Charlie Banana Organic Cotton One-Size Reusable Nappies at a glance:
These reusable cloth diapers come with Charlie Banana's 'Signature' softness, help protect your baby's delicate skin, and care for our planet. All Charlie Banana products are Climate Neutral Certified, and they're proud members of 1% For The Planet, so every purchase is a tiny investment in a greener, kinder world for your baby.
We spoke to these real parent testers to get their review...
How did this product make your life easier?
Helen: This nappy is brilliant, it's almost as easy to use as a disposable nappy, it's very easy to fit, and the fact that it has the option of disposable inserts (something I've never seen with reusable nappies before) may make it more appealing to those who may be just starting out with reusable nappies,or those who don't have much drying space.
Samantha: This product makes my life easier as a mum as I don’t have to think about buying nappies and whether we have run out or not. I also found it didn’t need changing as frequently as disposables because it absorbed the urine so well. I felt confident that there would be no leaks and that it would stay on him, whereas the disposables sometimes come unstuck or askew. It is taking me some time to learn the best and easiest ways to change a dirty nappy, but I feel confident that once I find my way this will be much easier than disposables.
Tasha: This product exceeded my expectations. I was slightly hesitant at the durability, however they are fantastic! They’re easy to swap over and wash beautifully with no stains as long as you soak soiled nappies pretty quickly (top tip). They’re soft, and my daughter seems very comfortable in them. A definite money saver.
Would you recommend this product to other parents?
Stephanie: I would recommend these nappies to other mums because I loved seeing my little man with them. The design looked great instead of plain boring nappies - during the heatwave he was just wearing the nappy with a vest top and it was super cute. They were softer on my baby's sensitive skin which is super important to me especially during hotter months where normal nappies rub him and leave rashes. The actual nappy is super easy to clean, it didn't lose shape after being washed.
Janine: I do find cloth nappying is a bit more effort than disposable, and I do switch between the two, but I feel the benefits for me financially, and for the planet more than outweigh this extra effort. I found this made my life easier compared to other cloth nappies, as I got no leaks around the legs, so could leave the nappy on longer and didn’t have to change/wash clothes so much.
Megan: Yes, I'd definitely recommend this to someone who hadn't used these before, infact I already have. I loved the buttons on the front of the diaper so I could make it the right fit for my baby. This has also got rid of the nappy rash my son suffered with so badly, I can't believe I've not thought of these before. They are super easy to transport, the design is beautiful.
Would you choose this product above all others on the market?
Helen: The only thing that puts me off choosing this product over another is the price. However I got a kit which included the nappy, a pack of disposable inserts, a box of liners & a good sized wet bag - if it's being sold as a set then yes, it's better value for money and more viable.
Samantha: The quality of this product is absolutely beautiful, so soft and comfy, and the company is a label to be proud of. I would pick this brand above other reusable nappies because of their commitment to a greener future. They have teamed up with various NFP organisations whose aims are focussed on the environment. Founded and lead by a mum, Charlie Banana also puts itself on the map for female empowerment. All round a brilliant company that I would be happy to support, therefore for all the good work they do, not just creating super soft safe nappies but putting their profits back into the world, I think they should win.
Tasha: I’ve only tried a couple of other reusable products, but I’d say this was our favourite. I loved the design, and searching online they have an array of designs/patterns. I love that they have a great gender neutral selection which is brilliant if you go on to have another child and use them again. We’ve had a really positive experience so far so I would recommend over other brands we’ve tried.
What changes would you make to this product?
Stephanie: The only negatives I have about this product are the price, I think for the whole start up its quite costly, in the long run it would be cheaper but I know a lot of people could struggle to afford it in one go. I also found that the nappies didn't work as good at nighttime compared to the day. My little boy leaked a couple of times so we did stop using it at nighttime and used normal nappies.
Janine: I loved some of the patterns that I saw on the website when looking to research my review, and I think the one I received (cactus print) was a lovely print. However I think that there could be more interesting gender neutral options – there were some nice giraffe print ones, but apart from that tended to be either mainly pink or blue. If I were to order more there weren’t loads that jumped out at me. I know that you can put your kids in anything, but when they are babies and they don’t look like girls or boys yet it can seem like I’m trying to make a statement if I put my girl in a blue digger print nappy. I’d like to see some bright stripes, or geometric patterns, or plants/trees/animals etc that aren’t really gender specific. The best way to reduce the environmental impact of reusable nappies is by using them on multiple children, and this is surely less likely to happen if they are not gender neutral.
Megan: If I could change one thing about the product would be the amount of buttons on the front, I love the idea of having many to suit the fit of your baby and it was a life-changer for me as my baby is so chunky! but when changing did make it a little bit harder as I had to make sure they were both the same.