DIY Diaper Inserts

Many pocket diapers come with inserts made of microfiber. This is a decent absorbent fabric, but one big drawback is that when it is compressed, the liquid it's holding is easily squeezed out. What this meant for us was leaks, leaks, leaks!

If you already have a stash of cotton prefolds, those make great inserts for pocket diapers. Just tri-fold them, stuff them, and voila- no more (or at least fewer?) leaks. The one drawback to cotton is the bulk- these will not be trim diapers.

Hemp inserts are much more trim, and there are many options for hemp inserts out there. Thirsties and Joeybunz are the ones that I have tried; both feature several layers of hemp jersey knit. (What is jersey knit? Think of it as your basic t-shirt material.) These hemp inserts are very absorbent and incredibly trim! The material is also smooth and soft- no rough quilting up like prefolds. However, they're somewhat pricey.

If you have some basic sewing know-how and can't find exactly what you want in a store, you can easily make your own hemp inserts.

Fabric choices
I purchased my fabric from Nature's Fabric. I had heard great things about Hemp-Bamboo fleece, so I tried that for my first go-around. For my second purchase a few months later I tried the Hemp-Cotton fleece. I honestly haven't noticed any difference between the two in absorbency. One thing I wasn't expecting from either fabric was rather large fibers sticking out (they eventually washed out), and there really are 'variations in texture and color' as it says in the description.
I personally avoided the Hemp-Bamboo knit, only because I am new to sewing and stretchy knits can be difficult to sew. Be aware that the fleece is also stretchy!

How much fabric?
When deciding how much to purchase, keep in mind this fabric will shrink up several inches in either direction. You'll be washing it on hot several times to pre-shrink the fabric, as well as reduce the natural oils in the fabric.

The biggest thing to consider is how many layers you want your insert to be, and what the dimensions will be. I sometimes get into the 'bigger is better!' mentality, and have several inserts I've made that are too wide, too long, and too thick. Too wide means that the fabric will bunch up oddly between your child's legs- doubly so if it's too thick. Too long and they won't easily fit inside your pocket or cover. Too thick means that when you fold it over (because it's too long) it doesn't fold very flat and ends up being quite stiff. Not to mention increased drying time.

What size insert?
My widest inserts are 5.25" wide. This is the width of a typical microfiber insert- but because hemp fleece is a little thicker, this width becomes stiff- I'd go no wider than 5". You can go even narrower; my favorite inserts are 4.5" and I have a few made from leftovers that are barely 4" wide and work just fine.

The longest you'd want to go is 15.5". This is about what a typical cover or fully unsnapped pocket can handle without folding over. My favorite inserts are only about 12" long.
Three layers of fleece works great for a larger insert. It dries easily, folds over without becoming too stiff at the fold, and if you double up you'll have 6 layers of hemp fleece, which should be plenty absorbent. 4 layers can be thick but works well for a narrower insert that won't bunch up between your child's legs.

Left to right: BumGenius microfiber insert, 4 layer 5.25"x15.5" hemp-cotton fleece insert (too thick for the dimensions), 4 layer 4.5"x11.5" hemp-bamboo fleece insert.

I sewed mine fleece-side out. You'll get some fuzzies in the dryer the first few times you wash them, but eventually they stop giving off fuzz and get slightly pilly, like your typical sweatshirt material. I'm not a fan of the one I sewed knit-side out. Because all the loose fuzz is trapped inside, it may get a tad lumpy. It also seems to curl more around the edges and corners. However, the knit side is not as rough as the fleece side (after many washes.)

Left to right: knit side out, fleece side out, BabyKicks Joey-Bunz brand insert (well worn!)

Sewing tips
Confession: I'm not that experienced at sewing, and diaper inserts were one of my first projects. (Can't you tell from the photos?) I figured- they're just rectangles, how hard could they be? Joke's on me!

