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With washable outer layers and flushable pads, are gDiapers a good compromise between disposables and cloth? Are they worth the money?
Angelica recently tried the gDiapers and has this to say:
After hearing a bunch of mixed reviews on gDiapers I decided I had to give them a try! I loved the fact that they are eco-friendly and disposable-cloth combo. Almost like the best of both worlds.
I bought the gDiaper starter kit at WholeFoods which comes with two cloth diapers, a swish stick, 4 liners and 10 flushable pads. The starter kit was about 28.00 dollars, and refills (which I did not purchase) are between 27-30 dollars for a pack of 30! The diapers themselves are super cute. I've always wanted to do cloth diapering but am A) Lazy and B) intimidated.
Anyway, "loading" the diaper seemed a bit daunting at first and was a little discouraging. The "pad" is a big rectangle that you fit into the elastic rimmed liner that snaps onto the cloth diaper. I thought this could be a bit of a chore, especially with a wriggly baby. But once you do one or two its not a big deal at all. I started in the morning because I didn't know how absorbent they are and didn't want to risk laundry if they were a complete wash. After my son got up we changed him out of his disposables and into the gDiapers. They fit nicely under his clothes and didn't look bulky at all.
The diapers were pretty absorbent. You have to change them a little more 
often than regular disposables, but not as often as I thought. I didn't have any leaking issues at all, and they handled poopy diapers pretty well. I decided to give them a try at bedtime. Luckily my son had woken up in the middle of the night for a non-diaper related issue, and I checked his diaper and saw that there was a small wet spot. This was 1am and he had gone to bed at 8:30. I decided to see if it was a fluke so I changed his pad and put him back to bed. While although he wasn't soaked at all when we got up, there was another wet spot.
So all in all, if they weren't so expensive I would consider using these part-time at home. But definitely not at night!
Anne has also used gDiapers and comments at BabyCheapskate Cheep Peeps:
We used the gDiaper with our daughter since she was born. We decided it was a little expensive to use the disposable (biodegradable) inserts that fit inside all the time so when we stayed home we just used a cloth diaper insert. I have been very happy with the gDiaper up until just these past few months. Now that she is older I find the absorbancy is not that great (she is now 16 months). We are having another little one this February and will be using the gDiaper for her during the first year. They are very very cost effective. I just bought two starter packs (One starter pack = $30.00 for a set of 2 diapers and 4 liners as well as about 15 disposable inserts) I then bought reusable cloth diapers (the old fashion kind) and used those. I have written a long e-mail to many of my friends giving details on how we use them and would be happy to share with anyone who is interested.Read more gDiapers reviews at SustainLane, Inhabitots, and epinions.
What about you, readers? Have you tried gDiapers? What did you think? Are they worth the cost?
photos from gdiapers.com
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28 comments:
We had used gDiapers for 6 months before they got too expensive for me to justify. I learned to double up the liners at night to avoid those wet spots. Right before I switched back to disposables full time, I put him in one at night. Using 2 liners every night made that diaper almost $1.
To also cut down on leaks, you should fold the outside edge of the liner (where there in no inner filling) underneath when you load them.
I spent about 10 minutes each morning getting all the diapers ready which made it much easier than working as you go.
They were adorable - especially for those classic baby pictures of my son just in his diaper. I loved that the outsides came in 3 sizes which meant they lasted a long time. The medium size lasts from 13 -28 pounds.
Like Anne said you can fill them with other liners. We were out once and I had run out of diapers. I was able to take a stack of napkins from McDonald's to use as a temporary liner. Not something I would make a habit of, but it was nice to know it worked "just in case."
I haven't tried them yet, but was going too. I even bought a few of them to try on my boys. (Now they are too big for the diapers I bought...)
I just wanted to let anyone know that if they went to the g-diapers website and signed up for their email and maybe a parent kit, that they send you coupons periodically. Some of them are pretty good, if I'm remembering correctly. I just got one for 10% off the entire purchase and have gotten $ off ones in the past. It might make it a little better for those who want to try them out.
Angie, could you do a cost compare with the normal disposibles(brand names to be fair)and gdiapers??? I am interested in using g diapers but I have heard that they can be almost .50 a diaper!!
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
We tried them when she was newborn and it didn't contain the newborn poos at all. I had previously been really excited about them... I had heard about using a cloth diaper as a liner, and didn't really like that either. The insert holder seemed flimsy like the snap tabs would tear... She quickly outgrew the size small, so not an issue now anyways. We switched to bumgenius cloth diapers and have really liked those until these recent baby food poos... Now, not sure what to do. I love the convience of disposables, just hate all of the trash!
