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!