1. Fold and cut your fabric into the desired size. Try to stack your layers and then cut them into shape for even edges. (Measure twice, cut once. Draw a diagram- it helps!)
2. Because this fabric is stretchy, you'll want to do a straight stitch about 1/4" in from the outside to hold everything together.
3. Once that is done, you can trim any layers that have shifted. (After these are washed a few times and continue to shrink, any wrinkling or diagonal pulling is generally gone.)
4. Next, overcast a wide zig-zag stitch around the outside edge to keep the edge from fraying.

Don't try to sew these inside out and turn them- the fabric is just too thick and you'll wind up with even thicker edges. The overcast stitch around the outside can be done with various thread colors that can look nice- and if you've used a variety of fabrics or sizes can help you know at a glance which ones you have.

If you don't have anything besides a sewing machine and some thread, consider borrowing or investing in a cutting mat, a metal ruler, and a rotary cutter. These items make cutting your fabric a breeze.

Stay-dry liners
Adding a stay-dry liner to your inserts is simple. If you primarily use pockets you can skip this, but if you use plain covers and want the stay-dry feel of a pocket, just add a liner! JoAnne fabric sells Alova Suedecloth and Hancock fabric sells 'Buttersude.'
Cut a piece to match your insert. I suggest laying it on top and cutting it along with the fleece. Attaching it to the thicker fabric keeps it in place. The backside of this fabric is slick, so it will shift around if it's loose. I prefer to add liners only to the larger inserts and lay them on top of the smaller hemp doublers.

Alva Diaper Review- one year later

Yikes, search for Alva diaper reviews on Google and my blog post pops right up! For me anyway. Maybe Google is humoring me.

So, just about a year after I started using Alvas and I figure I should give another update:
They're sitting unused, in a bag in my closet. :(

Don't get me wrong, I still cloth diaper! But the Alvas all leak. All of them! I haven't done anything to them that I haven't done to my BumGenius or Flips or Thirsties and yet every Alva has serious wicking issues around the legs. Even from different series. I'm actually pretty sad about this, because the prints are darn cute and the fit is actually pretty nice. But the wicking... Not even wicking- I'm pretty sure liquid just goes right through them.

So, that's the end of those. I dug out a couple to use as swim diapers and occasionally I try using one again, just to see. As if something magical is happening in my closet that will stop the leaking? I don't know.

Alvas update

Now that I've been using the Alvas a few months I figured I'd better update again!

My son is now a year old and has slimmed down quite a bit. He's still about 23-24lbs, but much taller and skinniner. He also loves his water! Due to this I've been having a lot of problems with leaking and wicking.

The Alvas tend to gap at the legs. I was never too happy with the fit when they were snapped down, because this causes a wrinkle of inner fabric to stick up and sometimes wick onto his clothing. (I have heard of a tip to roll that inward, which I haven't tried yet. My son is getting to the wriggly stage so much fussing over how exactly the diaper is on isn't allowed. I'm lucky to even GET the diaper on!)

Without the rise snapped down, they seem to fit better at first, but very quickly the legs begin to gap. Since he's mobile now, the insert bunches up between his legs and the whole thing loses contact with his body, meaning absorbency is compromised and if he's laying on his side.... leaks! Or, once I pick him up and smash his diaper against my body, the car seat, the shopping cart, I get a big mess of wet pants.
On some of the diapers, (mainly the bamboo and the basic colors, not so much the minky) the fabric likes to roll on either side of the top snaps, exposing the inner suedecloth and possibly wicking.

I haven't had any problem with drying the bamboo shells in the dryer. If I don't, they are super rough and scratchy. They have lost some of their softness but are still nice and stretchy.

The gussetted diaper is my least-used. I don't particularly like the snap-in, (unsnapping it while it's pee-soaked is a pain) and somehow the fact that there's a hole for stuffing in both front and back seems odd; like if I don't snap it in it may work its way out the front. I was most excited for this one because of the inner lining of PUL so on second thought, I should start using it again.

