I purchased 2 boxes of the econobum kits a little over 1 1/2 yrs ago. I cloth diapered with JUST the econobum prefolds and covers for 6+ months with the exception of when we were out-and-about and at night (no matter how I tried, there would be a leak through fairly early through the night and using two prefolds was simply too bulky and uncomfortable for my son at 4+ months). I slowly began to incorporate bumgenius 4.0 diapers into the mix (whenever there was a sale and via gifts etc). So I have currently been using a combination of bumgenius and econobums for a year. The econobums are my primary "go to" diapers during the day when I am at home (I am a SAHM) while the bumgenius are for on the go, naps and night time. At this point I have just recently had to toss 3 of the econobum covers due to their lack of waterproofness--so 1 1/2 years after purchasing them--the prefolds are all still usable though some are showing considerable wear along the edges. I have a handful (out of 24) that have completely worn through on the sides and are thread barren. But they still work fine and I plan to continue using them. Over-all I have been pleased with my purchase. They clean up easy, have held up reasonably well for daily use for over a year and have remained stain free. The main downfalls are they do eventually fall apart. (I plan to just purchase more covers to replace the 3 that are shot.) One final note. My son is fairly small and was only 4 months old when we began using the econbums kits on him. At the time they were VERY bulky on him. We made due and they worked, but we were constantly dealing with comments from people about how HUGE his diapers were. Haha! In fact, he had to wear a size larger pant than he would normally in a disposable. This is one of the few draw backs to cloth diapering, but in my opinion, is well worth the comments for the amount of money we have saved and not having buckets full of dirty disposable diapers stinking up our home and garage. I DO RECOMMEND these kits.

Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Heather on Thursday 07 June, 2012
Cotton Babies Verified Purchase

These are okay if you are on a budget, but they are bulky and the covers are not as nice as the Flip covers. I use them as my last choice and never use the covers unless I'm out of Flip covers. The pre-folds are very absorbent and I've never had a leak with them during the daytime (I have not tried them at night). If you can splurge a little more I would get the Flips, they are a little more but not as much as the all in ones or pocket diapers. Flip inserts are not as bulky either, but if you need to save money use these pre-folds with Flip covers. If I could give 3.5 stars I would.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Jasmin on Tuesday 05 June, 2012
Cotton Babies Verified Purchase

I didn't use the econobum cloth diapers until my son was 7 months old and wish I would have started earlier. I love the covers - they are so easy to adjust to the right size. The prefolds are very large, so a little harder to use with smaller baby, but very well made and hold up very well. I still have to fold down one end in order to keep the prefold inside of the cover, but it helps with added absorbency. The only problem I have is that there isn't elastic in the front waist area of the cover which is a leak problem if I don't get the front cover pulled up above the prefold. Practice has limited the leaks, but elastic would be nice. For the price, these are the best. I like having the cover and prefold separate so I can machine dry the prefold and line dry the cover to help it last longer. I would recommend and will be buying more as I am using them more regularly.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Brandi on Wednesday 30 May, 2012

We love these diapers! After being very diappointed in out newborn diapers (Bumgenius Newborn), we switched to these when our son was only 9lbs. I was a little worried since the leg openings weren't tight on his little legs, but NO LEAKS! The insert is so absorbent! We haven't had any poop leaks either. They are still a little bulkey at 12 lbs, but the price, the ease of use, and the assurance of no leaks far outweighs the bulkiness. We will be using these for all future babies!

Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Allison on Tuesday 01 May, 2012
Cotton Babies Verified Purchase

The Ecobum prefolds shrink down to about 10.5" by 16", so they are too narrow to comfortably snappi. That being the case, an EBF baby will need extra covers because a prefold folded into a rectangle and merely laid into a cover can't contain a runny poo. I wish I had bought flats instead - the original OS diapers. This system works except that EBF poo tends to leak.

Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Kayleigh on Wednesday 18 January, 2012

These are probably great diapers for older babies or babies with chubby thighs but they're definitely not a true one-sized diaper. My daughter is six months old and weighs 13lbs. but these diapers (on their smallest setting) still have a few inches of extra space around the legs which result in nearly EVERYTHING leaking out the sides. Very messy. So, if you have a skinny little baby like mine, these diapers probably aren't the right ones for you. At least not until your baby is older. Personally, I would recommend buying the fuzzibunz one-sized diapers instead. We have had no leaks or problems with the fuzzibunz diapers and their adjustability and durability makes the price difference worth it in the long run.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Damian on Saturday 31 December, 2011

I love these diapers! My son has very sensitive skin and these work so much better than disposable diapers at keeping diaper rash away. Unlike my Chinese prefolds, these are the same thickness throughout and hold so much. I have never had any problems with leaking. The covers are thin but strong. I have been using them for about a year and they wear like steel. I'll totally be able to use them on a second baby.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Jennifer on Wednesday 09 November, 2011

I am still using these on my soon to be 3 year old and they work overnight and everything. If you fold them in the right direction for how big your child is I believe they work great!!! The cover has never let me down either! These also fit my now 7 week old and they have been fitting him since he was about 4 weeks old. Amazing for the price and I think that everyone is different so different diapers work for different kids but these work for my 30lb toddler and my 11lb infant. Great job cottonbabies!!

Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Meredith on Monday 07 November, 2011
Cotton Babies Verified Purchase

These seemed to be good enough quality, but unfortunately, they won't work all the way to potty training. You'll need much larger prefolds for that to happen. My 27lb, 35" tall 20 month old was waaaaay too big for these prefolds. There's a slight quality difference here versus the econobums with colored trim: there is a plastic layer under all the snaps on the color trimmed ones and only under the top snaps with these white ones. I think the extra layer would help with durability in the long run. Overall, I think these probably would have been much better for an infant (not newborn) versus a toddler. I don't see how these get you from birth to potty training for only $100 not only for size reasons but also for absorbency reasons. You will mostly likely need doublers when the baby gets to be about 20 pounds and sleeps a long time or is a heavy wetter. Doublers can be expensive, so be sure to calculate this. The wetbag was functional but nothing special--small travel size, white, with a drawstring.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Julie on Saturday 27 August, 2011
Cotton Babies Verified Purchase

I love these diapers! They are very easy to use, easy to clean, and are a very good price! We have two kits for a total of 6 covers and 24 prefolds. The prefolds are the softest and most absorbent that I've seen. Granted, they don't fit little newborns. My son was about two months old before we started using them. Until then, we just bought the "Try It Kit" for $34 in their smallest size and some extra Indian Newborn Prefolds. It worked out great until he could wear the Econobums. My son is now almost a year old, which means we've been using the econobums for about 10 months on a daily basis. They still are showing very little wear and my very tall and active guy can get around great in them. The nice thing about this diaper is that my parents and others from the 50's/60's who did cloth diapering find this system much closer to what they are used to. I watched a friend go through a trial kit of various pocket diapers, and I will take my "Try it Kit" and Econobums any day over those, especially since you can reuse the cover multiple times. We are expecting another little one in December. We will definitely be buying another kit to round out our stash.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Jennifer on Thursday 28 July, 2011
Cotton Babies Verified Purchase

I am very pleased with this kit. This was my introduction into cloth diapering and if it didn't work, I was certainly going back to disposables. This got me hooked on cloth diapering. It's simple and convenient and works so well. I've had a couple of blowouts, but then I got those with disposables too. The prefolds are soft and absorbent. My daughter has never had diaper rash with them. Initially, I was folding the prefold incorrectly which causes a huge puffy bottom, but for smaller babies, just fold it width-wise instead of length and it fits SO much better. The covers are holding up really well and fit perfectly. Thank you for making an affordable cloth diapering system!

Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Katherine on Monday 09 May, 2011

Is it just me or is this package "deal" actually overpriced? The trial pack that comes with one cover and three prefolds is $11.95, and 3 more prefolds is just $6. So, 3 x 11.95 + 6 = $41.85 (for 3 covers and 12 prefolds). This package is $48.95; so what others referred to as a "free" wet bag is actually $7.10, although CB sells Thristies Deluxe Diaper Duffle for only $6.25 (when it's not on sale). I love Econobum (the covers and the prefolds are awesome for the price!), but this package is a bad deal. I recommend you buy the Trial packs (3 of them), a set of the prefolds and a drybag separately to save. Also, you get to pick the trim color on the Trial pack so you don't have to just get white!

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Andrea on Wednesday 04 May, 2011
Cotton Babies Verified Purchase

I love econobums!! I just started using them, and while I normally use a snappi and angel wings with a prefold, I really don't have to with these. That makes it so much easier for her Dad to use, and it makes for a quicker change, which is essential with my grumpy squirmer. I actually really like the thin-ness of the cover, because it is easier for her to move in. The price was perfect, and I love that I can CD full time now. I think the wetbag is mediocre though. It's a drawstring cover, and more of a travel size. The drawstring is hard to use, and never fully closes.

