5 Reasons to Invest in Covers

Covers are one of my favorite additions to my cloth diaper arsenal! Versatile and cost effective, covers can be used in a variety of ways to meet the needs of you and your baby. Covers are swiftly becoming my go to diaper because:

1) If it's absorbent, it can go in a cover.
When I first started cloth diapering, I (wrongly) assumed that covers were meant to go over prefolds and only prefolds. (Full disclosure: I also had to have all of my inserts match the diapers they went in. Yeah, I was *that* cloth diaper mom.) Once I loosened up a bit and felt comfortable experimenting with my diapers, I realized that pretty much anything can go in a cover! Sure, flats and prefolds work, but so do fitteds. And inserts*. And folded up T-shirts, should the need arise (power outage plus snow storm, anyone?) If it's absorbent, it can go in a cover!
*Remember, microfiber cannot go directly against baby's skin! But adding a fleece or reusable liner as a buffer can work in a pinch!

2) One cover can be used over and over... and over...
One of the best, and most frugal, reasons to invest in covers is that they can be used multiple times! As long as the cover isn't soiled, most covers - such as Rumparooz, Best Bottom, Thirsties Duo Wraps, and Blueberry Coveralls - can be wiped clean to use again and again. (Some covers, such as GroVia hybrids, cannot be wiped clean but can still be reused if the inside is not saturated.) This saves money and helps cut down on the size of your diaper laundry.

3) See your favorite color or print on the butt longer!
Does your child seem to have a knack for pooping in your favorite pocket or AIO 10 minutes after you've put it on? Yeah, mine too. (I swear, I haven't seen our bumGenius Mirror 4.0 on the butt for longer than 20 minutes at a time. She. Just. Knows.) As mentioned, as long as poop hasn't managed to find its way onto the PUL, covers can be reused. This means you get to admire your favorite colors and prints a little longer! Covers are also great for matching diapers to outfits for pictures or special occasions.

4) A smaller footprint = less for Mom to carry.
Covers and inserts are my go to diaper system for on-the-go for one very simple reason - they take up less room in my diaper bag! I already have a ton to cart around - keys, wallet, cell phone, extra clothes, sippy cups, snacks, favorite stuffed animal of the day... etc. Pockets and AIOs take up a lot more precious real estate inside my bag than covers do, which means a heavier bag to carry and a greater likelihood that I have to leave something behind. Like snacks. And you never want to leave the snacks.

5) Use covers to prevent... blowouts from disposables?
When preparing to travel last fall, I turned to the Cloth Diaper Support Group for advice on how to survive a long car ride with cloth diapers. We eventually decided to use disposables for the trip, and one very interesting piece of advice stuck out - use covers over disposable diapers to help prevent blowouts! Who hasn't experienced a full on #2 disaster while using disposables?! Covers work wonderfully to keep messes contained should your baby's 'sposie leak, and I credit this brilliant idea with saving our car seat from Poopageddon on more than once occasion during that trip.

Want to add a few covers to your stash? Check out the amazing selection available at Kelly's Closet!

Bio: Jes Hughes is a stay-at-home mom to Wyatt and Charlie, as well as a Navy wife and wannabe crafter. In addition to cloth diapers, she also obsesses over books, shoes, and Sailor Moon.


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