The only thing that separates AIO’s from the convenience of disposables is that laundering is required.  I know that some people hate laundry and think that it already takes too much time, but my experience suggests that laundering cloth diapers takes perhaps a few more minutes per week than washing any other kind of laundry.  The websites for the products reviewed here often contain specific information about how to care for their products, but the general guidelines are the same.  A typical laundering routine begins with a cold wash and/or soak to help prevent stains from setting, using a small amount of detergent.  You can add small amounts of either baking soda, Borax, or washing soda to the cold soak to help remove stains—but you don’t need to, and you may find that they cause a residue to build up on your diapers, especially if you have hard water.  Avoid “natural” or soap-based detergents like BioKleen, Seventh-Generation, Dr. Bronner’s, or the like.  The problem with these detergents is that they cause a buildup on your AIO’s, making them either leaky or smelly.  Read more about detergents here.  Do not use “baby” detergents like Ivory Snow or Dreft, and do not use fabric softeners, including dryer sheets.  Fabric softeners will coat the fibers in the absorbent material of your AIO’s and make them less absorbent.  Some people have reported that Downy Advanced (formerly called Downy Enhancer) may be used on cloth diapers, but caution against using it full strength and routinely.  Any grocery store brand liquid detergent will work on cloth diapers, although it does appear that some people have buildup problems with the “Free” detergents).  If you want a non-perfumed, more earth friendly choice, try Sensi-Clean.  Never use bleach, as it can degrade the fabric and leave residue behind.  Most people recommend against using Oxyclean or any oxygen type bleach, because it can leave a residue that interacts with urine, causing a bad rash on your baby, and it may create holes in hemp fabric.  You can use a stain remover treatment like Zout, as long as it does not have any enzymatic cleaners in it.

Follow your cold wash with a hot wash, using 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of recommended detergent.  You can add distilled white vinegar to the rinse water (1/2 cup) in a Downy ball, if you desire.  Read more about the benefits of using vinegar here. If you have any stains on your diapers after washing, do not machine dry them (this sets stains).  Instead, hang the diapers either indoors or outdoors (including your car dashboard, if you don’t have a clothesline) in a sunny window or directly in the sun.  None of my diapers have any permanent stains after sunning adequately.  I have also had good luck using a “Gro” light (for indoor plants) in reducing stains on my diapers during the gray Midwestern winters..  In my experience, my best stain fighting tool has been what I do before the diaper goes into the wash:  I hose off any dirty diapers with my MiniShower.  You may also find, if you have fleece in your AIO’s, that they attract lint.  You can use scotch tape or packing/mailing tape to remove this if you want:  it doesn’t affect the diaper’s performance and the linting will get less over time.

Most problems that are reported with cloth diapers (stinky-ness, stiffness) are  due to the same source:  using the wrong kind of detergent or using too much detergent.  Both of these problems can also be the result of washing in hard water.  If the detergent leaves a residue (wrong kind) or isn’t rinsed out completely (too much detergent), your diapers can be stiff and not fresh coming out of the drying.  Your baby’s urine can interact with the detergent, creating a foul smelling odor.  These problems are extensively and routinely discussed on the online cloth diapering boards and three easy solutions are reported to work effectively:  1) “stripping” the diapers by doing multiple hot washes and rinses without any detergent or other additives, turning up the temperature on the water heater if necessary, until the rinse water is free of suds; 2) using a laundry product called “RLR”, available in WalMart’s laundry section (it is sold as a hanging package with two disks), for a one-time hot wash; or 3) using a water softener such as Calgon (available in the laundry sections of most grocery stores) in the wash and rinse, as directed on the package.  Read more about why a water softener can help here.

With few exceptions, the AIO’s recommended here are quick-drying:  they consist of a shell (outer fabric and the inner lining that will touch baby’s skin, typically microfleece) and a snap-in (or, less commonly, a lay-in) soaker.  I will refer to these separate parts throughout these reviews as the “shell” and the “guts” (or the “soaker”).  AIO’s may also come with a doubler that lays in (most commonly) or snaps in.  If not soiled or smelly, the shell can be reused with a fresh soaker after it has air dried for a change or two.  This two part system allows for more gentle laundering of the shell if desired (though the shells can sustain machine washing and drying on hot) and more heavy-duty work on the guts.  This makes the quick-drying AIO more economical as well as laundry-saving, although some people may prefer to launder the shell as well as the soaker at every change.  The shells of quick dry AIO’s can also be used as covers over prefolds or fitted diapers, making them a versatile choice in cloth diapering.

