For months I read of this mysterious cloth diaper soon to hit the market and blow the socks off cloth diaper users. The expectations were high for a diaper yet to be released.
I don’t know if it was my stubbornness to not follow the crowd or my genuine quest to be content with my stash that led me to snub this new cloth diaper everyone wanted.
Well my quest for contentment is a joke and not following the crowd only lasts so long. I finally caved and bought the mystery diaper- Gro Baby.
Gro Baby hit the market in March 2009. They were quickly designated as the perfect cloth diaper for any user: babysitter, daycare, newbie, skeptic, die-hard addict…get the picture?
I started off by buying a starter pack from The Cloth Diaper Superstore. My immediate evaluations were:
1) awesome velcro closure
2) sweet colors
3) love the snaps
4) rockin’ inner material
5) fluffy snap-in that actually looks super absorbent
After washing everything one time I began using the system. Remember, Sterling is 6wks old and almost 13lbs at the time of my “testing”. I have not measured his rise but he is 25″ long and both the smallest and middle snap settings work for him.
FIT:
Gro Baby cloth diapers allow for a fantastic snug fit. The unique velcro system permits the tabs to be fastened anywhere along the front of the diaper and cross over is simple. I love that there is no “strip” to attach to that inevitably starts to unravel and can often rub against baby.
The leg casings at first appear to be too tightly sewn and I thought for sure they would leave red marks. Even after putting the diaper on tight for my skinny legged guy there were no red marks. They did however prevent any leaks from the massive poops Sterling likes to do in the Gro Baby diapers :D
ABSORBENCY:
I confidently use the Gro Baby diapers on Sterling at night. The snap in is one of the most absorbent, if not most, soakers I have used. The soakers are 6 layers of organic cotton. I love that they are organic cotton! Many have voiced their preference for a stay-dry liner. I have read that this option will be available soon. If your baby is super sensitive to wetness this is something to look forward to.
After a night in a Gro Baby diaper with the booster laid in Sterling woke up with no leaks.
EASE OF USE:
When using Gro Baby cloth diapers on the smallest setting it is a pain getting the soaker to fit right. I don’t like anything sticking out of the diaper but in order to accomplish this with the soaker you really have to be patient and fiddle with it for a while. It can be done though.
When I set it on the middle setting there is no problem snapping in the soaker and putting it on baby.
Fastening the diaper on baby is quick and easy. I can say enough how much I love the whole front panel being an attachment area for the tabs. Also the laundry tabs aren’t something that had to be sewn on rather you simply fold the tab down. It attaches to the material.
VERSATILITY:
Gro Baby shells make an excellent cover over any fitted. I’ve used them over Goodmamas, mutts, sbish…all sizes of fitteds and the Gro Baby covered them well. This picture shows the Gro Baby shell being used as a cover over an sbish bamboo fitted.
COST:
The sampler pack I purchased cost $60. Included in the package is 2 shells, 4 snap in soakers and 2 boosters. This is equivalent to 4 diapers making the cost about $15 a diaper. Fantastic for an All-in-one or really any cloth diaper!
TRIMNESS:
On a newborn the Gro Baby system isn’t the trimmest option. As your baby grows and the diaper is expanded to the middle and largest snap setting the diaper becomes more trim. I personally have not had a problem with the size of the diaper. Sterling’s clothes fit as well as they do with a Goodmama.
OVERALL:
You can’t go wrong with the Gro Baby System. Honestly, I can’t imagines someone not liking it…if you buy one and don’t like it offer it to me first lol. In June Kim is releasing the vanilla version and it will have a snap option! I’ll be sticking with the velcro closure but the snaps have many mamas lining up already!
Danielle says
Hi Autumn!
Thank you so much for this great page. I have been using GroBabies for over two months (since my babe was two months old and I ran out of the cases of disposables everyone bought us). I had researched various CDs and decided I liked this system best. Lucia is a rather round breastfed baby so I do have leakage at night (even with the occasional disposable when we are traveling). My big concern is the smell that these have when they get really wet (which for my lil porker is every time). Do you have any tips to relieve this? The manufacturer doesn’t want you using anything but detergent and though they say it is not necessary I presoak them. I also hang them outside in the sun when it isn’t too cold. Let me know if there is a method you have found that works well…Thanks!
