Not all cloth diapers are created equal. There are different systems, such as all-in-one (like our Lybbie diapers ), two-in-one, and others, but cloth diapers can also be made from a wide variety of materials. This article will focus on these materials used in cloth diapers.
Before explaining the different cloth diaper materials, it is important to understand that cloth diapers always need two components: an absorbent material (which catches the urine) and a water-repellent material (which prevents moisture from leaking out of the diaper).
The outer layer of cloth diapers
The outer layer of cloth diapers should be water-repellent and, to some extent, prevent moisture from leaking out. These are the most common materials:
TPU or PUL
TPU and PUL are thin, water-repellent fabrics that are often used for cloth diapers because they make the diapers less bulky. Both fabrics (TPU and PUL) are essentially made of the same material; only the manufacturing process differs.
PUL ( polyurethane laminate) is manufactured using chemicals, while TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) uses heat. We exclusively use TPU for our Lybbie diapers because it is more environmentally friendly and does not emit VOCs (volatile organic chemicals).
Wool
Some cloth diapers have an outer layer made of wool. To make this layer water-repellent, the wool must be regularly treated with lanolin. Therefore, when buying a wool diaper, inserts must also be purchased, as they cannot be sewn into the diaper due to the necessary lanolin treatment.
Cotton
Cotton is also a popular outer fabric for cloth diapers, however, it is not water-repellent. In this case, a water-repellent liner (usually PUL/TPU or wool) must be inserted into the diaper.
The inner parts of cloth diapers
To optimally absorb liquids, cloth diapers need to contain various absorbent materials. These are often divided into two categories: those that absorb quickly and those that retain moisture. Bamboo, for example, can hold a lot of liquid, but absorbs it more slowly. Cotton, on the other hand, absorbs very quickly, but retains less. A combination of bamboo and cotton is therefore a good idea.
bamboo or hemp
Bamboo and hemp are rapidly renewable resources with immense absorbency. This makes them ideal absorbent cores for cloth diapers. Washing further increases their absorbency; however, as natural products, both bamboo and hemp shrink slightly with each wash. This, combined with their relatively high cost, makes bamboo and hemp, while excellent, unattractive to many cloth diaper companies that offer complete diaper sets.
In order to still be able to use bamboo in our Lybbie diapers, we always produce our absorbent core slightly larger and have had a special quilting done so that it shrinks only minimally when washed and still fits perfectly.
polyester
Polyester is a popular material for absorbent inserts in cloth diapers—especially all-in-ones—because it's not only inexpensive but also highly absorbent at first. Unfortunately, polyester saponifies very quickly during washing and then no longer absorbs liquid. Many parents who use cloth diapers then assume their children are heavy wetters, producing too much urine for the cloth diaper. Therefore, they switch to disposable diapers relatively quickly, unaware that their absorbent insert has simply lost its absorbency.
With our Lybbie diapers, we prioritize the highest quality and maximum absorbency – regardless of production costs. If you'd like to try one of our diapers, take a look at either our sampler pack or our general online shop .
