After six years with my finger on the pulse of the cloth diaper industry, it takes a lot to impress me. I know what I like, I know what works, and I’ve tried pretty much all the brands that are available to Canadian shoppers.
Mother ease has been on the periphery of my cloth diaper awareness since day one: I had a few of their fitted diapers before I really knew what a fitted diaper was for. I used their Air Flow cover for my son overnight for a while. But I soon got wrapped up in the cool prints and savvy social media marketing of other brands, and I never really got to know the story behind Mother ease nor did I explore their other product offerings.
Last summer Mother ease caught my eye again when they introduced their “Fashionables” line. The Instagram teaser said “No more choosing between fashion and quality. Mother ease brings you leak-free cloth diapering systems that work, with cover prints so trendy your little ones will be rocking the no pants dance!”
I remember thinking SMART MOVE Mother ease, SMART MOVE!
If there’s something I’ve learned about the cloth diapering industry, it’s that the best way to entice parents to give your brand a shot is to lure them in with an irresistible print or colour. It seems fickle, I know. The most important feature of a diaper ought to be its reliability, not its look. But I’m just as guilty as the next person of judging both books, diapers and bottles of wine by their covers. Well, I’m here to tell you that if you have fallen in love with some of the fabulous prints that Mother ease has been releasing but aren’t sure if they’re good diapers and not sure if you’ll like them … I am here to tell you that YOU WILL LOVE THEM. (Never take my recommendations for wine, but definitely take my recommendations for cloth diapers.)
Mother ease Wizard Uno One-Size All-in-One Specs
- CAN$28.95
- 7–35 lb
- Absorbent insert is sewn into the waterproof covers at the corners only, making it easy to add absorbency while speeding up dry time
- Absorbent inner and waterproof cover both have elastics providing a double barrier against leaks
- Available in synthetic stay-dry or organic cotton inner, comes with a matching booster when purchased individually (as opposed to in a multi-pack)
Since having twins I have become a firm believer in the all-in-one (AIO) diaper. For a time, my daughter was also still in diapers, so that was truly an epic amount of diapers each day. I do not have time to stuff pocket diapers now (something I relished doing quietly with a cup of tea by my side when I had only one child in diapers).
The downfall of most AIOs I have tried is that they aren’t absorbent enough for a good three to four hour stretch. And while yes, ideally we can change our babies more frequently, the reality is that once I had more than one child, diaper changes got less frequent. So if an AIO leaks after two hours, that’s a problem for me. But if I toss in the included booster, both my cotton and stay-dry Wizard Unos can even last overnight. I’m going to err on the side of caution and declare an 8-hour stretch leak-free (but there have definitely been successful 12-hour stretches). My boys still drink a lot overnight, so that morning diaper is FULL. To guarantee 12-hour success, I’ve been using a variety of different inserts from my stash underneath the Uno insert with great success. I can also use one Mother ease booster on top and one Mother ease booster underneath to get through a full night.
The second downfall of many AIO designs is how long they can take to dry. If you plan to exclusively air-dry diapers, I would typically caution against choosing an AIO. So many layers of fabric all sewn together make even a good 90 minutes in the dryer insufficient to dry them to the core. Mother ease AIOs solve this problem because the absorbency is sewn only to the four corners of the diaper. Dry-time is cut down and the ability of laundry detergent and water to penetrate and truly clean the diaper is greatly increased.
Other AIO designs have tried to resolve the long dry-time issue by attaching the main absorbency like a long tongue that you have to tuck into the diaper’s pocket. This works, but it adds that extra step to cloth diapering laundry that I am trying to avoid.
The construction of the Wizard Uno also creates a double-elastic effect. The absorbent insert has elastics and so does the cover. Double the leak protection!
My favourite things about our Mother ease Wizard Unos:
- Made in a St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada facility using green energy
- Priced on par or less than comparable, non-Canadian brands
- Double elastic protection: like a double gusset, but better
- Three-across rise snaps without bulge
- Easy to wash and quick to dry
- Soft elastic casing
- Bottom-row hip snap
- Trim fit
- At least eight hours leak-free overnight with the included booster (likely sufficient for many babies for longer, and absorbency can extended for heavy wetters by using another booster or insert that can easily fit under the sewn-in insert)
- The best diaper prints currently on the market, in my very subjective opinion
- Lifetime warranty on elastics and snaps, one-year warranty on manufacturing
Things I like less about our Mother ease Wizard Unos:
- Hard to get a tight fit at the legs if baby has “chicken legs,” so may not fit all babies right at 7 lb; I found the fit reliable closer to 10–12 lb
- The price point is higher than what some families can afford, or than some want to spend, but is reflective of a made-in-Canada product with a great warranty and high-quality materials
Overall Appreciation
Look guys, I’m cloth diapering my third and fourth children here, and it takes a lot to impress me. I am impressed by the Mother ease Wizard Uno. I have to keep up with my washing schedule so that I have clean diapers for overnight until I get a couple more.
Try them for the prints. Keep them for the reliability.
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