Top 4 Reasons to Choose Prefold Cloth Nappies

Prefolds are awesome. Let’s just get that out of the way up front. They’re versatile, easy to care for, low cost and can be used in a variety of ways to extend the life of them well beyond the nappy years. They’re one of the quickest and easiest ways to get started on your cloth nappy journey and can help to reduce financial stress for any family that needs a simple and effective alternative to single-use nappies.

By definition, a prefold is a rectangle shaped piece of absorbent fabric, usually with more than one layer of fabric either all over or through the centre panel. It can be fastened with a Snappi or pins and will require a waterproof cover.

Here’s the low-down on why they rock.

VERSATILITY

Prefolds are a fantastic option for a great variety of babies – big or small, chubby or slim, tall or short, newborn or toddler. You see, prefolds can be folded in a variety of ways to create just the right solution for your baby.

Fold angel wing for newborns:

Fold as a pad to insert into a pocket nappy or lay inside a cover (all ages):

Lay inside a night nappy for extra absorbency to get you through (all ages once sleeping through the night).

EASE OF CARE

Prefolds are supremely easy to care for. If you’re using them as nappies, you’ll want to

1) flush solids 

2) run them through a rinse in the machine 

3) throw any other clothing in the machine and then run everything through a wash with detergent

4) hang on the line to dry

Too easy. 

If you’re using them for other purposes, they probably won’t even need the first 2 steps above – just wash with a normal load. 

The only thing you really can’t do with them is leave them on the line on a 40 degree day… just like your towels, they’ll go pretty stiff!

LOW COST

I’m not going to use the word “affordable” because affordable is relative. What’s affordable for you might not be affordable for me, or vice versa. But I will use the term “low cost”, because relative to other modern cloth nappy options, prefolds are on the lower end of the price spectrum. This makes them a great starting point for parents who really just want to dip a toe in the water without investing in a full bells-and-whistles stash. 

Our Diversifolds are $34.95 for a pack of 3. Along with these, you’ll need a nappy cover and our Cómodo Wrap ($24.95) fits the bill perfectly as it’s one-size-fits-most, meaning you can use it from birth right through to approximately 16 kg. So for $60, you’ve got 3 nappy changes, or $20 a pop. Use these babies once a day for 6 weeks and they’ll have paid for themselves against disposables at approximately 40 cents a wear. #winning

MULTI-USE

Prefolds are incredibly versatile as a cloth nappy solution, but they also have a plethora of other uses after or even during your child’s time in nappies. Here are just some of the ways you can extend the life of your Diversifold.

• They can be used as burp cloths. Like, really absorbent burp cloths! Forget this thin flannel business, our thirsty Diversifolds will actually absorb enough to keep your should dry. 
• Once bub is past the stage of needing prefolds for nappies or burp cloths, you can use your prefold stash for cleaning rags or mopping up spills (like toilet training accidents!)
• Our Diversifolds are a great size to use as lovely big face washers or as reusable “paper” towel in the kitchen.

So there you have it. Three great reasons to give prefolds a go. We’d love to hear from you. Let us know in the comments if you use prefolds or if you’ve considered having a shot!