I have been sent 3 other nappies to trial recently – 2 birth to potty all in ones and 1 one size pocket nappy and have disappointingly found them all to be leaky and unreliable on 14 month old Lilia.  They lasted no longer than 2 hours without wicking onto clothes.  As the Bambino Mio miosolo nappy was similar in style to the other reusable nappies I have recently tested I went into the trial of the two nappies (in cola cube a pinky red and flying saucer a rather natty turquoise/teal) with the idea that they may be similar to the other sample nappies I had been sent.

So how did I get on?

Actually – despite my reservations and to my pleasant surprise – brilliantly!

The fit on Lilia is excellent.  The snaps at the front of the miosolo nappy popper down effectively to reduce the rise of the nappy and the Velcro fastening (with cross over tabs) gives a snug fit with no gaping at the waist or leg.  The booster (attached to the nappy) fits easily into the pocket and can be smoothed down for a comfortable fit.  I am not quite sure what the ‘pull out tab’ adds to the nappy – maybe someone can enlighten me – but the fact that the booster ‘flaps out’ means that it air dries well.  The nappy in my opinion is as slim as many other pocket and all in one washable nappies such as Tots Bots EasyFit, BumGenius v4 pocket nappies and Wonderoos giving the miosolo an appearance that is not particularly bulky and fits under pretty much all of Lilia’s clothes.

Having tested the miosolo nappy both without any additional boosting and with the addition of the mioboost insert I can report that it is very absorbent and to date I have experienced no leaks. The unboosted nappy lasted ~3 hours before a poo necessitated a change.

The Bambino Mio mioboost insert (available separately) is designed to fit the miosolo and boosts the absorbency of the nappy for heavy wetters or for prolonged use.  I can testify that (unlike a number of other pocket/all-in-one nappies I have tried) the miosolo nappy can be used with confidence for an extended period and as a night nappy.  This test I have to say was a pure accident as a few weeks ago Lilia was quite ill with an ear infection and I put her down at 5pm for a nap in a boosted miosolo nappy and she woke (in her day clothes) at 8am the following morning – a full 15 hours later with no leaks!

In terms of using the miosolo nappy I have to say that once assembled it is as easy as a disposable to put on.  This makes it ideal for nursery, childminders, grandparents and dads who may not change cloth nappies on a regular basis.  The adjustable poppered rise allows the nappy to be used on the majority of babies from around 8lb right through to toddlerdom.  The hook and loop Velcro style fastening and overlapping tabs mean that it is very adjustable and a snug fit.  The nappy is lined with a stay dry fabric which ensures the wetness is wicked away from the surface into the core of the nappy and away from the baby’s skin and, although you don’t need a liner you can add one (e.g. Tots Bots Spunlace Liner) to help in disposing of the poo to the loo.

The miosolo nappy does not need to be soaked – just remove the poo to the toilet and place in a lidded bucket or waterproof bag until washday.  A washing machine load at 40 or 60C with an initial cold rinse or prewash if soiled and normal detergent will effectively clean them.  The miosolo nappy and mioboost insert can be line or airier dried or can be tumble dried on low

At £14.99 the miosolo one size nappy is in my opinion really good value.  If you were to use this nappy full time and wash every other day I would suggest you purchase 20-24 nappies for a newborn baby or if you come to cloth nappies at a later stage (6 months+) around 15 nappies.  If you wash more frequently or use cloth nappies part time you can reduce this number.  For an older baby the mioboost insert would be recommended at £2.30 each or £6.79 for a pack of 3.

To browse Bambino Mio products on our site visit www.greenjellyshop.co.uk

www.greenjellyshop.co.uk

However, all that said I do have a current fav cloth nappy in the Bumgenius Flip.  I have been using the BG Flip on Lilia (now 5 months old) for a while now and I think it has to be just about the most flexible nappy system around at the moment.

It is designed to be used with a Flip Stay Dry insert, Organic cotton insert or a Flip disposable insert.  All 3 of these work really well with the one size Flip Outer.

The Flip Stay Dry liner is a microfibre booster pad which easily folds over at the top to give a small, medium or large pad to fit in the outer for a newborn, larger baby or toddler.  It is easy to use and the microsuede top layer wicks away wetness into the booster to keep your baby’s skin dry.  The Stay Dry insert is quick to dry – ideal for those without a tumble dryer.

The Organic Cotton Flip Insert is a three fold insert – a bit like a prefold – but is made from soft brushed jersery type cotton and is very absorbent.  Again it fits snuggly into the reliable Flip Outer.  I would recommend using a fleece liner on top of the insert which will wick away wetness in the same way as the Stay Dry Liner.

We have used the BumGenius disposable nappy inserts with the system as well on our eldest overnight.  Again pretty impressed although we did need to double up as she is much older than Lilia.

Finally – although not specifically designed to be used with shaped / fitted nappies we have used the outers with a variety of nappies including Tots Bots Bamboozle Stretch, Nature Babies Diddy Diaper, Nature Babies Big Softie, Easy Peasy Bambeasy and Motherease Sandys and they are fantastic. 

I am really impressed.  I would go as far as saying that in terms of performance the BumGenius Flip Outer Wrap is equal to a Motherease Rikki or Airflow Wrap - an that is really saying something!

So – when asked this question my answer would be the Bumgenius Flip Nappy – for the moment at least!

Yay – it’s real nappy week again!  A chance to promote fluffy bums and share the secret of cloth nappies!  At Green Jelly we have lots of offers including 20% off BumGenius v4 poppered and BumGenius v4 Aplix nappies, BumGenius Flip, Flip Stay Dry and Flip Organic inserts plus discounted Itti Bitti D’Lish and bitti tutto and savings on Wonderoos, Tots Bots EasyFit, Tots Bots TeenyFit and Bamboozle Stretch.  There are lots of other offers too so feel free to pop over and have a look at www.greenjellyshop.co.uk

As well as offers on reusable nappies in the store Green Jelly are joining forces with the Saffron Walden Cloth Nappy Network to hold events across the town.  So if you are in the North Essex/South Cambridgeshire area - come and visit us to find out more about the various types of cloth nappy or come along and chat about your experiences with other parents who use them.  We will be at:

• Saffron Walden Library on Monday 14th May from 14:00-16:30
• Saffron Walden Community Hosptital on Thursday 19th May from 09:30-12:00
• Starbucks in Saffron Walden on Friday 20th May from 10:00-12:00. 

We would love to see you there!

*Cheeky picture of chief nappy tester Lilia in a limited edition Itti Bitti – Beechworth*

At Green Jelly we think the new design bitti tuttos are ideal for brightening up nappy changes.  The bitti tutto is a great one size snap in one cloth nappy which grows with your child from approx 8lb to around 35lb in weight.  The outer shell comprises a lovely velvety minky fabric on the which is laminated to prevent leaks.  Detachable inserts are included with each nappy and have colour coded poppers for easy assembly.  At each nappy change the outer can be reused (if not soiled or excessively wet) and the inserts which are available to purchase separately can be replaced making the tutto very cost effective.

The clever people at Itti Bitti have also created wetbags to match the reusable nappies in the same gorgeous fabric.  Each bag is approx 28 x 38cm with a zippered fastening and will hold 3-4 nappies each – ideal for a day out or an overnight stay and once your nappying days are over will make a lovely cosmetic or toiletries bag for you!