30 April 2011

REVIEW: Charlie Banana OS Pocket Diapers

Charlie Banana Pocket diapers are the go-to pocket diapers in our stash. They offer a great fit and perform well without excess bulk. They are not as well known as some diaper brands but they are available at familiar stores such as Target, BabiesRUs and Amazon.com.

Details Cost: Singles for $19.88 solids; $20.88 prints at charliebanana.com
Also available in 6 packs for $109.99 (sale price)
Fits 7-40lbs
PUL outer; Fleece (polyester) inner with front loading pocket
Cross-over snaps (front snapping); Rise adjusts via leg elastic
2 Microfiber inserts (12" short; 13" long); disposable inserts available separately
Likes Adjustable leg elastic and cross-over tabs provide an excellent fit without leaving red marks. I haven't had the opportunity to try these on a newborn but I feel like the adjustment in the leg elastic (as opposed to a snap rise adjustment) would allow the diaper to provide a relatively trim fit.
Microfiber inserts are trim and absorbent. During the day we can use 1 insert but even with two, the diaper not too bulky. Leaks are extremely rare and usually a result of forgetting to change the diaper in a timely manner.
Microfiber inserts was well and are the most smell resistant of our MF inserts.
The front loading pocket are great for poopy diapers as you remove the insert away from where the mess is.
Easy to stuff pockets. I pre-stuff and they pack small for the diaper bag or into the diaper bins.
Wash well with no staining issues.
Manufactured by an eco-friendly company that was nominated as an Earth Champion for waste reduction. A large part of our decision to use cloth diapers was to prevent tons of disposable diapers sitting in a landfill for the next half millennium.
Dislikes Fleece inner is starting to show wear on the diapers that have had poop scraped off more vigorously with the spatula. Not more wear than usual for the material but I prefer to be able to scrub a bit to avoid staining.
The cut of the front wing is squared off on the bottom and leaves an extra flap of material that is unnecessary. This doesn't affect the function of the diaper but I feel the fit would be better without it. (See image below)
Relatively narrow through the crotch so finding alternative inserts (such as hemp) takes a little more work.
I purchased 4 diapers on Zulily and, after one wash, the stitching on the elastic leg casing of one diaper came partially undone. I have not had problems with the other three diapers or the inserts.
Comments The design of these diapers has been compared to FuzziBunz. There was even some big ol' drama where the owner of FB accused the owner of CB of copying the design. Apologies were issued to the Charlie Banana team for the libel and life continued. There are definitely similarities but I prefer my CB pockets to the FB for several reasons. These include the front loading pocket and crossover tabs. I also prefer the shape of the front wings. The CB wings are rounded and the FB are squared, which leaves extra fabric below the snaps that I feel is unnecessary bulk.
Alternate inserts that work well for us are: Thirsties Hemp Inserts 2 pack. I have size small and use both inserts.
Overall I recommend these for general daytime use and nighttime use for infants or light wetters. They are my favorite pocket diaper as they are a straightforward option that get the job done. They provide a good fit and reliable leak protection.

From left: 6 months use with vigorous scraping; 6 months with little scraping; one wash


Shown: Two microfiber inserts and shell. Arrow indicates extra flap.

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