Choosing the right Baby Bare cloth nappy for you

We get lots of questions about our different modern cloth nappy options at Baby Bare. This is a thorough guide to the differences, similarities, pros and cons of each cloth nappy.

Bare Cub Nappy

• This style snaps across the front with 3 waist snaps. The rise can be adjusted to make the nappy smaller on younger babies. 
• Come as an option of being all one piece (absorbency is sewn in) or all in two (where absorbency snaps in and out).
• The AI2 can be used as a pocket nappy, or boosting can be placed in the pocket. 
• This nappy comes in both PUL and Minky Versions. 

You can see the snaps across the front of this nappy and how the wings wrap around to the front to snap the nappy on to your child. 

Why choose the Bare Cub?

The AIO/Onesie

The easiest nappy to use. Easy to dry as it hangs as one piece and no assembling. The downfll is you cannot remove un-needed absorbency and you cannot re-use the cover with new inserts (many parents have spare insert sets they can pop in the covers to replace a wet set of inserts).

The AI2/Snap In

The most versatile nappy in the range. It is also the trimmest. 100% bamboo absorbency. This nappy has a pocket making it a great option for night time as you can get more absorbency into it by accessing the lining. You can use just one of the supplier inserts or both. You can remove wet inserts and replace with dry ones reusing the cover multiple times. The drawbacks are this nappy requires assembly and to dry it is 3 pieces to hang out, and snap back together. 

Teddy Bare

• Snaps to the sides with 5 different size settings. Legs and waist can be adjusted to different settings.
• Trickier then the Bare Cub to get used to the snapping at the side. 
• One insert for absorbency makes this nappy super easy to snap together, but gives less options for removing un-needed layers.
• Tummy elastic to help reduce any gaping at the tummy

You can see there are no front tabs or visible snaps on the front of the nappy. 

Why Choose the Teddy Bare?

You would choose the Teddy Bare if you get gaps in the front of your front snapping nappies. If you like the look of the snaps on the side (as this can give you a clearer visual of the print on a nappy) and if you want an easy to assemble AI2 nappy as this is a 2 pieces system (cover and insert). 

What is the same about both nappies?

The actual cut of the nappy is (almost) identical. The Teddy is a reverse of the Bare Cub. The difference in fit comes from the positioning of the snaps to be on the side and the inclusion of tummy elastic.

The actual absorbency across nappies is almost identical. They have very similar capacity. All 3 styles allow for extra boosting if it is needed or for sleep times.

Find below a table that helps show the differences and features of each nappy.

	Bare Cub AIO	Bare Cub AI2	Teddy Bare	Notes
Sizing	3.5kg-15/16kg	3.5kg-15/16kg	5kg-16kg
Style	All one piece	All in two (Cover, snap in insert and a booster)	All in two (Cover and a single long foldable insert)
Absorbency Material	Bamboo/Microfibre	100% Bamboo fabrics	100% Bamboo Fabrics
Stay Dry liner	Yes- Microsuede	Yes- Microsuede	Yes- Microsuede
Easiest to use	x			All one piece with no assembly
Trimmest Nappy		x
Flexibility in use	Lease flexible. The absorbency is completely sewn in, so you can not remove it. This can make it bulkier on little babies.	Our MOST flexible nappy. You can use just the snap in insert, you can use just the booster (for new babies), You can use both the booster and snap in for larger babies. This nappy has a pocket making it the most suitable for boosting at night times.	The absorbency in this nappy is a foldable insert. You can therefore fold the absorbency to be where you need it most. The design of the snaps also allows you to pull the waist in tighter then the legs helping reduce tummy gaping.
Best Night Option		Due to the pocket giving access to the lining, this style allows the greets options for night use. Pop extra inserts/boosters into the pocket opening.
Outter Fabric	Minky or PUL (PUL is the silky bare range)	Minky or PUL (PUL is the silky bare range)	Minky or PUL
Nappy weight	177g	192g	188g
Absorbency Weight	105g	118g	120g
Drying	The bamboo ‘flap’ folds out of the nappy to dry. The sewn in absorbency is micro fibre and drys quickly	All the pieces come apart to dry separate. Covers dry almost straight away, so they can be reused with dry inserts while wet ones are drying.	The insert dries in the same amount of time as the other bamboo inserts. Covers dry almost straight away, so they can be reused with dry inserts while wet ones are drying.

