Cloth Nappy Review: Diddi Diapers by Nature Babies

Value for money: *****

Ease of use: *****

Fit and containment: *****

Comfort: *****

Overall: *****

Accessories: Diddi Diapers are shaped nappies that require a wrap - I recommend Motherease Airflow and Tots Bots fleece wraps for night.  I also recommend fleece liners and boosters for night use.

Diddi Diapers were recommended to me as a newborn nappy as I wanted to use cloth on Henry from day one.  The picture here is Henry in his very first nappy (a Diddi) at less than 1 hour old.

They are Nippa fastening (the blue thing) which was ideal for the very early days as I was concerned that stiff aplix (velcro) fastenings would rub on Henry's cord stump.  The Nippas were very easy to get to grips with - they're three pronged rubber with plastic claws on each prong that grip the fabric of the nappy through tension.  To fasten a Nippa you simply attach one claw to the fabric on one of the waist tabs, stretch the rubber tight and grab the other waist tab with the other claw.  Then pull the third claw down and attach it to the fabric of the front of the nappy.  This is much more complicated to explain than it is to do!  The trick is just to pull the rubber so that it's stretched as it's the tension in the Nippa that holds everything together.

Aplix might sound very appealing for its ease of use, but Nippas are very easy and quick (no fiddly sharp pins!) and with only a little practice you can get a really good fit on the nappy with them.  I find that aplix can be very stiff and scratchy on Henry's tummy if I get it slightly misaligned.

Diddi diapers come in two varieties - cotton terry and micro-terry.  The micro-terry were marginally quicker to dry than the regular cotton and stayed softer when air-dried, but I found that the cotton ones kept their shape much better, especially around the waist tabs.  Both varieties could be tumble dried and although I had planned to air-dry where possible, the volume of washing created by a newborn baby was so overwhelming that we found it much easier to tumble them, which also kept the cotton ones soft.

The fit on a newborn (Henry was 7lbs 14oz) was quite good - the Nippa fastening meant you could arrange the tabs lower to avoid the cord stump, although it looked quite wide between the legs.  They are quite a stiff nappy too, so where the Little Lambs were squishier he looked much more able to move his legs than in the Diddi which didn't flex as much.  Also, as Henry's got bigger and the fit is more snug it doesn't give as much and I worry a little about it squashing his bits!

Diddi Diapers are very good value for money at under £5 per nappy, which makes it worthwhile as a newborn nappy.  Henry has just about grown out of them now at 3 months.  If you're planning to have more than one baby the cost is more justified as you can use the same ones with each baby.

There are lots of wraps (waterproof outer covering) that work well with the Diddi Diapers - we've tested them with Motherease Airflow, Motherease Rikki, Little Lambs, Nature Babies and Tots Bots Fleece wraps.  Moisture often wicked onto the clothing at the gusset of the Little Lambs, but even though the Rikkis are  also gusseted we didn't have the same problem with them.  By far the best were the Airflows which have separately adjustable waist & leg openings for a great fit.  The Tots Bots red fleece wraps were also very good for night time as they allow moisture to evaporate, keeping the nappy drier.

I would also recommend using a fleece liner with these nappies as it helps to keep the moisture away from Henry's skin.  Its surprising how effective they are!

It took us a couple of days to practice at getting the best possible fit on Henry, but once we'd got the knack the containment was excellent.  Combined with the Airflow wrap these nappies are practically bomb-proof!  What escapes the nappy is caught by the wrap, so although we've very occasionally had a small leak at the legs, we've not had massive leaks like our disposable wearing friends have, where the baby is covered in poo after it "explodes" up their back.

If you're planning to use the Diddi over night a booster is recommended.  This is an extra pad to boost the absorbency of the nappy and placed between the fleece liner and the nappy.  We found that bamboo boosters worked best as they were very absorbent but still quite slim.

To summarise: I really like the Diddi's as a newborn nappy, but I'm not sure they are the best possible  nappies for the job.  Something less stiff like a little lamb but with a Nippa fastening would be better I think.  Having said that I do think they're great value for money and a million times better than disposables (even eco-disposables!).