If you’ve recently been online cloth diaper shopping, you might have encountered a relative new-comer among the better known brands like BumGenius, Fuzzibunz and Canada’s sweethearts, AppleCheeks and AMP: Funky Fluff! Funky Fluff is a Canadian-owned diaper company with manufacturing operations overseas that is quickly making a name for itself among new and seasoned fluffy mamas.
Thanks to Renee at Lil’ Monkey Cheeks, Cub has been test driving a Funky Fluff Bamboo 2.0 for a month or so. I’ve spent some time getting to know FF and I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned about their choice to manufacture in China in a future post. So before I get to that, how about I tell you about this diaper?
Love:
- Simple snap closures: If I’m going to use snaps (I’m more into Velcro), I love two rows of snaps that go across the whole diaper. I find these to be most user friendly, and my husband had it right on the first try.
- No wing-droop: The two rows of snaps are very similar to BumGenius, but with the addition of the hip snap which makes for a perfect fit with no slouch.
- Exquisite fit: Ok, I know that’s a pretty lofty word choice for a diaper… but it’s been floating around in my head every time I use the FF 2.0 on Cub, and was reinforced by some photos and comments I’ve recently seen from other satisfied Mamas with Cubs of different sizes. It’s got a high rise and the crotch is the narrowest I’ve ever seen, meaning it’s not bulky between the legs at all! The upper weight range is listed as 35 lbs +, and I fully endorse the “+,” as my Cub is on the largest setting and over 30 lbs with still plenty of room to grow (and potty learning is a ways away). I didn’t have a newborn of my own to try the diaper on, but I spoke to Anne at Zephyr Hill Blog, who had this to say: “I really liked the fit of the Funky Fluff diaper on my 4-week-old son. It worked much better than other “one size” diapers in my stash. I got a nice snug fit, even around his skinny little legs, and we experienced zero leaks. Plus, the bamboo is so soft and perfect for sensitive newborn skin.”
- Snaps at the front and back for the insert: To use the diaper like an AIO you can snap the insert in on both ends. As a pocket you can slide it in unattached or snap it in on one end and, with a traditional top loader, the insert agitates out in the wash (like a TotsBots Easy Fit). (At least in my HE Front loader, inserts don’t agitate out for any brand.)
Love less:
(none of the things I love less about this diaper are deal breakers)
- Narrow inserts: Now, like I mentioned in a previous post, things I might not love about a diaper may be exactly what another Mama loves about it! While I find the inserts narrow, I’ve heard from Mamas of smaller babies who love the lack of bulk between the legs! I do love the narrow crotch of the diaper, but prefer a tiny bit more width in the insert. Sometimes a narrow insert can lead to leaks along the leg gussets, but because the top layer of the diaper is bamboo (and not fleece or micro suede), it actually absorbs some of the pee itself, so none rolls to the edges and escapes!
- Made overseas: It’s extremely difficult for North American companies to keep their items competitively priced and manufactured close to home. FF is certainly not the only company to have their diapers made in China: Rumparooz, Fuzzibunz and Glow Bug also rely on cheaper overseas manufacturing costs.
- Overly ambitiously labeled as an AIO… Honestly, this diaper is a pocket diaper. The snaps allow it to function like an All-in-one, but really, once you’ve stuffed any pocket diaper (and many pockets do have snaps to attach the insert), it’s basically a one-piece system. The packaging says you can leave the soaker snapped in on both sides for washing, but I really didn’t feel like it got clean when it stayed inside the diaper. I ended up re-washing the diaper with the insert removed. If your machine allows the insert to agitate out, then just leave it snapped on one end and you don’t have to go searching for the insert once the wash is done.
- ….and an AI2… FF is also not the only brand to claim its diaper functions like more than one “style.” I find this kind of labeling somewhat misleading, but it is a marketing gimmick and not a flaw of the diaper itself. The Funky Fluff Bamboo 2.0 is a pocket diaper with a snap-in insert, in my opinion. If you want to split hairs, ok, if you leave the insert snapped in all the time, we could call it an AIO (all in one). Personally I think it gets cleaner if the insert is removed for washing (but you could at least leave it attached, and it did agitate out on its own in a traditional top loader). I am reluctant to call it an AI2, however. The generally accepted definition of an AI2 is a diaper where the cover can be used for multiple changes by just changing the insert. There was no way I could reuse the shell if I lay the insert on top for the “AI2” style because the shell was always too damp to be reused. (I feel the same way about the reusability of AppleCheeks and AMPs.) Funky Fluff has a great diaper design and you don’t need to believe you’re getting “3 diapers in one” to make it worth your money.
But here’s a thought I had while cuddling Cub to sleep tonight: even if it doesn’t really work well as an AI2, snapping the insert on TOP of the diaper could actually serve a pretty cool purpose: it would make cleaning up poop easier and save using an additional liner! Think about it: rather than having to rinse off the whole diaper (in whichever way you choose… I’m a toilet dunker, myself), you could just be de-poopifying the soaker! I’m a genius, and I’m doing it that way next time.
Bottom line: I adore the fit of this diaper and I am keeping it in my regular rotation. I love the colour choices and how the snaps and PUL are different colours. I am eager to try it on the smaller settings, and I am confident it will fit my 95 percentile boy until he’s out of diapers. A full stash of Funky Fluff would be a great choice if you haven’t started your stash yet!
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