I found the microfiber inserts that come with these diapers is very fluffy and prone to compression leaks. I rarely use them. The bamboo inserts seem to do the same, though not as bad. My go-to insert is a snapped-down CottonBabies microfiber insert paired with a JoeyBunz hemp insert or a homemade bamboo/hemp fleece insert.

I think that these run a little large and may fit chubbier babies better.

Update on the Alvas

I still really like my Alvas, although as some of the newness has rubbed off I found that I'm not reaching for them 100% of the time. There are a few things I mentioned in my last post that I've gotten a better idea of after a few wears and washes.

"Sticky" PUL/TPU
A few of them are getting sticky. I'm bummed about this, because it does make them harder to stuff. I did some reading and it has nothing to do with wash routine, it's just the quality of the original PUL. Unfortunately it doesn't show up until a wash or two.

Bamboo Diapers
These take FOREVER to dry. If you line dry them, they are not nearly as soft. I may just take my chances and dry these in the dryer on a regular basis.
Also, my son is past the crazy runny poo stage, but I can't help wondering how clean these would get. Either my last load of diapers just didn't get clean (I'm pretty sure I have solid wash routine by now!) or they stain easily, since there was a small spot on one of them where he'd pooped.
One thing I love is how silky they are, both inside and out! The added stretchiness of the fabric gives these a nice fit. If I order any more I'll definitely include a few of these!

Bamboo Inserts
I still like these. For the price, they are great! Paired with a microfiber insert I've had very few leaks during the day. Keep in mind these are rayon fabric (despite the bamboo label)- they don't need a ton of extra washes to get any oils out like the more natural hemp/bamboo fabrics do! I washed mine only once before using and had no issues.
These are not as trim as I'd hoped, in fact they're quite fluffy. If you're looking for thin absorbency, the trimmest inserts I've found (so far!) are the Babykicks JoeyBunz hemp inserts.

Lack of front panel
I was really worried about this when I ordered these. The newest Alva design does have a PUL strip across the inside front to help avoid leaks, but I only ordered one of those. I really wish they all had this, but I haven't had much of a problem so far. However, I've been using these fully unsnapped, and I've noticed that when they are snapped down, the inner lining wants to ride up. I'm careful when I put these on my son that the lining is tucked down inside. If I had gotten these diapers when my son was smaller, I think I'd be quite a bit more frustrated with them.

Sizing
The sizing is a little inconsistent. I have one diaper in particular (The animal print, E5) that seems a bit smaller than the rest, and another (minky cow spots, E15) that seems bigger than the rest.

Overall, I'm still very happy with these diapers. The price absolutely can't be beat for a pocket diaper! The wide variety of patterns and fabrics is great, and I'm happy we're heading into summertime and I can dress my son in just a t shirt and diaper around the house- for that I wish we had more silky bamboo and minkys!

Alva Cloth Diapers: Individual Reviews

My Alvas arrived a few days ago, and I've gotten through most of them once. Here are my first impressions.

Background info: my son is about 22lbs, 7 months old, and something of a heavy wetter. One microfiber insert will not do! Up until now we've primarily used BumGenius 4.0s, with the occasional GMD prefold in a Thirsties or Econobum or Flip cover. At the moment we are using disposables at night, just because the bulk of several inserts is ridiculous and still not guaranteed not to leak, especially on nights when he nurses more than once. I'm on a quest to find something that will last up to 3 hours without leaking and without being obnoxiously bulky.

Alvas use both fleece and suedecloth inners; check out the Alva Facebook page for a note about which diapers use which materials. All of the diapers below have suedecloth innersexcept for the animal print (E5), which says it is fleece. It looks and feels exactly like suedecloth, so I don't know if that's what their fleece looks like, or if Alva switched to suedecloth on that one.

