Monday, April 8, 2013

FuzziBunz Elite One-Size diaper, what's the big difference?

As many of you know, FuzziBunz has recently re-vamped their One-Size (OS) Elite diaper. Our local cloth diaper store, Zoolikins, asked if I would do a comparison of the new Elites to the old Elites. They graciously provided a new FuzziBunz Elite for me to test out and review. I thought I'd take the complete review one step further and add in a their original OS to the mix too.To give you a little idea of which is which. The blue diaper is the original OS, the orange is the old OS Elite, and the yellow is the new OS Elite.


The original OS was one of my first diaper purchases. I had heard about how trim this particular diaper was and how easy it was to adjust the sizing without having the snaps going across the front. It's one of the features I like most about FuzziBunz. To make the comparison easier to understand, I'm going to break it down into categories: Look, Inserts, Sizing, and Miscellaneous. Are you ready? Here we go! :)

The Look (first appearances, general functionality):
All three diapers have a conceptually similar look. They all have 2 rows of snaps. One around the waist and another set on either side of the hips. With only 3 snaps on each "wing" to worry about, this is a quick and easy diaper to change. The inside of each diaper is made with a microfleece that wicks away moisture from baby's skin while still keeping a soft barrier next to baby's bum.




Now, to dive into the differences. I'm going to start oldest to newest.

On the original OS diaper, you'll see there are 8 snaps across the waist and 4 hip snaps. The snaps on the hip curve in giving a tighter fit around the leg for skinnier babies, and also helping with gaps that may increase the opportunity for leaking. The actual diaper itself is also contoured through the middle. This makes for a nice fit for B, but because it's a bit narrow, it does make stuffing the diaper a little trickier if you have broader hands or more than one insert.











 

The old OS Elite changed the snaps a bit. There are still two rows,still 8 total snaps across the waist but now only 3 hip snaps. Those three snaps are closer together and no longer contour in. It does make the diaper appear "boxier" but when it's on B it seemed to have little to no impact on the sizing or fit. I did notice that there was a little more gapping around the leg hole when B would sit down, but I didn't experience any leaks. I think on skinner legged babies, this may be an issue or if you stuff multiple inserts and make the diaper bulkier. Like the original OS, this diaper is contoured down the middle, so it does make stuffing the inserts a little tougher, but the inserts that come with the old OS Elite are a much thinner minky material versus the microfiber predecessor. More on inserts later :) 



The new OS Elite has the same snap structure as the old Elite with a few changes. There are 10 total snaps across the waist and three at either hip. You'll notice the three hip snaps are set in a bit more from the outer edge. They are not contoured, but it does help decrease the potential gapping at the legs. You'll also notice that when looking at the three diapers, the new OS Elite appears wider. It's not as contoured as the prior versions of this diaper, making stuffing the inserts easier, but it also gives a wider fit on B.

 

 
The Inserts: (what's included)

Large Inserts
Small Inserts
All three diapers come standard with two inserts. What they're made of is what changes. Keeping with the same structure, we'll go oldest to newest.


 The original OS diaper comes with 2 microfiber inserts. They are different sizes to accommodate the different sizing over the life of the diaper. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about these FuzziBunz inserts that are different from all the other various microfiber inserts in my collection. They just feel different. The stitching around the edges feels strong and the insert itself just feels thicker and more absorbent. **Side note, with some microfiber inserts you can actually see the layers start to separate the more you use them. It doesn't seem to affect their absorbency, but it makes the insert appear puffier. I have never had this issue with the FuzziBunz inserts from the original OS diaper** Because the inserts are so thick and the diaper is so trim, stuffing both inside the pocket can be a bit tough. You'll really want to make sure the insert is entirely inside the diaper as microfiber is not safe for direct skin contact. 







The old OS Elite switched things up when it came to the inserts. The microfiber inserts were gone, and in their place were 2 super soft minky inserts. Ultra trim, yet still absorbent. The inserts are still two different sizes, but because they are so much thinner it makes it much easier to use both inserts and still keep the diaper trim. Because the inserts are minky, if they happen to "peak" out of the back pocket it will not harm or irritate the baby's skin. Minky material is completely safe to have direct skin contact. 














 

The new OS Elite no longer uses the minky inserts, but have gone back to microfiber, only the microfiber seems different. There are still two inserts of different sizes, but they are noticeably the largest inserts of all three diapers. The stitching around the outside seems to be of the same sturdiness, but the actual microfiber itself has a different feel. The versions that came in the original OS diaper feel much more dense than this version. I mentioned earlier that over time the inserts can feel like the layers are starting to separate and feel puffy. This insert feels like that right away. Only time will tell if the absorbency becomes different after repeated usage, but for some reason I'm not as confident in this version of microfiber as I am with the original OS inserts.