More information about each style and its use:

Using your Teddy Bare Nappy

A video showing fitting the Teddy Bare Nappy

The fit of different Baby Bare nappies on children of different ages and sizes

Best washing care for your modern cloth nappies: Our top tips

We get a lot of questions about washing modern cloth nappies. We also see the sad results of nappies that are not properly cared for. So here are a few pointers for you.

Detergent
Use a full dose of detergent. You are washing human waste out of your nappies. You need to use enough detergent to get the waste out of the nappies. Detergent breaks down fatty deposits and oils that are in your nappies. These particles if not cleaned will leave you with lingering smells. A full dose of detergent will help keep your nappies in the next shape.

No Quick Wash
The quick wash on your machine is designed for lightly soiled articles. Your nappies are generally not lightly soiled. They need a thorough wash. I have seen many times the result of nappies that are not washed properly. They go grey, the elastics rot and within months they are useless. This is because they are not properly being cleaned and the residues are eating away at the nappies. Ensure you do a proper wash.

Dry thoroughly
Some nappies get a musty smell. We have found this is often in nappies that are not thoroughly dried before being stored for next use. A good airing and drying in the sun helps keep your nappies fresh and clean.

If you get smells
If your cloth nappies get smells I recommend trying the following:
1. Change Detergents
2. Use more detergent (assuming you are using less then a full dose).
3. Do a warm 40-60 degree wash on the nappies. Sometimes a good wash in warm water can bring your nappies up smelling fantastic.

These simple few steps should help bring your nappies back up smelling fresh and clean.

Baby Bare Magic

I posted over twelve months ago about OSFM nappies and how they fit on babies from birth till toilet training. You can pop over and see that blog here.

As an extension of that article, I am today gathering together a pile of pictures of Baby Bare on different sized babies. Along with these cute pictures, I am listing some pointers to get the best fit on your Baby Bare cloth nappies. These pointers apply to the Teddies and Bare Cub cloth nappies.

Best Fit

1. Always, always pull the nappy up through the groin towards the belly button to stretch the elastics out. Once you've done this, snap the nappy in place. You will find it hard to get a good fit if you just pull the tabs to the side and secure. Pulling the nappy right up will help it sit properly on your child.

2. If you are using a Bare Cub nappy and you find that you get a tummy gap (but the legs are perfect) you can skip a snap on the waist band to give a tighter fit. To do this, snap once for the legs. Then, Skip two snaps on the waist band, and put the third (the most centre snap) into the next hole. You will have one male snap on the waist tab unsnapped, and two female snaps on the front of the nappy empty.

3. Contact us for snap covers if you feel you want to open up your nappy past the third waist snap and need to cover the male snap.

4. Sometimes you may find you get the best fit by snapping the legs onto different settings. This is ok. If the fit works, do it. Each leg does not need to be the same. Your child might be right in between sizes and this can give you the perfect waist measurement and still a great seal around the legs.

5. Make sure the nappy sits in the undie line, not around their thighs. The nappy should sit in the join between the lef and the torso. Otherwise this may lead to leaks and a strange fit.


Now for the fluffy gorgeousness. A pile of Baby Bare fluff on cute little bottoms.

Enjoy,

Jenny

4 Months and 28 Months

2 weeks old, 4 kg

26 Months in a Teddy Bare Side snapper

Ten Months

6 Weeks old

9 Months

3 Years old (2 months of being 4) 16.5 kg in an AIO Bare Cub

23 Months

16 Months

3 Years old and 2 Years old

How to customise your Baby Bare Nappies - The Teddy Bare

Here at Baby Bare, we realise every baby has different needs when it comes to cloth nappies. Therefore, every nappy needs to be able to adjust to those needs.

