We don't need no stinking covers . . .

(Just so ya know, still feeling quite miffed about not being able to comment on non-Beta blogs. Seriously considering opening another Blogger Basic account to get around this nonsense!)

Okay, so we have talked about flats, prefolds, and fitteds -- all diapers which in order to be "waterproof" (for lack of a better word), need some kind of cover. We talked about nylon, PUL, and wool covers for these diapers. So now let's talk diapers which already have a cover in place for you!

POCKETS
I have a special affinity for pockets. I really love a great pocket diaper! We use these for out and about, and when we use cloth at night, we use pockets.

A pocket diaper is a diaper which is made of a waterproof outer (usually PUL, but also could be fleece), a stay-dry inner (generally microfleece or suedecloth), and in-between the inner and outer layer, there is an open space - a pocket. The pocket opening is generally at the back of the diaper where the inner and outer materials meet, or there is a slit in the inner material to get to the pocket. When you are using a pocket diaper, you must have some kind of an insert which you stuff into the pocket. Inserts can be made of cotton, microfiber, or hemp. These close with snaps (front snap or side snap) or aplix/velcro. No need for pins or Snappis!

I think the reason I love pockets so much is you can customize the amount and kind of "stuffers" you put in there to meet the needs of your child.

Some people don't like pockets because they need to be stuffed; this, however, has never bothered me. I like to stuff all of my pockets when they come through the laundry so they are ready to grab a minute's notice (usually as D is running off, diaperless, to things far more interesting than a complete diaper change!).

By far, the most popular (in terms of brand recognition) type of pocket diaper is Fuzzi Bunz. These were my first pocket diapers. They are easy to use, WIDELY available, and easy to care for. Fuzzi Buns are often referred to as "the gateway drug" of cloth diapering because most people get their feet wet in the cloth world with these and then move on to more exciting dipes to add to the stash. Then again, some people use FBs exclusively to diaper each of their children! These are front-snapping, sized diapers. This means as your baby grows, you will have to buy/use different-sized diapers.

I have already shared my love for CottonBabies' bumGenius One Size Pocket Diapers. I find I get a much better fit for D in these than with FBs, but that may be because she is between sizes in FBs right now. These one-size diapers have aplix closures and work beautifully with the Cottonbabies microfiber insert that CB includes with each dipe.

Other pocket diapers that I have tried and like OR have heard great things about:
Happy Heiny's Great aplix closing pocket that comes in DARLING prints!

Superstars (used to be called Wonderoos) I haven't tried the newest incarnation of Wonderoos, but I hear they are great.

Swaddlebees are said to be some of the trimmest fitting diapers on the market. We tried one, but these are not great for the heavy-wetting crowd. Too skimpy through the crotch to catch a fast stream of pee, these are definitely for light to moderate wetters. VERY trim though - look just like a disposable under clothes. Available in snaps or aplix.

I'm not just totally sure if Drybees are mass-produced or if they are made by a team of seamstresses employed by this WAHM, but these are really great aplix closing pockets. I had a Drybee that the elastic along the pocket closure went bad on. I contacted Lisa and she had me send the diaper back to her so she could replace the elastic, and she even re-stitched the front of the diaper, too. She has wonderful customer service, and Drybees last a LONG time.

If you don't like mass-produced and would rather go with Work At Home Mom diapers, here are some good bets:

I have had many Baby Blanket pockets in our stash, but that was when they made by the original Baby Blanket WAHM. This company is under new ownership, but I am sure the design hasn't changed. Great fitting dipes - we had all aplix, but I think you can get these with snaps.

Green Acre Designs are fabulously made. Highly recommend!

Snap-EZ are the Cadillacs of pocket diapers, in my opinion. Amazing construction and design. You cannot go wrong with anything from this WAHM company! Snap-EZ pockets have a unique "hip snapping" design - not quite front-snap, not quite side-snap . . . definitely just right.

Finally, I know a WAHM diaper with a huge following in the CD world is Fuzzi Fannies. We have tried one of these, but it just wasn't a great match for us. However, like I said these are very popular and that wouldn't be the case if these were anything less than top-notch!

Now, there are quite a few parents in the CD world who don't like to use PUL covered diapers at all for their children. The primary reason for this is that PUL doesn't allow baby's bum to "breathe." I rarely use pockets in the summer for this reason; the main reasons D would be in a pocket from April to October is that it's nighttime or we are running a quick errand (or if she has diarrhea!). For parents who want a breathable option with pockets there are pockets with fleece outers. These fleece outers will help hold moisture in, but in my experience, these do not hold up between changing as long as a PUL pocket will.

Popular fleece pockets include:
Little Rain Dancers and Ella's Breathable fleece pockets.

So that should get you started on what you need to know about pocket diapers. Next time we will talk about All-in-One diapers, which are nearly self-explanatory!