Butt-Ons Cloth Diapers Review and Giveaway

Butt-Ons Cloth Diapers sews hybrid fitted cloth diapers with fun prints and quality materials.  Read our full review of Butt-Ons and enter to win one of your own!
 

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Introduction

Butt-Ons Cloth Diapers are made in Alexandria, Ontario by work-at-home mom Hollee Tilma, and are stocked on Hyena Cart on Thursdays at 7:00 PM.  I had heard of Butt-Ons, but I ordered one based on the recommendations of several of my readers that had tried them and loved them!

Butt-Ons makes hybrid fitted diapers, which have a hidden layer of polyester fleece between the knit print on the outside and the cotton velour on the inside.  This hidden layer of polyester fleece allows the diaper to be worn for shorter periods of time without a cover, which results in better air circulation.  Hybrid fitteds are an excellent diaper choice for babies with sensitive skin, or those that are recovering from a diaper rash, since they are more breathable.

Hybrid fitteds are relatively new in the cloth diaper world, and I learned a lot about them which I share in our article about hybrid fitteds.

Basically,  in a hybrid fitted the polyester fleece layer repels moisture, which increases the effectiveness of the diaper's insert (soaker).  The fleece pushes moisture back up into the insert, forcing it to wick away from the middle of the diaper and all the way to the ends of the insert.  Better absorption by the insert means that you get a trimmer diaper than you would get with a traditional fitted diaper.  Butt-Ons diapers are very trim, as you can see from the side view below.

Butt-Ons also makes overnight hybrid fitteds called "Right-On-Night-Ons" or RONOs.  I haven't used RONO diapers myself, but I have heard that they are amazing!  They are much thicker than the regular Butt-Ons, and include a tri-fold insert for extra absorbency overnight.

What do you love about this diaper?

The workmanship and materials that go into Butt-Ons cloth diapers are outstanding!  I love the bright prints and soft cotton velour inners.

Below are some of the features that I really liked about Butt-Ons Diapers:

Two options for rise adjustment - To get a one-size fit, most WAHM diaper makers offer a Fold-Down Rise (FDR) adjustment - a row of snaps on the inside waist band of the diaper that can be folded down to shorten the rise of the diaper.  The fold-down rise can be a bit of a pain with wiggly little babies.  Butt-Ons offers FDR, but they also offer a Snap Down Rise, which is less common.  What's awesome about the snap down rise (shown below) is that you can set it and forget it until your baby grows.

Great fit and soft, stretchy elastic - We had no problem getting a snug fit around the legs on this diaper (shown below), even with the snap-down rise at the smallest settings.  The leg elastic is very stretchy, but the gathering of the fabric has never left any red marks.

Fun Fabric Choices - Lillestoff imported knits from Europe are all the rage, and every hybrid fitted diaper maker sells Lillestoff - including Butt-Ons.  I opted for a Lillestoff print for this diaper.

That said, I have followed the Butt-Ons Facebook page for awhile, and I can tell that Hollee's a fun-loving gal, and it shows in her fabric choices.  Beyond Lillestoff, Hollee also finds unique fabrics like the eclectic mix of cassette tapes, the Ramones, Super Mario Brothers, the Cheshire Cat, The Walking Dead, and the Simpsons.  Check out some of her photos on Facebook to see what I mean about the variety of fabric options she offers.

Ready-to-Use - Hollee takes the time to pre-wash and pre-shrink all of the fabrics used in Butt-Ons diapers.  Not all diaper brands do.  I might be a bit fussy, but I hate when my inserts don't lay smooth because the layers have shrunk at different rates.  Plus, if you've ever run a diaper through its first wash only to have it fall apart at the seams, you'll be glad to know that Butt-Ons cloth diapers are also washed again after they are sewn before they are mailed.  I doubt there are many issues anyway, but this would mean that you don't need to worry about stitching issues, because the diapers are inspected after their first wash!  This also gives you the benefit of being able to use your diaper right out of the package if you so desire!

