Pop These On Your Poppet And You Won't Be Disappointed (Close Parent Pop-In Nappies)

Member Name: arleek

Product:	Close Parent Pop-In Nappies
Date:	03/06/09 (195 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very slim fitting, easy to use

Disadvantages: Drying time quite slow, colours bit dull

(These are now called Close Parent Pop-In Nappies)


If any of you recognise my reviews you will know that I have a slight obsession with cloth nappies...and I also stated in one of my earlier reviews that I now had enough reusable nappies to accommodate my two young daughters. Well...that was until my youngest decided to compete for the title of 'Wriggliest Baby in the World'; honestly I have never known anything like it!

As soon as I lay her down to change her nappy she flips onto her front and tries to get away, so even getting a nappy OFF is a challenge, never mind trying to put one back on! I have used terry squares on her since birth and have never had a problem with these, but now trying to secure one on her while she is writhing around kicking her legs and generally being quite annoying is a trifle difficult, and then trying to put a wrap on afterwards is even more difficult. If I have to drag her back once, I have to drag her back 10 times during just one nappy change, and doing this 5 or 6 times a day is beginning to take its toll on the both of us...

So because of this I started to use my older daughter's pocket nappies on her to see if that made it easier...and of course it did, just like putting on a disposable (two Velcro tabs at the front - see my other reviews). But the problem here was that I don't have enough to keep me going with the both of them and I'm not particularly flush in the old cash department so I wasn't really sure what to do and I didn't want to use disposables (although I do have a stash of them for emergencies!)

Anyway, I received an email from kittykins.co.uk (reusable nappy website) and at the moment they are doing 10% off a different nappy each week, and a couple of weeks ago it was the Close Parent Pop In (Bamboo). This was not a nappy I had heard of before but I had a look anyway and it turned out that it was an 'All In One' or AIO nappy which is really just what I needed for my wriggler! So I read up about it and it sounded like the perfect nappy to try.

AIOs are the easiest to use of reusable nappies because they are just one unit and you change them just like a disposable, but they don't always have a high success rate. This is because they usually have a long drying time and often leak! But not this one (according to the website). The reason for this is that it is made up of layers of bamboo that you snap into place so that once the nappy is constructed it works as an AIO, but when you wash it you can wash the parts separately and thus dry them separately allowing for a quicker drying time.

So obviously I ordered a couple, they are usually £12 each but I paid £10.80 with the discount. They come in a range of pastel colours (orange, yellow, green, blue and white) which I wasn't too keen on as I like my bright colours, but what can you do? So I chose an orange one and a yellow one. They arrived after a couple of days (this website is great and I really recommend it to anyone considering buying reusable nappies because it is full of advice and their customer service is great and delivery time excellent, and they actually try the nappies they sell so you get their experiences too).

I was pleasantly surprised at how small and soft they were because they are a 'one-size' birth to potty nappy (8-35lb) which are usually quite big and bulky, so I was looking forward to seeing how they fitted on my baby.

So let me describe the nappy. It consists of an outer layer which is made from a material like brushed cotton which gives it a lovely soft feel, then there is obviously a layer of waterproof material which makes it leak free. The cut of the outer layer is very neat and has gussets around the legs (for extra security), and the nappy is fastened using aplix (Velcro) tabs which are stretchy allowing for a snug fit. There are tabs to attach the Velcro to during washes to ensure they don't snag on anything else in the wash. There are poppers on the front of the nappy allowing two smaller size settings depending on the size of your baby.

Now onto the absorbent part of the nappy, this consists of two pads made from Bamboo (not something I have tried before in a nappy). The larger pad is shaped to the shape of the nappy and has slightly elasticated edges which allows it to fit within the outer layer very snugly. This pad also has poppers at either end which you use to securely attach it within the outer layer. The second pad is long and thin and has one set of poppers which you use to attach to the larger pad. The pads, once fixed to the nappy are also covered at each end by a soft flap from the outer layer so it makes the fit more comfortable for baby. Both pads are very soft and fluffy and I was also surprised at how thin they were and I was a bit apprehensive about using them on either of my children because I just didn't think they looked like they would contain much wee!

