lil helper cloth diaper review and giveaway

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Our cloth diapering adventure is going really well. We are learning what we like, what we don’t like, what works for a newborn and more.

And, we are learning that it takes being relaxed and honestly a sense of humor to figure it all out. (It’s really not scary at all, it’s just an adjustment from using disposables).

A company that I’m so glad I’ve found and that has a great sense of humor is lilHelper. Go take a look at their site. There’s about a 99% chance that you will be amused. And, you’ll relax at the idea of cloth diapers. After all, this company was started by two men that met in a Calculus class (this speaks to my inner geek!). That’s right…not moms, but two men. Mohammed and Nader have created the diapers and the business using their expertise from different fields.

 

Not only are they looking out for the environment and their kids and your kids’ bottoms, but they are also looking out for those less fortunate. Through their Baby Do Good program, for every three diapers that are purchased, they give one diaper to a family that can’t afford it.

lilhelper has three different diaper types. But, the only difference between them is the material/fabrics they are made of. They have the original cloth diaper with unbleached cotton, the charcoal bamboo and the organic bamboo.  They all have three size adjustments via rise snaps and have cross over snaps and a hip snap on the top. They should fit a baby from 7-35 lbs with the same diaper!

And, they are super cute, too. Not a million options, just nice, bright colors and a couple designs.

The first one we tried out was the Original Cloth Diaper (unbleached cotton) (retails for $20)

• Comes with two detachable liners
• Liners made from unbleached cotton and micro-terry
• Outer shell is made from waterproof PUL

It was a super cute fabric with fun bubbles on it. Very cute for our girls.

It comes with two inserts. A smaller one for newborns that snaps into place. It can later be snapped into place for added absorbancy with the larger insert as well.

You can see the inside of the diaper here. That snap at the top in the center is what keeps the insert/liner in place. It doesn’t move around at all, making it very easy for anybody to put the diaper on.

When you adjust the rise of the diaper down to the smallest size,

The small liner attaches to the snaps in the front and the back perfectly.

We’ve tried this diaper out with both our 3 year old heavy night time wetter and our newborn. No leaks and it holds up great! It washes very well and easily. When I pulled the liners out of the dryer, I just had to give them a little shake to get all of the layers back lined up with each other. This one was my least favorite insert, just because of the way the layers bunched in the insert. Also, I did have one of the snaps that holds the insert in place come off of the diaper. When I contacted lilhelper, they assured me this was a manufacturing defect and told me they would send a replacement and a personal, handwritten note.

Next, we tried out the Charcoal Bamboo Cloth Diaper (retails for $26).

• Comes with two detachable liners made with organic charcoal bamboo
• Outer shell is made from breathable, waterproof bamboo PUL
• Charcoal Bamboo is naturally deodorizing, anti-microbial and hypoallergenic

This charcoal bamboo is so amazingly soft. And, incredibly absorbent. It’s deceptive, because even when it seems fully saturated, it’s hard to tell that it is wet when you touch it.

Look at that plush interior. It really is soft and oh so absorbent. And, I just love the grey color, too. I’m wondering why more companies aren’t going to the grey color. This diaper fits the same as the original cotton diaper. The outside is incredibly soft also. I had to double check to make sure it wasn’t just a fitted diaper because I couldn’t believe it is water proof, too.

Our newborn was a little bigger this time around, and I’m guessing in this picture, she’s almost 9lbs. But, I was able to get a great fit with all of the diapers on her. The cross over snaps and the hip/leg snap were a huge help. The charcoal bamboo is my favorite. I just like the color, the feel and how much it soaks up! Yet, surprisingly, the inserts dry incredibly fast. The outside of the cover took a little longer to dry.

The Bamboo Cloth Diaper was also a big hit (retails for $23).

• Each diaper includes two detachable, highly absorbent liners made from organic bamboo/ micro-terry
• Outer shell is made from breathable, waterproof PUL
• It’s a great lightweight diaper

Of the three varieties, this one is definitely the thinnest. It does make it a little harder to get that snug fit our our newborn because it’s so thin (it’s so thin it doesn’t even give a fluffy booty). But, we were able to get a fit and no leaks on our tiny one. And, the bamboo is super absorbent, too. The bamboo does take the longest to dry, but it’s definitely a trade off for how trim the diaper is and how absorbent.

Bamboo, charcoal bamboo and original cotton (left to right).

Bamboo, charcoal bamboo and original cotton (bottom to top)

What’s nice, is you can purchase extra liners and they can be interchanged. So, I took the original cotton and snapped the charcoal bamboo liners into it.

And, I put it on our almost 40lb three year old at night. Even though they say 35lbs, you can see it fits our three year old just fine. It looks like the rise is a little short in this picture, but we didn’t have any leak problems (and believe me, she tested it out!)  When I put this on her, she said “Oh, I like this. This is nice!” Talk about a glowing review.

It fits very well in the back, too.

And, just so you can tell, here’s our little peanut a couple days old (less than 9lbs) wearing the same diaper with just the newborn insert.

It’s a great fit on her waist and legs.

Both girls experienced no leaks.

I mentioned the Cloth Inserts can be purchased separately depending on your material preference. The Bamboo inserts retail for $8.

This means, this diaper is really more like an all-in-two because in theory, you could snap the soiled liners out and place new ones in if the cover is still clean and dry. The original cotton inserts are $8.

At this point, we haven’t yet experienced a time when the cover was still dry and clean, but I know once we are passed the newborn breastfed poo stage, we shouldn’t have problems just snapping a new insert in!  The Charcoal Bamboo inserts retail for $10.

Each extra set of liners comes with the small and large sizes depending on your need, you can adjust the absorbancy and size.

The Bamboo Wipes are awesome.

• Two ply wipes can pick and clean any mess
• Top ply made from micro-fiber
• Lower ply is soft organic bamboo terry
• Generously sized at 8″ x 8″
• Comes in package of five

They come in a set of 5 (for only $10)

And, they are huge with one size micro-fiber and one bamboo terry.

They really can clean up any mess with just one wipe! When Mr. Serious saw them, he commented on how he thought they’d get the meconium off…they did! These did get a little fuzzy in the wash, but it didn’t change how soft they were or how good of a job they did. (One of the seams on the edge of one of the wipes opened between the layers. However, it didn’t change the functionality of the wipe, nor was there a large dangling string. I’m sure it was just a fluke as the other four wipes are going strong, and they’ve already been washed several times).

They really took care of the whole set at lil helper including Wet Bags (drawstrings are $6, and zippered are $8).

• Made from resilient, waterproof PUL
• High quality elastic string or YKK zipper with carrying handle
• Large enough to hold 3-4 diapers
• Ideal for traveling and day-care use

The drawstring one has a very strong and easy to use toggle to pull the bag tight.

Both bags have reinforced seams on the inside of the bag to make sure they don’t leak.

The zippered bag has a very strong zipper and a carrying handle.

They say the bags hold 3-4 diapers…here it is with 3 diapers with both inserts attached and there is still plenty of room.

And, the toggle on the elastic cinches the bag all the way up closing the bag completely (which is great for the potential for stinkies).

Of all of them, my favorite insert is the charcoal bamboo.  It’s so soft, super-absorbant and dries very quickly. I think it’s work the extra dollars for the quality of those over the others.

Follow along with lilhelper on facebook and twitter. They are entertaining there as well and planning to do some giveaways!

I have one green original unbleached cotton diaper to send to a lucky Really, Are You Serious? reader. Please use the Rafflecopter entry form below to enter.

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