Contoured Cloth Baby Diapers

There are several different styles of cloth baby diapers and if you’re new to cloth diapering it can be a challenge to try to decide which one is right for you. As you move up in price, you also get a better fit and more convenience. Most parents try to find a balance between what diaper fits into their budget, but gives them the most for their money. Cloth diapers can fit into several categories. They are flat, prefolded, contoured, fitted, or all-in-one. The contoured diaper is a nice middle of the road diaper that gives you a good fit while not being quite as expensive as the higher end diapers.

Contoured diapers are, just as the name implies, contoured to fit around the leg area without the use of elastic. The contoured shape makes them useful partners with wraparound diaper covers. Some manufactures call them prefolds because there is a panel of extra layers in the centre (4 or 8 usually). Inner layers may be flannelette or terry cloth. Outside layers are usually flannelette. Styles with printed or colored fabric always have white flannelette next to the baby’s skin. Contoured diapers come in three sizes: small, medium and large.

One of the advantages of a contoured diaper is that there is no folding required. This is nice and a bit more convenient that a flat diaper which requires you to do the folding before use. Contoured diapers are available in a variety of colors and prints to keep your baby looking cute. Another nice thing about contoured diapers is that they fit nicely inside wraparound covers. One other advantage that many people might not think of is as your baby grow and you need to get a larger size, the small size diapers may be used as inserts in the larger diapers for extra absorption when needed.

One disadvantage of contour diapers over some of the more expensive fitted diapers is that pins are required. Most contour diapers do not come with their own fastening system. A diaper cover is required with a contoured diaper as it is with most cloth diapers. After a contoured diaper is washed, the drying time is a bit longer than for flat diapers because there are many layers. While contour diapers are more expensive than flat or pre-fold diapers, they are still less expensive than fitted diapers. While considering their expense, one also needs to remember that because the diapers have some shape to them, you will probably need several different sizes as your baby grows.

The contoured diaper is a nice middle ground if cost is an issue. Good fit but not the most expensive. If you’re willing to spend a little more, then you can move up to the fitted diapers. If you need to spend less, a flat or prefolded diaper may be a better option. All in all, the contoured cloth baby diaper is a nice option. They fit better than a flat or prefolded diaper while costing less than the fitted diapers.