3.0 Minky Diaper D13

Not quite cow, not quite dalmation... snowflake appaloosa? Whatever, they're little spots! This one is slightly off-white with with black spots.
This your typical 3.0 pocket diaper. Three rise settings, a hip snap, two upper snaps, with snaps on the flap in case you have a super skinny baby. The pocket opening is in the back, with elastic on both the waterproof outer and inner suedecloth layer. (See yellow diaper below.) This one came with a single microfiber insert.
I really like the minky fabric! It's soft, fuzzy, and cute. My child is somewhat between the largest and single snap-down size, but at a chunky 22 lbs he definitely has a while before this diaper is too small!
I paired the microfiber insert that came with it along with a bamboo 3-layer insert and it easily held up to the 2 hour mark with no leaks or wicking, though it was slightly bulky.

3.0 Minky Diaper M11

This one has hamsters(?), alligators, and chicks on it. I don't think they cut the pattern in any particular way to show it off. The one on the website shows the hamster-like critter up front. There may even be another animal in the blue circle, I don't know.

This one is exactly like the spotted diaper above. Only one change; I used a single 4-layer bamboo insert instead of the microfiber insert that came with it. At the 2-hour mark it was soaked completely through, and the minky fabric was damp around his legs, as was the tag inside. Had he been in his bouncer this definitely would have wicked onto his pants. If you have a heavy wetter you'll probably need an extra insert.

3.0 Yellow Diaper B01

This diaper is BRIGHT!
Again, this is built just like the two minky diapers above, with a suedecloth lining. I initially did not like the double elastic, since it bunches up the inserts as you are inserting them (and is even worse with two) but I quickly got used to it.
Another big fear I had with the 3.0 series of Alvas was the lack of a waterproof liner across the inside front. However, he's had no leaks or wicking all day, nor has the front rolled down at all.

4.0 Colored Snap Double Gussett CB06:

Currently this color is not available, though the one I really wanted is! :(
This is Alva's newest 4.0 diaper. It has cool colored snaps, a double gussett, a snap on the insert, and a good inch and a half waterproof lining across the inner front to help avoid leaks and wicking up front. My son is past the runny poo stage, so for now the gussetts don't do a whole lot. The suedecloth outside of the gussetts was still wet when I took it off, so I don't think it will prevent any wicking to the sides, either.

Bamboo Diaper + 1 insert BN08

The bamboo diapers are the more expensive ones on the site. One insert diapers are $8, and two insert diapers are $10. This particular diaper came with one insert, which was a 4-layer insert; three layers of bamboo rayon and one layer of microfiber.
The bamboo inner is silky smooth and soft. The outer waterproof layer on this diaper is also thinner, and even feels silkier than the other diapers. This makes this diaper feel very soft and luxurious! For $8 it feels like a steal.
When fastening the diaper I noticed it feels much stretchier than other diapers, in fact it's almost comparable to the stretchy tabs on a disposable. This is probably because both the bamboo and outer layer are stretchy; the suedecloth inners on the other diapers are not stretchy at all. I often feel like cloth diapers on my son are too tight around the waist, when he's sitting on his own there is often a roll of his belly hanging over the diaper- it looks uncomfortable! I haven't figured out if the stretchiness of these makes them any more comfortable for him, but if that's an issue for you, it may be worth looking into.
Since the inner is bamboo, it is absorbent, unlike suedecloth, so keep that in mind when stuffing.
However, there are some drawbacks. The bamboo inner is super soft, but is not stay-dry, so your child will feel the wetness. Also, if you line dry your covers, these take a VERY long time to dry. The thinner outer layer doesn't feel very rugged, which makes me even more hesitant to throw them in the dryer (even on low!) to speed up drying time.
Finally, on my diaper, one of the hip snaps wouldn't stay snapped, and another felt very loose.

Bamboo diaper + 2 inserts BB6

This diaper came with two 3-layer bamboo inserts, but otherwise is identical to the one above.
One thing to note about this color: on the website, it appears to be a darker, slightly navy/twilight color of blue. However, it is actually a very bright blue, the same color as the color snap diaper above.

