Baba and Boo Review

I have always said that using cloth nappies should be simple. I believe there is a nappy out there to suit everyone and that once you find it, using cloth will be a joy and this is exactly what happened when we discovered Baba and Boo 3 years ago. I was very lucky that this brand came as a recommendation by a friend and that as soon as I fitted our first one, I was hooked! Baba and Boo have seen us through every single day of our cloth nappy journey and because of their reliability, their stunning prints, their comfortable fit, they have made using cloth a breeze and so I thought I would write up a full Baba and Boo review so others could find out all of the relevant information and decide if this brand is the one for them too.

About Baba and Boo

Baba and Boo was started back in 2009 by Mum, Eve. Having grown up in a household that watched their waste, Eve had it ingrained in her to do the same so naturally, disposable nappies were a big no-no for her. Having left work to become a stay at home Mum, Eve knew that she needed a focus and that focus just happened to turn into a wonderfully successful cloth nappy company and a wonderful online community.

Ethics and Sustainability

Baba and Boo strive to ensure that every nappy is ethically made in their chosen certified factories. Nobody works stupidly long hours, no children are involved in the manufacture, no nasty chemicals are used and Eve knows this as she went to great lengths to check all of this in person. It isn’t just about making a cloth nappy, it is also about ensuring that every step along this process ticks the boxes.

Packaging

All Baba and Boo nappies come over to the UK to their warehouse where shipment to the customers takes place. Here each nappy order is lovingly packaged up into brown paper bags (zero plastic) along with a recyclable instructions and care card.

The Baba and Boo Nappy

The Baba and Boo nappy is a pocket nappy which means it has a pocket at the back that can be stuffed with the inserts which provide absorbency. The outer shell is made from a waterproof fabric called PUL, the inside is made from beautifully soft and fluffy fleece and the nappy (birth to potty) does up using poppers which can be adjusted on the waist as well as on the length (the rise).

This brand sells both newborn and birth to potty sizes. The newborn size (velcro rather than poppers) are designed to fit from around 5lbs up to 18lbs (approximately the first 6 months). Birth to potty are aimed to fit from around 10lb up to when your child potty trains.

Each nappy comes with 2 bamboo inserts as standard which gives you the option to change up your absorbency levels as and when you need it. Bamboo is extremely absorbent and has always worked really well for us but if you feel you need a little extra, Baba and Boo also stock charcoal or a hemp blend. There are literally no rules when it comes to cloth nappies so you can boost them with what works for you and your baby and you can adjust this as they grow and change.

With it’s fleecy layer we’ve never had to use liners as I have always found that poo comes off this fabric really easily and I have never experienced staining (more on washing in a moment). However, if you do feel that you want liners, you can purchase these from the company too.

One of the most important factors for me is the fact that this nappy has what we call a double gusset. This is the elasticated rim on the nappy which protects against leaks and the doubling up of this is one of the reasons that Baba and Boo is a popular choice amongst cloth nappy parents. We had very few urine leaks (often only seen when he was teething and drinking more, when he was ill or if I forgot to change him) and zero poonamis – if you have used disposable nappies in the past you will be very familiar with this!

We have always found Baba and Boo nappies to be soft, flexible, non-bulky, a great fit for our son from 6 months all the way up to 3 1/2 years (he is currently toilet training) and they have been our go-to nappy each and every day. We could easily get 2-4 hours wear out of a nappy which made it a very reliable choice for daytime. I have seen parents use this nappy at night but it does need extra boosters to achieve this. For us, this hasn’t ever really been a night nappy but every child is different and you don’t know unless you try.

You May Also Like:

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Care of the Nappy

Before you use your Baba and Boo cloth nappy you will need to pre-wash it around 2-3 times in order to ensure its absorbency. Once you have taken a dirty nappy off, tip any poo down the toilet (you can clean off any remaining bits with a wipe/toilet roll/scraper) and then place your nappy into your nappy bin or wetbag (personal choice). I have always washed my nappies every few days and never had an issue with stinks or stains. My routine is:

• Rinse cycle (cold or 20 depending on the machine) No detergent.
• Long wash cycle on 60 (you can also do 40 but this wasn’t enough with our Samsung Eco Bubble) with a full dose of powder. You don’t need conditioner with cloth nappies.
• Air dry. The shells dry very quickly, the inserts will take a little longer.

Nothing complicated, no fancy routines or detergents, no bleach and certainly no pan boiling!! Modern cloth nappies have come a long way and are now very easy to care for. You can read more on washing nappies as well as info on strip washing in this blog here.

Overall Thoughts

Baba and Boo are our favourite cloth nappy brand (did you guess from this?!) Not only have they been used every single day, they have all lasted, I have never had any issues with them plus I have also purchased secondhand ones which are still in great condition. They have come abroad with us, they have been on UK holidays and weekends away, they have been used at pre-school and easily by members of my family who have never used cloth before.

The prints are beautiful which makes them even more enticing but what sets Baba and Boo apart is that for us, they have whole nappy design perfected, they have wonderful customer service (always, always happy to help), they have a supportive online Facebook community and they are dedicated to making cloth simple and accessible for as many parents as possible.

If you are just starting out with cloth and are looking for a simple nappy that won’t confuse or overwhelm you then I can highly recommend Baba and Boo.

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