Autumn Beck says
is it ammonia or zoo animal stink?
Danielle says
If I had to guess I think it is more ammonia then zoo. It is powerful when the diapers get very wet (my babe pees big). It almost smells like old coffee when you smell it through Lucia’s clothes. Life would be perfect if the smell would disappear because otherwise I am having a very positive experience.
Thanks!
Autumn Beck says
Try a wash with more detergent than you typically use then rinse, rinse, rinse. See if that helps then lmk.
Summer hickman says
Any brands you recommend that are convenient to use like gro babies? They are the only ones I’ve ever tried or even seen in person.
Autumn Beck says
Softbums.
Summer Hickman says
Yes! I wrote to the company and they are going to take a look at them and perhaps fix or replace them for me since it’s been such a short time. Just wondering if others had the same issues. Good to know! I do need more diapers in my stash. Do you recommend me buying another brand?? I love the design of the gro babies just not the wear-out-so-quick factor!
Autumn Beck says
It’s always nice to try out a few different brands.
Summer Hickman says
Same problem as in leaking or the holes?
Autumn Beck says
they became ratty. i read of some moms having major shedding problems all of the sudden.
Summer says
Has anyone else experienced any wear and tear with their gro babies?? I have only been using mine for 6 months now and most of the snap-in inserts have holes in them and have become leaky. I will strip them (again) to see if that’s the problem with the leaks. But could they be leaking because they are worn out???
Autumn Beck says
I’m not sure how much their product line changed when they changed to GroVia, if any. I had problems with the soakers and read (back when this post was written) about others having the same problem as well.
Kim says
I love love love my gro baby. I also use the bio soakers on the go.
Nathan says
My son is almost 5 months old and my wife and I are considering cloth diapers for the first time what do you recommend? He is about 18 lbs.
Autumn Beck says
Please check out the tab My Recommendations.
Jennifer says
I bought these after researching and talking to our local store that sells cloth.
What a rip off! My son is 5 months old and the diapers have failed repeatedly since the second month.
My son is big- born at 11 pounds and now at 22 and 28 inches long. The diapers barely fit, and most of the time leak.
I am furious at being misled- this system is not going to last until he is potty trained at all. I have to get up twice a night to change him or he soaks through, even with the boosters.
I have found this to be a waste of money and frustrating.
Autumn Beck says
I’m sorry, Jennifer :( It is sometimes hard to find a one-size system (if even possible) to fit some children. If it’s any consolation keep the Gro Baby and try them again when your son thins out. Right now he’s probably round in the tummy and thighs. When he starts crawling and walking this may change alot (or not :) ).
Elizabeth says
I just purchased some gro baby diapers and am having problems with them leaking. It seems like my son manages to pee out of the side of the diaper. He is two months old and about 14 pounds. I think I am putting the diapers on correctly, but I am very frustrated that every time he wears one of these diapers I need to change his outfit. Are other people struggling with this?
Jennifer says
Yes- see my post below, you will be looking for a new system soon.
Pamela says
Hi,
I have been researching CDs for the last couple weeks now and would like to make the switch from disposables. I have a 2 month(almost 14lbs, 24″), an almost 2 yr old (tall and lean, still in diapers but I am wanting to start potty training soon) and an almost 4 yr old (shorter and ‘dense’ :) at about 40lbs, still wears pullups at night, often soaking through). I have been looking at the Gro Baby’s cause a friend just started using them. Do you think I could use them on all three kids? If they seem to leak for the little ones (I am EBF) what is your top recommendation? A friend gave me some covers, would you recommend prefolds or in your experience do fitteds do a better job?
Autumn Beck says
Pamela, I think Softbums would be a great fit for your trio. I’d contact Sarah and see what she thinks. http://www.softbums.com/
Summer says
Hi,
I’ve been using gro baby diapers fir just a few days now. My son is 3 months old today, weighs about 12 pounds, and is about 25″ long. Last night he had a big poop-out where the poop came out of the leg of the diaper, onto my clothes and our new carpet! I’ve been really trying to make sure they are snug now thinking maybe the diaper was on too loose. But, when I make the snug, they leave red marks on him. Is that from them being too tight?? Also, he’s exclusively breastfed which means looser stools so they really get everywhere. Plus, they stain the diapers bad-even if I wash or soak them immediately! What do I do about stains? I’ve read to put themin the sun but we haven’t had much of that lately! Also, should I use disposables until his poop is a little more solid to prevent messes??