The Sizing (There are no rise snaps, how do you call these OS diapers?!)
One of the features that makes FuzziBunz OS diapers unique is the way they size the diapers. One of the most tell-tale ways to tell the difference between a OS diaper and a sized diaper is to look for the rise snaps on the front of the diaper. Now, I know FuzziBunz isn't exclusive in their "no rise snaps" approach, but it's one of the pioneers (from my understanding). Each of these three diapers has the same concept of sizing, but the method and placement-so to speak-are what changes with each model. Each diaper has  three different adjustable elastic bands; one on each leg and another around the back.

The original OS diaper probably has my favorite sizing. When you are looking at the inside of the diaper you can clearly see where and how to adjust the elastic. The elastic is labeled 1-7 and has buttons on both sides of the elastic. So, when you decide to adjust the diaper you simply match the numbers. It makes it a quick and easy adjustment by just going around the diaper and moving the elastic to the same number. This particular diaper also comes with replacement elastic. So after multiple children, or long-term use the elastic eventually fades. By already having the new elastic you can easily swap it out yourself and have a virtually new diaper. There are also little pocket holes next to each button to tuck the excess elastic in. It sounds silly but it's nice to be able to tuck that in and not have to worry about it poking or irritating baby. 




 The old OS Elite kept the same numbered elastic sizing concept, but instead of having it accessible from the inner layer of the diaper, you now have to turn the diaper inside out to access the elastic. It's a bit more cumbersome to flip the diaper inside out and tug at the elastic to change it, but my guess is that having the buttons directly against baby's skin could be irritating to some children/parents and moving them to the inside would seem to solve that problem. **This is just me speculating, I have no idea why the buttons were moved to the inside part of the diaper** The diaper still comes with replacement elastic to make at-home repairs/changes quick and easy. This model also has those little pocket holes for tucking excess elastic in. 



 

The new OS Elite is completely different than it's predecessors. There are no numbers on the elastic, the elastic itself feels thinner and the buttons don't seem as sturdy. When I was sizing this diaper to match the sizing on the other two simply flipping it inside out caused the elastic to come off of the button, needing to be re-threaded. I'm a little worried that over time or continued washings would weaken the already loose elastic loop. I also noticed as I was re-threading the elastic that the seam between the PUL and the fleece was much weaker, I could see noticeable gaps with a simple tug of the fabric. On the prior two model, I would really have to pull to even get a small gap in the two fabrics, this Elite took very little effort to separate the threading. There are no pocket holes to tuck excess elastic in. This is just a personal preference of mine, and may not be an issue for you, but as this elastic is thinner, it has a tendency to curl, and over time this may become an irritant for some babies. Lastly, the sizing on this one is much wider so the setting I have it on is almost "too big" for B at this stage. This will help for those of you that feel the prior models were too narrow. You can see I can easily fit a few fingers between the leg of the diaper and B's leg. Sizing down solved this problem, but I wanted to show you how much larger than the other Elite, this diaper actually is once it's on.



Final Verdict:
Overall, I don't think this is a bad diaper. I'm a little disappointed that the quality of the material used in this new model seems to have diminished. I worry that over time this diaper will not stand up to the standards that FuzziBunz has already established, but only time will tell. I will say that I think the new wider sizing will appeal to more families as it will be more forgiving as the child grows. I also think the new microfiber inserts are great from an absorbency standpoint, and for daytime use, there would be no reason to have to double up on inserts. I have used this diaper a few times now and have not had any issues with leaking. This diaper is not as trim as the prior OS models, or even the Perfect Size FuzziBunz, but it's not such a drastic change that I'm noticing I have to go up a size with B's pants or anything :). 

My final thought is if I didn't have a prior model to compare this diaper to, it wouldn't be bad. I would make sure to keep all original receipts and paperwork for warranty sake, but I wouldn't be opposed to having a couple in my stash. For $19.95, it's a little pricey compared to other pocket diapers, but the longevity you'll get from the new sizing should help to off-set that cost. There are also tons of solid colors to choose from (and one print-but pricing does go up for prints). I'm a total print junkie, but having a few solids in my stash can help to break up some of the craziness that can come from print overload! :)  Pop into Zoolikins to see this diaper in person and try it out or order online. Be sure to come back and let me know what you think! 

**The opinion and experiences stated above are my own. Your own experiences and opinion may differ. I was provided a diaper for review from Zoolikins, but no other compensation was received.**

2 comments:

  1. Nice review! I primarily use perfect fit Fuzzibunz and really like them. I acquired one of the old style OS FB recently and I like it too . . . it seems to fit just as well as the perfect fit on my little one and I think the adjustable elastic is a pretty awesome idea. Changing elastic on a perfect fit is doable, but a lot more involved. I have a couple one size diapers from Just Simply Baby and I still haven't figured out how to snap the rise down so they don't leak.

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  2. I have had the old style for 2 years, and they have held up very well. HOWEVER, I just purchased 12 of the new style in October 2013, and 5 have failed. The quality is terrible. I am in the midst of going through fuzzibunz claims process. I am hesitant to ask for replacements, rather than reimbursement because I fear that the diapers will fail again in 3 months.

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