One of the choices that new moms have to make is whether or not they are going to use cloth diapers or disposable.  Those new moms who are trying to be more environmentally friendly may choose cloth diapers but with more moms working they may choose to use store bought disposable diapers. But is one really better than the other. The answer is in some ways, if you are looking at saving the environment then cloth diapers are for you or if you are working mom and your child is left with a baby sitter or daycare you may choose disposal.

We will take a look at the pros and cons of each and you can decide which style of diapers you want to choose. There are so many different variables that you should take into consideration when choosing cloth or disposable diapers. Cost is a big deciding factor as well as time and sometimes the environment is an issue too.

Cloth Diapers

Most often when we think of the white square diapers that we have to fold into a triangle and secure with diaper pins but those days are long gone. I have discovered that the cloth diapers of today are not your mother’s cloth diapers. Cloth diapers such as the ones from Krunchies and Fuzzi Bunz come with snaps and designer colors. The cloth diapers of today are already pre-folded and most do not use pins anymore. The one thing that has changed is the price. The diapers I found range in price from a 5 pack of $ 43.00 or a 12 pack of Gerber Pre-Folded Cloth Diapers are about $ 15.00 and on one site I found diapers priced at $ 28.99 each.

These diapers are 100% washable and reusable. Now, some new moms prefer the cloth to disposable but lets see what the advantages are of using cloth diapers. One of the benefits is that they will save you money in the long run. By spending say $ 43.00 on a pack of 5 and you get 4 packs it will still save you money. Another advantage is that they are more environmentally friendly than the disposable diapers.

But the disadvantages are that they have to be washed constantly. Due to the cost of these diapers you will have to buy a large amount of diapers to avoid doing laundry once a day. Then if this is the case, you are spending what you would have in diapers on water and electric to run your washers and dryers.

Disposable Diapers

For years ever since we were babies the good old standard brands of diapers have been around. You have Pampers, LUVS and Huggies, the three staples of diapers. These diapers can be a bit expensive but the younger the baby is the more diapers come in a box. These diapers are 100% convenient and you won’t have to a laundry every day to keep up with the diapers.

With disposable diapers there are different sizes that you can buy depending on your baby’s weight and size. With cloth diapers, some only can be used for babies up to 22 pounds. If your baby is bigger than the ” standard” 6 month old then you may not be able to use them.

Disposable diapers are not designer diapers and they are not made with velour or special cloth. These diapers are designed to the job of being a diaper and not a fashion statement. They can save you more time than using the cloth because you won’t have to wash the diapers every day.

There are so many pros and cons to having cloth and disposable diapers. The only way to make that decision is to weigh both sides. Do you have time to wash diapers on a daily basis? Does your budget allow for cloth diapers? Does your budget allow for disposable diapers? Then you have to decide whether or not you want your childcare provider (if it isn’t going to be you) to use cloth or disposable diapers.

Make a list of the pros and cons and then take into consideration the costs and the availability of cloth diapers. Some stores sell them but many places online sell the cute designer brands that so many new moms like. Please leave us a comment with your cloth or disposal diaper stores; we would love to hear them.