ALVABABY Baby Cloth Diapers/6 Pack with 12 pcs 5-Layer Inserts/Adjustable Washable Reusable 6CM64-ZTN

These Alvababy diapers are great! I've used them on my first baby for 8 months, and they definitely hold up after all that use and washing. I have researched a lot about cloth diapering, as I'm sure you have if you're looking at this product. I'll try to answer everything I wanted to know before buying these.Sizing: They were a bit too big for the newborn stage, so I ended up not using them for that stage (she was 6 1/2 lbs.); but when she reached about 8 lbs. they would work on the smallest snaps. I love that you can gradually work up and out as needed on the snap size. I've used the microfiber inserts the whole time, and as long as I make sure it's not scrunched up inside the pocket, it works great to keep everything inside and dry. Since she began sleeping through the night (up to 12 hours!), I've used two inserts in the pocket, and the diaper doesn't leak. I have found that one insert will over-saturate and leak after about 5 hours. The diapers are bulkier than disposable, which means that sometimes you need to size up on pants; but that's not a problem, just an observation.Rashes and creams: We've experienced all the different kinds of rashes, but she's also gotten them while using disposables, so I don't think that has any particular link to cloth diapers; I think it just comes with the territory of wearing a diaper. :) I've used various rash creams and ointments with these diapers (beeswax, petroleum, zinc...), and at first I noticed that the absorption was not as good and there was sometimes a smell after washing and drying. So I changed my washing procedure, and it took care of those problems and they absorb well and don't smell.Cleaning care: When I take off a used diaper, I drop it into a wet bag that I keep hanging off the changing table. Wet ones go right in; when I was just breastfeeding her, soiled diapers went right in, too, because it is water soluble and washes right out, no stains or residue. Now that we've started solid foods and have been using formula, I shake solids off into the toilet, but I don't scrape or rinse anything that doesn't fall out. Then I put that diaper into the wet bag. As long as I keep on top of washing them every other day, they don't stink up the room; but left too long, you know they do! :) To wash, I dump them into the washing machine as is, and drop in the emptied wet bag. I add Tide's liquid Free and Gentle, just up to the 1-- too much soap causes a residue buildup and ruins absorption. I wash it with the hottest water and the fullest water setting (even though it's a small-sized load) on the "super dirty" setting for the most agitation. Then I wash them again with a few changes: I do not add more soap, I turn the water level down, and the temperature to medium; this is more of a rinse cycle to make sure all the soap, creams, and any extra residue is removed. Finally, they go into the dryer on low heat, and they come out fresh and clean!Discoloration: After 8 months, the diapers still have no stains, even from a bright orange petroleum-based rash medication she was using for a few days. The inserts are beginning to get a darkened grey stain look, but so far their performance is still good. They are not as soft as they were at first, so I think in a few months I will have to retire them from service, but we're not there yet. Of course, the diapers' color is not as bright as at first, but you would expect that after washing them 50+ times. I've not had any stitches come apart, except a few spots on the microfiber inserts; but it doesn't compromise their efficiency at all.Conclusion: As I said, this is an excellent diaper, simple to use even for someone who has never experienced cloth diapering before! I give them a hearty thumbs-up. May the beautiful flowers and patterns bring a smile to your face as you care for your sweet little one, even on the hardest days. Happy diapering! :)

It was a hard debate whether to give these 4 or 5 stars. I went with 5 stars because for the price, these are my favorite cloth diapers and will be my go-to diapers if I need to order more, but they are not what I would consider to be the best.Backstory: I cloth diapered my first child using a combination of BumGenius All-in-Ones, FuzziBunz Pocket Diapers (Seconds), and I had 2 BumGenius Freetimes. I bought a nice recommended, organic detergent to wash them in and in a short time, my baby had ammonia burns on his bottom. We have EXTREMELY hard water and they weren't getting clean enough. A google search gave me multiple sources recommending to use Tide Original Powder to wash them in and although it voided the warranties, to me using Tide was a no brainer when it came to ammonia burns on my baby's bottom. Additionally, we live in Northeast Ohio which made hanging diapers out to dry in the winter impossible. The BumGenius All-in-Ones (my favorites) took forever to line dry (especially indoors) which resulted in us having to tumble dry them on low. Between the Tide, the hard water, and putting them in the dryer, our diapers lasted 2 years. The PUL was peeling and efforts to re-waterproof them failed (see attached picture). When I was pregnant with my second child, I looked into new cloth diapers because the cost savings and environmental impact will always be worth it to me to cloth diaper. I didn't want to spend the roughly $20 per diaper for the BumGenius diapers, so with these averaging out to around $5 a diaper, I took a chance. I bought 3 packs of 6 - costing me roughly $90 and I have a great rotation of diapers and only have to wash them every few days. I've been using them for 6 months with my second born and I couldn't be happier!!!First of all, I've always struggled with the absorbency issue with cloth diapers (although, side note, I have had WAY less poop blowouts in cloth than when we use disposables when we're on trips away from home - another perk of cloth diapers!). No cloth diaper is as absorbent as a disposable so you need to be prepared to change diapers more frequently. BumGenius are great because their PUL is folded over onto the waist tabs, along with the top edges on the front and back which is helpful in preventing leaks (see uploaded photos for comparisons). The snaps are FANTASTIC for sizing. I hated the drying time with the All-in-Ones - even out on the line they didn't dry as quickly. The Freetimes dried more quickly, but I didn't find them to be as absorbent. I thought I would hate stuffing the inserts into the FuzziBunz pockets, but stuffing wasn't bad at all. What I disliked about the Fuzzibunz is that you had to adjust the elastic on the leg holes and the waist to size the diapers. Ugh! It was a huge pain and I didn't feel they were as absorbent.So for the AlvaBaby Diapers to have the snaps for sizing and a GREAT price - I was sold. A major perk is that I can hang these diapers up in my dark, cold, below ground basement during winter in Northeast Ohio and they dry overnight - no more having to use the dryer which gives me hope that they may last longer than 2 years. I still wash them in Tide and I wash the shells in warm water, extra rinse, heavy soil setting and I wash the inserts separately - also in Tide, hot water, extra rinse, heavy soil setting.Leaks do happen with the AlvaBaby diapers. If you look at the uploaded pictures of the one on Baby, anywhere the white, inner lining is showing is a potential leak spot where it touches Baby's clothing. I really try to make sure that fleece lining is tucked inside the diaper, which helps to minimize leaking. Also, several of the AlvaBaby diapers have a velvety/velour type cover which is more prone to leaks than the more "plasticy" covers because they absorb moisture from the inside liner too (see the cow print cover vs. plain blue photo). The styles and colors available are really adorable and I've gotten a lot of compliments. Sorry for the lengthy review, but all in all, these are a GREAT value in cloth diapering and I would absolutely buy them again and recommend them to anyone.