People often ask what the difference is between microfiber, hemp, bamboo, and charcoal bamboo cloth diaper inserts? Is there a certain way that they have to be used? Let me explain!
Microfiber:
Microfiber inserts are made from synthetic materials (i.e. man made). Super fast at absorbing wetness and just plain super absorbent. Used in many pocket and overnight diapers. They are typically the most inexpensive inserts there are. Microfiber dries fast in the dryer or clothes line. Microfiber feels scratchy and like it’s drying your fingers out as you touch it.
Beware, certain brands of microfiber inserts appear to have a shorter lifespan than inserts from other materials. This can sometimes be as short as a year of use. At that point you may notice that it is not absorbing the same as it did and you may start to have leaks from around the legs. If stripping doesn’t work, you may need to replace them. Due to the nature of the material these are made of they tend to hold on to stink and ammonia easier than inserts made of natural fibers. I have heard claims that people have to strip these more often than other inserts. I’m not a MF fan so I donated all of mine, so I can’t attest to long term use of them. These are also not the trimmest inserts, I would say they are about a medium range of bulky.
How to prep: Microfiber inserts don’t need to be prepped. They arrive at their full absorbency and have no oil to wash off. You may just want to wash once to get the manufacturing yuckies off but that is up to you.
How to use: Microfiber inserts should NEVER be placed directly against baby’s skin. This is because these inserts are SO absorbent that when placed directly against baby, they will actually pull moisture out of the skin causing redness and possibly a rash. You know that dry feeling you get from touching them? Imagine that on your bottom! Ouch!
As long as there is some sort of fabric between inserts and baby you are safe.
Hemp:
Hemp is a natural fiber that when used as an insert is incredibly absorbent, trim and naturally antimicrobial. Hemp inserts hold about 2.5x more fluid than microfiber! They are a great nighttime solution when used behind microfiber inserts. Hemp will get softer and more absorbent the more it is washed. It is also extremely durable. You will often see hemp/cotton blends in inserts. Thirsties Hemp Inserts and Geffen Baby Super Absorbers Plus are my favorite to double up with. My favorite stand alone hemp inserts are RagaBabe’s Bulletproof Inserts! If you are wondering how different brands of hemp stand up in absorbency check this out!
How to prep: Inserts that are made from natural fibers such as hemp and bamboo contain natural oils. Because of this it is recommended that they be washed at least 1x with a small amount of detergent and hot water as to not deposit oils on other cloth diapers possibly causing repelling. **I personally just toss in with my clothes laundry and wash once (just no synthetic fabric softeners). Then I just throw them in the wet bag and wash with next load of cloth diapers and start using them. Just be aware that most hemp inserts require 8 or so hot washes with drying to reach full absorbency. You can use the inserts prior to that. Just and adjust accordingly with either more frequent changes or by adding additional absorbency (adding a booster or another insert) until it is fully prepped.
How to use: Hemp is a slow, stable absorber. Some hemp works better if placed under (furthest away from baby’s skin) another insert such as cotton or microfiber. Not all though, brands such as Geffen Baby do just fine against little one and on its own.
Bamboo:
There is some controversy on whether bamboo is a true natural fiber due to the way it is made. You can read more here. Bamboo is a highly absorbent fiber and inserts remain soft wash after wash. Rayon from bamboo which is the actual material used in cloth diapers, while still super absorbent, does not retain the antimicrobial properties of the actual bamboo. You will often see bamboo/rayon and polyester mixes. While bamboo is absorbent, it isn’t the trimmest option. Some brands also get wavy (sometimes called baconing) after repeated washes.
How to prep: Please see how to prep hemp. It is the same procedure.
How to use: Bamboo inserts can be placed anywhere you like! No danger of harming babies skin or not absorbing fast enough and getting leaks.
Charcoal Bamboo:
During the manufacturing process, nano-particles of charcoal are added to the bamboo rayon to create the dark grey color. Some sellers claim that the charcoal is antibacterial and also helps with stink in cloth diaper. None of those claims are true. The only benefit of the charcoal is to make the insert a dark color. Another thing to be aware of is that many charcoal bamboo inserts are just bamboo on the outside with microfiber sandwiched within. Be sure to read the description or question the seller directly if you are looking to stay away from microfiber.
