Several months ago, I learned about the Thirsties Natural all-in-one (AiO) diaper and became really interested in getting one. I’ve been trying to make a greater effort to focus on organic fibers for diapers and clothing as they are much better for the environment.
I purchased one a few weeks ago and would love to share my thoughts on the diaper so far. For context, my son will be two in a few weeks and weighs 30 lbs. This is a one-size diaper and the absorbent layers are trim enough that I do not see bulk being an issue at all for younger babies.
Video Walkthrough
See the individual pieces of the diaper here.
Materials, Fit, & Absorbency
The Thirsties Natural AiO is an organic cotton and hemp diaper with an outer waterproof layer.
The inner body is made from three layers of GOTS certified organic cotton. Then there are two attached soaker pads with 8-layers of a hemp/organic cotton blend. This gives a total of 11-layers of natural-fiber absorbency.
The soaker pads are only attached at one end which gives this diaper a faster dry time than some other all-in-ones. Even though I’m not always a fan of flaps, I do like these flaps. Compared to a diaper like the bumGenius Freetime, I like that the flaps are attached at the same end. This makes it much easier to remove poop from the diaper before washing because I can just worry about holding the flaps down on one end instead of them flapping all around.
My son can wear this diaper for quite awhile without any leaks at all (though changing every two to three hours is recommended for all babies/toddlers regardless of the diaper, but we all know that doesn’t always happen…) The amount of absorbency offered is definitely satisfactory, especially given that my son is a big boy (30 pounds, about 75th percentile in weight but less in height, so his belly is quite round) and almost 2!
This diaper is available in snap closures or hook & loop. I personally prefer snaps, though hook & loop is a great option for those wanting to quickly fasten a diaper or get a more exact, snug fit.
As far as fitting around my son’s big belly, these Thirsties Natural AiOs do snap with some room to spare (though getting him to cooperate for a fit pic is quite difficult!) They aren’t as roomy as some others (I believe Smart Bottoms, bumGenius and Grovia are roomier), but they do fit better than other brands that run more narrow, like Nicki’s Diapers brand diapers, Bumkins, or Imagine Baby.
I do believe this diaper will fit my big boy fine until he potty trains, but even if your baby is on the smaller side, this diaper will fit well.
Quality
The quality of Thirsties’ products is superb. I’ve never been unhappy with any of their products, and their wet bags are one of my favorite ones to use. This diaper is no different. They have adorable prints available (check out these prints exclusive to Nicki’s Diapers, too!) as well as some classic solid colors.
Thirsties has phenomenal customer service, and their diapers are manufactured in the USA.
I would have no qualms over buying a full stash of these diapers if they meet the goals you have for cloth diapering. The only issue I potentially see is if your baby has a wetness sensitivity–natural fiber diapers like this one do not have a moisture-wicking layer between the soakers and the baby. Many people prefer this because they only want natural fibers touching their child’s skin, or their baby’s skin is sensitive to synthetic fibers.
But some babies do not like to feel wet. If that is your baby, you can remedy this by cutting fleece liners from a cheap blanket or by getting a yard of fleece at the fabric store. You can lay the liners between the diaper and your baby, though you then will not have natural fibers touching your baby’s skin if that is important to you. But if there is a wetness sensitivity, you need to do what you need to do.
I have this diaper and use it myself and love it. But as I was studying reviews, I just want to reiterate that not having a moisture-wicking layer is not a design flaw in the diaper. It all depends on what your goals and priorities are with cloth diapering. Not having a synthetic layer of material against the skin is important to a lot of families, and they seek this out intentionally.
If having a moisture-wicking layer is important to you, but you still want organic cotton in your diaper, I recommend checking out the Blueberry Simplex Organic All-in-One.
Pros & Cons
Note: the pros and cons will vary person to person a bit depending on your ultimate cloth diapering motivations.
Pros:
- All the cotton in the diaper is 100{9994046f29331ee04cc0b5e07eb28364315ea03ccc2f01b5a43e8b85b372d1e9} certified organic cotton, which is much more eco-friendly than conventional cotton (learn more here)
- This diaper includes hemp (which is more absorbent than cotton) for an extra boost
- Thirsties manufactures its products in the USA
- Great customer service
- High quality diaper for a reasonable price
- Incredibly absorbent diaper compared to other natural all-in-ones
- Priced lower than many other organic cotton all-in-ones
- Amazing prints, including animal prints that aren’t cheesy at all
- Relatively trim fit
- Flaps are attached on the same end of the diaper which is more convenient, in my opinion.
- Better dry time (due to flaps)
Cons:
- This diaper runs a little narrower than some other brands. Not too much, though. See the “Materials, Fit, & Absorbency” section for more info on this.
- No moisture-wicking layer against baby’s skin
- The soaker pads are attached at only one end, making them flaps. Some people do not prefer that.
As you can see, I do believe the pros outweigh the cons. We love this diaper in our house!
Price & Where to Get
Prices can change at any time, but generally speaking, on a scale of $-$$$$$, this all-in-one is priced in the middle. It might not be the cheapest diaper out there, but it is a great value given the quality of the diaper.
My favorite place to get diapers is at Nicki’s Diapers–click here to see what Nicki’s has for this diaper. Nicki’s often as free shipping over a certain amount of money, too, and that amount of money can often be hit with just one item. It’s definitely worth checking out! Nicki’s also gives free gifts with orders on occasions, too.
Alternatively, Thirsties Naturals can be purchased on Amazon, If you are a Prime member and want fast shipping, that is an option for you.
What do you think of the Thirsties Natural All-in-One? Let me know in the comments!
This is a treasure trove of info you’ve got here on the Thirsties Natural diaper. I would struggle to find a better write-up on most blogs, so thank you for being so succinct. I checked out the video and think this might be a great option for us. I have a close relative that we help out a lot and I’ll send her the link to the page right now. She could really use it.
Cheers!
Thanks Buck! Glad you found it helpful.
I have to applaud anyone who uses cloth nappies. When my daughter was in nappies I didn’t take the cloth option because I was actually too worried about hygiene. How do you clean the nappies? Do you clean them separately? Soak them first and then wash? How much does it add to your washing time each week? It is great that cloth nappies have come such a long way since the 70’s and there are more options these days than what the baby boomers had when they were raising their kids. Funny how disposable nappies were something that was developed post baby boomers, and now there is a push to go back to the tried and tested cloth nappy.
Hi Liz–I recommend you check out my Cloth Diapering 101 series to get answers to those questions. You can start here: Cloth Diapering 101 – How to Cloth Diaper
I’m very glad that i came across this post. I’m currently reviewing organic makeup derived from hemp and while I’ve read that there are over 25,000 uses for hemp, I never realized that diapers were one of them. But I’ve had people tell me the same thing about makeup and hemp.
My two sons are too old for diapers now but I would definitely recommend this to all new moms.
Thanks Colleen! Hemp is a great insert material for cloth diapers. 🙂