Thursday 1 December 2011

Bum Deal Nappies Bamboo Charcoal Cloth Nappy Review

As a cloth nappy user I love to try new nappies and add to my fluff collection, so when the lovely Ella from Bum Deal Nappies offered us the opportunity to review one of her new nappies I jumped at the chance.  I already have and use two minky Bum Deal nappies that have Velcro which I get on well with, Lee loves the giraffe print we have and he calls Tristan ‘Bam Bam’ when he is wearing it; so I was looking forward to seeing how this new nappy would compare.




Bum Deal Nappies is an UK company based in Wales, which was founded by Ella Parkin in 2010.  Whilst expecting her first child, Nellie, Ella looked into using reusable cloth nappies however she was put off with the average cost of a reusable nappy kit being around £250.  As she wanted to use cloth nappies and help the environment by minimizing her daughter’s carbon footprint she researched other options and Bum Deal Nappies was born.  Bum deal specialise in funky, easy to use cloth nappies at affordable prices.  Ella says on her website – “I have sourced a birth-to-potty nappy which I believe is cheap, easy to use, fun and most importantly RELIABLE! I firmly believe that you don’t have to compromise between performance and price when it comes to choosing a nappy. Bum Deal Nappies are a great deal for you and the environment.”



We were sent one of their new nappies to test in Daisy print.  Like all of Bum Deal Nappies’ range this nappy is a birth-to-potty nappy that fits from birth (approximately 8lb) to potty training (35lb) and the nappy comes with popper fastenings enabling the nappy to grow with your baby.  This Daisy nappy is a cow print minky nappy which has a bamboo charcoal fleece inner lining and comes with two inserts, one microfibre insert and one bamboo insert.  This pocket nappy system consists of a 3 layer technology -

1st layer is the contact layer next to baby’s skin which is a bamboo charcoal fleece layer.  The bamboo charcoal fleece layer works by wicking and locking moisture away from baby’s skin into the next layer of the nappy system and has the benefit of providing odour fighting and antibacterial properties.

2nd layer is a microfibre insert which soaks up moisture.  The bamboo insert provides extra super absorbency.


3rd layer is 100% waterproof and breathable polyurethane laminate outer to protect baby’s clothes from moisture leakage.  The outside of the nappy is a soft minky fabric.


I instantly loved the Daisy print and I was looking forward to seeing Tristan wearing this cute nappy.  The nappy is incredibly soft which I love.  The nappy is high quality, well made with superb stitching and made with great materials.  The bamboo insert is very soft and slim line which I like as it helps the nappy to not be bulky, but it does still create the ‘big cloth bum’ look that I love to see. 


Compared to the other Bum Deal nappies that we have this nappy seems to me to be a tad bigger and as such it’s taken me a few attempts to find the best fit on Tristan but now that I’ve got used to this nappy I can say that the fit is great.  As well as appearing to me to be a tad bigger the fact that it has poppers rather than Velcro has meant that the fit is slightly different.  When Tristan was younger I preferred Velcro as it was quicker and I felt that I could get a better fit but over the months I have now come to prefer poppers as I get a great fit and Tristan can’t undo the poppers so I like that this nappy has poppers rather than Velcro.  However I think the nappy would be better and benefit from having a double row of poppers rather than a single row like it has to help ensure a fantastic fit.  Even though I believe this I am pleased with the fit I do get with the nappy and not only is the nappy soft and comfortable for Tristan but it also does not leave any red marks on his thighs or belly and he can move freely when wearing this nappy.  The nappy has withstood Tristan’s very busy activity, in spite of him crawling and rolling around, jumping in his Jumperoo and getting everywhere with his walker we have had no leaks at all and the side gussets have contained some very messy nappies.  We have easily got 4 hours from this nappy with no leaking and I am very happy with how reliable it is. 

