Cloth or disposable? Which diapers are right for you?

In Kids by Katie KavullaLeave a Comment

This post is sponsored by Boudreaux’s Butt Paste.

Cloth or Disposable Diapers.Photo credit: Shutterstock

As sustainable lifestyles and eco-friendly habits have increasingly emerged in the 21st century, cloth diapers have also been trending. Even though they’re certainly a departure from the one-and-done, change-and-pitch disposal diapering, cloth diapers are making a name for themselves as a cost-effective “green” option among lots of new parents.

If you’re totally unsure whether cloth or disposable diapers are right for your family, fear not. Here are the all reasons to choose either one of these great options — based on your biggest diapering considerations.

COST: Cloth

Estimates vary, but one thing’s for sure: If you go with cloth diapers, you will save money. The average family spends a couple thousand dollars (or more) on disposable diapers during a child’s early life, whereas an entire cloth diaper system will run you roughly $300 to $350 in total in addition to laundering costs.

EASE: Disposable

Adopting cloth diapers will add two to four loads of laundry to your weekly rotation — so if the thought of washing extra clothes isn’t thrilling, you may want to stick with disposable. With cloth diapers, you also can’t pitch the waste immediately after changing, which makes your standard throwaway diaper so great for times you’re on-the-go.

Which diapers are best for your familyPhoto credit: Shutterstock

IMPACT: Cloth

Concerned about environmental impact? More and more families are, and cloth is the way to go if you’re worried about your footprint. More than 20 billion diapers are tossed each year, leading to loads of unnecessary waste — unless you choose cloth. Believe it or not, each diaper would take more than 500 years to fully decompose in a landfill (whoa, baby!).

ABSORBENCY: Disposable

Disposable diapers are designed with absorbency in mind, so moms and dads don’t need to worry about leaks and constant changes. Even the best cloth diapers are typically less absorbent than standard disposable, and you’ll probably end up changing your baby every two or three hours for dry bottoms.

SKIN: Cloth

If your baby has sensitive skin, you may want to invest in a cloth diaper system. In some cases, babies with sensitive skin react better to cloth diapers than to disposables. In either case, it can’t hurt to add a diaper rash cream into the mix, like Boudreaux’s All Natural Butt Paste ($9) with soothing aloe.

No matter what type of diaper is right for your baby and lifestyle, click here to learn more about Boudreaux’s Butt Paste for your baby’ diaper rash needs. Crafted by a pharmacist with kids of his own, Boudreaux’s products help treat and prevent diaper rash without parabens, preservatives or artificial fragrances.

Meet the Author | Katie Kavulla


Having just made the move from big city life to settle down in the town where she and her husband both grew up, Katie Kavulla is a mom of three who strives to slow life down a bit… as impossible as that is with three kids under the age of 10. A blogger turned writer, Katie has spent the past few years combining the things that she loves into a career, with a focus on helping other moms tell their story, because Katie truly believes that every mom has one to tell.

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