Where to Buy

After you start wrapping your mind around the idea of cloth diapering, you might wonder where you should buy them. There are lots of cloth diaper stores popping up online and sometimes even locally. Here are a few considerations in choosing where to purchase, along with thoughts on some cloth stores I find worth noting.

How to Choose Where to Buy Cloth Diapers

While cloth can save you lots of money, this savings is generally over a longer period of use and can actually require quite an initial investment. Here are some questions to ask for all local and online stores when choosing where to spend all of that money.

Do they have the system you want?

This is kind of a no-brainer, but the first thing to look for when comparing cloth diaper stores. If they don't have the system or brand you're looking for (i.e., covers and prefolds, or Thirsties covers), then cross them off your list and find a store that does.

Example: While most cloth diaper stores offer some sort of prefold option, very few offer the sized prefolds that we prefer. That limits where we shop when we want to include prefolds in our order. If we're not buying prefolds, then our stores choices are much wider.

Do they offer free shipping?

The options I've usually seen from online cloth diaper stores is free shipping after a certain amount spent (usually $50 or %75), free shipping on everything, or paid shipping. Of course, local stores will not have shipping charges for whatever you purchase on site.

Example: If I'm making a big purchase of lots of cloth diaper supplies, then free shipping on orders over $50 or $75 will suffice. But if I just need a couple extra covers, I make sure to buy where shipping is always free.

What is their return policy?

Who pays the shipping and what is required (i.e., tags still attached)? Are returns allowed only for product defects, or can you return simply if you change your mind?

Example: I haven't paid too close attention to return policies, because I didn't make purchases until I knew exactly which products I wanted. I have only had to make one online return and was able to do so easily directly through the manufacturer because of a product flaw.

Do they run any sales, quantity discounts, or coupon codes?

Generally, over $100 (sometimes far more than $100) is being spent to get started cloth diapering. Even smaller sales, discounts when you buy more than one, and coupon codes can make a difference. Once you find a site (or a few) that you like, sign up for their e-mail list and/or follow them on Facebook to be notified of any sales or coupons. You can always unsubscribe when you're past the cloth stage.

Example: We got a discount for buying our prefolds in dozens, and we got discounts for buying several covers at once. We have also purchased during sales (often holiday weekends), and coupon codes. I signed up for several of my favorite sites, then unsubscribed when I was positive I was done buying and my stash was stocked. I generally tried to avoid paying full price for anything, even if I only saved 50 cents per item, it still adds up.

Do they provide a gift registry?

This may not be essential but is worth asking. Putting your specific cloth diaper wish list on a gift registry is a perfect place to direct curious family and friends. However, not all sites offer a registry option, so it's worth looking into. And a registry that offers you a discount on any remaining items is even better.

Example: I registered for cloth diapers when we were expecting before (we already have all the cloth supplies we need for this baby). However, no one except a close family member purchased anything cloth-related for us. I'll share some more thoughts on making the most of a cloth diaper registry in another post.

Do they offer other supplies?

Besides the cloth diapers, there are other essential supplies like pail liners, wet bags, free + clear laundry detergent, dryer balls, etc. If you are able to put these in the same order to save on shipping or use a discount code, all the better.

Example: Many of these supplies can be found other places, so this isn't necessarily a deal-breaker for me.

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Notes on Cloth Diaper Stores

Over the course of our cloth diaper purchasing, we have actually bought diapers from a variety of sources. Depending on sales being run, free shipping, etc., we don't necessarily have one store we always return to. Here are a few I find worth noting...

Note: Affiliate links used. See full note at bottom of post.

Green Mountain Diapers

This is the only place to get Cloth-eez sized prefolds (most often called GMD prefolds). These are the only prefolds we've used, and love them! We purchased our prefolds and some covers from here, then got other items we needed from other sites. More recently I have found sized prefolds elsewhere (see Nicki's Diapers below), but haven't tried them yet to see how they compare.

Nicki's Diapers

They offer Imagine Smart Fit prefolds, which come in sizing similar to GMD (above). The OsoCozy and other brand prefolds found on other sites have limited sizes.

Amazon

They surprisingly have quite a few cloth diaper products. This is where we got our Snappis, Planet Wise Pail Liner, and a couple Thirsties Duo Wraps. Just stay away from Gerber prefolds they show up in their suggested cloth diaper items! They also have easy registry options which could be used for lots of baby products beyond diapering.

Target

Another store coming up with a slowly growing list of cloth diapering products. Originally I only found gDiapers and Fuzzibunz there, but more recently have seen Charlie Banana and Thirsties, so check it out to see what they're offering now. Then you can add your cloth diaper needs to your Target Baby Registry. This is also where we got our storage cubes for our changing table, and our Munchkin wet bag for dirty diapers on-the-go.



What is your favorite cloth diaper store and why did you choose it?



Related Posts:
Our Toddler Diaper Stash
Our Newborn/Infant Cloth Diaper Stash
Saving Money on Baby


Note: Affiliate links used in this post. Purchases made through these links could earn me a small commission with no extra cost to your purchaser. If you use these links for your cloth purchases--thank you for your support!