Anyway, once the nappy is constructed it does have a very neat appearance and to be honest does not look much bigger than a disposable, so I was very keen to use them! But you have to wash cloth nappies a few times before use to get them to their full absorbency so I immediately put a wash of nappies on and included these in there.

Then obviously I hung them out to dry and given that most of my other nappies will dry in less than a day when sunny, to my surprise, these did not. I then found out that Bamboo is known for its long drying time, and while the outer layer dried within a couple of hours, the bamboo pads took a full day of bright sunshine to get them completely dry, so I'm not sure how they would fare in winter, but then again radiators would come in handy in that situation.

So after a couple of washes I was now ready to use my new AIOs. I tried them on my 7 month old; after all it is her fault that I bought them. I used them on the medium setting and on they went, very simply two Velcro tabs across the waist - easy as pie. She did still attempt a getaway but because they are so easy to secure I could get it on her before she escaped. Marvellous.

And I could not believe how neat fitting this nappy is, it's certainly the smallest reusable I have ever tried, it fits so snug around her bottom and legs and does not restrict her movement in any way, and trousers fit very well over the top (which is one of the main hassles of reusable nappies, sometimes trousers don't fit over the top, especially if they are from Next).

The other great thing about this nappy is that the entire thing is really soft, even the elasticated bits around the legs, so there is no chance of your baby getting sore patches from rubbing on harsh fabrics. And also the fact that the bamboo pads are really slim and soft allows more movement out of the nappy, it kind of moves with your baby (as a disposable does). Many other reusables tend to have quite a rigid feel and sometimes your baby can feel like he or she has a block around their bottom.

So did they actually work? Oh my goodness yes they did, I was genuinely surprised at how absorbent this bamboo stuff is! I have tried them at various points during the day now (because obviously I only have two I cannot use them continuously throughout the day) and they absorb her wettest moments (usually after dinner) and obviously work fine on her not so wet moments, I have not suffered any leakages so far, and sometimes when I change her the pads are not even soaked through, I really cannot believe it!

They also contain the poo really well, I have had varying amounts of poo contained within these nappies from large splats to small nuggets and it has coped brilliantly with all, no escapees so far. The elasticated leg gussets work very well at containing the sticky stuff. I usually use a fleece liner so that any solids can just be removed from the nappy within the liner and flushed down the toilet.

I'll admit I have not attempted one over night yet because you can get a night time booster to go with these, so I would have thought I would need this before I try them over night. My daughter sleeps 12 hours at night so booster pads are essential. Her night time nappy currently consists of a thick terry square with an additional booster pad and I think I am quite happy to leave it this way because it is that bulky that it prevents her from moving around in her bed so much, so one of these new ones would allow her too much movement I think!

I've already touched slightly on the washing of these nappies but I will give a bit more info here. I just put them in with the rest of my nappies on a long wash, usually at 40 degrees. The label says you can wash them at 60, but I only occasionally do a 60 degree wash because to be honest it's not really needed. They wash really well, but you have to make sure you secure the tabs otherwise they will snag on anything they can, (even themselves) causing bobbling on the outer layer of the nappy. This doesn't bother me too much as it doesn't stop them working, just makes them look used. And as I said before, the bamboo pads take a while to dry so with me only having 2 at the moment; I only get to use them every few days (much to my disappointment!)

I am actually in love with these nappies not only because they are ultra absorbent, but also because they are so neat, even on my little titch of a daughter! I will more than likely be buying a couple more when funds allow because I'm so utterly chuffed with them.

I can highly recommend these to anyone who is considering using reusables but is worried about the bulk - there is no bulk! These are also perfect for anyone whose children are looked after by someone else because you can construct the nappies beforehand and then they are ready to go, just use them like disposables, but obviously don't throw them in the bin.

Can be found at kittykins.co.uk.

Thanks for reading.

Summary: Lovely efficient slim all in one nappy