There are so many reasons to try cloth diapers. They are a healthier alternative to the chorine-ridden, potentially harmful disposable diapers that line the grocery store shelves and save money if used for most of a baby’s diapering experience. Understandably, many moms are hesitant to try cloth diapers for reasons such as the convenience of disposable diapers, the daunting task of cleaning soiled diapers, or the initial cost of a set of good quality diapers to name a few.

My sister and I have had many children between the two of us, eleven, and we have experimented with many assorted brands of diapers and diapering systems. We had the privilege of reviewing Thirsties Diapers Nature’s Canopy Collection with my 6-month old and her 13-month old.

The Nature’s Canopy Collection comes with five One Size Pocket diapers. Each diaper includes a patterned, waterproof cover that has a microfleece lining that protects the baby from the wetness of the diaper as well as provides stain resistance. The covers are brilliant in color and include patterns entitled “Arthropoda,” “Forest Frolic,” “Ice Blue,” “Mountain Twilight,” and “Night Owl.” My favorite pattern was the “Night Owl” because of its deep blues and detailed owl and my sister enjoyed the “Forest Frolic” diaper that had bright orange mushrooms, teal snails, grey acorns, and adorable tree stumps scattered across it. Each diaper has two inserts that can be used individually or snapped together for different absorbency options.

Thirsties Diapers are designed with enough snaps to shrink the diaper to “newborn” size and extend up to toddler size. My daughter was an early baby and very small for her age; I found that these diapers did not shrink as small and tight around her legs as I would have liked when she was young. I could not use them confidently until she was about 3-4 months old and a bit heavier at which time, I had no issue adjusting each diaper to fit her small frame. My sister was pleased with how the diapers fit her chunky, man-sized toddler. Between the two of us, I would say that this pack of diapers does a wonderful job of growing with a baby from young infancy into toddlerhood except for newborns.

It was quite easy to assemble each Thirsties Diaper with the required inserts as both ends of the diaper have openings making it easy to pull the absorbent pads through. My sister did not like this feature because she found that the inserts slid around within the cover and would end up sticking out on one end as her toddler moved about during the day. From what I understand, having the two open ends also assists when cleaning the diapers as they can be thrown into the wash as a single unit and the inserts will make their way out of the cover on their own during the wash cycle.

I found that all skin types benefit from Thirsties Diapers! My sister has extremely sensitive and fair-skinned children who usually struggle with breakouts and rashes on their skin from both disposable and cloth diapers. She was excited to see that her son did not react to Thirsties Diapers! They did a fantastic job of keeping his skin dry even when left in a diaper for several hours. My children are mixed with African so their skin is not as sensitive but can dry out easily. I did not have any issues using these diapers at all.

Durability is a necessity when it comes to cloth diapers. They need to hold up for the extent of a child’s diaper-wearing journey. Thirsties Diapers Nature’s Canopy Collection is well worth the money as they will last for not only one child’s journey, but I suspect they will endure the feat of providing leak-proof success for more than one child. They also provide an easy diapering experience with no folding or pinning required. Great for the novice as well as the experienced cloth diaper parent.

-Product review by Cassie Deputie, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, September 2020