Have you been itching to try Smart Bottoms 3.1 OS AIO?
I’m not the Cloth Diaper Geek, but I’m definitely a cloth diaper geek because I have recently spent more time than I care to admit perusing different cloth diaper retailers to see what Smart Bottoms prints they each have in stock. Smart Bottoms Diapers is a cloth diaper itch that I’ve been drying to scratch for a while, but as our budget is tighter than ever, I’ve only been able to “window shop” until last month. A friend of mine swears by this diaper, which is the reason I noticed it in the first place. Every week in church I see the cute Smart Bottoms Diapers colors and prints peeking from beneath her girls’ frilly dresses and I have been dying to try them on my own babies. Finally, there was a Smart Bottoms sale that coincided with some room in our tight budget, so I purchased one.
Just like with the Smart Bottoms Too Smart Cover, the first thing I saw was that this diaper is made of high quality materials—the PUL, the organic cotton, and the snaps are all very sturdy. Another thing I notice that sets it apart from other cloth diapers is that the snaps are usually a different color than the PUL, so even their solid diapers are multicolored. Many diapers use either snaps that blend into the diaper or white snaps. Smart Bottoms gives their diapers a duo tone by using complimentary colors for their diapers. Currently, though, the fun prints are my favorite thing about the Smart Bottoms diapers. I personally love Charlotte, but purchasing a diaper during a huge sale often means you don’t end up with the one you really want so I settled for a very cute and super bold Tie Dye print. They also have an adorable fox print called “Fantastic Hipster Fox” and a very fun fairy tale print called “Enchanted.” Even if you prefer only purchasing diapers with prints, Smart Bottoms solid color combinations will probably tempt you. With fun solids like “Mia” (a deep purple PUL with pale pink snaps) and “George” (navy PUL with red snaps), there is a lot of eye candy to choose from. In other words, these diapers are PRETTY!!!
You can’t diaper a baby on pretty, though, so it’s a good thing that Smart Bottoms’ beauty isn’t just skin deep! You already know that the materials are quality: thick, sturdy PUL outside; very soft organic cotton inside; and snaps that really pop into place. The diaper is also cut large with four sets of rise snaps (many one size diapers only have three) and two rows of ten tummy snaps so that it can fit a variety of babies from 10-35 pounds according to the packaging. My son is right around the 35 pound mark and he still has a little room, so I think that’s a conservative estimate. The fit is great on both of my children and since the elastics are not encased in stitching, the leg elastics are very gentle on my daughter’s chubby thighs while also being very stretchy. Since the elastics are very snug and stretchy, containing not only urine, but the exclusively-breastfed poop as well—no orange stains on light colored layette sets when wearing the Smart Bottoms.
The absorbency is comprised of ten layers of organic cotton which comes in one, super long, tongue-style soaker which is attached at the back of the diaper. The layers are very absorbent but the diaper is also quite trim, fitting easily under my son’s jeans and khakis. The absorbency is great for daytime use, long car rides, and naps. It is coupled with two strips of PUL on the inside of the diaper both at the top of the back and the top of the tummy to help avoid leaks. It may not be good for night time use, depending upon whether or not your baby is a heavy wetter. My seven month old soaked through it completely at night, and my two and a half year old woke up with a wet tummy. There is room in the diaper, however, to add a booster or two which would definitely make it a night time option.
When brand new, the diaper takes six to eight washes to become fully absorbent, which is a lot. Cotton prefolds require as much so I’m assuming the organic cotton fibers are responsible for this. In order to speed up the process, I just threw the new Smart Bottoms in with every regular laundry wash until it had been washed six times. I just had to make sure that I used cloth diaper safe detergents and avoided fabric softeners for those loads. When it was prepped, it was softer and more plump, not as silky smooth as it had been brand new. I laid it out to dry and discovered to my joy that it dries rather quickly for a natural fibered diaper—almost as quickly as my microfiber AIOs. Some natural fiber AIOs at least two days days to dry so I throw them in the dryer regularly, which I know from experience will shorten their lives. I’m glad to know that this won’t be necessary with the Smart Bottoms, which seems to be ready to use after about a day and a half line drying in my basement.
So, here’s a quick rundown of the pros and cons of the Smart Bottoms 3.1 AIO diaper:
My favorite thing
I love the prints, but since that’s really not a practical thing to say so as far as function goes, I have to say that love how trim this diaper is. It fits easily under clothing while also offering uncompromising leak protection.
Some other awesome things about this diaper:
Super sturdy PUL and snaps.
Ultra stretchy elastics
Elastics are gentle on the legs.
Cut big and adjusts small.
Good fit
Line dries relatively quickly
Unique solid color options
Fun print options.
Trim
Soft, organic cotton
Long tongue style soaker allows placement of absorbency where needed.
Possible drawbacks:
Not necessarily for use at night time alone, additional absorbency may need to be added depending on your child.
Lots of washes before prepped. Not a super big deal unless you expect to be able to use it the first day you receive it.
A bit pricey. Again, depends on your budget and what you’re used to paying for a natural fiber all in one.
Overall, this is another great diaper to add to my list of diapers I would most definitely recommend to anyone asking for a good option. It’s cute, it’s functional, it’s sturdy, and it would absolutely be a great addition to anyone’s cloth diaper stash.
Are you ready to shop for Smart Bottoms diapers and accessories? I recommend the stores below.
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