Cloth Diapers

Cloth diapering is easier to understand if you break it down this way: you need an absorbent part and something to keep in the wet. There are several variations on this theme but all of them involve a diaper and a cover:

• Prefolds have layers of cotton, hemp, etc. stitched to make it fold into the cover.
• Fitteds have elastic at the legs and waist to prevent blowouts.
• All-in-Ones (AIOs) have layers of cloth sewn directly to a laminated outer, eliminating the two-piece system.
• Pockets have a cloth layer (usually fleece) sewn directly to a laminated outer, with an opening to stuff an insert between the two. Moisture wicks through the fleece and gets absorbed by the insert, keeping wetness away from the skin.
• One-sized have a method of enlarging the diaper as the baby grows, increasing the rise (how high it goes up on the tummy) while expanding the waist and leg casings.

There are also new systems with laminated outers like pocket diaper fabric that feature snap-in soakers, so the soaker can be replaced and the outer reused.