Rating: [2 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Jennifer on Thursday 14 April, 2011

My dad bought me a box of Econobums because they were the cheapest way to cloth diaper. I waited until my daughter was a month old to try them, and the prefolds were so bulky that it spread her legs apart and reached almost to her knees. It looked so uncomfortable that I immediately took it off. After reading other reviews of the product, I bought some Flip newborn inserts to use in the Econobums covers. With those there are large gaps in the leg openings on my 9 pound baby. We didn’t bother using them because we did not want them to leak everywhere. I thought when I was in the store the lady working there told me that we could return them if we didn't like them within 90 days (the perils of being pregnant and overwhelmed, I guess!). According to the return policy, you cannot return anything that has been washed, and I, of course, washed them to prep them for use. I guess we will wait and see what happens if and when she grows into them! The Bum Genius one-size diapers are more expensive, but they definitely work better for my daughter.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Jessica on Wednesday 13 April, 2011

I wasn't completely keen on these when my daughter was younger. But then I grew to love them. And now I wish these were my entire daytime stash. I only have one kit, but I might buy a second. It also makes a great baby gift. I recommend newborn size prefolds & covers at first, but then baby can move right into these. The probably would have worked great for overnight use when she was 3-9 months old, but we used bumGenius instead for the stay dry. But I think they would work great for that too. It's just simple and good. And you can't beat something simple that works.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Sarah on Friday 01 April, 2011
Cotton Babies Verified Purchase

I love this diaper. They keep my son drier than any other diaper I've tried (Flip, Gerber DSQ, chinese pre-folds). Even when he absolutely soaks the front part of the diaper during naps, the moisture does not travel down the material to his bottom. Awesome! The covers are not as thick and don't have the pockets of the Flip covers, but I don't have any complaints about them. My boy's poops were exploding out of every disposable I used, but the Econobum covers have always contained him. They are definitaly thick and bulky, my one complaint, but they're worth it for the absorbancy. The sizing isn't perfect, I'd say. My son is in between small and medium right now, and I have to fold the diaper the long way but fold it down in front, which adds to the bulkiness. I use several different folds (newspaper, angel wings, and bikini twist), and they all work with these pre-folds and cover. You can also you chinese prefolds with the cover. Very economical and very good quality. I love cotton babies! plus, clean-up has been a breeze. We just use warm water and baby washcloths (still exclusively bfing), a dry pail, and wash every other day with cotton babies laundry detergent. I have been very pleased with the results so far. no staining, so stinking. awesome! I was so nervous about trying cloth, but it's a lot easier than expected, and my baby's bum is a lot happier for it!

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Melissa on Friday 25 March, 2011
Cotton Babies Verified Purchase

I wanted to add to my previous review that I tried the prefolds that come in the kit, and they actually fit my 9 lb 8 oz girl! I was surprised because they look so big, but I just folded them in thirds the short way and laid them in the cover. Admittedly, it is extremely bulky, and some BF-poop escaped, but I kind of expected that since she's pretty explosive and the PF was just laid in the cover with no fastening. Really, these diapers are excellent for those who are on a tight budget. I am very happy that I got them. CDing is so so easy! Even washing them is easy. I wish I had had the internet when I was pregnant with my son, I so would have used CDs if I had known how much better they had gotten!

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Melissa on Wednesday 23 March, 2011
Cotton Babies Verified Purchase

I haven't tried the prefolds yet, I've been using Indian prefolds instead, but the covers are awesome! I bought the full kit at first and got four covers with the single prefold on sale, and I love them! They do make my DD look like she's got a whole lot of junk in her trunk, but there have been no leaks yet. I like the colored trim. These are the only covers I have besides ones I made (which are all too big so far :-) ) so I can't compare them to any others, but I really like them. Pretty easy to use. The only reason I have not used the Econobum prefolds is because they seem like they'll be too big for my little girl right now.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Meredith on Monday 07 March, 2011
Cotton Babies Verified Purchase

I absolutely love these diapers! The prefolds are very absorbent and the covers keep in moisture and mess wonderfully. They are super soft on baby's skin. I used disposables for about a month while my son was growing into the Econobums and even with sensitive disposables I was constantly fighting off diaper rash but I have been using the Econobums for two months now and he hasn't had a single break out! Washing is easy. First I rinse, then wash with a free and clear detergent and a little baking soda for the stains. The covers air dry within a few hours. Econobums are bulky but most cloth diapers look bulky compared to disposables. Overall these are great diapers and you can't beat the price! I recommend them for anyone interested in cloth diapering.

Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!]
Reviewed by Jessica on Sunday 06 February, 2011

I bought these diapers for my 8 month old daughter at the same time i bought the flip diapers. These are bulkier with the prefolds and one of the prefolds came apart at the seams after the initial washing. These work really good though. I think I might get some flip inserts and use them instead of the prefolds.

View all 25 reviews