Autumn Beck says
Hi, Summer. 1) I wouldn’t worry about stains. As soon as you remove them he’ll poop and make more. 2) Grobaby isn’t the best infant system, in my very humble opinion. I say this because it is designed to be a multi-use system, however when the baby poops the whole thing is dirty. The insert isn’t designed to contain the mess. 3) Can you find a happy medium between too loose and too tight around the legs? Sterling has always had skinny legs and I do remember being able to get a nice snug fit around the legs w/o red marks.
I would NOT use disposables until his poop is more solid. I would still be using disposables if I did that. Sterling is 11 months and his poop is still very mushy (not liquidy). You may need to buy some cheap fitteds for now and use the Grobaby shells as covers.
Sorry about the carpet! You may try some Bacout.
Summer says
Hi Autumn,
we have been successfully using the gro babies since I wrote you in February. I found that I can put the inserts in the sun and they will look brand new usually after an hour. It’s amazing! Also we didn’t have anymore problems with leaks until the past two days. Each time he’s pooped in the past two days it has leaked out from the right leg-same leg it leaked from before. Not sure if I’m just not getting it snug on that one leg but we went two months with no leaks and now were having them over and over! But I still like gro babies WAY better than disposables and so does my son-he fusses a lot when he’s wet in a disposable and is more prone to rashes. Anyway, thanks for your previous response!
Summer
Sara Sweatt says
Autumn,
We are due in 5 months and I have been doing a lot of research on cloth diapers. I have looked at pocket diapers and I don’t really like them because you have to wash them each time. It seems that Gro Baby is the best resource but I am wondering if a diaper service for the first 1-2 months is the best choice for us. What are your suggestions if we do it all on our own from the beginning? A friend of mine just had a baby and said she is going through 10-15 diapers a day! I am open to any and all suggestions. Thanks so much for your time!
Autumn Beck says
Sara, I have never used a diaper service (none have ever been available to me) but I wouldn’t use one anyways! Watching Dirty Jobs when he worked in one completely turned me off!! I prefer Flip over Gro Baby. If I had to list out in order hybrid diapers: 1) Flip 2) Softbums 3) Grobaby
And yes, in the nb stage 15 diapers isn’t outrageous ;)
amanda jones says
this info has been great! i ordered a few gro babies and dream eze. This will be my first experience cding. I feel excited but a little nervous that i made the right choces…we’ll see! due in 7 more weeks.
Autumn Beck says
Congrats, Amanda! Are you planning on cloth diapering full time from the beginning? Do you have a newborn stash ready? If you need any help browse through the newborn category for some great recommendations.
Rebecca says
My daughter is 2 months, nearly 12 lbs, and 25 inches. We’ve found we need to have a really quick turn-around time on the diapers – they can be soaked through in less than 2 hours. It’s frustrating because even with the extra soaker pad, there’s no way we could use them at night, while in an eco-disposable, she can go 7 hours without a leak. I’ve washed the soakers and liners a half dozen times, natural laundry detergent, no fabric softener or dryer sheets… just wondering if I’m doing something wrong? Any suggestions from those in the know?
Autumn Beck says
@Rebecca, your daughter may need something more absorbent than organic cotton. Microfiber doublers (with a fleece or suedecloth top) would be a great addition.
Max F. Exter says
My experience with Gro Baby thus far has been quite positive. My wife and I bought a starter pack before our son was born. We didn’t end up using it using it for the first couple of weeks due to some trepidation on my part, so I can’t speak of how well they fit on a baby that is earlier than a couple of weeks old.
As a daytime diaper, they are excellent. You can reuse the shell a few times, and they contain whatever my boy has thrown at them. I use a doubler most of the time out of habit, though this is likely unnecessary.
For bedtime I like to use a diaper with a stay dry liner. For that, I’m using a brand called Smarty Pants. They work quite well overnight, but are single use and thus not as practical as the Gro Baby.
To those who have had problems with leaks, I suggest that maybe you need to put the diapers on a bit tighter. I have found that the only time my son has woken up with escaped wetness is when they’ve been too loose.