As you explore the websites that offer AIO’s, you will find a variety of fabrics used, for both the outer waterproof shells and the absorbent soaker.  I have divided the reviews here into three categories, based on the type of outer shell that is used in the AIO.  The first category of AIO’s are called PUL AIO’s:  PUL is an acronym for “polyurethane laminate”, which can be applied to any fabric to create a waterproof barrier, not unlike how you laminate paper to be waterproof.  In the case of fabric, however, only the “down” side is laminated, and the outer fabric retains much of its original softness and texture. One of the things I like the best about PUL AIO’s is that they can look every bit as cute as a fitted diaper, with the convenience of an AIO, and there are many choices for beautiful fabric.  As my husband puts it, “those are the coolest diapers.”  The second category of AIO’s are called Fleece AIO’s.  Fleece (also called Polar Fleece) is a breathable fabric, allowing the circulation of air to the inner soaker (and out again), reducing the temperature inside the diaper.  Windpro, more expensive than fleece, is also more water resistant because it is a more tightly knit fabric.  As a result, windpro AIO’s are less likely to compression wick, or to allow moisture through when a wet soaker is pressed on them, such as when your baby sleeps in the same position for a lengthy period of time.  Some parents find that both fleece and windpro wick for their heavy-wetting baby, and prefer PUL as a result.  Other parents prefer the breathability of fleece over PUL.  Still others find one type of AIO or the other more aesthetically pleasing.  The third category of AIO’s are called Pocket AIO’s (or pocket diapers):  made out of either PUL or fleece, they are different from “regular” AIO’s because the inner lining (microfleece) of the diaper is open at the top of the diaper, forming a “pocket” for sliding a soaker (called an “insert”) into.  Some parents prefer pocket AIO’s because of the ability to adjust the absorbency:  you can add 1,2, or 3 inserts depending upon the needs of your baby and the time of day.  They can also be an economical choice, as they can be stuffed with inexpensive prefold diapers, as well as more trim but more expensive specially made hemp inserts.  Pocket AIO’s should not be reused, even if the outer shell has not been soiled, because the same inner fleece is against baby’s skin (with a reused PUL or fleece shell, the fresh soaker is against baby’s skin).

There are more than 60 AIO’s recommended here.  Most AIO’s are listed by their company name since they are more easily recognizable that way, and the diapering reviews are typically linked to company name.  If a company makes more than one type of AIO, I list the name of each on the appropriate comparison chart.  As explained earlier in “The Basics”, I organized the reviews by AIO type:  1) PUL AIO’s; 2) Fleece AIO’s, and 3) Pocket AIO’s.  The recommended AIO’s for each type are reported in the Comparison Charts, where you will also find information on the following categories:

A serged AIO is also identifiable by the ruffle effect, which is created wherever there is elastic in the AIO (the legs, the back of the diaper, and sometimes the front of the diaper if it is side-closing).  The size of the ruffles varies from small to large, depending upon who makes the AIO’s.

A turned AIO is made by sewing the two edges of the AIO together, leaving an opening on one side, and then turning the diaper right side out.  Turning makes for a nice clean edge, without ruffles, and secures the elastic in the legs and waist.  You can read more about how to make a turned diaper here . Some turned AIO’s are also topstitched, which means that a seam is sewn right around the edge.  When the topstitching goes around the legs, the elastic has what is called a “casing.”  Many WAHM’s do not like to topstitch around the legs because the stitching creates tiny holes in the PUL or fleece outer fabric, which can cause wicking and leaking.  In the pictures below, you can see an example of topstiching around the front closure tabes of the AIO (but not the legs), and a picture of a turned and topstitched AIO:

Perhaps consumer popularity of the three AIO styles is reflected by their relative availability, as it is interesting to note the patterns of styles by AIO type. PUL AIO’s, are equally available in serged or turned designs (13 out of the 27 recommended AIO’s are available in serged or turned designs, a few by the same WAHM), but Fleece AIO’s are more available in turned as opposed to serged designs (9 out of the 27 recommended fleece AIO’s are available in serged designs, while 18 are available as turned).  Bound designs are much less frequent than either serged or turned designs (4 out of the 27 PUL and fleece AIO’s).  Pocket AIO’s have the least variability in style:  9 out of the 9 pocket AIO’s are available in a turned style, while only one is available in a serged style.

