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LPO Cloth Diapers Review

As a kid, I remember being excessively jealous of American kids.

Thanks to the domination of American media in the lives of Canadians, it seemed like American kids got all the cool stuff. All the fun contests were only open to US residents. Shipping from the Delia’s catalogue was so expensive. So many delicious looking chain restaurants only operated stateside. And as a bookworm, seeing the huge price difference between the Canadian and US dollar list prices on my Babysitter’s Club books always got my goat. (I know, there are exchange rates … but still!) I wanted to attend Sweet Valley or Beverly Hills High … not DeGrassi! (Although in hindsight, DeGrassi was way better.)

Nowadays I’m grateful for my Canadian citizenship for many reasons that are beyond the scope of a cloth diaper review. But I get a real chuckle out of my American fans bemoaning that a Canadian diaper brand is hard to come by in the US. (My initial response is usually, “Yeah, well you get Target!!”) After a lifetime of seeing products way more readily available in the US than in Canada, it’s so strange to see that in the cloth diaper industry, a lot of brands actually START in Canada and slowly become available to our southern neighbours, rather than the reverse.

And today I’m here to announce to arrival of one such brand in the US of A, but only to you Americans who can name all ten Canadian provinces and our three territories. JUST KIDDING! I’m too polite to require that of you.

La Petite Ourse diapers are now available in the US! Don’t worry, I’ve heard what you did to cities like Coeur d’Alene and brands like La Croix—you can just call them LPO!

La Petite Ourse means The Little Bear, and they chose the name both for its literal meaning as well as the Ursa Minor constellation, as one of the co-owners loves the stars.

LPO’s American diapers are the same great quality as the ones sold in Canada, with one small design change to respect a US Patent. As you’ll see in my LPO Canadian Pocket Diaper review, the Canadian design features an extra inner gusset. LPO’s American design does not have this gusset, but I promise you that there’s no loss of function!

So if you’re a Canadian reading this review just to be nice (thank you, eh!), you can take what I’ve got to say about LPO’s American designs and rest assured that it all applies to the LPO diapers you can buy in Canada, just that yours have that extra gusset. And if you’re an American eager to try this brand now finally available to you, know that you’re not receiving a lesser product for lack of a gusset. (I’m honestly gusset-ambivalent; I don’t think they add anything nor take anything away from a diaper’s performance!)

LPO’s Pocket Diaper

Specs

  • Size range: 10–35 lb
  • Inner: charcoal polyester suedecloth
  • Included inserts: two bamboo-polyester blend inserts
  • Price: US$15.99

In my Canadian LPO review, I explained all the reasons I love their pocket diaper. As previously mentioned, the American pocket diaper design doesn’t have the extra inner gusset, but I’ve only ever found that gusset semi-useful during the very short-lived liquidy newborn poop phase. The vast majority of diapers in my stash don’t have that extra gusset, and I don’t miss it.

My favourite things about the LPO Pocket Diaper:

  • Generous sizing with a tall rise to fit toddlers at the higher end of the weight range
  • Crossover snap to size down the waist for small babies
  • Large pocket openings at front and back for easy stuffing; inserts may agitate out in some washing machines
  • Low price point but still backed by a 2-year warranty and customer service
  • Dark grey inner polyester for stay-dry effect and also … no stains!

Thing I love less about the LPO Pocket Diaper:

  • Hip snap location – I prefer the hip snap to be on the bottom row of the closure tabs (not a deal-breaker, just a preference)
  • Type of inserts included – I wish you could pick the inserts to go with your pocket diaper because I love their hemp inserts so much, but I realize the logistics of this from a distribution standpoint are far too complex
  • Made in China – I would love to see even some components of these diapers made in Canada, but we would lose the price point

I first tried the LPO pocket diaper when my boys were less than a year old. They’re now big toddlers, and many of their peers are already potty training. (That’s not a thing we are even trying until they’re 3.)

The LPO pocket diaper has a really generous rise, despite snapping down to teeny tiny for those newbie baby bums. (The recommended starting weight is 10 lb/5.3 kg.)

If you click over to my review from 2018, you’ll see my twins wearing the LPO pocket diaper on its shortest rise. Nowadays they’re getting closer to 30 lb (13.6 kg) and the tallest is nearly 35” (89 cm), so they wear their LPOs fully unsnapped. Unlike a few of the one-size diapers in our stash that fit well when they were infants but are now getting too short in the rise, our LPO diapers still fit perfectly.

