Popper or Velcro Cloth Nappies?

The popularity of cloth nappies is clearly growing and for me, this is a great sign! I love seeing more parents showing off their latest prints, their babies fluff bums and yelling at the top of their voices about helping the planet. It is such a step in the right direction. Of course, with this new interest comes plenty of questions and those questions are always good. Never ever think that a cloth nappy question is stupid because if you are asking it, you have a reason for that and if one person can answer it quickly and easily for you, that may help to keep you on the cloth nappy path and prevent you from reverting back to disposables. I’ve answered a lot of the usual cloth nappy questions here (washing, myths, costs etc) but this post is going to cover whether you should you go for popper or velcro cloth nappies.

First Off…

To make this very simple for you, my first point is the most important one. You choose what works for you. And I say this for all aspects of cloth. There’s no point doing what others do if it doesn’t work for you. There is no point in battling with poppers when you have a wriggler or struggling with velcro when you have a toddler who can undo it in a flash! So, even though I can sit here and talk you through each option, the final decision has to work for you and your lifestyle.

Popper Cloth Nappies

Popper cloth nappies seem like the more daunting option when you are starting your cloth nappy journey but it’s far easier than it actually looks. You have three poppers on each of the tabs which need attaching to the main nappy in order to secure your fit. The other poppers lower down the nappy are your risers and will allow the nappy to change size with your baby. Most cloth nappies are called birth to potty (BTP) which means they will last you for your baby’s entire nappy usage life.

The Popper Cloth Nappy

The Tab Shows How There Are 3 Poppers On Each Side Which Need Attaching To The Main Nappy

These Lower Poppers Adapt The Rise Of the Nappy

Simply Choose Which Size Will Fit Your Baby Best By Changing The Rise

Here You Can See How The Nappy Has Been Made Smaller

Once you discover the size for your baby, doing the poppers up will become second nature and you won’t even have to think about it. These Baba and Boo nappies are our go-to cloth nappy for the daytime.

The main benefits of poppers are that they cannot be undone by little people, they stay in place, they can be easily adjusted as your baby grows and they wear well. The disadvantage is that they can be more fiddly, they may not be suitable for everyone and they may take your longer to change than a velcro one.

 

Velcro Cloth Nappies

We all know how simple velcro is. You can get a cloth nappy on super quick, whip it off with ease and adjust it to fit your baby comfortably. The velcro choice is perfect if you have a wriggling baby, if you or someone who also cares for your baby find poppers difficult to do up due to joint issues etc. It makes life easy… unless you have a toddler who has mastered how to undo it. This is an issue a lot of parents who use disposable nappies have and I remember one particular pooey disaster with my first child and a disposable nappy. Not a pretty sight!

You Can See How Easy Velcro Is On This Totsbots Nappy

However, the velcro is a great choice for you if you are a very first-time cloth nappy user, if you have a newborn or if you want to get you used to the basics of cloth nappies. We started with Bambino Mio because it was an all in one cloth nappy and also velcro. You cannot go wrong with this combination if you are just starting out.

You will notice that velcro nappies do also have poppers on the front of them and this is for the same reason as all popper nappies, so you can adjust the rise and size for your baby.

We also love velcro for bed. Totsbots Bamboozles and Peenut Wraps are both velcro and perfect for seeing your little one through the night. We also use Bambino Mio with a booster for night time too. I find velcro is comfortable for the child at night as it can be nicely adjusted for that round full tummy and it is smooth all around the waistband.

You Can See How These Poppers Also Adjust The Rise On The Velcro Nappy

The other downside to velcro is that I find it wears quite badly. I am in a hard water area and that hasn’t been kind to this area. You will also find that the velcro picks up fluff, hair and so on which will need to be carefully removed. The best way to do this is by using a nit comb.

A combination of both popper and velcro cloth nappies work perfectly well and it never has to be one or the other. The joy of cloth is that you can use a wide variety of styles, designs, brands and booster options as well as having a mixture of both fastenings. Of course, we will all have our favourites but that doesn’t mean we can’t use something different at night time or as your child grows and changes.

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