[Review] Lalabye v Alvababy v Nicki's

[hendrix]

Just my thoughts after using all three brands. My stash started with Alvababy using their bamboo inserts plus OsoCozy prefolds as doublers. Then I ordered some Nicki's once the elastic started to give out on the Alvababy diaps (after 18 months, not terrible tbh), then I bought a stash of Lalabye from my friend.

Alvababy

Pros

• cheap! easily get an entire stash up front
• long! The ones with good elastic still fit great with RTG
• truly OS, kiddo is 25lbs and 31 ish inches and we still have lots of room on the side snaps
• lots of patterns!

Cons

• cheap. Not a sustainable brand, and they will definitely stretch out over time.
• don't use their microfiber inserts. Any compression (i.e. your baby sitting) will squeeze out moisture and result in leaks. Go with bamboo and get some cotton inserts from another brand for absorbency
• opening on the back only. If you're like me and don't remove inserts before washing, then the inserts won't always shake out in the first wash so you'll have to check everything before running the deep wash.
• difficult to order in bulk, you have to email them with your order number and all the patterns you want, and they might tell you some are out of stock.

Nicki's

Pros

• also cheap! More expensive than Alvababy but honestly I didn't see a difference in quality
• openings on both ends so inserts will shake out
• long! Lots of room to grow

Cons

• no wetness guard on the front, gotta tuck it in if you want to make sure nothing leaks
• the fleece inner seems like it would be way too warm, and potentially irritating when wet l. Not moisture wicking IMO
• also not sustainable brand
• no extra hip snaps
• limited on patterns

Lalabye

Pros

• inserts snap in if you want to secure them but you don't have to. Can also double up the inserts and secure them to each other for extra absorbency
• opening on both ends, inserts will shake out in the wash
• wetness guard to cover up the opening on the front
• color coded snaps to help you remember how tight to close the diaper
• extremely cute patterns

Cons

• securing the insert to the diaper on both ends means you're limited on length
• MUCH shorter than Alva or Nicki's. They still fit my toddler, but probably not for much longer.

Overall I think if I had the money and planned ahead, I would easily go with Lalabye if only they were longer. I know everyone has their reasons for cloth diapering, and personally I was more focused on saving my wallet in the long run so if you aren't able to afford or prioritize sustainable brands, then I honestly recommend Alvababy.

We're hoping to start trying for baby #2 next May, so I'll probably end up slowly replacing my Alva stash with either additional Alva products or more sustainable brands a little at a time.

Edit: formatting, clarifying information