We used them for over a year on my first daughter. There was a learning curve at first, but once we got the hang of stuffing the liners we did not have leaks. We also used two inserts at night. We ordered from the gdiaper website (they have an autoship feature that's very useful) and paid about $0.44 for each liner (including shipping), cheaper than at the local Whole Foods, but much more expensive than disposables. Eventually we switched to cloth and have used the cheap Gerber inserts for a new infant, and the better Chinese or Indian prefolds or LoopyDo or SuperDo inserts in the gdiaper covers up through about 15 pounds, but then they don't seem to work as well with cloth inserts as just using cloth. That's what we've done, mainly for the economic benefits.
Also, for those that are worried about chemicals in disposable diapers, the gdiaper inserts use the same chemicals. If you want to avoid those, go with cloth.
I love gdiapers but I only have a few and can't afford to increase my stash. They are super cute though!
Is the only draw for these b/c of the liners? I use liners I made out of fleece and terry cloth for next to nothing and that works fine inside my prefolds. Are we supposed to pay more b/c they're cute? lol
We have been using g-Diapers on our 1-year-old girl for 6 months during the day (use 7 Generation during the night) and it's been great. I feel less guilty knowing the diapers are bio-degradable.
For the price, I convince myself that's the gift we give to mother earth. It's not so bad since we are now using the large size- when our baby is wet, the other side of the lining is usually still dry, so we continue to use the dry side. I was concerned that the wet side will give her butt a diaper rash, but it seems okay.
I've used gdiapers since my baby was about 1 month old and still do (he's now 10 months). We do cloth inserts (the ones from Cottonwood baby fit perfectly) during the day and the flushable inserts when we go anywhere. At night we use a heavy duty cloth dipe with doublers. Gdiapers are the perfect diaper because you can use the same dipe at home and away (just switch the insert). Most cloth diapers are tricky if you want to go anywhere unless you want to carry poop home in a wet bag. No thanks. That's why I love gdiapers.
If anyone wants to try gdiapers, I have several $2 coupons that I'd be happy to share.
A bit off topic, but has anyone else had trouble finding Diaper Doublers recently? Food Lion and Publix used to carry them, as well as BRU/TRU. From what I understand they have been discontinued at BRU/TRU. I use them at night for my daughter (heavy wetter) and its been frustrating to suddenly have nobody carrying them anymore!
i have not used g-diapers but noticed that plum good foods is going out of business and they are on sale. you might want to check and see if they deliver in your area.
www.plumgoodfoods.com
I love gDiapers! I use them mostly with homemade cloth liners to save $$ but sometimes with the flushables.
We've used gDiapers for 1-1/2 years, beginning when my son was 14 months old. The cons:
1. There is a learning curve.
2. As the child grows, the fit changes. You have to learn how much to tighten the cover.
3. Leaks happen more often than in 'sposies.
The pros (which far outweigh the cons IMO):
1. Supporting a sustainable, Cradle to Cradle company and product.
2. Yes, they are super cute!
3. No smelly diaper pail. No carrying wet cloth home from outings.
4. The covers are less expensive than many other cloth diaper covers.
5. NO WASTE. Conventional diapers take over 500 years to decompose. gDiapers take a matter of days. You can flush them or use them as compost.
6. No nasty chemicals. gDiapers are unbleached and don't contain dioxin.
The PUL liners with snaps don't tear. They're not "cheap" like that. If they did tear, the company would likely replace them for free. Their customer service is awesome!
Quick price comparison on size 4/large diapers using Amazon.com, before any coupons or discounts:
gDiaper flushables are 42 cents per flushie
7th Generation = 36 cents each
Pampers = 31 cents each
Huggies = 29 cents each
Luvs = 20 cents each
Most places that carry the flushies offer a 10% discount if you buy a case (4 packs).
Where is my comment?
We started with gDiapers at age 2 months and my daughter is almost 15 months old. We use them with cloth inserts during the day and with the flushies when out and about. At night we use a flushie with a piece of fleece over it. They do occasionally leak at night, but not as much as sposies do. We have never had a poop leak in a gDiaper. Once in awhile some gets on the liner, but that's normal. I pay about 36 cents a flushie, but we only use one package a month ($10.99 after $2 coupon at Wegmans). Combined with cloth, this is not only a good deal for us, but we also feel we are doing our part to help the environment. Also, we have never had diaper rash with gDiapers but we have with several types of sposies.
We are using gDiapers with our four month old daughter and have been overall very pleased with them. There is a bit of a learning curve with the inserts, but once you get it, it's not difficult to setup the liners you'll need in the morning then just pop them in as necessary throughout the day.