Sherri says
I have been using the Gro Baby diapers for about 6 months and I am disappointed. They sometimes leak even when I use a soaker pad. I use a disposable diaper at night because my son woke up many times soaked through his undershirt and sleeper. All through the holidays, when he was wearing a special outfit he wore disposable diapers so I could be sure that my son’s outfit would not get wet. Also, the urine smell often stays on the shell.
Amy says
I have been using gro babys for a few weeks now. I like them WAY better than disposables but have had a few minor issues…poop on shells every time (I just hand-wash them though and it’s not really a problem, only a small amount usually gets on them)…shells smells a bit when wet (again not a huge problem to me since I had wash them each day and they dry in about an hour) …long drying time of inserts (any suggestions?). I am planning to start just using them for the daytime since my son pees out overnight. I am LOOKING FOR SUGGESTIONS for a great nighttime diaper for my son. He is 2 months old, long and lean 12#/25in., and sleeps for up to 7 hours at a time already.
Thanks!
Autumn Beck says
Amy, I recommend Flips for day and night (double the inserts) or sustainablebabyish bamboo fitteds for night. Those are what I use.
Lisa says
Hi Autumn,
I am due in February and considering purchasing Gro Baby diapers, but I noticed a few people don’t recommend them for newborns. Is there a better option for newborns out there? I’ve read that using prefold diapers is a good option.
I was actually about to purchase the Apple Cheeks before I read your review… but then I stepped back to think about it!
Thanks,
Lisa
Autumn Beck says
For newborns I would go with Lil’ Joeys by Rumparooz (pocket) or Muttaqin Baby (mutts) and a Thirsties cover. All contain the newborn poo very well which is always a fun challenge :)
mamabest says
I just purchased my first grobaby diapers for my almost 2 year old. I am expecting another baby in 2 months, so I'm excited that I can use these from birth up. I think the fit is fantastic, the more you wash the inserts, the more absorbent they become. These diapers are genius!
LaRae says
Does anyone know how they fit on a two year old that is not trim? My son is two and has always had a chunky waist, so disposable diapers that should fit him are often tight. We are now living in a developing country and I would like to use cloth diapers. I like the idea of the grobaby, but wanna make sure they will fit him for the few months I have left of him in diapers. He's 31 pounds.
Autumn Beck says
let me ask this on twitter
Bayla says
My baby is 15 months and is not big but has a big belly. The grobaby is pretty snug on him. I dont think it will last him unti he's 2.
Autumn Beck says
thank you for your response :)
Amy says
I am new to CD and I purchased the gro baby package, some bum genius 3.0 and some bum genius fitted organics. I didn't like the gro baby (I really wanted to because I love the idea and how they look!). My boy using them is 14 months and the majority of the times he pooped it got on the cover. Also, even if it was only wet it often was on the cover as well as the insert. The cover wasn't too wet to re-use, except it did smell so I didn't want to re-use it. Also, the velcro always came undone in the laundry. So….I was pretty bummed because I really wanted to love them. Some of the error could surely have been on my part as I am new to all of this, but I much preferred the bum genius 3.0!
Name says
I agree – those were exactly my issues. The cover starts to smell after one use as it is not just PUL but also has a liner. Also my baby soaked through the soaker and the booster overnight and woke up with wet clothes… Otherwise I love the idea and the design. The soakers are nice and small and great for traveling and washing.
jill says
Hey Was just wondering how you like these after using them for a while? I won 2 free in a contest and have them washed and ready to go, wondering if i have 13 pockets and wash every 2 days how many i might need to fill in? I was thinking of getting maybe 4 more soakers, for a total of 6 and 2 shells, then seeing how it goes with the pockets when we move up (2 lbs to hit large in BG3.0s and leave my 12 medium AIOS behind).. if you can reply to meeces.pieces@gmail.com I’d appreciate it! Thanks!
Dae says
Hi Autumn, I know this is late-coming, but I wanted your opinion on something. I’ve been using gro baby exclusively since the pre-orders came out (almost 3 months now). What’s your comparison of gro baby and soft bums? Which do you like better? Why?
