In the beginning there were Prefolds

Prefolds, probably what most people picture when thinking about cloth diapering. These can also be called Chinese or Indian pre-folds. They are thick cotton that has been folded and sewn so all you have to do is fold, pin and use them. You can either fold them and place them right into a cover or you can pin them on then place a cover over. This is the cheapest and most economical way to cloth diaper. Although it is an old fashion way to cd, it is still very popular and has had it's own modern updates. Typically 24 prefolds and 8 covers will be a good, low-budget, diapering system.

Pre-folds come in different sizes to fit your baby at different times. Some are even color coded to make them easier to identify. Probably some of the most popular prefolds are called Green Mountain. Here is an example of the sizing and coloring of Green Mountain prefolds.

Next is attaching the prefold onto the baby. This is where people think of the old metal diaper pins. These have got an update of their own. Snappies are made of rubber and attach to the diaper with plastic teeth.

Here is a snappi on a prefold

So you have the prefold on, now what? When at home, I know that a lot of people will just let their baby roam around in nothing but a prefold. But if you are out and about then you must use a cover over the prefold to contain the wetness and poop. No ugly plastic pants are to be used though! Covers come in the cutest colors and prints, just like other styles of diaper systems. Covers will have a cotton type outside and then a layer of PUL (polyurethane laminate) attached to the inside. This is what causes the waterproof barrier. A popular brand of cover is Thirsties. The covers have an inner gusset that helps hold in the moisture and will either velcro or snap on.

A nice thing about prefold and covers is that you can use one cover several times. Just change out the prefold and wipe out the PUL part of the cover. Here is a great diagram of how the system is used.

Now for costs. Like I said earlier, prefolds and covers are the cheapest way to cloth diaper. I will use the brands of prefolds and covers used earlier for price examples. I will also go off of the 24 prefolds and 8 cover system as well. The price will vary if you are using sized (s, m, l) covers or one size covers. I will price both. Also, you have to remember that you would need to buy the different size prefolds as your baby grows and each size is a different price.

24  Green Mountain prefolds

newborn - $48

small - $56

medium - $64

large - $70

xlarge - $78

Total = $316 for all the prefolds you would need from birth to potty training.

8 Thirsties OS covers (solid colors $12.75 & prints $13.75)

Solid - $102

Prints - $110

or

8 Thirsties Sized covers ( xs, s, m, l all included)

$92 for 8 of one size of a cover

Total = $368 for all the sizes.

From this it is obvious that the OS are definitely cheaper, but you can usually get a more exact fit with the sized covers. That is why some people prefer them other the one size style. It is just personal preference.

So if you do all the prefolds with One Size covers it will cost you appoximately $418 to $426. If you do all the prefolds with the different size covers it will cost you approximately $684. You have to keep in mind that this is just for the diapers themselves and not any of the "extras" that you might want to use, like snappies for example. The average cost of a pack of snappies will run you $7.55 for a triple pack.

I will leave you with a few pictures of prefolds and covers at work :)

This is a typical prefold

Even the prefolds can come in cute patterns

Thirsties cover over a prefold

side view of cover with gussets inside.

I will say that I personally do not use prefolds and covers but I know lots of people love them, especially for the newborn stage. You seem to be able to get a more exact fit when using prefolds since you adjust the size yourself with the snappies/pins. I have always been a little intimidated by them! That is slowly changing as time goes on though.