Tots Bots (Totsbots)

Member Name: YUM MUM

Product:	Totsbots
Date:	31/07/06 (594 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Bomb proof!!! Really cute, easy to use

Disadvantages: Drying time, crunchiness in hard water areas

I didn't start out using cloth nappies with my little girl. It was something I was quite interested in, but with the fuzzy headed state of early parenthood, she was months old before I got round to doing any research. I spoke to a few friends who used cloth, and the tots bots came up again and again, and when I looked around on the internet, it appeared that for a first timer, they were fairly idiot proof. So I took the plunge and bought three unbleached nippa tots, and a motherease airflow wrap and away we went. I tried them overnight and they were amazing: not a single leak. We'd previously used Pampers and she always had damp pyjamas in the morning. They were quite astoundingly bulky to people who'd been used to the skinniness of disposables, but after a week or two we stopped noticing. I then bought some rainbow tots (same design, just lovely colours and slightly more slim fitting) and a few more wraps so that apart from nursery she was in cloth most of the time.

When I got pregnant again, I decided we would go for it full time, and bought some size one nappies, this time with applix (like velcro, but longer lasting and a bit softer) to make life a tiny bit easier. Applix tots are used just like a disposable, you just need to put a wrap on too. Our little boy is nearly four months old and we have had one leak in that whole time, and that was because he was a few pounds too heavy for the wrap and it couldn't cope!! I moved him into medium wraps and all is well. My only problems with tots bots are that they take ages to dry (about 24 hours on an airer if it's warm, longer if it's cooler) unless it's a hot sunny day, in which case they dry in a few hours outside on the line, but are like cardboard. We live in a hard water area, and to get them soft enough to put near his bot, I have to tumble dry them for half an hour or so when they're just about dry (which I don't like doing, because it's really environmentally unfriendly) or else rub the nappy together to loosen the pile, which takes ages if you're doing 20 nappies, and gives me wrist ache. All in all though, they are completely worth it, because they last about 4-5 hours during the day, or all night if you're lucky enough to have a baby who'll sleep all night!

I've bought 15 size 2 bamboozle nappies, made by tots bots, now that he's too big for size ones. They're made out of bamboo which is very environmentally groovy as it doesn't need pesticides, unlike cotton, and grows really quickly.. Don't ask me how they get bamboo shoots and make them into nappies; I have no idea! They are very soft, even after washing in our hard water, and they're as absorbant as their cotton cousins despite being about a third thinner.

If I was going to advise someone new to cloth nappies, I'd recommend tots bots wholeheartedly. The applix ones are really easy to use, the nippa variety have the edge on adjustability and fit, but either are good solid choices. The original nappies are fabulous, but I'd probably recommend bamboozles if you don't have soft water because they work as well as the original or rainbow tots, but are slimmer fitting and stay soft. Hope this helps!

Summary: Easy to use and will contain the most nightmarish poos!!