I use cloth diapers on The Boy the majority of the time, but he recently developed a strep infection on his hiney, which forced us into disposables until it cleared up. For as much as we love and use cloth diapers, it seems like there's always a few instances when we need to have disposables (such as when he's in the church nursery, long car trips, etc.), so that's why I was excited when I found out that The Natural Baby Company was going to be releasing a disposable option for their popular Gro Baby system. From being a fan of theirs on Facebook, I also had the opportunity to test out the disposable pads before they were released to the public.
The Gro Baby system is an all-in-two diapering system,
meaning it has a soaker pad that fits into a separate, reusable outer shell. The advantage of an all-in-two system is that you can reuse the outer shell for multiple changes (assuming it isn't soiled). You simply snap in a new pad at changing time. They also have the advantage of drying faster than an all-in-one diaper. We've been big fans of the Gro Baby when using their organic cotton soaker pads. We've even used them overnight and during naps with the added organic cotton booster (they also make a stay dry, fleece booster), so I was anxious to give the Bio Soakers a try.
The reusable outer shell of the Gro Baby comes in a variety of solid colors (Kiwi, Mandarin, Blackberry, and Vanilla) and few new prints (Seaside Stripe, Wildflowers, Blue Birds, and Sunset Stripe). The inside of the shell features a quick dry mesh, which is nice because even if the shell gets wet, you can simply set it to the side and use it the next time. They dry quickly!
The Natural Baby Company is committed to bringing their customers innovative, eco-friendly products, so I was interested to see how they could stay committed to that principle while also providing a disposable pad. Luckily, these are not your average disposable diaper. They are free of fragrance, dyes, plastics, and chlorine. They only contain 3 grams of super absorbent polymer (SAP) gel, as opposed to the 10-20 grams found in most of the leading brands of disposable diapers. And instead of sitting in a landfill for 500+ years, these soaker pads are made with biodegradable and compostable materials. The elastic gussets on the legs are also made with a soft, non-toxic elastic. With all of these features, you can be confident in this disposable choice.
What I liked:
I love the fact that these are a more environmentally friendly option for when you need disposables. I don't know about anyone else, but I always feel guilty when I throw out a disposable diaper. It's nice that the Bio Soakers are compostable and biodegradable. I only had one leak with the soaker pads, and it occurred the first time that I used them, when I was still a little unsure of how fit them into the shell properly. Upon closer inspection of the leak, I realized that part of the liner was sticking out of the shell, and it had wicked onto my son's clothing. Ever since, I've made sure that the pad is completely inside of the shell, and I have not had anymore leaks. They are easy to use, especially once you get past the initial trial and error of attaching them to the shells. My husband thought they were easy, and our church nursery was willing to give them a try as well. They absorb alot (we've used them overnight with much success). They also take up less room in the diaper bag, which is a huge plus!
What I didn't like:
The paper backing of the sticky pads were a little frustrating. They seemed to fly away and land on the ground or get stuck behind the changing table no matter how hard I tried to contain them while doing a diaper change. And if you don't have a trash can in your baby's nursery, it requires you to collect them and move them to the trashcan later on.
The Bio Soakers also often left a sticky residue inside the shell (mainly on the snaps). The Natural Baby Company posted the the following tip on their facebook page regarding this issue: "We use a 100% biodegradable adhesive. When warmed (ie. from being next to baby's skin for a significant amount of time) it can become more sticky. If you are getting residue on your snap or mesh, simply let your Shell sit for a moment before removing the Soaker. It "cools" a bit and the removal will be much easier." And if you do get reside on the snaps, they say "it is easily removed with a bit of nail polish remover or will eventually wash out." Although I have washed my shells after using the Bio Soakers, some residue has remained on my shells. It's not a big deal, though, as a pad goes over the snaps, anyway.
Video Review:
Overall:
We love our Gro Baby system, and with the addition of the disposable Bio Soakers, it becomes a truly versatile system. If you're already a fan of the cloth soakers, or if you've been thinking about giving them a try, it is worth the investment. Gro Baby fits wonderfully on my skinny guy, and I've been very impressed by the Bio Soakers so far.
*GIVEAWAY ALERT!*
Meredith Abney of GoGo Natural has been using cloth diapers for over three years. She was initially skeptical of the idea, but when a good friend convinced her to give it a try, she was sold! In early 2007, she created GoGo Natural with the intent of helping other mom's learn how easy, fun, and money saving it can be to use cloth diapers. She has since grown her business (that now includes two tiny helpers - with another on the way!). She is so convinced that you'll love the new Bio Soakers, and she's willing to offer up a free box of Bio Soakers and a shell to get you started! How awesome is that?! To enter, you will need to visit GoGoNatural.com and browse her site. Find your favorite product that she carries, and then come back and let me know what it is!
To gain additional entries, you can do any and all of the following (be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do):
- Follow @GoGoNatural AND @FamilyofCloth on Twitter.
- Tweet the giveaway. You must include the link to both @GoGoNatural and @FamilyofCloth in your tweet. Be sure to leave the permalink of your tweet! You may tweet once daily for extra entries.
- Follow Family of the Cloth on Blogger
- Subscribe to Family of the Cloth via email or through a reader
- Become a facebook fan of Family of the Cloth
- Become a facebook fan of GoGo Natural
- Grab my button and display it on your blog (leave me a link letting me know where it is!)
- Make a purchase from GoGo Natural (for five additional entries!)
This giveaway is open to US residents. It will close on 11/30 at 8 p.m. central time. Winner will be chosen via random.org and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the notification email, or a new winner will be chosen. Family of the Cloth did not receive any product or money for this post.
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