Types of Inserts

Inserts are most commonly used with pocket diapers. There are also those designed to have a snap that attaches to an AI2. (To learn more about pockets, AI2s, and other types of diapers, click here.)


Microfiber Insert - This is the most common insert, although not very well popular. This is the one insert that you should not put next to baby's skin, so it's usually put inside a pocket or behind another type of insert. Why should you not put it against baby's skin? It absorbs liquids a little too well, even moisture from baby's skin. Putting microfiber next to skin could cause dryness, even rashes.

It absorbs liquids quickly compared to other inserts, and it dries quickly after wash.

Microfiber gets a bad reputation of retaining smell even after washing. There are those who do not experience this though, including me! (I try to prevent stink by rinsing all inserts before they go in the pail.)

Another common complaint against this type of insert is compression leak. It's when something is pushing against a wet diaper, like when baby is straddling your hip, and the pressure causes pee to squeeze out of the insert. Personally, I have not had this issue. Maybe I just don't have heavy wetters, so the insert doesn't get saturated before next diaper change.

Microfiber inserts don't need to be prepped before first use. All the others need to be prepped to be absorbent.


Cotton Insert - Cotton inserts are not very common. Prefolds and flats are usually made of cotton, but not commonly used in pockets. Still, there are those who do. They are more bulky than regular inserts though.


Bamboo Insert - This insert is said to be more absorbent than microfiber or cotton. It also feels softer than microfiber (microfiber feels like a terrycloth towel) although it's more "floppy", so it's more likely to bunch up inside the diaper. Bamboo does not have the compression leak issue that microfiber has.


Charcoal Bamboo Insert (CBI) - This is commonly made of gray bamboo fleece-y material on the outside, with 2-3 layers of microfiber inside. The outer layer is gray, so it doesn't show stains. Actually, I think the material resists stains (the way fleece does), so it's more likely that it doesn't stain at all. The microfiber layers soak up the liquids while the outer layers, front and back, keep the liquids in, thus solving the compression leak issue of microfiber material. That stain-resistant layer is also stay-dry and soft, so they feel nice against baby's skin.


Bamboo Cotton Insert - This is similar to the CBI, except the top layer is made of white cotton, which is not stain-resistant or stay-dry. Some prefer this over CBI because the cotton absorbs quicker than bamboo. Others like this simply because it's white instead of gray, or because the cotton material feels more natural than charcoal bamboo.


Hemp Insert - Hemp is the most absorbent of all inserts, also the most expensive, preferred for heavy wetters or for overnight use. It's also said to be the slowest to absorb, so if you have a fast pee-er, you are going to want to put cotton or microfiber on top of the hemp so that the top layer would absorb pee quickly then pass on to the hemp beneath.

Hemp is stiff and a little rough.


Notes:
- The more absorbent the insert, the longer it takes to dry.
- Cotton, bamboo, and hemp are made of natural materials; microfiber is synthetic; CBI is a mix of both.
- Prepping is the process of stripping inserts of their natural oils. This is what makes them absorbent. Microfiber is synthetic and doesn't have oils, so it doesn't need to be prepped. There will be a more detailed post about prepping. Stay tuned!