If you complete most nappy website’s online questionnaires, or go to a brand’s own website they will usually come up with a recommendation based on the 20 nappies including 4 nights concept, but this is pretty much always of a single type of nappy from their assessment of your responses.

“Expert” advice is great, however I would always use caution when buying one type of nappy in so much bulk. The more you buy of one type to get a good deal the more you save initially, however having seen posts where people commit to an entire 20, 30 or 40 pack of 1 type of nappy on a recommendation, the more they are likely to sell on half of that number or more when they have got used to their own routine and realise they need different additional nappies for different scenarios. The maximum I have of 1 type of nappy is 4.

Each nappy type is designed for a purpose:

Night suitable boosted nappies are bulky to be able to absorb a whole night’s worth, but not always comfortable during the day for an active baby or out of the house.

Pocket nappies are quick drying, great for the changing bag because they are often the slimmest; but they also require “stuffing” and might not be ideal for childcare with lots of poppers that require a precise fit.

All in ones are often the easiest to use and fit but they can take time to dry. These are however my favourite for out and about and sending to nursery, especially Hippynut because they are so slim and absorbent and La Petite Ourse because they are fool proof enough even for the non-initiated.

Terry flats are both absorbent and the quickest to dry but you might only want to use them for nights or on a newborn/young baby. I keep a stash for spares meaning I don’t need another spare night nappy on top of my usual 4 night nappies I rely on. They are also really coming back into fashion in a big way. I personally don’t get on with pre-folds which come into this category (I found their containment terrible so I won’t be selling them).

Personally I love a 2 part for containment but they can be bulky so I use them for nights and mostly when we are at home.

This is why I sell on a trial basis

I believe the best approach is a varied one so you have a working stash to cover all of your needs. And the only way you really know is by trying different types, and this is what our small bundles and “buy back” scheme are designed for.

Some other things to think about

As someone who has been experimenting, there are a few top tips I feel I have to pass on:

1. Having a variety of boosters available makes life easier. This is also why I sell individual boosters at a reduced postage rate if its the only thing you need to try to check if it works for you.

2. Repetitive sock marks – These look worse than they actually are but can be lessened by using a variety of nappies in your stash (the elastics tighten in different places) and changing nappies frequently

3. You can always have a pack of biodegradable (preferably) or disposable plastic nappies to hand still for emergencies. Cloth nappying doesn’t have to be all in all the time if you don’t want it to be, for every real nappy used you are saving a disposable from landfill. When I first started, I used disposables overnight, and I took a day off per week to catch up on laundry before I found what worked

4. Throw away nappies can still have a place in your life – i.e. holidays, nights away, in the event of illness etc. etc. etc.

You might also want to pick up some of our bargain pre-loved nappies as spares.

Help guides

For more straight forward practical tips on how to switch to reusable nappies, have a read of my further blogs:

• Wash routine

• What about poo?

• How many reusable nappies do you need?