Animal Print E5

I was DYING to get my hands on this print, for some reason. The same animals also come on a green or a blue background but I wanted the white! Like the other diapers, the outer layer is thinner and softer than other brands of diapers I've used.
This diaper is slightly different than the others. It's one of the few (of the ones I bought) that have the Alva label on the hip.

The label says the inner is 'fleece' but it looks and feels exactly like the suedecloth on all the other diapers. This is also the only diaper that doesn't have elastic on the inner lining. Instead, as you can see, there is a large flap under which you can tuck the insert.
I have seen a very similar diaper advertised as "Kawaii Goodnight", so if you are looking for this particular style, it may be worth a shot to choose the colors that are available in the Kawaii Goodnights. I don't have a Goodnight to compare to, but the Alva does NOT have a strip of waterproofing across the top front. The Alva only comes with one microfiber insert, not two.
I used this one with a single microfiber insert and it wicked pretty quickly at the legs.

3.0 Minky Diaper E15

This is the only diaper that hasn't been worn yet, but it is the same as the other minky 3.0 diapers, except it has a label on the hip. Oddly enough, though it's in the E series, it does not have the pocket opening like the animal print above. These are the only two E series I have, so I don't know which is the exception. (See the note about the Kawaii Goodnights above.)
The insert with this one had an odd little brown spot (you can see it in the image) which I don't think washed out. It was also made slightly different than the others; it was a whiter white and had a dense serged edge on it. I haven't used these inserts enough to notice if this one is any more absorbent than the others.

Alva Leggings:

Not a diaper! The images on the website aren't very large so I thought I'd include one here. For $3.69 these seemed like a deal and are super cute as well. Unfortunately I have no idea what they are made of (one forum claims cotton/lycra/spandex) and I also managed to shrink them the first time through the wash. My fingers are crossed that it will still fit, but we're getting into warmer weather so I'm afraid I may not get much use out of these.
As cute as they are, they aren't particularly soft.

Alva Cloth Diapers and Bamboo Inserts

I just got my order of Alva Baby Diapers! It's review time!

I ordered these from http://alvababy.com. These run from $4.95 for a basic pocket diaper to $10 for a  bamboo diaper; a huge savings from the usual $15 to even $30(!!!) you see for other brands. These are pocket diapers, which means an outer layer of waterproof material sewn to an inner layer of fleece or suedecloth, between which you stuff your absorbent material- usually microfiber, cotton, hemp, or bamboo. Most pockets on the market come with one or two inserts.

Shipping is free, but be prepared to wait 3 weeks or more. Mine arrived in a bag, with each diaper individually wrapped. Many people join co-ops, where lots of people get together on a large order. The more you order, the cheaper the price!

The website is not very descriptive of what you get, with Engrish all over the place. For help figuring out what I'd really be getting, I relied heavily upon the Loving Alva Diapers Facebook page; specifically the notes.
This link: Describes what each series material is made of; minky vs PUL outers, suedecloth vs fleece inners.
This link: Describes the differences between the main diaper types sold by Alva.

Edited to include links to updates!

One Month Later

One year Later 

General observations:

Outer Layer:
The outer waterproof layer on these is soft, not stiff like some other diapers I've tried, nor is it 'sticky' on the inside. I don't know what causes the stickiness! I have had one out of 18 BumGenius diapers become sticky inside, and my lone FuzziBunz is also sticky, which makes stuffing difficult.
I am not sure whether these are "PUL" or "TPU", but reading about TPU makes me think these might be it. Most cloth diapering advocates say you should wash on hot, but the washing instructions here say to wash on warm. The hot temperatures may damage or degrade the outer layer more quickly. You'll also want to line-dry the covers to increase their lifespan.

