Cloth diaper and disposable diaper comparison in breathability

I compared the breathability of PUL/TPU fabric cloth diapers vs disposable diapers. You can find my cloth diapers here: http://shop.oekopopo.com.

+Both experiments were made by pouring boiling water in a glass. The water was about the same temperature. Try it at home if you don't believe me ;) +

Sorry about the typos! I made the video with a toddler sitting on my lap and distracting me :)

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[oekopopo]

@wiccabearclair Huh? This is not about diaper rash at all (I know I included that in the end, but it was more like a "side note") It proves that cloth diapers are more breathable and that is all. No more and no less.

Disposable and cloth diapers have both pros and cons and this just shows one advantage of cloth diapers.

[hollie628]

I use the natural babycare eco nappies for now... can't handle the work of cloth at the moment... but there are better biodegradables out there, I just can't afford them now either! I wonder how those compare to cloth in breathability... in my case, the nappy rashes are less or the same though ;)

[oekopopo]

Yes, the rashes is just what I experienced with my son. I really think it varies from baby to baby (if they react to it or not). I think sposies that are biodegradable might be a little different- I should try it out :) However, I don't want anyone to think that it was my intention to vilify disposable diapers with this video, they are not all bad, this is just to show how they compare to cloth in breathability and that this could be something for parents to think about.

[Anastasia Adams Denton]

Exactly why I asked, lol! Still bad news for them. And I like how you showed how the cover wasn't leaking or even wet. Really Nice job!

[oekopopo]

Thank you!

[Anastasia Adams Denton]

Did you use a different glass or was the covering glass in the 2nd demo the same as from the 1st? IF it's the same one, the glass could have been a little damp already. Even more damning for the sposies.

[oekopopo]

I used the same glass, I think the reason it was a tiny bit damp is because the closure was not super tight, small amounts of steam could have went through the sides

[Juli Ha]

Thank you for that video :) thumbs up!

[TheTacosAreHere]

Cloth is actually much more absorbent than disposables at least in our experience. We hardly ever have leaks with cloth unless it was our fault. And in my opinion it is like wrapping plastic around your babies bum. I am actually interested in seeing if we can prevent heat rash with cloth unlike last summer when Adrian was in disposables. :) I really like this video it is a good reference point.

[wiccabearclaire]

If you're examining the breathe-ability because of diaper rash, then you need to make sure that you FIRST use the products exactly as intended. Since both cloth and disposables, if used properly, keep the baby's butt dry, then it's more reasonable to assume the issue is chemical.

I don't disagree with cloth, I just don't like seeing arbitrary experiments used as evidence. It's bad science :(

[wiccabearclaire]

This experiment is like comparing a bath towel to a moisture-wicking jogging shirt. Both have the goal of pulling water off the skin to make it dry, but you wouldn't discredit a towel based on performance while jogging. I know that sound extreme, but cloth and disposables achieve something similar (getting moisture off the baby butt, while keeping the waste locked in) through two totally different ways (chemical vs fabric).

(cont.)

[wiccabearclaire]

I'm not really sure what this is trying to prove. Both are keeping the butt dry, but in different ways. The cloth diaper has to be breathable because it's not as absorbent. The disposable has to be extra absorbent because it can't be as breathable (and still hold liquid in). It's not like "wrapping plastic around your baby's bum".

(cont.)