There's always a choice to make, and in the world of cloth diapers the choices are seemingly endless. Being a cloth diaper maker, my cloth diaper drawer is full of tester diapers made from every imaginable material and design. To show my appreciation to the kids for their willingness to change diapers, I always leave them the "easy" diapers to use. However, more and more these days I catch myself wanting to reach for those easy diapers. So what makes them easy? The hook and loop tape, of course! I know, it's the not-quite age-old question of velcro versus snaps (or neither). In my opinion, snaps and velcro win out over pins and Snappis, purely from an ease of use and convenience standpoint (there are other considerations). But we are talking about easy.So, why do I love hook and loop (also known as Velcro, Aplix, and Touchtape)? Here is a list of 3 things I love about hook and loop:
1) Completely Adjustable. You always get a perfect, snug fit. No matter which snap configuration I use, I never seem to get a perfect fit.
2) Super Fast! Two quick flicks of the hand, and that puppy is on. No wrestling with a twisty toddler while trying to fasten snaps.
3) Anyone who doesn't cloth diaper can figure it out. The grandparents, babysitter, neighbor, nursery worker, siblings--anyone can figure out velcro tabs!
Okay, now there are a few cons:
1) From a sewer's standpoint, my sewing machines really don't like sewing on hook tape. I have put several machines out of whack doing this. But if you are not sewing, you don't have to consider this.
2) Noisy. When they are tiny and you are still doing lots of midnight diaper changes, the ripping of the velcro could be a noisy disruption to a light sleeper that you are wanting to get right back to bed.
3) Laundry issues. Some people complain about laundry chains, but that is easily eliminated by using the laundry tabs that most hook and loop diapers come equipped with. Some CD users complain of fibers from disposable liners and wipes getting enmeshed in the hook tape. This can also be remedied by the use of the laundry tabs or by not washing disposable fibers with your diapers. And even if this does happen, as I have had happen, it doesn't really affect the function of the diaper.
There, I have stated my case. I think I will go sew up some hook and loop diapers using my newly purchased loop fabric and enjoy the ease! If you haven't tried hook and loop before and like the idea of easier diaper changes, many of our Etsy Cloth Diaper Team members sell hook and loop options in adorable prints and for affordable prices.
Examples:
This adorable pink and purple Ooga Booga diaper is made by TheCraftEGalDiapers at:
This aqua Ooga Booga Diaper is made by Catchers Diapers at:
Your little guy is bound to get fired up about this handsome diaper by Mumtaz Soakers at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MumtazSoakers
The lovely floral diaper at the top of this blog entry is sold by Honey Buns at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/honeybunsclothdiaper
Are you a die hard velcro or snaps mama? We'd love to hear why! That's one of the great things about modern cloth diapers--with all of the variety, there is bound to be one that's perfect for you. You just have to discover it.
Where did you get the name for your shop?
