This blog post is a bit of a “choose your adventure” type of deal. Depending on how familiar you are with Funky Fluff diapers, you may or may not need my spiel about recent changes to the company and the product line. If you’re a long-time #FunkyFluffian and want me to outline these changes, keep reading. If you’ve never tried Funky Fluff diapers but are ready to buy some current stock from your favourite retailer, scroll down to “Let’s Get to Know Funky.”
What’s new with Funky Fluff?
There was a bit of a Funky Fluff drought in summer 2016. As Funky’s original owners, Kathy and Tricia, handed the reigns over to Canadian cloth-diaper veteran Bummis, Funky Fans patiently awaited an explanation for the lack of inventory and then the arrival of new prints and colours. It wasn’t until October that the announcement of the merger could be revealed, and it took until late February for the new diapers to arrive on store shelves. As Funky’s social media manager, all I could do was try to hold everyone’s attention until the new fluff arrived! (I was feeling as impatient as the rest of you!)
With Bummis now at the helm, a few things have changed:
- Stay-dry (suede cloth) inner diapers have been discontinued
- Funky Fluff disposable liners have been replaced by Bummis disposable liners
- A newborn diaper has been introduced
- A new manufacturer and fabric supplier were chosen out of necessity: PUL is thicker than the last batch of pre-Bummis diapers and diaper cut may be slightly different than previous models, but I’m noticing no difference in fit
- Diaper pockets are much easier to stuff, inserts are just slightly narrower and also wash up nicer (no baconing)
- Snaps are glossy rather than matte
- Three new, exclusive prints have been introduced (Ice, Ice Baby; Funkometry and Thunderstruck)
- One new colour has been introduced (La Vie en Rose)
- Four previous colours have returned, with slight differences in hue given the new supplier (Yellow Submarine, Maverick, Love Bug* and Aloha)
- All prints and colours are now available in bamboo or athletic wicking jersey (AWJ)
- All new diapers are lot #201601, in case that’s the kind of information you need!
*Note that new Love Bugs have arrived on store shelves! Yay!
Let’s Get to Know Funky
In case you’ve been shopping second-hand, to make sure you’ve got the same version of Funky Fluff Lux that I am talking about for this review, check the tag under the front flap of your diaper. The diapers released in February 2017 are all lot number 201601. If you’ve got questions about your “vintage” Funky Fluff diapers, head over to their Official Fan Group and ask the experts!
What are the current colours & prints?
What sizes do they come in?
The one-size Funky Fluff Lux diaper fits from about 7–35 lbs. Thanks to the crossover snaps at the waist and the narrow crotch, many newborns fit perfectly in the one-size version around 7–8 lbs. Little Miss Cub fit nicely into her Funky Fluff almost from birth (I say “almost” only because we didn’t try them on until she was about a week old). Thanks to the tall rise, Cub still fit his Funky Fluff until he was potty-trained, when he was over three years old and 35 lbs. The one-size Funky Fluff has four rise adjustments.
Brand new in 2017, Funky Fluff also has a newborn diaper! Best described as “Honey, I shrunk the Funky Fluff!”, it looks just like its one-size cousin … just … miniature! It has an umbilical snap-down for baby’s comfort before the stump falls off and two sets of rise snaps to accommodate growth in height. I do not have a newborn in my entourage on which to test this diaper yet, but I’ve seen some very positive feedback from Funky fans! Note that the newborn Funky Fluff is only available in bamboo and comes with two bamboo inserts that can be snapped in at the back.
The newborn diaper is designed to fit from 4–12 lbs, but I have seen it fitting on even larger babies! You can check out Simply Mom Bailey’s review here.
What’s the difference between AWJ & Bamboo?
One-size Funky Fluff diaper shells come with either an AWJ or bamboo inner.
AWJ is a polyester fabric with tiny holes, very much like what you’d see on a sports jersey. This material has a “stay-dry” effect, making it especially good for babies who are sensitive to wetness. I love the extra stretch of AWJ. I find I have to do up our AWJ diapers a bit tighter than our bamboo models! Another benefit to AWJ is that it is pretty resistant to stains.
Bamboo terry is super soft … you’ll want to rub your (clean) diapers on your face! This is the same material from which Funky Fluff inserts are made. It is stretchy, but not as stretchy as AWJ. The bamboo layer adds a tiny notch more absorbency compared to AWJ, but is more prone to staining. (Nothing a bit of sunshine can’t handle!)
What kind of inserts do they come with?
First of all, Funky Fluff calls its inserts “soakers.” The terms are synonymous! Both the newborn and the one-size Funky Fluff diaper systems come with a small and a large insert made of bamboo terry (80% viscose from bamboo, 20% polyester). The inserts are contoured, kind of like most maxi pads! Who wants to waddle around with a rectangle between their legs? The “peanut” shape of Funky Fluff inserts makes them comfortable and extra absorbent in the front and back!
Funky Fluff inserts snap into the diaper shell. The one-size diaper has a snap at the front and the back, and the newborn shell has a snap only at the back. Funky Fluff inserts also snap together, holding them in place when you use them together.
When purchasing Funky Fluff as a “system,” you can expect it to come with bamboo terry inserts. However, Funky Fluff makes one other type of insert, known as the “deLux” insert … affectionately nicknamed “hempboo.” Why “hempboo?” Because these contoured inserts have a top two layers of bamboo and a bottom two layers of hemp!
As you can see, the deLux inserts are also contoured, and have the same snap placement as the bamboo terry inserts. However, the large deLux insert shrinks quite a bit in the wash, so it is noticeably shorter than the large bamboo terry.
