How many cloth diapers do I need? is a common question asked by first-time cloth diapering parents.

While there are some general recommendations out there, the truth is each family is different. The number of cloth diapers you need will depend on a lot of variables.

If that stresses you out and you don’t want to have to figure out those variables right now, the standard number given for every other day washing is 18-24 diapers. Take that number and run if that satisfies you.

If you want to get a better idea of the true number you will really need for your lifestyle, read on!

It’s important to note that you may not wish to buy your WHOLE diaper stash at once. You might think you’re going to love a particular type of diaper, so you stock up on a good sale only to find out that once you start using it, you don’t really love it like you thought you would.

However, if you’re really not a picky person, you’ll probably be fine to do some stocking up ahead of time. You still run the risk that some diapers won’t fit your baby as well as others, but you will probably be able to make most work.

Here is a quick video to give you an idea of the variables you need to consider. For more details, continue reading.

Consider the Age of the Baby

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Newborn babies need to be changed much more frequently than an older baby or toddler. If you are planning on using cloth diapers right away after your baby comes (or within the first few months), you are going to need to have a few more diapers on hand than someone who starts cloth diapering when their baby is a year old.

You should plan to change a newborn every two hours, so enough for 12 diaper changes per day is a good number.

If you wait to start cloth diapering until your baby is a few months old, you can cut that down to 8-10 per day. It all depends on how your baby sleeps at night and if you need to change their diaper at wake ups (that will depend on what kind and type of diaper you are using).

Once your baby becomes a toddler, you may use slightly less than that. My son is almost 2, and I probably do 5-6 changes a day and have done that many for a while now.

Consider the Type of Diaper

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The type of diaper you choose makes a difference in the amount you need.

For example, if you use all-in-one diapers, it is pretty straight forward. You consider how many times per day you need to change your baby, and that is how many diapers you need to have (multiply by the number of days you want to go between loads of laundry).

If you use a system like flats or prefolds & covers, or all-in-twos & fitteds, then you need to consider how many you need of separate parts of the system.

The flat/prefold/insert/fitted part of this system is pretty straight forward–you need the amount that matches the number of diaper changes you do.

As for covers, they can typically be wiped down between changes and reused as long as the baby didn’t have a messy bowel movement that got everywhere.

Some babies have a pretty predictable pooping schedule and just do it once or twice a day. Other babies poop at every diaper change! So this can definitely make it hard to give a definitive number. Baby poops will also space out as they get older.

If you’re using a system with covers and plan to cloth diaper right from the start, you will probably want at least 6 covers per day that you want to go between washing.

If you wait until your baby is a few months old, you will get a better idea of how many times per day your baby poops and be able to use that information to help you plan a bit. 4-5 covers per day that you want to go between washings is a safe number.

Now that my youngest is a toddler, I could get by with 3-4 covers per day. It all varies–as you know, some toddlers struggle with constipation while others have pretty active systems. My kids also tend to have more bowel movements based on what they eat, so sometimes having a few more covers is necessary.

With pockets, it might be more straightforward like all-in-ones, but it does depend on what you want & need to use for inserts. But generally speaking, you need the same amount as the number of diaper changes that you do, and you may find you want to double up inserts later on, but to start you can definitely use a 1:1 ratio.

Consider Your Lifestyle

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How much laundry are you willing to do? If you’re already drowning in laundry, do you really want to try to get by with a small diaper stash that requires you to do a load every day? (However, I do find diaper laundry to be the easiest laundry I do, so maybe that won’t be an issue).

Maybe you would be happier doing laundry every other day, every third day, once a week, etc.

You also need to consider your laundry situation: do you own a washer, or will you be relying on a laundromat?

Do you want to line dry your diapers, or do you want to use the dryer? Line drying is great, but your diapers may dry more slowly that way (depending on the material your diapers are made from–synthetic materials will probably dry a little more quickly than natural fibers) or laundromat?

The answers to these questions will determine a good amount for you. If you need to leave your home to wash your diapers, it is probably more convenient for you to do laundry once a week. (If this is you, I highly recommend an all-in-two system or a hybrid system. They will help you maximize the number of diaper changes you can fit in one load of laundry).