Lettermail Shipping - postage rates are expensive within Canada, and expedited (tracked) parcels cost $10 or more to ship.  Butt-Ons uses a vacuum-sealer to suck the air out of their fluffy diapers, allowing most parcels to be sent via regular lettermail.  When I only purchase a single diaper at a time, I love the option of lettermail to help me save money.

Option to go coverless - Who would want to cover up those cute prints anyway?  Seriously though, during the hot summer months, my son sometimes developed a bit of heat rash from wearing a damp diaper that didn't breathe.  I love the breathability of hybrid fitted diapers, and Butt-Ons cloth diapers are no exception.  When we put them on during the day, he could go for a couple of hours before the outside of the diaper would feel damp, and the redness always cleared up much more quickly than it would in a PUL covered diaper.  I would suggest a cover for overnight and when you're out and about and don't want to deal with leaks.

How do you think this diaper fits relative to other diapers?

Butt-Ons claims that their one-size diapers will fit from 10 to 35 lbs.  I first used ours when my son was around 13 lbs, and although it was bulky at that size, I do think it would fit down to 10 lbs.

Butt-Ons makes a very trim hybrid fitted diaper.  Their insert is not as thick as some other hybrid fitted makers, which results in a trim diaper when you don't need all of the absorbency.  While I did add a booster or a second insert overnight, I used this diaper with just the included insert during the day.

What would you change about this diaper?

As my son started getting more active, I found that the insert tends to slip around before I get the diaper done up.  One small change I would make to this diaper would be to add a snap to the insert to hold it in place.

Butt-Ons' inserts are made with two layers of "super heavy organic bamboo fleece" topped with a layer of cotton velour.  Used alone, my son could go without a cover for about 2 hours during the day-time before the insert became saturated and needed to be changed.

When I purchased this diaper I intended to use it overnight.  I have used other hybrid fitteds successfully overnight without additional absorbency, but I found I needed to add another insert to the Butt-Ons to make it night-worthy.  If you plan to use this diaper overnight, I would recommend that you purchase an additional insert from Butt-Ons ($6 each).  I would love to see a booster or extra insert available as an optional add-on to the diaper listing - I didn't even consider it when I ordered and wished I had included it.

Because I didn't want to pay shipping again, I added a pad-folded flat underneath the Butt-Ons insert, and I found that was sufficient for most nights (except one marathon nursing session!)

Would I recommend it to a friend?

Yes, on a scale of 1 to 4 (with 1 being never, and 4 being absolutely!), I give Butt-Ons Hybrid Fitted a 3.  They are cute, fit great, and are very well made.

That said, hybrid fitteds are pricier than many other diaper options, and so unless you are addicted to cute prints, I don't recommend them to everyone.  They are an excellent solution for when baby's bottom is sensitive to heat or moisture, and for overnight.  With an extra insert, Butt-Ons' regular hybrid fitteds make a decent overnight diaper.

Where to Buy

Butt-Ons are priced similarly to hybrid fitted diapers from other WAHM brands: prices range from $28 to $35 plus shipping.  The overnight RONO diapers and premium Euro-Knits (including the Lillestoff Construction print fabric I purchased) are at the top of that price range, while diapers made from regular knit fabrics are at the bottom end of the price range.

Butt-Ons cloth diapers stock every second week on Hyena Cart.  They sell out quickly, so be sure to follow the Butt-Ons Facebook page to be notified of stockings. 

Enter to Win It!

Butt-Ons Cloth Diapers has graciously offered up a hybrid fitted as a giveaway prize.  One lucky reader of Thinking About Cloth Diapers will have the chance to try out a Butt-Ons diaper!

Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

Open to Residents of Canada & US

This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST, August 30, 2014

Rafflecopter code coming soon.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thinking About Cloth Diapers is not responsible for prize fulfillment.  The winner will be contacted by email and must reply within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this review, and purchased my Butt-Ons Hybrid Fitted at retail price.  The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own, and your experience with the product may differ from mine. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. This post may contain affiliate links.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” For more information, see our Disclaimer and Copyright.

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