The Monarch Mommy did a little experiment to test the absorbency of the Bamboo Lux inserts versus the deLux inserts, which you can check out here. As much as I love hemp, I prefer the regular Bamboo Lux inserts myself, as when I use the small and large together, I get eleven layers of absorbency.
Insert specs:
| Insert | Composition |
| large bamboo lux | 6 layers of bamboo terry |
| small bamboo lux | 5 layers of bamboo terry |
| large deLux | 2 layers of bamboo + 2 layers of hemp |
| small deLux | 2 layers of bamboo + 2 layers of hemp |
| large newborn bamboo | 5 layers of bamboo terry |
| small newborn bamboo | 3 layers of bamboo terry |
Can I buy just the shell without inserts?
Yes! Some retailers sell Funky Fluff shells separately, so you can use them with other inserts you already own. Most inserts will fit nicely in Funky Fluff diapers, especially now that the pockets are even easier to stuff. I am particularly fond of using Öko Creations’ hemp trifold inserts in our Funky Fluff shells!
How do I use a Funky Fluff diaper?
Functionally speaking, I would classify Funky Fluff as a pocket diaper. You’ve got a pocket, you’ve got inserts, that’s a pocket diaper. However, you’ll see Funky Fluff marketed as a “3-in-1” system. I think it functions best as a pocket diaper, but here are all of the ways you can use it:
- As a pocket diaper
Slide one or both inserts into the pocket. Pull the inserts out before washing. This is how I typically use our Funky Fluff.
- As an all-in-one (AIO) diaper
Secure the inserts inside the diaper pocket using the snaps. I still recommend pulling the inserts out when washing, so this isn’t really any different than using it as a pocket … except you snap!
Alternatively, you can snap one insert to the front and one insert to the back of the diaper. If your washing machine isn’t too rough, you can potentially leave them snapped (but outside of the pocket) when washing. This makes it similar to a bumGenius Freetime diaper.
- As an all-in-two (AI2) diaper
I recommend using only AWJ-inner diapers as AI2s because the AWJ lining is water resistant and won’t absorb the urine from soaked inserts. Snap the insert(s) into the diaper on top of the pocket. Swap out soiled inserts rather than changing the whole diaper.
I tend to only use this method if I’m out and about and want to carry around fewer shells. This is similar to the GroVia system: GroVia shells are also lined with a similar polyester material. However, since Funky Fluff inserts are not lined with PUL, more moisture is likely to pass through to the shell.
What’s special about Funky Fluff diapers?
The Funky Fluff system, which retails for $23.95 (AWJ) or $24.95 (bamboo) in both Canada and the US, is my favourite complete diaper system on the market. I also think it’s the most bang for your buck. Many brands come with inserts I don’t like using (usually made of microfibre), so I end up spending more money to replace the inserts. This is the closest to a truly one-size diaper that I’ve tried. I’ve used Funky Fluff on both ends of its weight-range spectrum, and the fit has been great! My taller-than-average son outgrew other brands in the rise before he potty-trained, and most one-size brands didn’t fit my newborn until she hit 12 lbs.
There aren’t many diapers on the market with an AWJ inner option. (This fabric is most commonly used by small scale WAHM diaper-makers.) It’s my favourite diaper inner because it’s stretchy and soft, breathable and stay-dry. It also makes using Funky Fluff as an AI2 feasible.
The fit of Funky Fluff diapers is exquisite. That’s the word I used when I wrote my very first “official” diaper review way back in 2014. The hip snap is my friend, let me tell you. I love how it prevents the diaper from drooping. I love the parallel dual-row of waist snaps, which allow you to customize the fit. If baby’s going to be seated for a while, you can do the diaper up one notch looser at the tummy (much more comfy for a baby muffin top). The snaps go all the way across the waist, so don’t hesitate to fasten it one row tighter on one side to get the perfect fit. And since the snaps cross over, wee bitty babies can also get Funky! (And the even bittier ones can wear the new newborn version!)
When using both inserts, I don’t have to add anything else to our Funky Fluff to get at least three hours of absorbency. Some users even find them absorbent enough overnight, but that’s not the case for us right now. Even with both inserts, the diaper is trim.
There is a strip of PUL at the tummy on the inside of Funky Fluff diapers which helps prevent moisture wicking at the waist. The front and back pocket openings make the diaper easy to stuff—and you can pull your inserts out from whichever end is less soiled! I really do not like it when pocket diapers only open at the front.
What would I change about Funky Fluff diapers?
From a design standpoint, not much. While fans noticed a slight difference in the texture of the PUL of the most recent Funky Fluff diapers, I prefer this thicker, more durable feeling PUL over the thinner PUL of my older diapers. I typically prefer to have middle rise snaps on diapers so that the fabric doesn’t bulge out at the front. Even though Funky Fluff diapers do not have a centre rise snap, I rarely notice any unsightly bulk at the front of the diaper, even when Little Miss is rocking her leggings.
As I mentioned in my very first Funky Fluff review in 2014, I wish they were made in Canada. They are Canadian-owned and Canadian-designed, but manufacturing takes place in China. Now that I work for Funky Fluff, I am privy to more of the “behind the scenes” action. I know that they take the quality and ethics of their overseas manufacturing very seriously and that they’ve made efforts to bring manufacturing to Canada. The problem is economics. Due to its complex design, a Funky Fluff diaper would easily retail for over $40 if manufacturing were brought to Canada.
Bummis, now the owner of Funky Fluff, prides itself on making its products here. By bringing the Chinese-manufactured Funky Fluff brand under its wing, it now has a more economical cloth diaper to bring to market while still employing plenty of Canadians at their Montreal headquarters. (Not to mention me all the way over in Calgary!)
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