Whether it be a heavy wetter, tummy sleeper, chubby bubba, skinny bubba, toddler, newborn or anything in between, we have OPTIONS.

Our new Teddy nappy is part of growing those options. These nappies stick with the Baby Bare requirements. Trim, low rise, absorbent and affordable.

So how do you use these new nappies the best for your child? Read below for plenty of hints, tips and tricks for the best combination for your baby. Most of these tips can be applied to your Bare Cub nappies as well, so have a read.

With each Teddy Nappy you receive a Cover and a long 65cm foldable insert

Using Side Snaps
If you are new to side snap nappies, there is a few tricks you should know about.

The first one is to pull the insert up over your child first, then pull the cover to go over it. This allows the tabs underneath the front panel to not sit against your child, but rather the insert to do so.

Secondly, snaps the lower snap first. This snap secures around the legs. The higher snap gives you the waist fitting.

When snapping for the waist, you can snap into a different size to what the legs have been snapped into. You can go diagonally back/forward 1 or 2 snap places to give more or less room in the tummy.

Your Looong insert
Your Teddies come with one long 65cm insert. It is suede cloth topped to keep your baby feeling dry. This insert can be folded in so many different ways to help get a good fit on your baby. It snaps into the nappy at the back.

Your Teddy Insert

The nappy fit is a combination between the shape and application of the cover, and of the inserts.

We recommend trying a few combinations on your child to work out what you like, and as they grow adjusting the way you assemble your nappy.

The most basic way to use this insert is to fold in half.

Insert folded in half, snapped into your nappy.

If you find you need less insert in the front you can fold more into the back. This will help make the nappy less bulky in the front and give a padded bottom. This is good on little babies who lay on their backs most of the time. While it may appear to create a bump, this becomes much less noticeable when you pull the nappy up and put it on as the fold flows into the front of the nappy.

The smallest users may find a good fit folding the insert into three layers.

Triple layer Teddy Insert

Bigger Kids/Toddlers
If your baby is getting to be bigger (toddling), you should assemble the nappy so part of the insert is hanging over at the front (only when not on your child). This is because you are going to stretch the nappy up over the insert when its put on. If you dont do this, the insert will sit too low in the front.

Remember, pull the insert up towards their belly button (not that far though). Then grab your cover and pull it so the elastics are stretched through their groin. Pull the cover outwards to cover your insert and snap onto your child.

If you do not stretch the nappy by pulling it up you will not get the best fit on your child. By pulling the insert first you will find it easier to snap the nappy into place without the insert getting in the way. 

For larger children, the insert will need to be pulled up in the front and the cover stretched over the top

Make sure when you put the nappy on you pull the insert up towards their tummy, then pull the nappy to follow and cover the insert. Adjusting where the insert is folded will help you get the insert in the right place in the front. Playing with this perfect fold point on your insert will allow you to get a great fit on your nappies. See below.

You can see that you adjust the length of the insert at the point where it snaps in. 

You adjust how long it will be by leaving more space where the insert folds back on itself.

Using a Booster

Invisible insert folded for maximum coverage at the front of the nappy

Your long Teddy Insert is extremely absorbent. In the event you feel you need extra boosting I first recommend the invisible insert. This insert allows you to put the extra where you need it.

Tummy Sleeper? Try putting in folded in the front.
Just need more all over? Fold it in half in the nappy.





At nights or for extended use in the nappy you can add the trifold booster into the nappy. This will give you 12 wide layers of 450GSM bamboo fleece.

Trifold booster placed under the Teddy Insert

Small Babies

If you have a small baby and you would prefer to make the nappy less bulky, you have lots of options. You can use the trifold booster as an insert on its own. Fold it up and pop it into the nappy. This will place beautiful soft bamboo fleece against your baby which will work well to grip the newer baby poo and keep them comfortable.

