Charlie Banana One Size! Cloth Diaper Review and Giveaway!

Everyone,
I am so excited to be able to share this blog post with you!

I was given the opportunity by the amazing new baby boutique in my city and online (All About Baby Boutique)  to do a cloth diaper review and giveaway! And the diaper?

A Charlie Banana One Size pocket diaper!

I have been cloth diapering for almost 3 years now and have tried many, many diapers. But before I got my tester diaper, I had never used one of these! I went to All About Baby Boutique in Greensboro, North Carolina (Can you imagine my excitement- a local, mama owned and run store that sells cloth diapers but also has a fantastic website!) and met the owners, Sheresa and Priscilla- who, for the record, are awesome! I browsed the goods, many of them handmade, and our 3year old played in their toy room. I picked up a few things that we needed, was given the Charlie Banana One Size I was testing, and went home to start prepping! I could not wait to get this diaper on the boys!

My first impression of the diaper was that the inside (thick microfleece) is SO soft. It's what you notice immediately. I was a bit concerned that something so soft and squishy wouldn't be the same after washing. Same for the inserts, since it comes with two- a small one, perfect for our little Finn, and a longer one (medium/large), exactly what we would need for our big boy, Jackson! The inserts were the thickest I have ever seen and again, you can't help but notice how soft the inserts are. Us cloth diapering moms love some "fluff" and this diaper has it in spades... everything is so fluffy. I was really hoping that washing and drying would reveal a diaper that kept it's softness and fluffiness, unlike some diapers that are washed and immediately turn into a pilly mess or inserts that go flat. Well, I wasn't disappointed! If it was possible, the microfiber inserts got fluffier!

Big, fluffy inserts after prepping!

And guess what?! The pocket opening is big enough for this large handed mama to get my paws in there to stuff inserts. And the opening is in the front, which makes a world of difference when dealing with poopy diapers!

After the diaper and inserts were prepped, I figured I would try it on Finn, our 4 month old, first since he is in diapers full time and Jackson is potty learning and usually only wears them out and about or to bed. This was the first time I had ever adjusted leg elastic to adjust the size of a diaper. All of my one size diapers have a bunch of snaps! Well, it was easy as can be and looks so nice and tidy without the bazillion snaps to adjust the legs. Not only that, but there are more options than just Small, Medium, Large. You can adjust the diaper to between sizes! Finn is right between a Small and a Medium, so I secured the elastic with the button in the hole between Small and Medium, essentially creating a S/M, where most diapers don't give you near the customizing ability- and you guys know that when leg elastic doesn't fit properly, the diaper is useless. No worries with the Charlie Banana One Size! They have done us proud, CDers.

Super customizable, not just small/medium/large

At the bottom of the wings, where it meets the leg elastic, there seems to be a bit of bunching. I was concerned that it would affect the diaper and leak, since I wasn't sure if it would keep a nice "seal" around the legs. My other concern was that it would dig a bit into his thighs and make him uncomfortable and/or cause him to have red marks from the pressure.

Again, no worries with the Charlie Banana One Size. No leaking, no blowouts, no discomfort, and none of those awful red marks! I was relieved. And the fit? Nice and trim, even with those super fluffy inserts.

Finn was a fan!

Now, time for Jackson, because what good is a one size diaper that won't fit until time to potty learn, right?

Jackson said the diaper was nice and soft! I noticed that even with Jackson, who is tall and skinny where Finn is long and chubby, there is a nice tall rise. I think my biggest beef with one size diapers is that on the largest settings, they tend to have rises that don't accomodate kids that wear that size adequately. And the little bit of bunching I noticed with Finn around the wing/leg area was not near as noticeable with a larger child wearing the diaper.

I thought the fit for Finn (17lbs) was fantastic, as was the fit for Jackson (28lbs)- very customizable and trim without sacrificing absorbancy. The diaper was soft, the inserts were soft, and the quality of the materials was evident after the many washings and wearings we have subjected the Charlie Banana to thusfar! It was easy to adjust and stuff! I would say that I highly recommend the Charlie Banana One Size! Now, I have read that the Charlie Banana OS can use disposable inserts, but I haven't tried them. The Charlie Banana One Size diapers start at $20.88 and go up to $25.88 at All About Baby Boutique, depending on whether or not you go with a classic color or designer prints.

I think the price is spot on and I plan on investing in a couple more of the Charlie Banana diapers.

(Just don't tell Tim, because for some insane reason, he thinks that there is such a thing as "enough diapers!")



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