How to prep: Please see how to prep hemp. It is the same procedure.
How to use: Charcoal Bamboo inserts can be placed anywhere you like!
Check out this post for suggestions on inserts that you might also love!
Do you have a favorite material that you like to use for inserts and cloth diapers? Any ones you avoid? Let me know!
Jenn is a long-time cloth diaper educator and a passionate small business advocate. She has worked in the reusable diaper industry for over a decade, helping millions of families via her websites All About Cloth Diapers, Thinking About Cloth Diapers and Cloth Diaper Geek as well as hundreds of small businesses during that time. Her goal always to provide simple, reliable information.
Ettina says
What about polyester? I bought cloth diapers and inserts without knowing that I should be paying attention to what they’re made of, and one of the kinds I’ve been using is polyester and the other is a bamboo/polyester blend. Anything I should know about polyester diaper inserts?
Nicole says
I was gifted some inserts and I am not certain if they are cotton or microfiber. Anyway to tell what they are made out of. There’s no tag for information. And for some reason the person I got them from doesn’t know. I haven’t used them as I’m still pregnant with my first. Thanks.
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Microfiber feels almost scratchy. Have you ever used those shop towels that are supposed to be super absorbent? Those are usually microfiber. Cotton is what you find in tshirts and towels so it will look similar for the inserts.
Alissa says
I love the shop towel comparison!
Megan says
I always see people saying that microfiber shouldn’t touch baby’s skin because it will cause a rash as it pulls moisture from the skin. I think people have this explaination backwards!
What is happening I believe it that because it doesn’t absorb well, that it keeps moisture touching the skin, which causes the skin to stay wet with urine (not dry), then causes chapped and rashy skin.
–> For example, if you don’t dry your hands well all the time after washing, or keep licking your lips, they get chapped. If you put on a microfiber bathrobe (not cotton towel) right after getting out of the shower, you feel cold and wet (I hate that)! It doesn’t absorb well!
–> I can explain this from my experience as a professional house cleaner. Microfiber isn’t that absorbant compared to cotton, hemp, bamboo. When cleaning with a cotton terry cloth, if you spray your product on it, it absorbs emmediately and can dry surfaces like glass and mirror very well! But when you are cleaning with a microfiber cloth, it leaves streaks on glass and mirrors, it spreads the product around and around forever, but will never dry the surface. You can spray the product on the microfiber cloth and your water or product will stay and roll around on the surface of the cloth (especially when the microfiber is newer). This is why microfiber makes an excellent cloth for spreading (not absorbing) products around like leather & wood polish or stainless steel cleaner.
–> This is why I think microfiber may still make a great reusable wipe. Because it will spread any cleaner needed on the baby’s bum, be able to wipe off poop without it getting soaked up it in (and wash it off easier) and will only touch the skin temporarily. :)
Kelsey Harman says
It will pull moisture from the skin. Ever held a DRY microfiber insert for 5 minutes. Your hand will be so dry. Mine even start to crack at the fingertips. That’s what it does to baby’s bum.
Dee says
Would I be able to use a Microfibre/bamboo liner in my bra as an absorber for overnight engorgement/leakage?
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Hey! If you could be more specific with brand of liner I could be more exact. But for now, if the outside of the liner is Microfiber then it shouldn’t go directly against skin as it will irritate it. If you have any blends that don’t contain it then they are totally fine to use like that.
Becky says
Can you place either bamboo or hemp inserts just by themselves? Or does it need to have another type of insert on top? Placing another makes my diapers super thick and then I need to make the diaper larger which makes it not as tight around the legs.
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Yes, they can be used by themselves. Are you having leaks when you use just one? What brands are you using?
Christine says
Which absorbs more, hemp or bamboo? You mentioned hemp absorbs 2.5x the microfiber, but nothing about hemp vs bamboo or bamboo vs microfiber. Thanks!
Hibba says
Hi there! This is the best website I have come across. Everytime I think I have cloth diapering figured out, something new pops up! My question: what are bamboo viscose inserts and are they better or the same as Bamboo inserts?
Jennifer Reinhardt says
They are one and the same.