Suedecloth Inners:
Time will tell if the suedecloth inners become pilly or not. Suedecloth tends to wear much better than fleece, however I've seen suedecloth get pilly. My previously mentioned BumGenius diapers were all ordered around the same time and all received approximately the same amount of washes, yet some have pilled and some have not. I've even seen different parts of the same diaper pill differently.
Personally, I prefer suedecloth, because it doesn't pill nearly as much as fleece. Some babies may have a sensitivity to it, so try one out before ordering a whole bunch. I love the stay-dry feeling; occasionally I've taken off a diaper and wondered, "Did he even pee?" only to find the inserts soaked through.
One problem I've been running into a lot lately is when the diaper is soaked, the suedecloth will wick liquid to the outside.

Stuffing:
I only have one FuzziBunz to compare these to, but the Alvas are nice and wide, making stuffing them a breeze. My FB is a pain to stuff, because my hand + two inserts is a tight fit, not to mention the sticky PUL on one side and the non-slippery fleece on the other!

Overall Quality:
I am VERY impressed with these diapers. For 1/3 of the price of top brands of diapers you can't ask for better. Here and there a seam is a little crooked, and one of the inserts had an odd colored spot on it. Four of the bamboo inserts I received had a very small burn/melty mark on the edge. Honestly, for a $2.50 insert I'll let a lot slide! Not to mention there is a wide range of patterns and colors to choose from that you don't get from many diaper brands.

Bamboo 3-layer Inserts:

I ordered some extra 3-layer bamboo inserts. I've heard so much about the absorbency and lack of odor that I had to try them. 
What I found out about bamboo recently has changed my opinion on these somewhat. These inserts are slinky, smooth, and soft- in fact they're technically Rayon. Check out this link for more info about bamboo rayon.
You may have heard that bamboo requires many washes to get the natural oils out and to become absorbent? These inserts don't seem to require this. After a single wash, these were easily as absorbent as the microfiber inserts. Test them out yourself before boiling them or washing them 10 times!
These do not have tags on them.

My son is 7 months old and I think he's what you'd call a heavy wetter. By the two-hour mark in a single microfiber insert, he'll have soaked through it. Usually the suedecloth will wick at the legs and onto his pants, especially if he's in his bouncer or the car seat or sitting.
I was hopeful that a single bamboo insert would be asborbent enough for him, but it appears it is not. However, paired with a microfiber insert, these do perfectly fine. They are somewhat heavy, even when not wet. They also tend to bunch up between his legs. The fabric is slinky/slippery so I wonder if they will shift around when he starts crawling. At any rate, while I really want to love these and they are perfectly fine inserts, I don't think they're magic bullet I was looking for.

Bamboo 4-layer inserts

Some of the bamboo diapers come with one insert and others come with two, so keep an eye on that when you order. The diaper I ordered with a single insert contained a 4-layer insert: three layers of bamboo with a single layer of microfiber. The diaper with two inserts contained two 3-layer bamboo inserts. I didn't know this, so I ended up with a 4-layer insert to compare (which is good, because I was curious.)
Again, the 4-layer insert was not the magic bullet I was hoping for. While it is slightly more absorbent, at the 2-hour mark it was soaked through, and the diaper was wicking at the legs.
The 4-layer inserts have tags, as you can see below.

Introduction

Hi! I'm Kate. One of many. I like to think of the Kates of the world as pretty, nice, smart, outgoing, clever... in general we're pretty cool people. Don't confuse us with our cousins, the Katies. And don't you dare call us Katherine!

About this particular Kate...

I live in Iowa and am a married stay at home mom. Before I left my job I worked for a publishing company, training new hires how to use Photoshop and InDesign. I have two cats, love gardening, and am a breastfeeding and cloth diapering ...advocate I guess? I used to think of myself as a 'gamer' but really I just played a lot of Warcraft at one time and occasionally get obsessed with an Xbox game for a few weeks. I'm trying to wrap my brain around politics (I'm a dirty liberal!) and will be starting some adventures in investing as soon as my 401(k) rolls over. I recently began volunteering at our local animal shelter- free hugs for kitties! And hopefully soon, horses.