Cloth Diapering 101: All in Ones and Covers

Now that you understand the difference between flatfolds, prefolds and fitted diapers, and you know how a Pocket Diaper works, it’s time to take a look at the All-in-one diapers.
Not a lot of companies make All in Ones and frankly not a lot of cloth diapering parents are fond of them. If you ask me, this is not entirely deserved and All in Ones get a bum (sorry!) rap. All in One diapers can really simplify your changing routine and are a good thing to have on hand for when grandma or a sitter is watching the baby. There is nothing to stuff, nothing to pin or fasten beneath a cover. Just a diaper. They are also handy to have along for a quick change away from home.
The most common criticism All in Ones (commonly referred to as AIOs) receive is that they are difficult to properly wash and take forever to dry. The many layers are bulky and don’t fare as well in your machine. To which I respond, it depends on the AIO!
I’ve found Blueberry’s All in Ones to perform beautifully. They wash out easily and dry in the same amount of time as all my pocket and fitted diapers. This may be due to the clever construction of these diapers. They are made like pocket diapers with an opening in the back of the diaper lining, the only difference is that the insert is sewn in. This construction allows air to circulate and also provides you with the opportunity to stuff the diaper even more with extra inserts, if needed.
There are numerous WAHM moms who make and sell AIO diapers in every color of the rainbow, and often with a custom monogram or embroidered design. A good place to start your hunt for customized diapers (AIO or other) are the following sites:

The Diaper Pin
Etsy
Hyena Cart
Spend a few minutes searching for cloth diapers and you will be blown away with the possibilities.
And this brings me to my favorite part of cloth diapering. The covers!
Custom diaper covers may be what sucked me into this whole adventure. Sure there are many companies that make a good basic cover. Cotton Babies stocks a good selection. But how could I put a plain white cover on my baby when there were covers made of minky and sporting sock monkeys and too many other prints to mention, to choose from. Do you need a glamorous cover? No. But if you are going to do the laundry, I say, you deserve to have a little fun. Some favorites:
Once again I love the selection of covers at Blueberry Diapers. They do minky so well.
Another favorite custom made cover of ours are our Wiggle Worm Bottoms. Please note, there may be a waiting list to order custom made covers from this vendor.
In addition to PUL lined waterproof covers, you might want to consider woolen knit covers such as these amazingly adorable ones from Crankypants. There’s a waiting list for them, but I’m quite sure it’s worth it!
Stayed tuned till tomorrow when we will talk about cutting edge hybrid diapers, the virtue of snaps vs velcro and some of the many accessories used by cloth diaperers to make the experience an even more positive one.
And finally at the end of the week we’ll talk about the #1 feared topic in cloth diapering. Washing!