Stephanie says
Thank you so much for breaking this info down! I know a lot of folks use a drying rack to dry their pocket diapers. Can pocket diapers be dried in the dryer? Also, should hemp and bamboo inserts be air dried or can I throw them in the dryer?
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Yes, they can be machine dried. If your dryer runs hot though I would recommend only using the medium heat setting.
Janine Dear-Barlow says
It can ruin the PUL.
Kathy says
As a soon to be first time mom, your website has been a God send to me! When I start getting overwhelmed by all the info online, I somehow keep ending up right back here…particularly to this article…I think I’ve read it 10 times! ? Thank you so much for all the helpful info in one place. It really makes it less overwhelming. I’m just going to save this article now so I can refer to it about 30 more times over the next 25 weeks! ?
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Thank you so much for taking the time to say so! I really appreciate that! And I’m really glad you found something that helps!
Lori says
Nice information! It’s great to have it in one place. I’d love to have cotton inserts added to the article info. It took a while for me to figure it all out for what to use and what order to layer it in.
Since many diapers come with instructions to wash in warm, not hot, I just use warm on both pre wash and main wash, so I don’t get anything confused. Do you think there is any worry to prep with warm water rather than hot? I suppose I could do a hot wash every once in a while if just inserts if I have stink issues?
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Great idea! I’ll add that to my to do list! Thank you! You can prep with your other laundry if you like. Just don’t use softeners. Warm water would be fine.
Leigh says
This was a great informative page! I’m a FTM that’s due in a day or so haha and have chosen to cloth diaper. For my diaper stash so far I have ordered a wide variety of brands, and fabrics in mostly pockets and AIO (make things easy for my spouse). The only material that I see missing from my inserts in this page is charcoal. I have some inserts that are a charcoal bamboo combination and was wondering where these fit into the mix in terms of absorbency and rate of absorbancy?
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Hi Leigh, Basically the charcoal part is a gimmick. Really the only benefit that it does offer is making the inserts dark in color. I’ll have to update this post to add more info, thanks for the suggestion. Here’s an excellent resource that explains more about the charcoal. http://www.ecobabysteps.com/2013/06/25/whats-the-deal-with-charcoal-bamboo/
Dipali Mehta says
If I have only bamboo and micro fiber insert, what is better? And how should it be used? Only bamboo? Or bamboo over micro fiber? What will be more comfortable for the baby (new born) and from more absorbent point of view?
Kindly reply on my email address also.
Jennifer Reinhardt says
It depends on the brands of the inserts. Bamboo is usually the better choice. Microfiber can’t be put against skin. You could use both and stack them together with bamboo next to skin. This post is another good one to read. http://www.allaboutclothdiapers.com/how-much-liquid-do-cloth-diapers-really-hold/
Haylea says
I’m new to cloth diapering and I have a 3 month old. I have a very wide variety of cloth diapers handy. I have microfiber, hemp, bamboo, and cotton inserts and I have pocket, fitted, and contour diapers. I also have one insert that says minky on the tag? I’m not too sure what that is. I’m basically replying to see what your favorite insert combo is for night and day time. Please add the placement of the inserts for in the diaper (closest to the skin and furthest away). Also, when folding a prefold to use as an insert do you put the folded portion against skin or the flat portion? Thanks so much in advance!
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Hi Haylea, Minky is a soft, plush fabric made out of synthetic microfiber. Hemp will be the most absorbent and trim, then bamboo, MF and finally cotton. MF should never go directly against the skin. And if you are layering bamboo and hemp, put the bamboo closest to baby as it is a faster absorber. Finding the right combo at night also depends on what brands because even in the same materials they will vary from brand to brand as far as absorbency goes. I’m not sure what you are asking about the prefold.
Jennifer says
I’m desperate for answers on this since I’m very new to cloth diapering.
-is a bamboo insert on top of a hemp insert good enough for daytime or do I need hemp doubler???
-I’m using wool as my soaker and occasional top liner for nighttime, but would a hemp prefold help with leaks, or a trifold???
Jennifer Reinhardt says
All bamboo and hemp are not created equal. Different brands will be more absorbent or even trimmer. And it also depends on how old your LO is and how much they pee. Hemp in general will be the trimmest and most absorbent option. Bamboo will absorb a bit faster and is good to pair on top of a hemp. Check this out. http://www.allaboutclothdiapers.com/how-much-liquid-do-cloth-diapers-really-hold/
Lindsay says
What do I do if I already washed my natural and synthetic in a load together?
