic on the other diapers to make them all the same size.

The insert is REALLY long! But when put in the diaper and folded to add absorbency to where Kinsley needed it the most, it did not seem long or bulky at all! (A smaller insert can be used when the baby is on its tiniest setting.) Now that Kinsley is rolling all over the place it can be a bit tricky at times to get it to lay flat, but make sure it is flat or else there will be leaks!

One thing that I have always felt bad about when cloth diapering is how it often looks like Kinsley is sitting on a horse or something because of the wideness of the diapers. These diapers are so trim and skinny that I feel much better about it! (Kinsley seems to notice the difference as well and is rolling MUCH more than before).

LESS room in the diaper bag!!! These diapers take up a bit less room in the diaper bag than prefolds and TONS less room than pocket diapers.

These diapers are great for the environment. And I don't just mean better for the environment because they are cloth, but better because there is less material. The covers are used more than once, so you need less so there is less items being created and therefore being wasted in production. Plus, there is less in the wash than if pockets would be used (and if you have a washing machine that adds water, spins, etc based on weight then less energy is being used.)

Now that I have used these diapers for a few weeks, I am pleased to say that I am VERY happy with them. They fit Kinsley great. It did take a little bit to figure out the perfect size, but all that meant is a bit of wicking around the legs, which never even reached passed Kinsley's base layer. I have never had any trouble with them in the wash (no diaper trains here) and they still look brand new (and I wash all of them every two days or so).

Overall, I really like these diapers. My husband likes using them a lot more than prefolds and covers due to their quickness and my mom likes them better because she was scared of snappis. I love them the most because they are trimmer AND because I finally allowed myself to get a pink diaper:) The one thing I would change is to include another snap to help keep the liner in place while changing a baby that is doing crocodile death roll and have the PUL go a little further into the diaper to prevent wicking.

Thanks for the great prize!



- By Sara M.

27 comments:

Upstatemamma said...

Those look so cool! And I love the idea of trimmer diapers. Hmm... may have to convince Hubby to let me get a few of those. :)

Diana said...

I love to read what other people think about other diapers! Sounds quite innovative. Currently, we have FB and BG in our stash, and I am curious about other diapers as well. I am concerned about them fitting a tiny newborn, so it's nice to have that information and tuck it away for the future, when it's needed. Cute picture!

Denise said...

Awww!!! Your daughter is sooo cute!!! Those sound like GREAT diapers. Definitely need to add them to my list of diapers to try!

AScott said...

"include another snap to help keep the liner in place while changing a baby that is doing crocodile death roll"

Haha, I can SO relate. By the time I slide the diaper underneath my baby she is either scooted halfway up the changing table or flopping over with great determination!

These were my first foray into cloth, so I am pretty partial to them as well! My husband loves the fact they that they are so trim too. He keeps thinking our daughter is gonna be "bowlegged" from the bulky pocket diapers. lol

Lindsay Anne said...

I think it is so great to hear from the winners! I am a prefolds and diaper cover user and reading many of these posts, like this one, makes me want to try some AIOs :)

Katrina said...

Sounds like a great diaper, esp for younger/smaller babies. I didn't start CDing until my youngest was 11 weeks, but I've heard of others having sizing issues when using a OS on a newborn. Sounds like the Softbums would solve that problem.

Katie said...

I'm so intrigued by the SoftBums but I'm scared of the investment (and the velcro!) - thanks for the review - it's great to know they work so well!!

MaineMomma said...

Great review! It definitely piqued my interest in trying the soft bums system!

Anonymous said...

Another great informative post and adorable model. Another diaper to add to my stash wish list :)

Kristen said...

Thanks for the review- makes me want to try them.... but I wish they came in other colors!

Jess said...

Oh ty for updating I have had my eye on these for awhile now, I'm jealous.

Serena Michelle said...

I *love* the Soft Bums (ok, so is there a diaper I really don't like? LOL)

This is a great evaluation of all the aspects of the diaper and how it actually works. Yes, the insert is LONG but it works wonders for absorbency up front, especially for little boys! I love the bamboo inserts!!!

It is very trim despite the size of the insert though! Looking forward to more color options! I have the Nuclear Pumpkin color which is a wonderful shade of orange but I'd love to see these offered in a variety of colors - then these would be STELLAR!

Thanks Sara for the review! You have a cutey-patootie for a daughter!

Kristin said...

I've never heard of those! I love that they're thinner. I may have to try some... they sound really neat... and your daughter looks very cute in them :)

Montana Mama said...

I've been so curious about these, it's good to hear from someone that has used them, the pros AND cons. :) Thanks for the great post!!!

Jenn said...

great review !! your LO is so cute too !!

Meghan said...

Yay, Sara! I'm so glad that the Soft Bums have worked so well for you. It really makes me want to try them! If only I can get over the initial investment! ;)
Kinsley looks so cute in them! I also like her baby legs. I've been eyeing that exact same pair for a while. I love the rainbow colors.
And I'm glad you got to get a pink diaper too! Might as well make it a little fun while trying to be practical for the next one. Again, congratulations on winning!

Kristin said...

Those look fabulous - I may have to put them on my wish list. Something that is trimmer for a new baby is always nice...especially since I am expecting!

Mulberry Mama said...

Cool! Now I want some of these to try out for our next baby ;-) Your daughter is super cute, btw.

Minnie said...

Your daughter is adorable. I will definitely keep these in mind for when we have baby #2 because I have the BG Organics and from what I have read, they generally are too big for the first 2-3 weeks. The Softbums sound more promising for the newborn weeks.

Amanda G.

Sara in Seattle said...

great to hear an update! I admit I hadn't even really considered buying Soft Bums until I read your review of them. They sound really appealing now!

Brittany said...

Thanks for the update! I had never heard of SoftBums, and they sound great! I may have to get a couple to add to my growing stash.

Your daughter is adorable!

Sara said...

Thanks for all of the compliments!

For all of the mommies thinking about newborns...I haven't tried them on a new born, but they are the smallest cloth diaper I have ever seen!

For all of the prefold, cover gals...I am too! But these are a great all in one size option, they work a lot like prefolds, but wick away moisture (which is big for me!)

For all of the "more colors comments...I have 5 colors, all of which I love. There are more on the website and I believe they are coming out with prints soon! (and snaps to those that love snaps).

Thanks again for the great giveaway!

hosiewosie said...

Haha, that's hilarious- "the crocodile death roll." I know how that goes and am usually trying to snappi a prefold!

Jen D. said...

I love to read diaper reviews. This is great. I have yet to try Softbums, but this is making me think I need to give them a shot. I too like the idea of trimmer diapers. Your daughter is darling.

Carol said...

Thanks for the wonderful review! These are definitely on my wish list now.

Suzy said...

Those diapers sound nice, so cute and trim.

Sara said...

hosiewosie I gave up with the snappi. I simply trifold the prefold and put them in the cover now. I was terrified of getting her (or me!) with one of the snappi claws.