I'd love matching baby legs mummy!!
I’ve only ever used one other nappy with a bamboo insert and I was curious to see whether this insert would be as absorbent as the other bamboo booster I have used and the bamboo liners I have used in my two-part system nappies.  I have only ever experienced bamboo charcoal with liners that I have from these materials, the bamboo charcoal liners I have are very absorbent and I was looking forward to see whether a nappy would benefit in a positive way from having a bamboo charcoal fleece inner and if it would help wick away moisture.  I think the bamboo insert is brilliant, I believe the bamboo insert helps the nappy to be highly absorbent and wicks away moisture keeping Tristan naturally drier and comfortable, and I also like the fact that bamboo has natural anti-bacterial properties.  The other Bum Deal nappies I have only come with microfibre inserts and I think the addition of a bamboo insert makes this nappy even better as even though microfibre absorbs fast and holds a lot I don’t think it as good as a natural fibre.  Also the bamboo charcoal fleece inner lining is great as it makes the nappy even more absorbent and helps wick away moisture from Tristan’s skin into the inserts.  This soft lining kept Tristan dry and comfortable and even after about 4 hours his skin is dry to the touch, which I think is very impressive.  The pocket is a great, generous size and the opening makes it easy to insert and remove the inserts quickly and there is plenty of room to ‘stuff’ the nappy further by adding another booster if increased absorbency is required.  I like how versatile the nappy is and that you can just adjust absorbency to suit the circumstance and add another booster if needed for night time or very heavy wetters.

The beauty of pocket nappies means I can put the nappy on easily and quickly which is great as Tristan is a right wriggler and this nappy is very easy to put on during nappy changes.  If you are considering using cloth nappies, pocket nappies are just like disposables the only difference is you put them in the washing machine rather than the bin, saving yourself money and helping the environment; Lee finds this Bum Deal Nappy easy to use and prefers it to the two-part nappy systems we have, so it's great for Daddies to manage to use too.  This nappy washes really well and I am pleased to say that the soft minky outer is still as soft now after numerous washes as it was when new.  As the nappy comes apart and the inserts are slim the drying time is great and even the bamboo insert dries quickly, the whole nappy dries outside on the line or by the wood fire in just a few hours.  It dries quicker than the two-part nappies I have.  For such an absorbent nappy the drying time is fantastic.

I would highly recommend Bum Deal Nappies; the nappy is gorgeous and it functions fabulously.  I am very impressed with the quality and absorbency.  I am very pleased and I think that Bum Deal delivers quality nappies that are kind to baby’s bum at a great price and I love that you can buy gorgeous cloth nappies that work well that won’t cost you a fortune.  For existing cloth nappies users Bum Deal Nappies are perfect as you can increase your fluff collection without your bank taking a big hit and for parents considering using cloth nappies these are ideal as they are extremely easy to use, do a great job and are very affordable.

I believe Bum Deal Nappies are great for cloth loving parents and for those who are considering using cloth nappies as they are a great quality reliable nappy that is extremely affordable for the incredible price of £7.45 which is an amazing price for a reliable cloth nappy especially as you get a bamboo insert and that the inner lining is made of bamboo charcoal fleece.  All nappies and accessories can be bought on their website and they sell bargain packs which helps save you even more money.  This Bum Deal Nappy that we have tested is just one nappy in the range that they have, they also sell baby legs, wet bags, bandana bibs, reusable and flushable liners, boosters and reusable wipes.  They also have other pocket nappies available; they have poppered nappies in soft and silky plain fabric or minky and Velcro minky nappies too.  As well as their Bum Deal nappies they also sell Papoose nappies.  You can also purchase Rufflebum nappies from Bum Deal Nappies, which are nappies that are customised by a work at home mum; there are available styles offered to purchase for £16.00 or you can ‘design your own.’  Bum Deal Nappies have a Facebook page and can be followed on twitter @nelliesnappies.  Pop over to their facebook page and take a look at the absolutely adorable Animal Nappies that are customised with animal ears and tail for £16....I love these and sooooo want one, maybe I can persuade Lee to buy me one for Christmas.

* Bum Deal Nappies kindly sent us this nappy to review for free, despite this I have written an honest review that contains my own words and opinions and is 100% my own *

2 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for your great review, its so helpful to get this advice before buying as i am trying to check what products are now available ready for when our next little one arrives in a few months time x

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  2. I think some of the leaking problems people have are due to incorrect prep and washing so if you follow the directions and use the correct soap you shouldn't have a problem. When she is big enough for the mediums, I will buy them again. We have never had a problem with diaper rash. As you can tell, I'm happy with these and although the washing and stuffing the diapers is a little more work, we make it happen. We will soon be using cloth wipes because it won't be anymore work for us and better for our little girl!

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