There are different types of cloth diapers in the market. When you decide that you want to use cloth instead of disposables, the next thing is to know and decide what type of cloth diapers you will use. It can be overwhelming for first time moms and for the first time would be cloth diaper user.

We tried using the fitted, the sleeve and the all-in-ones. My favorite is the sleeve diapers.

Here are some information I have consolidated for easy reference. I have grouped the diapers in 7 main types.

Flats and Prefolds

Flat diapers are single-layered large square fabric that can be folded in different ways. The fabric is usually made of cotton. They are also the cheapest type of diapers you will find. This is commonly known to us here as lampin.

Prefold diapers are rectangular pieces of cloth folded into three sections. The middle section is the most absorbent layer. They can be folded in a trifold and laid inside a cover.

Both the Flats and Prefolds needs to be fastened with pins or a snappi. Since these are have no waterproof outer layers, you will need a cover to keep your crib or bed dry. Diaper covers are usually made from polyester, polyurethane laminates (PUL), waterproof nylon, fleece or wool.

Fitted and Contours

Fitted diapers are usually made of cotton, bamboo, hemp or fleece and are very absorbent. There’s no need to fold them with flats or prefolds as they are ready-made, in a shape of a diaper, to “fit” you baby’s body. Fitteds come in snaps or velcro closures.

Contour diapers are a cross between prefolds and fitteds. They are already shaped but require pins or snappis for closure.

Both the Fitted and Contours, like the flats and prefolds, have no waterproof outer layers so you will need a diaper cover.

The fitted diaper is the first diaper that we used. We have tried using the Chino Pino brand. We used a diaper cover at night and just the fiitted diaper during daytime. You can read more of how we find the Chino Pino diapers here: Product Review: Chino Pino Cloth Diapers

Pocket and Sleeve

Pocket diapers are known also called modern cloth diapers. They require no cover and pins/snappis. They come in a snap, hook, loop or velco closure and are very babysitter-friendly.  They are called pocket diapers because the diaper comes with a pocket that must be stuffed with an absorbent inserts.  Most pocket diapers are lined with stay-dry materials as fleece or suede cloth. This means that the baby’s skin will still feel dry even when he/she is wet because the urine passes through the liner and absorbs into the insert that is inside the pocket.

Sleeve diapers are similar to pocket diapers. Unlike the pocket diaper that only has one opening in the pocket,  sleeve diapers have two openings – one on each end. When the diapers are soiled and when you use a washing machine to clean them, there’s no need to remove the insert as during washing, insert will be removed automatically.

Both pocket and sleeve diapers are 2-piece diaper system. They require an absorbent insert to be placed in the pocket before use.  Unlike the fitted and prefolds, these usually have elastic in the legs and back area.

We tried using the sleeve diapers and on all the cloth diapers we have, these are my favorite. We got the Thirsties Duo Diaper. This is long overdue, but I will make a separate detailed review about it.

All in One/ All in Two

All-in-one (AIO) diapers are a premium type and are the most expensive compared to other types of diaper. They require no covers or inserts.  They are all one piece – just like a disposable diaper.

All-in-two diaper is similar to pocket diapers except that instead of  insert inside the pocket, you snap the insert inside the diaper.  It works like a trifolded prefold inside a cover. The inserts get cleaned without having to unstuff them from the pockets. A doubler – a pad-like absorbent soakers can be added to increase absorbency. A separate stuffer or doubler lays inside an AI2.

Both AIOs and AI2s have waterproof layer and do not need covers. They also come in come in a snap, hook, loop or velco closure. All in Two’s are more quick to dry than the AIOs.

We also bought a set of AIO diapers. We got the Canadian-made Kushies. I will link the review of the Kushies Reusable Ultra-lite Diaper.

Hybrid Diapers

Hybrid diapers are a cross between cloth diapers and the disposables. They come with a washable waterproof outer cover. For theinsert, you can choose either to use a cloth insert or biodegradable disposable inserts.

Swim Diapers

Cloth Swim Diaper has a soft and comfortable layer on the inside and consist of a water proof layer on the outside. Compared to disposables that easily get heavy as they absorb pounds of water, these not meant to absorb, but to contain messes. One of the most important features of these diapers is strong elastics to keep everything inside the diaper.

We used the Charlie Banana 2-in-1 Swim Diaper. This may serve as a training pants but we only used it for swimming. Read the review here: Product Review: Charlie Banana 2-in-1 Swim Diaper

Training Diapers

When your little child is ready for potty learning,  using cloth trainers can help make the transition. Trainers look just like the ordinary underwear but they keep accidents in. In cloth training diapers, the child feels the wetness in the diaper when they pee and will encourage them child to want to use the potty.

We did not use the training diapers, we use the ordinary underwear and it worked well for us.