Customer Reviews

Gerber 12-Pack Prefold Birdseye 3-Ply Cloth Diapers with Padding - White

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I have been cloth diapering my daughter on a tight budget since birth and have tried many kinds of prefolds. These are the worst I've tried. At first I was impressed how fluffy they were in the middle section, until I grew suspicious, ripped it open and realized there is a wad of polyester batting in there making them seem so. Polyester does not absorb anything!

I do have a set of unbleached Chinese and Indian prefolds (cottonbabies has the best deals and selection) that are 100% cotton, and yes those are probably the best as far as absorbency. There is not much difference in softness or absorbency between the two kinds, in case you're wondering which is best. Just get what's on sale and remember: These still get soaked!! Honestly the best deal for the money are the generic Gerber 12 packs. They are somewhat thinner, yes, but not much worse than the more expensive prefolds to warrant those costing twice as much. Boil them for about 10 minutes when you first get them to make them fluff up and become absorbent (the recommendations are always to wash your prefolds 8-10 times, which is just crazy and a waste of water, energy, time and money). Then I fold them 3 ways and into the covers they go, snappies optional. Oh and if they get scratchy at all (we have hard mountain water) after I wash, on the second rinse add a cup full of vinegar to soften. I do this and hang them out to dry, and they are as soft as cotton balls. I have about 3 dozen prefolds total, this lets me do laundry every other day, and to let things hang-dry.

As far as the covers, there are soooo many choices it made my head spin. I use dappies and couldn't be happier with them and the price! They have the leg gussets (most important), good velcro (I've washed them more times than I can count and it's still great) and do great being thrown in the washer on gentle cycle and air-dried. My second choice is the Thirsties, the quality is a little bit better, they have snaps in the front making them more adjustable, and they come in different colors and designs (dappies do not) but they cost over TWICE as much, so I only have a few I've gotten as gifts or picked up at secondhand shops. Oh and get yourself ONE snappi, two if you're absentminded. I used them in the beginning but found that they are not really necessary if you have a good fitting cover, just fold your prefold 3 ways and off you go.

So there you have it, diapering made very cheap and simple, if that's what you want. About 3 dozen Prefolds (regular Gerbers, and some prefolds if you can get them for 80c each or less), and Dappi covers(I have about 6), and maybe one snappi if your covers are a little loose and your little one is still growing into that particular size. There is no reason the whole setup should cost you more than $50 or so, or about half of that for me since I've picked things up on sale, or gotten gifts or secondhand items. If you want fancier options: colors, prints, organics, all-in-ones they are certainly out there if you want and enjoy them, but just know you're not getting much more actual diapering value for your dollar.

I hope this helps simplify things, feel free to contact me with any questions. Really, it's a lot simpler and inexpensive than everyone makes it out to be :)

These diapers are lousy for diapering. The moisture wicks from end to end, and they absorb very little. The Gerber diaper service quality flatweave are better, while the chinese prefolds bought online are better still. They do make decent burp cloths, and are fine for washing cars.

For those using all disposeable diapers, you still need one dozen cloth diapers and two diaper pins. Your baby will eventually get diaper rash. If you follow the standard advice and leave the baby's diaper off, it can result in some major messes. It works much better to use a cloth diaper with no plastic pants and change him as as soon as he wets. They can also be used as burp cloths and lap pads.
For those using all or part cloth diapers, these are the best among modestly priced diapers. They are very absorbant with the sponge layer, yet are not overly bulky once your baby is three months and up. They dry quickly in the drier, saving on your laundering costs. One bleaching has gotten all stains out. The only down side is a few pills on the first few washings,but this has not gotten any worse since then.

These diapers leave much to be desired. They have pilled after less than 10 washings. The absorbancy is ok. They are very large and bulky and probably won't fit a baby well until s/he is at least 20 pounds. You would be better off finding a different brand.

When shopping for the baby essentials, I looked at all kinds of burp cloths--both name brand and generic. But they all seemed too small and not thick enough to do any good. A friend of mine told me about using the padded cloth diapers as a burp cloth. I purchesed both the padded and regular cloth diapers and use them both around the clock. The padded ones are GREAT for burp cloths as they are long and absorbant. They are also good to lay under the baby's head while on the floor in case of spitting up. For on the go, they make for a softer changing pad when placed under the changing mat. The lightweight ones are good to use as bibs as they are thin and long so you can easily wipe the face/eyes without moving the part under the chin or disturbing the feeding. Finally, when considering how often you use burp cloths and bibs, this product is a true value.

I used disposable diapers with my first two children and will use disposables again. However, on the persistance of my mother, I did purchase some cloth diapers. These were a life saver. These are excellent when the baby has diaper rash, but you can't let them go completely nude. The cloth breaths much better that plastic. If your baby has diaper rash, these are a must!

These are the most ridiculous diapers I have ever used. They are a downright scam! They are a single layer of thin cotton weave with a polyester pad sewn into the center section. This is supposed to be an absorbant pad, but if you know ANYTHING about polyester you know it absorbs NOTHING! Many All-In-One cloth diapers use polyester fleece covers because it does not absorb liquid, in fact it repells liquid. So these diapers look nice and fluffy, but they are no more absorbant than if you wrap a piece of cheesecloth on your babies bottom. In fact the older style Gerber prefolds were more aborbant, because they at least had some extra CLOTH folded into the center section. These diapers are a plain rip-off. Buy the Gerber Diaper Service diapers for a real cloth diaper, they are 4x4x4 diapers( that means each section of the prefold has 4 layers of cotton in it), all cotton. Don't waste a dime on these! I can't believe Gerber even makes these.

These cloth diapers are reasonably priced and include a padded middle. They should do the trick for those using cloth diapers. They also work as burp cloths for those using disposable diapers.

I loved these diapers - they were soft and absorbant after just one washing instead of 2 or 3 like other diapers. Very soft to the touch and soft on baby's skin.

I have been using these in rotation with DSQ prefolds on my toddler and newborn. These are one of the few prefolds that I have found that will fit both of my children.They also give a trimmer look under clothes than most other prefolds I have used. Compared to the DSQ prefolds that are sized to fit each childs weight, the DSQ's are just SLIGHTLY better and don't end up quite as wet. If you are using a cover anyway, go for these, they are a great buy.