The availability of gussets as a design feature of AIO’s is also important enough to mention here.  Gussets refer to an extra semi-circle of fabric that attaches between the leg binding and cover.  Gussets are helpful in containing messes inside and preventing leaks.  Gussets were first used on fitted diapers for the purpose of preventing “blowouts”, and their use on AIO’s is at least as effective..  Only a small number of AIO’s are designed with gussets, although I wish that more were.  Diapers, AIO’s, and covers with gussets seem not only to give the best fit around the legs, but also see to be the most comfortable for my son:  they never leave those nasty red marks.

3.  Closures

Front and side closing AIO’s will differ generally in their fit. Some people feel that the side closing AIO has a more formal or clean look from the front because the snaps (or, less often, aplix tabs) are not visible from the front.  There is typically less bulk on the front of the AIO in side-closing designs because the wings close on the sides, but that just means that there is more bulk on the sides of side-closing diapers, as compared to front closing AIO’s.  Front closing AIO’s tend to close higher on the legs, which can be advantageous for both skinny and chunky legged babies, and there is only one adjustment to make (waist).  When closed on the smaller settings, the panels of front closing AIO’s can droop through the leg openings, which doesn’t affect performance but can look a little funny.  Many people prefer side snapping AIO’s for the ability to adjust the waist separately from the legs; this typically results in a closer fit at the legs, which can prevent blowouts and leaks.  The cloth diapering parents of thin babies sometimes report that front closing diapers gape at their babies’ legs, while side closing diapers do not.  Conversely, the cloth diapering parents of babies with chunky thighs sometimes report that side closing diapers don’t fit at all or that front closing diapers fit better on their child’s body type.  A serged AIO that closes on the side will look quite different than a front closing AIO:  the side closing one will have an overall ruffle effect, while the front closing AIO will not, usually having small ruffles only around the legs and the top back of the diaper:

It is for baby’s comfort that the snaps are not available to press against baby’s torso,  exposed snaps can leave perfectly round red marks on your baby’s skin.  Most WAHM’s use “hidden” snaps on their contours:  refer back to the first Righteous Baby soaker picture above, you cannot see any snap heads on the outside of the soaker.  That’s because the snaps on the contour are placed on one of the layers of material beneath the top of the soaker.  In contrast, you can see the snap heads on the four corners of the Butterfly Kisses contour in the next photo.  Most WAHM’s also use hidden snaps on the shell of the soaker, and that makes for a “pure” outer shall, so the print or design of the outside is not marred by a snap (except for those on the closure wings of the AIO, if it closes with snaps).

In my experience using AIO’s, I have developed a preference for soakers that snap into both the front and the back of the shell:  this provides the most security and deters the shifting of the soaker as baby moves.  My second preference is for soakers that snap into the front of the shell, because soakers that snap into only the back have a tendency to droop down inside the shell, bunching down just in front of the child’s crotch.  If you have a boy, you know that you need absorbency in the front of the diaper, and when that absorbency heads south, the AIO can leak.  I do have a number of AIO’s that snap only in the back, however, and not all of them “droop”.  Whether or not they droop seems to be mostly a function of how tightly I can fasten them on my son, or how well they fit my son’s body type.  If the fit is close to his body and the cover does not have a lot of stretch to it, then I’m unlikely to get drooping of the soaker.  I still prefer a soaker that snaps into the front rather than just into the back of the diaper, as the only issue I’ve noticed with front-snapping only soakers is that you might have to tug the soaker into place in the back after you put it on your baby.

Soaker Fabric, as reported in the comparison charts below, is what will actually absorb the moisture inside the AIO.  Hemp/cotton fleece (55% hemp/45% cotton) is reputed to be the most absorbent fabric available, and it is not surprising that the majority of WAHM’s offer it as a choice.  This material, a natural oatmeal color, looks like a sweatshirt:  one size is fuzzy, and the other is knit.  Usually the fuzzy side is out against the baby’s skin, but it doesn’t affect the absorbency of the soaker—the smooth side is also attractive.  Hemp fleece rarely stains, in my experience. Two other hemp fabrics (both 55/45) are sometimes used in soakers:  1) hemp french terry, which has towel-like loops on one side and a soft and stretchy knit on the other, and 2) hemp jersey, a tightly woven knit, which has a lot of stretch to it but which doesn’t seem as absorbent to me as hemp fleece or terry.   Hemp is appealing as a fabric because it wears better than cotton—hemp will tend to become softer with time, while cotton becomes stiffer.  Hemp is more earth friendly because it requires fewer natural resources (water, improved soil conditions) to grow.  At the cloth diapering level, hemp has natural anti-microbial properties and will resist mold and mildew.  You can read more about the use of hemp in cloth diapering here and here . If you want to learn more about the politics of hemp, see the multiple resources available at the website of GlobalHemp.