I'm unsure where the original author was looking at the refill packages, however our local Whole Foods sells them for $14.99 for a package of 40 size small or 32 medium/large. You can also reduce that significantly by signing up for automatic delivery and ordering by the case from Amazon (which includes free shipping).
I haven't used g-diapers. But I use Flushable liners (Imsi Vimsi) with the regular cloth diapers and love that most of the poop is contained and I just throw/flush the liners away.
I love the idea and look of g diapers but the cost of the flushable inserts is a little to expensive for me. I found that pre-fold diapers work really well as washable inserts. They are little too bulky to use out and about but at home they work great. Plus my 13 month old can't take them off because the velcro is on the back.
Em:
If you have any coupons still I would love to take them off your hands. : ) Thanks!!!!
Amanda
brunettebeachgirl@hotmail.com
LOVE the idea, don't like the cost. I tried them, too. Very nice alternative to cloth diapers. Made very well and look cute. Flushable inserts didn't work with our toilets-clogged them both :0)
If you have the money, go for it. Other than that, it's a hard sell-for me. But they were so cute on my son!
:0) Gina
Love the look and idea of gDiapers, but the price is too much for me with the flushables. Is there a way to get them for cheaper? or an Alternative?
Wouldn't it be great if there were a compatible store-brand insert?
I was excited to try gDiapers with my daughter, and registered for the starter pack for my baby shower. We used disposables for the first month because she was too small for the Gs. Then, I found that I was constantly washing the liners because my daughter is exclusively breastfed and her poop was still very runny and messy at that point. So, I went back to using disposables. When she started going longer without making a dirty diaper, I tried them again. All in all, they are not bad but I don't find them to be worth the expense, not to mention that it's hard to find in stores, so if you run out, you have to wait for a shipment and use disposables in the meantime.
The covers themselves are expensive, and it's hard to find cheap diaper covers that work well with the G inserts. So, I only had 4 covers and I felt like I was spending my whole day stuffing them so I would them ready for the next diaper change.
If I had my own washer/dryer, or at least my own washer, I would just use AOI cloth diapers...those are much easier than using Gs and definitely more economical.
Bumkins diaper covers work really well with the G inserts! http://www.bumkins.com
My son is about to turn 1 year old, and I began using GDiapers with him when he was about 4 months old or so. We were using only disposables prior to that time. We still don't use GDiapers exclusively - we use a disposable at night due to problems with the GDiapers leaking, and we sometimes use disposables when we go out for convenience and bag space (the GDiapers are bulkier). Perhaps I still don't have the hang of fitting them correctly, but we have had occasional problems throughout our time using them with them leaking more often than disposables. For nighttime we tried GDiapers for a while, including attempts at doubling up on the disposable inserts (too bulky - seemed like they could not possibly be comfortable, and the outside was difficult to close tightly that way), but then went to plastic disposables.
We also don't flush ours - I didn't want to risk clogging the toilet - but I still feel as if I'm putting a little less strain on the environment by using these even if I throw them all away. I hope to soon teach myself about composting and be able to compost the wet ones.
I buy mine from Amazon.com. No store that I visit carries them, and if they did it probably would still be cheaper online. I use the Subscribe & Save service to have them delivered on a regular basis without having to remember to reorder. After Amazon's price + the subscription discount (plus no shipping charge), it's 35 cents per insert. I also saved money by buying 2 starter kits, also via Amazon.com, to get my extra pants and plastic liners, instead of paying $17-$19 per pant.
I have used g diapers since my daughter was 2 weeks old. (She is now 11 months) I am so happy I found g diapers! I interchangably use flushables and cloth inserts throughout the day and double up on the flushables at night, now that she is a heavier wetter. I love that I don't have to deal with stinky diaper pails and that the flushables contain no chemicals on my baby's bum. I just easily tear the flushable, empty the contents in the toilet, and viola, my job's done. Yes, there have been times that we have had a blowout/leak or two, but the same happened to me with my son with disposables. If your a mom, poop is going to happen! I currently have 6 covers (some I have bought used to save money) and they last me 4-5 days before needing to all be washed. (I don't change the cloth cover each changing if everythings fine) I have read some feel g diapers is too difficult, I just view it as a commitment. This is one small thing I can do to positively help our enviroment. Has anyone read the statistics on disposable diapers in our landfills? How about the third largest contributer to landfills, 20 billion new diapers in landfill each year, and 550 years for a disposable to biodegrade. Every mom can make a difference!
And did I mention how cute g's are!! With the ever new variety of colors and prints, I am constantly complimented on my daughters bum!
Happy Earth Day!
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