Fabric Comparisons

When it comes to cloth nappies there is no 'best' insert, each fabric has different properties, and each of these properties are important to different people. Some people may prefer natural fibres, other fast drying, others may prioritise antibacterial properties with others want things that are gentle on babies skin. Whatever your priority, there is a material that suits everyone. 

Possibly the most important factor when choosing nappy fabrics is absorbency. If you do not have enough absorbency in your nappy this is when you will get leaks or flooding if there is too much liquid too quickly. 

Pocket Nappy Lining Fabrics

Charcoal Polyester Fleece

This is our exclusive liner for our pocket nappies. It has nano sized charcoal particles added to the polyester solution before it is spun to fibre. The charcoal 'waste product' used is from burning bamboo which is a more renewable form of wood, rather than burning down forests. Charcoal has a natural antibacterial, odour reducing and cleaning properties. 

This composition repels liquid, meaning liquid is carried away to the absorbent layers. This creates an effective barrier between skin and wet layers of inserts, keeping baby feeling dry. It is also very gentle on sensitive skin. It is easy to clean and fasts drying, and due to charcoals natural properties is less likely to harbour bacteria than even regular fleece liners.

Suede Fleece and Athletic Wicking Jersey (AWJ)

These fabric repel water rather than absorbing it, which means that liquid is carried away to the absorbent layers. This creates an effective barrier between skin and wet layers of inserts. It is quick drying and easy to clean and less likely to harbour bacteria than natural fibres. 

Both of these fabrics are found a linings in our pocket nappies.

Polyester PUL

This is what is used as the outer layer for all our nappy shells. The outer print layer is a fine polyester jersey which has a layer of polyurethane (PUL) bonded onto the back of it. It is super fast drying and easy to clean.

PUL is soft and flexible, and relatively hard wearing however it doesn't cope with temperatures over 70 degrees Celsius and and needs to avoid being caught or scratched to keep its water resistant properties. 

Insert Fabrics

Cotton

Cotton is a great, fast absorber of liquid. It is a natural fibre and is often found in nappy products as it is often quit soft. When it is in multiple layers is can be slower to dry, but when in single layer it is relatively quick drying.

Cotton nappies have been around a long time, and although they are good against the skin, the moisture does sit there against the skin which can irritate the skin for some babies. 

Bamboo

Bamboo is a very absorbent material, but is also slow drying, especially when it is used as a multi-layer insert.

Bamboo viscose is paired with cotton in our inserts. The cotton added to the bamboo makes it faster absorbing and continues to provide a great level of absorbency.

Viscose bamboo is what is commonly used in clothing and other materials because it is soft and absorbent. Bamboo fibres are melted down chemically and and the cellulose extracted from it to make viscose. This means the product is made from a renewable, natural cellulose but it is not technically a 'natural fibre'. It is a man made fabric, but not synthetic. 

Hemp

Hemp has great absorbent properties. It has even been reported in literature that it is three-four times more absorbent than cotton. With it being so absorbent it also is slow drying. 

Hemp is a renewable, natural fibre. When it is by itself it is quite a hard, stiff fabric, especially when it has been washed a number of times, so it it mixed with cotton in our inserts to soften it and keep it flexible. Mixing it with cotton also helps to make the fabric faster absorbing. 

Microfibre

Microfibre is a very fast absorbing and fast drying fabric but because of these properties it can also cause compression leaks when liquid is forced out of it. It is also the cheapest fabric and hardest to stain so can be very valuable in any cloth nappy set up.

Microfibre is fully synthetic, and while the polyester itself is not absorbent, the fibres are sliced and nicked all the way through to increase the surface area of the fibres which encourages water to cling. While this makes microfibre extremely good at catching water, it does not actually soak it up. A really good quality microfibre should feel like it sticks or catches on your skin when you rub your hand across it.