Other available soaker choices include cotton fleece (very absorbent, in my experience), burley knit terry (very absorbent, in my experience), sherpa (a lovely and soft fabric, but not very absorbent), organic cotton (love the idea of it, but it’s not nearly as absorbent as hemp or burley knit terry), and miscellaneous cotton fabrics like knits, flannel, etc.  At first I was hesitant to recommend any AIO that had cotton knit or flannel as its guts, but the public reviews have convinced me that these fabrics are fine for light wetters.  If you have a heavy wetter or you’re looking for a night time diaper, stick with hemp fleece or terry, cotton fleece, or burley knit terry.  Freshies can make snap-in contours for her fleece covers in a fabric called velour terry, and it is lusciously absorbent.  My heavy wetting son wears one of these at night and it hardly feels damp in the morning.  Many WAHM’s offer multiple choices for soaker materials or are willing to make a soaker out of the fabric that you want, so don’t hesitate to ask what’s available if you find an AIO design that you like.

6. Reviews Online.  Because the AIO’s recommended here were selected based on the available online reviews, I have also included the website references for where you can read the same reviews that I did when evaluating these products. As indicated earlier, only AIO’s that have substantial positive reviews were included here.  Each of the four types of public reviews has different policies and procedures for posting reviews of products:       

MacSpeno: Consumers may leave completely anonymous reviews here, and the reviews are organized alphabetically by company name.  The entire website is donated to cloth diaper reviews, and it is hosted by an individual unaffiliated with any diapering company.

DiaperPin:  Consumers may leave reviews after registering, and the reviews are organized alphabetically by product name and/or company name.  DiaperPin contains a wealth of cloth diapering information, but it is affiliated with diapering companies that can purchase advertising with them. 

Mothering.com:  Attached to the cloth diapering board which is well-known for its cloth diapering loving mamas are the Diaper Review threads.  Reviews are organized by Company name, and members may leave reviews after they have registered and have made at least 50 posts.

WAHM website:  This refers to the feedback section of a WAHM’s own website.  While most have testimonials or feedback of some sort on their websites, many require that you email your feedback to them before it can be added to the website.  What I am refering to here is when WAHM’s have feedback places on their site where you can add a listing, anonymously or with a fictitious name if you wish.  The feedback entries are available as a chain for anyone to read.  I wish more WAHM’s would add this kind of feedback to their sites, as it is a potential learning tool for the cloth diaper consumer.  Of course, negative feedback could be theoretically be removed by the WAHM, but I have never heard of this happening.  Nonetheless, all the WAHM’s who have these feedback sites also have reviews at the public sites.  This collective feedback can be useful when sorting out available options to purchase.

7.  Special Features of AIO’s: Diaper Art

“It’s Diaper Art” says fuzbaby.com, about its hand-dyed wool covers and lovely appliqués in the Diaper Garden.  See the lovely cloth diapering products that coined the phrase here:

Diaper Art is not just for wool covers anymore, and a surprising number of WAHM’s offer instock and custom embroidery on their Fleece AIO’s and Pocket AIO’s (PUL AIO’s, composed of a fabric print outer, are not as conducive to artwork). 

Some of the first creative AIO’s in cloth diapering were made by Pam Ross of Sweet Pickles (circa 1998), who designed a “Tutti Fruiti” line with remarkably detailed and whimsical appliqués.  These diapers were highly sought after on auction, sometimes going for as much as $70.  That price was unheard of in “those days”, before some of us routinely shelled out that much for special diapers.  The following photos are a few of those early selections, courtesy of Kathleen Guetre, a cloth diapering parent with something of a home cloth diapering museum:

Photo credits:  Kathleen Guetre (all Sweet Pickles Fleece AIO’s)

Photo credits:  Author (Righteous Baby free machine embroidered Cuddle-in-one); GirlWomanGoddess Machine embroidered Cuddle-in-one; StorkSavers machine embroidered Fleece Storkie