Consider Your Preferences

Are you going to cloth diaper during the newborn stage? Or wait until your baby is bigger?

You may very well need a separate newborn stash and one-size stash depending on the size of your baby. That newborn stash may only be used for a few weeks, or it could be a few months! It depends on how big your baby is when they are born, which is obviously hard to predict.

If you do plan to use newborn cloth, you will need to decide what is more important to you: having a bigger newborn stash to do less laundry, or having a smaller newborn stash since you will not be using them for very long to maximize money savings.

Either way, 12 diaper changes per day you want to go between loads of laundry is a good number for a newborn cloth stash. See here for some of my top recommended newborn options.

The next thing to consider as far as your preferences go is whether you are committed to using cloth diapers full time. Do you want to use them 100{9994046f29331ee04cc0b5e07eb28364315ea03ccc2f01b5a43e8b85b372d1e9} of the time, or do you want to only use cloth diapers part-time?

If you plan to just use cloth diapers part-time, it doesn’t really matter how many you get to start. You will find a routine that works for you, and you can buy a few of them to try out, using disposables when you run out and need to do a load of laundry, and then add more as you feel necessary for your desired routine.

If you plan to use cloth full time and have not read the first part of this article, refer to the sections above to get a good idea of how many you need.

Recommended Amounts

Here is what I recommend for building your stash. I just want to reiterate that this isn’t a perfect science and the number of diapers you need ultimately depends on a lot of factors, many of which I described above. The numbers given below are averages. You may find yourself using more or less. Use these tables as a starting point. Add more as necessary.

If you end up not needing as many as the tables suggest, lucky you! You can sell the extra diapers to recoup some costs if you want, or you can add an extra day between loads of laundry. That’s a win!

Here is a starting point for the number of diapers you will need if you want to wash every day.

Age of BabyAll-in-OnesFlats/Prefolds & CoversFitteds & CoversPocketsAll-in-Twos/Hybrids
Newborn1212 flats/prefolds, 6 covers12 fitteds, 6 covers1212 inserts, 6 covers
3 to 8/9 months8-108-10 flats/prefolds, 4-5 covers8-10 fitteds, 4-5 covers8-108-10 inserts, 4-5 covers
9 to 18 months6-86-8 flats/prefolds, 3-4 covers6-8 fitteds, 3-4 covers6-86-8 inserts, 3-4 covers
18 months +5-65-6 flats/prefolds, 3-4 covers5-6 fitteds, 3-4 covers5-65-6 inserts, 3-4 covers

If you would like to wash every other day, here are the amounts I recommend:

Age of BabyAll-in-OnesFlats/Prefolds & CoversFitteds & CoversPocketsAll-in-Twos/Hybrids
Newborn2424 flats/prefolds, 12 covers24 fitteds, 12 covers2424 inserts, 12 covers
3 to 8/9 months16-2016-20 flats/prefolds, 8-10 covers16-20 fitteds, 8-10 covers16-2016-20 inserts, 8-10 covers
9 to 18 months12-1612-16 flats/prefolds, 6-8 covers12-16 fitteds, 6-8 covers12-1612-16 inserts, 6-8 covers
18 months +10-1210-12 flats/prefolds, 6-8 covers10-12 fitteds, 3-4 covers10-1210-12 inserts, 6-8 covers

You can use this data to calculate the number you would like for any number of days: if you want to wash every third day, add the amounts from the two tables together. If you would like to wash once a week, take the higher end of the ranges given in table 2 and multiply by three.

Conclusion

Don’t stress too much about getting the perfect amount of diapers. If you are just starting out but fully committed to using cloth, I recommend getting enough for every other day washing (the second table). You can add more of your favorites after you have begun using them.

If you aren’t totally sure you are committed to cloth, you might want to start with the amounts for everyday washing (table 1) and either commit to washing daily while you try them out or use them part-time with disposables while you decide.

How many diapers do you have, and how long do you go between washings? Let me know in the comments!

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