Turns out Velcro is a specific brand name, Aplix is another brand name as well and the two are not interchangeable. Take Puffs and Kleenex, they're both tissues but different brands. Aplix and Velcro are both hook and loop fastening systems but with different brand names and manufacturers. Got it? Good.
The next question I asked was "Should I have a preference of one over the other?" Turns out that's a little more objective. Most people prefer snaps because they last longer and don't turn into one tangled mess in the washer, they also don't wear out and don't snag on other fabrics. That being said, most modern cloth diapers have a specific spot to attach a hook and loop tag so it doesn't run free in the washer grabbing onto everything else and making a mess of the other diapers. Hook and loop is mighty convenient for those who are unfamiliar with cloth diapers or for someone just getting started, it makes them go on and come off more or less like disposables. I always send Vivi in hook and loop when she'll be staying with someone who doesn't cloth diaper like my parents. We certainly don't have as many hook and loop as we do snaps, but not a single one has caused me trouble so far as long as I fasten them correctly before washing them.
ACTUALLY.
Here's the trouble I'm having.
Vivi rips them off.
Apparently the sound and feel is fascinating and as soon as she hears the hook attach to the loop her little fingers are digging at it to pull it off (which she does wicked fast.) This means I either have to have a cover over her diaper or she has to have pants or a onesie on to prevent full naked baby syndrome. Hook and loop may be easy early on, but once those babies get dexterity man, watch out.
Some companies and work from home moms will switch out your hook and loop closures for snaps as little as $5 per diaper. Not a bad deal if it's a diaper you really love and hook and loop is a feature you don't want to be without for the first year. I've found the stretchier the snap tabs are (bumGenius are my favorite) the better the fit. If I have a choice I generally pick snaps, but I'm secretly happy every time I use a hook and loop and get the diaper on on 6 seconds faster.
It really is the little things.
Do you have a preference between closures?
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Casey Mullins is a writer, photographer and chocolate cake lover living in Indianapolis, IN. She’s an attorney’s wife, mom to a very opinionated seven year old (Addie) as well as a very happy cloth diaper wearing baby girl born in May 2011 (Vivi.) She taps out tales at her own blog, moosh in indy, and more on her baby and big kid over at Babble.
Do you have a preference between closures?
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Casey Mullins is a writer, photographer and chocolate cake lover living in Indianapolis, IN. She’s an attorney’s wife, mom to a very opinionated seven year old (Addie) as well as a very happy cloth diaper wearing baby girl born in May 2011 (Vivi.) She taps out tales at her own blog, moosh in indy, and more on her baby and big kid over at Babble.
Hook and loop here for us. I have babies who don't fit as well into the snaps, so our only snap diapers are overstuffed, and then used for night-diapers on the toddler. Everything else is hook and loop.. and we just use onesies until they're old enough to not rip off the hook and loop. (And actually? I'm finding that using hook and loop w/o an insert is making pretty decent training underwear for potty training the toddler. She can take these off easily, but has trouble with pulling down underwear...)
ReplyDeleteHook and loop all the way. I like the look of snaps, but as a handicapped mom (bi-lateral amputee) snaps are a pain in the bum. Hook and loop I can do, so the choice was easy. :D
ReplyDeleteI like hook and loop (despite the battle of finishing dressing before the diaper gets ripped off), but my husband prefers snaps, so we have some of each. I get annoyed making sure the snaps are secure without pushing on my baby-the pinching the fabric bothers my hands. As you said, it's the little things.
ReplyDeleteI love the fit of Hook and Loop.... but my little one has been able to take off those diapers since he was 6 months old!! (BOO!) So we started switching to snaps with each new diaper.
ReplyDeleteMy hook and loops just didn't last. They aren't sticky anymore, and even the replacement tabs aren't lasting. My snaps however, are hanging in there. I don't have any troubles with the fit or getting them on. Even Mother's Day Out is doing fine with them. Yay!
ReplyDeleteI used to love hook and loop, but after 22 months of using them and washing them, the tabs started to wear out and my little girl started taking them off. Half of my stash is snaps, and I have found myself gravitating more toward them as she and the diapers have aged. I even replaced all the hook and loop tabs (well, I had my mother who sews do it!) but I still prefer the snaps now.
ReplyDeleteI liked hook and loop at the beginning, but they wore out and no longer fasten quite as well as before. Combine that with Vicki doing the same thing as Vivi and they're at the bottom of the pile. Only Vicki can take them off under her clothes, too. (HOW I don't know!)
ReplyDeleteSnaps! I tried hook and loop, but it caught all the lint in the wash and my boys had too much fun removing their diapers, which meant more messes for me to clean up. Snaps are awesome inventions, and I love how you can get an almost perfectly tailored fit with multiple snap settings.
ReplyDeleteI'm a hook and loop fan. Our entire stash is BG 3.0 hook and loop with one lonely snap Flip. We've been using them exclusively for over 2 years with my daughter. Some of the laundry tabs no longer "stick," but other than that they are doing great. Once she's (hopefully) done with diapers soon I plan to get the replacement velcro kits for the dipes that are having trouble so they are ready for baby #2 who is arriving in November!
ReplyDeletesnaps all the way. We used all hook & loop 3.0's with baby #1, and by the time #3 was on the way, we have nothing but snaps in the house. Never again will I pick lint out of laundry tabs til my thumbs are sore or spend tons of time procuring and replacing tabs with the seam ripper and sewing machine. (We all know that those laundry tabs are wishful thinking). Nope, snaps are easy, they stay on, and once you get the hang of them, you can easily fasten them in the dark in the middle of the night when needed, just as easily as an H&L dipe. Just takes a little practice. If you plan on diapering full time with your cloth, or having more than one baby and using the same stash, you will be disappointed if you have more than just a couple hook and loop diapers--stick with the snaps
ReplyDeleteיפה מאוד תודה רבה
ReplyDeleteHook and loop may be faster, but cleaning the mess from baby who removed his diaper when he woke up (dirty) from his nap takes a lot more time!!
ReplyDeleteI use flip covers and I use snaps during the day and then I have one hook & loop diaper cover that I use for nights. My dd has skinny legs so its hard to get a good fit with snaps for nighttime use that won't leak which is why I keep one hook & loop cover in my stash for that. Once the snap covers fit good enough for nighttime use I plan to use them at night and just keep my hook & loop cover as a backup when the others are dirty. So overall snaps are the winner in my house!
ReplyDeletesnaps!
ReplyDeleteI really prefer snaps, but if you are going to get hook and loop I would suggest Flip or Bum Genius. They are the only diapers I have found that the laundry tabs actually work!!
ReplyDeleteI like the way you wrote this - it made it fun to read. :-) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat article, I personally like snaps. I have converted a lot of my son's hook and loop diapers. Main reason? They destroy my inserts and other cloth diapers. No matter what brand it is, I have tried so many, there is always a chance that you will forget to close it or not close them enough! I also find that after a while, the hook and loop get worn out after so many washes. I love snaps,they are very durable and for me it's not hard to attach at all.
ReplyDeleteI have both. H&L for Daddy, snaps for me 90% of the time.
ReplyDeleteSnaps! Our squeeker has skinny legs and the Charlie Bananna brand adjusts nicly
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