The most important thing to remember when you are cloth diapering your baby is to try more than one kind of diaper until you find the fit that works best for your baby. A diaper that works great for a friend’s baby might not be the one that works best for you. Babies come in all shapes and sizes and that definitely affects how different diapers fit. For example, my daughter from the very start has had a very skinny waist and bottom, and I had leaking issues with different kinds of diapers, I believe, because of her shape. Keep this in mind as you read my reviews. I did some troubleshooting and modifications with certain brands of diapers to make them work for my daughter. I also find that I prefer certain diapers for different uses…nighttime, naptime, around the house, going out etc. I am anticipating that I will have a different experience with some of the same diapers when cloth diapering my son, due to arrive in a few short weeks.
Okay, I love these diapers. Bum Genius really is the top of the line for cloth diapers. I also have so much respect for Jennifer Labit, the owner of Cotton Babies and the creator of Bum Genius diapers. I love the work that she does to try to educate people about cloth, and she is so generous about giving cloth diapers to families that really need them. You can find out more about Jennifer and Cotton Babies on Facebook. There are links there to the retail site for Cotton Babies and to Jennifer’s blog, which is very informative for people who are just starting out with cloth.
Okay, I love these diapers. Bum Genius really is the top of the line for cloth diapers. I also have so much respect for Jennifer Labit, the owner of Cotton Babies and the creator of Bum Genius diapers. I love the work that she does to try to educate people about cloth, and she is so generous about giving cloth diapers to families that really need them. You can find out more about Jennifer and Cotton Babies on Facebook. There are links there to the retail site for Cotton Babies and to Jennifer’s blog, which is very informative for people who are just starting out with cloth.
BUM GENIUS 3.0
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| Bum Genius One Size 3.0s |
Now on to the diapers… The Bum Genius 3.0’s are now an outdated model of Bum Genius. Bum Genius are also among the most expensive of the diaper brands. They retail for about $17.95. I actually did not purchase any of my own Bum Geniuses. When I was starting out with Cloth Diapering I simply could not afford them and have sought out less expensive options to build my stash. I own 7 Bum Genius diapers and they were all given to me as gifts at my baby shower. I have cherished these diapers and would recommend them to anyone who wants to use cloth, or wants to give a nice gift to someone who wants to use cloth.
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| Bum Genius 3.0 with the two inserts it comes with. |
The 3.0 version of Bum Genius are all aplix. The ones I have are all One Size Pocket diapers. This means that the diaper has three rows of snaps that can be adjusted as your baby grows. They are designed to fit babies 10-35 pounds. They each come with two micro fiber inserts that go into the pocket of the diaper. The larger of the two inserts also has snaps which adjust along with the diaper to give your baby the best fit. The smaller insert can be used as a newborn insert or as a doubler along with the larger insert. The PUL of the 3.0 is made very well. I have been using my Bum Geniuses for nearly two years now and have had no damage to the PUL at all. I am at the point where my aplix is starting to show some wear and tear, and plan on having it converted to snaps before I start using these diapers on Baby #2.
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| A look at the PUL of the Bum Genius close up, also the fabric that lines the diaper does an excellent job of wicking moisture away from baby's skin. |
When I first started using cloth diapers, I was a little nervous and alternated between them and disposables. This will not be the case with my son. Because my daughter was so teeny around the waist though, I did not start using the Bum Geniuses on her until she was about 12 pounds. Then they worked great.
Initially these diapers were the only aplix diapers that I had, so I used them as my out and about diapers, and my babysitter diapers. With the aplix all I had to do was make sure that the diapers were set to the right size and tell the sitter that they go on just like disposables. I never had an issue with anyone trying to figure out how to use one…although my Mom did manage to put one on backwards once…but it didn’t leak so…no big deal :o)
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| Bum Genius 3.0 on my 33 1/2 inch tall, and almost 25 lb 2 yr old |
These diapers quickly evolved into being my overnight diapers. I love the way that they wick away from the skin. A lot of people who use cloth diapers use disposables at night. I have found this unnecessary with the Bum Genius. In the beginning I just used both microfiber inserts that the diapers came with. When my daughter was around a year old, she started wetting much heavier at night and would often leak through to her clothes. At that point I started using the larger of the two microfiber inserts plus a really thick cotton insert that I happened to have in my stash. I only have a few of these inserts, so I will occasionally use a pre-fold tri-folded and stuffed in the pocket if I don’t have an insert available. Now that my daughter is two we still do have leaks some mornings…I find it to be more likely if she is sleeping on her side, but I still find the Bum Genius diapers to be the best solution for overnights. I have tried some of my other diaper brands and none have compared for the 12-13 hours that my daughter sleeps at night.
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| My cranky 2 year old modeling her Bum Genius 3.0 |
I have not had the privilege of trying the new and improved Bum Genius 4.0’s but I hear they are fabulous. They are available in fun prints as well as solid colors, and along with other new features you can choose between aplix or snaps for fasteners. Check on the Cotton Babies website for more information, www.cottonbabies.com.
