The Great Debate: Velcro vs. Snaps

bumGenius One-Size Hook & Loop Closure Cloth Diaper 4.0bumGenius One-Size Snap Closure Cloth Diaper 4.0


When I started cloth diapering, I ordered all my covers with Velcro closures.

The advantages of Velcro closures on cloth diapers:
  • Similar to disposable diapers, which makes for an easier transition if you are switching from disposable to cloth
  • Fast to fasten and unfasten
  • Very adjustable -- easy and fast to get the right fit. This is important because babies vary widely in their chunkiness (thigh size in particular)
So those are the plusses. But after a while, those Velcro tabs got on my nerves.


The disadvantages of Velcro:
  • You have to fasten the Velcro onto the laundry tabs of a dirty diaper before tossing in the wash. It's not really difficult (if you have a poopy diaper, just remember to close the tabs before taking the baby off the diaper), but it is an extra step. And you will occasionally forget to use the laundry tabs.
  • Older children can open Velcro closures themselves. You can mostly get around this by using onesies, but some kids can open Velcro even while wearing a onesie. My toddler would often open the Velcro while I was changing her diaper (right after I had done it up).
  • The Velcro eventually loses its stickiness (partly because you weren't careful enough doing up those laundry tabs). And when they do, you will have to take a little extra time to find the right spot for doing up the Velcro so that the Velcro doesn't spontaneously come unattached or attach to the inside of your child's clothes, both of which will leave you with an undone falling-off diaper when you don't want one. 

So I paid someone to switch the Velcro on my covers to snaps.

The advantages of snaps:
  • No laundry tabs!
  • More durable
  • Pretty child-proof (toddlers cannot open the snaps by themselves)
  • No catching or snagging or loss of fastening capability -- snaps stay snapped

But there is a little trade-off: snaps take a little longer to fasten and unfasten, and you lose a little flexibility in the fit.  If you want the most painless transition from disposables to cloth: get Velcro. If you are taking the long view and plan to cloth diaper multiple children: get snaps.


Personally, I'm sticking with snaps. I think they are worth a couple extra seconds during a diaper change.


Which do you prefer? Velcro or snaps?



This post is part of
Your Green Resource

5 comments:

  1. I like snaps, personally, but there are some good reasons to keep around a few velcro diapers-- if you have any family members with arthritis, snap diapers can be really hard to use. I have found that the velcro on my thirsties holds up better than the BG velcro, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An excellent point. Also, if you are dealing with other family members and care givers who are not familiar with (or not entirely happy about) using cloth diapers, Velcro is a bit more user-friendly for those accustomed to disposables.

      Delete
  2. I'm a big snap fan! I do have a few velcro diapers but I rarely use them for fear that my toddler will take his diaper off at the worst time lol

    ReplyDelete
  3. snaps. velcro was NOT as durable on my diaps!

    ReplyDelete
  4. snaps. velcro was NOT as durable on my diaps!

    ReplyDelete

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