Hey friends! I'm doing a little (prob won't actually be so 'little') review on my GroVia Hybrid/AI2 (all in two) cloth diapers as well as a few other products from the GroVia line that I got from The Joy of Kids in Billings, MT. An AI2 diaper has two components. The outer layer, or shell, is made of waterproof material while the inner layer is an absorbent cloth pad that is placed in the shell. Because of the two components there is the possibility of reusing the shell as long as it isn't soiled. GroVia's soaker pads snap into the shell which personally I find highly superior to shells in which the absorbent pad just sits in the shell. I've tried a brand in which the pad did not snap in and it bunched up and shifted. GroVia's say in place perfectly. The reason you could also call these a hybrid diaper is because GroVia also sells a disposable insert that sticks in the shell with adhesive tabs. I've not tried them though so we'll stick with a cloth review. :)
I LOVE my GroVia AI2 cloth diapers. I have a pretty big babe (23 pounds at 10 months) and she still has plenty of room to grow in them! They seem like they would be pretty comfy as the elastic doesn't dig the way some other CDs (cloth diapers) do. They also seem like maybe they would be a little cooler than some other CD brands. They are pretty trim (CDs can be pretty bulky) which is always an added bonus. They dry super fast (like nearly dry right out of the washer). I only have the snap variety which I chose for a couple of reasons. Snaps generally have a longer lifespan than Velcro and are harder for babies to take off themselves (because apparently at some point they do that-oh goody). That being said, the GroVia Velcro seems super nice (not scratchy) and I'm sure would wear well! With Velcro you have to be sure to stick the tab down two it doesn't stick to everything and so lint doesn't get in it therefore prolonging the life of your Velcro. There are two snaps on each side (so four total) when diapering your baby. One at the hip and one more at the tummy (don't mind my teddy bear model, my little one was feeling under the weather).
They are a one size diaper and has different rise options for smaller babies. I didn't start using CDs until Rosie was in the largest rise setting so I can't attest to how they work smaller but the rise snaps are pretty standard with all the other CDs out there. The shells come in a variety of fun colors and prints which make them even more fun to use! Photo below shows that you need to make sure the soaker pad is completely tucked in the diaper or you will have some leaks!
There are two different kinds of soaker pads that I have used: the organic cotton soakers and the stay dry soakers. The soaker pads come in a 2-pack separate from the shell. The organic cotton soaker pad is not fleecy, the stay dry soaker is fleecy (made of a hemp blend). The organic cotton soaker takes a little bit longer to dry than the stay dry soaker although both of them (with all their awesome layers to absorb) take a bit of time to dry. I only line dry my diapers in order to extend their lifespan as long as I can. I have learned to separate the layers in order to speed up drying as fast as I can (see photo).
Both varieties of soaker pads are gussetted which acts as a 'poop fence' (as my sister-in-law and I lovingly refer to them). They make sure that everything stays in the diaper which is obviously ideal. ;) I pull these gussets out as far as I can while still keeping them in the shell to help with absorbency and keeping solid matter in the diaper.
Between the two I prefer the hemp blend stay dry soaker pad because 1) it dries faster and 2) I feel like its fleecy material maybe wicks moisture away from the baby better. They both work great though!
I also use the GroVia Perfect Pail hanging wet bag. I LOVE it. I was skeptical that it would contain smells adequately since it isn't tightly sealed shut but I've actually come to learn that a little oxygen flow helps diaper pails not smell so bad (as opposed to being tightly closed). It holds 3 days worth of diapers which is perfect (I do diaper laundry every 3rd day usually, sometimes every other if need be). It is washable although I probably only wash it every 3rd load of diaper laundry (I do let it air out each time I do wash diapers each time though). It is so easy to just slip the soiled diaper in the opening on top and to unzip the bottom of the bag over the washer so all the diapers just fall right in (no contact with dirty diapers necessary)! I have it hanging behind the nursery door. I absolutely recommend this wet bag for convenience alone.
My next product I love (apparently I really love all things GroVia) are the BioLiners. They are a disposable liner (the feel of them remind me of a dryer sheet) that allow moisture to pass through but creates a thin barrier between poop and the actual soaker pad (make sure it's all tucked in the diaper though or the wetness will seep out)!
The benefit of them is that when you go to clean a poopy diaper you just carefully grab a clean corner of the liner and dispose of it. I flush mine and haven't had any problems despite the old plumbing in my home. It's great because a great majority of the poop sticks to this liner leaving less solid matter to scrape or spray off.
I have used the Magic Stick (diaper rash treatment) a couple times when Rosie's bottom gets a little red (which is not often at all) and 1) it smells so nice 2) it's awesome that you don't actually have to touch the ointment. It dispenses like a stick of deodorant so it apply it right where needed without having to touch it. FYI, diaper rash ointments in store inhibit absorption so be sure to use only cloth diaper approved treatments with your CDs!
I use cloth wipes as well as my CDs, just made sense to me to throw them in with the dipes instead of having a separate trash can for poopy wipes (floating around uncontained). I use the basic cloth wipes GroVia sells and really like them! They are nice and thick and soft and just one almost always gets the job done. I only use wipes in the morning when baby has been in a wet diaper for a longer period of time and at poopy diaper changes, otherwise I just let her air out (best for baby anatomy)! When I change a poopy dipe I use the soaker pad that's on her and before taking it off I wipe down with it to remove the majority of poo from her behind. By doing so I then just have a little clean up to do with the wipe. Now, if I didn't do that I would have more solids on the wipe and would have to remove it in the toilet somehow (scraping or rinsing). By making sure to wipe down with the diaper first I only have to remove solid matter from the soaker pad alone (I hope that makes sense to someone out there!). I have 2 sets of 12 cloth wipes and one set fits perfectly in my wipe holder. I have great intentions to someday make a wipe solution but at this point I only use water which works just fine.
Ok, last but not least, Tiny Bubbles cloth diaper detergent. It is very important to make sure to use a cloth diaper friendly detergent or else you'll have diapers that don't absorb (not ideal)! This detergent works great. It rinses completely out and gets the CDs nice and clean. It leaves no fragrance which is good. If your detergent is leaving a fragrance (even a good one) its a sign that it isn't getting completely rinsed out. I do a cold rinse (no detergent) on my dipes first, then a hot wash with 2 scoops of Tiny Bubbles (since I have a top loader-front loaders only need 1 scoop) with a cold rinse plus an additional rinse. It sounds like a lot but my washing machine has yet to complain. ;)
All in all I am just really happy with the GroVia line. I love that they are based out of Bozeman, Montana and that I can buy them locally at the Joy of Kids!
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