The LPO pocket diaper is easy to stuff thanks to front and back pocket openings. In some washing machines you’ll even find the inserts agitate out of the pocket, saving you the step of unstuffing before you toss them in the wet bag.

The two included bamboo inserts are perfect absorbency for daytime use. I consider a diaper absorbent enough if we can easily get to at least three hours in them without leaks, and with the LPO pocket this is no problem. If you have a super heavy wetter or want to use the diaper overnight, definitely check out the variety of additional inserts LPO carries.

LPO’s All-in-One (AIO) Diaper

AIO diaper specs

  • Weight range: 10–35 lb
  • Design: large pocket opening, snap-in booster
  • Inner lining: charcoal polyester suedecloth
  • Sewn-in absorbency: one layer microfibre, three layers bamboo
  • Snap-in booster: bamboo blend topped with suedecloth
  • Price: US$15.99

I only started using LPO’s Canadian AIO design earlier this summer, and I was immediately impressed by it. A lot of the AIO diapers I’ve tested don’t come with sufficient absorbency to make it the three-plus daytime hours I want to see, but the LPO AIO definitely does. The built-in absorbency is sewn inside the suedecloth lining, visible inside the large pocket. The booster snaps in on the top of the diaper. With the booster inside, the amount of absorbency is ample.

Inside the AIO

What is even more impressive is the roomy pocket and how much absorbency you can add. I can fold a hefty overnight insert into the pocket and it’s about the cheapest overnight solution I’ve found. LPO makes affordable flat diapers that you can use on their own as inserts or secured onto baby with a Snappi (old-school diaper style!), but I’ve discovered I can actually fit them inside the AIO pocket to make an epic overnight solution, which, surprisingly, fits without any leg gaps!

My favourite things about the LPO Pocket Diaper:

  • Generous sizing like the pocket diaper
  • Crossover snap to size down the waist for small babies, like the pocket diaper
  • Included booster makes the diaper super absorbent
  • Large pocket opening fits tons of extra absorbency for overnight
  • Low price point but still backed by a 2-year warranty and customer service
  • Dark grey inner polyester for stay-dry effect and also … no stains!

Thing I love less about the LPO Pocket Diaper:

  • Hip snap location – Same hip snap issue as with the pocket, but it’s a personal preference
  • Exposed booster snaps – If you aren’t using the booster, that leaves exposed female snaps against the child’s bum; I always use the booster, but I can see how this  could be irritating
  • Drying time – The sewn-in absorbency is often damp out of the dryer, but you could avoid this by turning the diaper inside out before drying (I just leave it to air dry overnight)

Honestly, this review is kind of boring to write because I’m just super impressed with the LPO AIO. I know a lot of parents really want a simple, affordable AIO diaper solution that you don’t need to buy extra boosters for, and this is it. Now that it’s available in both Canada and the US, it’s even easier for me to recommend it!

Other LPO products available in the US

You can customize your diapers with LPO’s selection of inserts sold separately. I personally love pairing their hemp insert and microfiber inserts! Besides their one-size AIO and pocket diapers, LPO also makes awesome diaper covers and flats (we use and love them), newborn diapers and swim diapers. They also sell muslin and bamboo trifolds, nighttime inserts, reusable and disposable liners. Complete your cloth diaper toolkit with wet bags big and small and cloth wipes.

Beyond cloth diapers, LPO also sells backpack-style diaper bags, 3-in-1 covers, reusable menstrual pads, sleeved bibs and bandana bibs, swaddle blankets, breast pads, a variety of zero-waste food storage and even face masks.

Shop LPO

Americans can expect about a one-week shipping delay for their LPO orders. Orders can be placed at https://lapetiteourseusa.com/. Follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lapetiteourseus

If you’re Canadian, shop via Lagoon Baby!

Coupon code alert! Canadians and Americans can both use coupon code MAMANLOUPSDEN10 to save 10% on LPO purchases until November 22, 2020!





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Welcome to my Wolf Pack!

My name is Lindsay and I am a 40-year-old mama of four trying to live an eco-friendly, budget-friendly life! I am a substitute teacher and Child Passenger Safety technician in Calgary, Alberta. Join me on my adventures!

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