Stacy says
I’m trying to learn about CD to potential use on my 2nd (due in Aug). Very excited although parentals think I’m crazy. When I went to look at Gro baby’s on diaper store website, the instructions said don’t use enzyme cleaner on them. The bac out treatment you mention really had me super excited. Can I really not use it on the Gro Baby’s? Intent is to breastfeed #2 (did also with #1) so will be breastfed diapers for quite a while.
Autumn Beck says
Stacy, I use Bac out on every diaper I have. But I’ll ask Kim (the GroBaby mama) and see what she says.
becca says
This diaper really looks great. I haven’t tried it and I am also new to CD. I have one concern about it, could you let me know from your experience?–Other CDs are similiar to the ease of disposables…you just rip em off and throw on a new one–so to speak…So, in regards to the Gro-baby, how is the convenience of having to keep the shell on a wiggly baby while taking of a soiled cloth and trying to ‘snap’ on a new one? Is it difficult, different, worth it?
Thanks,
Becca
Autumn Beck says
@becca: 1) it is handy to have another shell with an already snapped in soaker ready to go. then once you are done changing baby snap in a soaker to the shell you used (if it doesn’t need to dry) and it’s ready for the next change. 2) no gro baby diapers aren’t “sposie-easy” but the one-size factor and the fact that financially and environmentally this system is superior makes up for the lack of convenience sposies offer. 3) if you are looking for a diaper that is as easy as a disposable I’d recommend SposoEasy diapers.
Karen says
I’m new to CD and GroBaby is the first one I’ve tried. I love the colors–they look really cute and match some of my little girl’s tops. The velcro is great–it doesn’t hurt your fingers like some can. My only concern is that my 11 week old (12lbs) is already on the middle snap. These diapers seem very short.
Magda says
I have babies that are about 10 pounds and they are larger than normal so I was wondering if this diaper will fit my baby until the age of 3. They are a big investment and I don’t want my son to outgrow them. I just spent close to $500.00 on this brand and don’t want to wash them until I know they will fit all the way to potty training like they say.
Autumn Beck says
Magda, there really is no way to tell if your child will fit in any diaper all the way to potty training. Some babies will appear to be at the end of the size at 10m then slim down and fit in the fine to 3. It really all depends on the build of the child. Sterling is very thin and therefore will fit in most one-size diapers to the end. However, my chunky Paisley couldn’t do that.
kira says
Man, this makes me. Want to get some. My dd is almost 2 so I have been telling myself that I will not buy new dipes. Its gonna be hard. I love the natural baby company. We use their pocket changes primarily. And their customer service is awesome.
Elizabeth says
Soo….. what about new newborns – would you recommend these or does the cover get breast fed baby poop on them everytime….
Maybe a supply of these plus some prefolds and some newborn wraps would be best. What do you think?
Autumn Beck says
I need to add that to my post… newborn poop does get on the cover if it’s a big poop. I have had many times where I’ve changed Sterling and it didn’t get on the cover but it wasn’t a huge one. Having a second system would be a good idea with newborns.. fitteds+covers, prefolds+covers, pockets or aios.
Christina says
Autumn, I know you’ve had velcro issues (ie. bumgenius). I myself prefer snap for durability and so the child can’t undo the diaper. I thought I’d wait for the snap version of the Grobaby but reviews for their velcro seem great. What do you think? Thanks!
Allegra says
Great to see this review — I might just have to try these out!
Rachel says
When I was reading your review I came to the word FIT:…I was thinking what does FIT mean? Duh…it is fit…the fit of the diaper. I have been on DS too much and when I see letters I think each one stands for something. KWIM? :-) I love the gro baby. I use pfs in it and the snap in soakers. Great diaper. I am a snap mama, but I think I will stick to the velcro for now. I just really like it.
Wendy says
I love my Gro Baby diapers too! For a newborn I’m not sure how well the novelty of being able to switch out only the soaker would be since my one year old still manages to soil the cover every time he poops…but otherwise I think they might just be the perfect diaper! And having had velcro issues with other diapers, I really appreciate the super-strength velcro on these ones…
Liz says
Thanks for the great review! I am curious, how do they compare to the SoftBums (in your opinion?)
Kristin says
Thank you for this review! I am buying some for my baby due any day now.
Candace Robinson says
I’m so excited! I want one (or some) bad! Thanks for the review, now I can confidently buy one without worrying about how great it really is.