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Nothing, you will probably be just fine.
Karla V says
Can I prep bamboo and hemp inserts together?
Jennifer Reinhardt says
I do. I usually wash them once with my regular clothes. Then start washing and using like normal. They just won’t be at full absorbency until 6- 8 washes so you have to adjust accordingly.
Irina Johnson says
thanks for the informative article which highlights the various differences between the three different materials that can be used to make an insert
Lisa says
Applecheeks bamboo is “viscose from bamboo” a type of rayon. Kawaii probably uses the same material, otherwise the fabric would be very different in how it feels. Rayon from bamboo is very soft, naturally bamboo is not soft.
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Hi Lisa, there is no such thing as natural bamboo in cloth diapers. It appears that all bamboo is a processed rayon. All materials need some processing to make them into a final usable product. Hemp and then cotton are the closest things as probably least processed of the materials used in cloth diapers.
judi says
People keep saying there there are natural oils in bamboo but I can’t see how that’s possible. Bamboo fabric goes through such a complicated process to be made (it’s basically rayon) that any natural oils in the bamboo would have to be gone. The only difference between bamboo rayon and other rayon is that other types of rayon are made from trees instead of bamboo.Is there any evidence that bamboo has anti-microbial properties? I thought I read that there was no proof of that. I believe hemp does though. I’m hoping to replace my microfiber inserts with flats soon! Easier to wash!
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Hi Judy, Thanks for posting. Not all bamboo fabric is made into Rayon. Not all bamboo inserts contain bamboo rayon from my understanding. I believe Kawaii has a 100% organic bamboo insert, I’m sure there are others. You are correct that the rayon does not have any natural oils. But other bamboo fabrics do. If it is of the bamboo (not rayon) then it keeps the anti-microbial properties.
Jennifer Reinhardt says
I also found these from applecheecks, bamboo inserts. http://www.sweetbottomsbaby.com/AppleCheeks-One-size-2-Layer-Bamboo-Insert-2-pack_p_772.html
judi says
http://www.patagonia.com/pdf/en_US/bamboo_and_rayon.pdf This is what patagonia says about it. Couldn’t that fabric from kawaii and applecheeks be rayon? I’ve seen rayon blended with other fabrics.
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Dirty Diaper Laundry’s post was from 2009. She stated in the post, “So, what does this mean for Bamboo in cloth diapers? First, since the FTC has changed the definition of Bamboo, diapers will now have to be labeled as Rayon or, if they can substantiate it, Rayon from Bamboo. They will still be able to call Organic Bamboo Velour just that, but from an ingredients standpoint the tag will have to read rayon. Take a cotton t shirt, it is labeled “cotton” but if you read the label it will most likely read “95% cotton 5% spandex”. In this case they can probably say “Organic Bamboo Velour” but the label will read “90% Rayon from Bamboo 10% cotton.”
I cannot speak to the fact of whether or not the FTC has begun enforcing the rules, however I would lean towards assuming so because all this happened almost 5 years ago. I have not contacted Kawaii or applecheeks directly, but I did use directly what they have posted on their sites. And they have the material labeled as bamboo, not velour from bamboo or rayon
Either way I still think bamboo in any form is a good material in cloth diapers.
judi says
I agree that it is a nice fabric for diapers! I just think it’s important to not make claims that aren’t proven. My daughter snatches up the bamboo hoodies when they go on sale because the fabric is SO soft! :)
Jennifer Reinhardt says
What claim has been made that isn’t proven. Currently the FTC rules state that bamboo can only be used on the label if it is actually bamboo. The ones listed have bamboo on their label. So unless they are not following the law, it has to be bamboo.
judi says
The anti-microbial claim. I can’t find any evidence that that’s true. Like I said, I still think it’s great for diapers. It performs beautifully.
Jennifer Reinhardt says
Judi, I’ve emailed Kawaii and Applecheeks to see if I can get an answer to Exactly what they mean by bamboo. I will let you know when I get a reply. Thanks!