Cloth diapers and how they fit

[Rick Dabaz]

I have recently switched to cloth diapers and plastic pants. I puchased some from KINS in different sizes (XL,XXL) and styles. My question is this. Should cloth diapers be loose and plastic panties tight? or diapers fit tight and plastic pants loose? thanks

[Paul Martin]

Rick!
Welcome to our forum and you post!

You have asked a very good question! In my opinion, you have diferent situations that might call for different fits. I wear cloth diapers at day at home and always wear cloth diapers at night.
Here is my suggestion, and others may have a different suggestion. During the day, I usually wear a pull-up diaper that has a slight loose fit. My plastic pants fits a little tighter, but the leg openings should never be so tight on your legs.
At night, I wear a much bulkier diaper that does fit loose, but my diaper is tightly pinned at the waist. You don't want it falling off, especially when it's wet. I wear a slightly oversize plastic pant that has plenty of room for the diaper bulkness.
I believe during the day, you may want it to fit tighter to be more discreet. But you have to have enough diaper to give yourself adequate protection. So it's really both ways. Important thing, though, is to make sure it's tight at your waist.
Again, thanks for your post!!! .......Paul Martin

[Gimwet]

I'm using only one pin on each side, and seek to adjust the diaper in such a way as to be close through the crotch as well as tight around the waist. My only requirement for the waterproof pants is that they cover completely, so I don't get wicking into shirts, etc. At night, with more diapering, I have been using the higher-waisted pants from ACD, and also have just looked at some higher-cut ones at AC Medical online. Cloth is, in my experience, simply more reliable and nicer to the skin than most disposables, although the Comfort-Aire HC diapers are the best disposables I've found, and are reliable.

Gimwet

[Paul Martin]

Thanks for your reply, Gimwet!
I appretiate your comments on the cloth diapers you wear. I genaraly have good luck pinning on my flat type cloth diapers with one pin too. The only cloth diaper I had any problem with trying to pin on myself was the contour shape diaper that Loving Comfort diaper company had. The area of pinning was so thick I had a hard time to get even the large size diaper pins to work.
Hey, Gimwet, you mention a disposable you used called a Comfort-Aire HC diaper. Where do you buy those? I think all diaper wearers would like to know a little about what works for others!
Again, thank you for your post! ....................Paul Martin

[Gimwet]

Hi Paul--

http://www.als-healthcareproducts.com/Incontinence.html

is the link for the Comfort-Aire brand diapers; they have both a regular Comfort-Aire and the Comfort-Aire HC, standing for High-Capacity. The HCs are excellent for heavy wetters like me, and the others are about half as costly and definitely not so absorbent. I tried these because of the capacity and the tapes; they are the velcro-type which have no problem with re-sticking multiple times (I can sometimes use the bathroom, but when I void in the diaper, it's often a flood). I like these better than the Abena X-Plus because of the tapes. These have a Cloth-Like cover, but I have experienced none of the leaks or wicking that others have mentioned.

I sometimes use contoured cloth diapers inside a regular prefold for nights; they provide the double-thickness I need then. Tried them alone during the day, and had the pinning problems you mentioned, and disliked the "wider side" under clothing that I avoid with regular ACD Gauze prefolds for day use.

Gimwet

[Paul Martin]

Gimwet,
Thanks much for that website. They have a bunch of disposable diapers I've never seen. Good supply of cloth diapers and plastic pants, too. I wonder why after all the surfing I've done on the web, they never showed up. Thanks again, Gimwet!! ........Paul Martin

[JoeK]

Hi Paul,

Al, the owner of that site is a member at Brew's Yahoo Group but we haven't seen anything of him in some time. He posts infrequently, usually when he has a sale. He doesn't "overdo it" since the board is not for commercial purposes, of course.

Hi Gimwet,

Thanks for posting that url; I am impressed with the performance of the Comfort Aire HC. I assume the HC is for high capacity. Do you know who makes those diapers? And is the cloth like smooth enough to not chaff the thighs? that's what I dislike about cloth like coverings.

Al's is where I got introduced to the wonderful Kins heavy (6 mil) plastic pants. They were hard to find when they first came out. I am interested in the Tena Maxi-the imported Tena not the domestic-since I first discovered them over in the UK I think they are a super diaper, maybe even ahead of my favored Abena X Plus! But may put my money on the Comfort Aire HC.

JoeK

[Gimwet]

Hi JoeK--

HC is, indeed, for High Capacity. The manufacturer of the Comfort-Aire and Comfort-Aire HC is Medline, which is (I believe) associated with Molicare. The only "marked" package I have is the regular Comfort-Aires, and they list that they are made in the USA. Frankly, this is the only US-made diaper I've found that's worth a damn.

The cloth-like cover is smoother than the Abena X-Plus cloth-like ones, and the diaper fits better through the crotch---ever notice how the Abenas are sort of rigid? This allows less chafing of the thighs. The tapes are the greatest selling-point; these really work, as opposed to the Abena 2-tape system, which is iffy at best.

Hope this helps answer some of your concerns; I would also suggest that you do as I did originally and get a few samples to try---worth the investment for sure. Check the website for that option.

I'm still sold on cloth, but the HCs are the best disposable I've found.

Gimwet