Trifold Booster folded up in the nappy ready to use

You could try using a Birds Eye Flat. The cover can be used over the top if you want to fold it onto your baby. Alternatively, place it folded up into the nappy and you have a beautifully trim and soft solution for your baby.

Birds Eye Flat folded up into the nappy. A great trim solution.

Hopefully this guide gives you a few tricks to try to perfect the fit of your nappies on your child. Please do no be overwhelmed by reading it. I suggest playing with the nappies a bit to see how you think you would like to fold them and then adjusting for the best fit on your child. These are all ideas. In the end there are no 'rules'. Have a play, have some fun and find what works the best for you.

We are always here for any help you feel you need.

Jenny

Introducing the Teddies

We are extremely excited to be introducing a new nappy to Baby Bare.

Baby Bare Teddies

Our new Teddies are on their way to us right now. After months and months or thinking, testing, contemplating and working our Baby Bare magic, this nappy is finally ready to be seen in public.

The Teddy Bare is a side snapping nappy, this means the front of the nappy overlaps the back tabs, rather then the back tabs overlapping the front panel of the nappy. It gives you a flat front on the nappy and helps show off the cute prints a little more. The picture below helps demonstrate this.

The nappy has two rows of snaps allowing you to adjust the fit for the legs and waist separately. You can snap the right size for the legs and then snap further back (1 or even 2 snaps) to get it tight on the tummy. Tummy elastic also enables a firmer fit in the front, eliminating tummy gape.

The nappy has been designed to fit a large size range of children from about 4.5-5kg through to about 18kg. The nappy may fit from newborn depending on the size and proportion of the baby. We are hoping to get lots of feedback letting us know how small a bub has managed to be wrapped up in a Teddy.

The absorbent pad of the nappy is a 65cm long foldable insert which is topped with microsuede. You can also fold it back on top to have bamboo fleece against your child. The insert can be folded in half or more towards the front if that is where you use it. The bamboo is beautiful quality 450GSM fleece, making it very thirsty.

Some useful questions:

Can I use my existing Baby Bare inserts in this nappy?
Yes. The Snap in soaker set from the Bare Cub nappy fits in this nappy. While they snap in, you may want to lay them in and further towards the front to stop them creating a bump in the crutch where they end. We will have lots more info with use instructions and tips and tricks to come.

Can I buy extra inserts for the Teddy Bare?
Yes, you can purchase additional snap in inserts for the Teddy Bare. They are listed with inserts and boosters on our website.

How does this nappy fit for such a wide range of sizes without adjusting the rise?
The nappy will naturally fold across the front rather then needing to snap down.  This allows a more natural fit as the nappy will fold to suit your child in the rise if there is excess fabric. The nappy will also sit higher across the tummy on smaller babies, and move towards the hips as they grow. The snaps also adjust the waist and rise as they pull the nappy further up and back to fit on smaller babies.

Can the nappy be boosted?
This nappy is extremely absorbent. In the event you feel you need more absorbency it can be placed under or folded into the snap in insert. There is plenty of room to add a booster to this nappy, you may however find you need to adjust the snap sizing when filling the nappy more.

Will more colours and prints be released?
Yes. We plan to bring more colours and prints through out the year to build the available range in the Teddy Bare.

Is the nappy available in PUL?
At this stage the nappy is not available in PUL.

How does the fit compare to the Bare Cub & Silky Bare nappies?
Teddy is a reverse of our Bare Cub nappy. The width between the crotch is the same as is the rise of the nappy. The nappy fits a wider waist as the double snaps along the side allow it to open up wider for larger tummies and thighs. The insert also effects the fit, this insert allows a lot of customisation which can help fit and absorbency depending on where it is placed. The elastics have been top stitched giving an easier fit with no need to roll them back in.

Find below some great images of the Teddies in action.

26 month old, 14 kg, cute & chubby