1. Real Nappies is the most comprehensive pack available, it is a serious Birth to Potty Pack!  When checking out competitors make sure to look at actual pack contents, our pack gives enough for 24 newborn changes for example so it means 1 machine wash every 2-3 days per child. 
    
   2. Real Nappies or Pocket diapers?  Pocket diapers means they have a pocket that you stuff with the absorbent part, there are also All in one systems (AIO) these mean the absorbent part is built in to the diaper.  Every time your baby wets the diaper this means you have to wash the whole diaper.  With Real Nappies you simply change the inner and keep the same diaper cover on (unless on the odd occasion it gets soiled or wet),  Real Nappies covers usually need changing every 3rd change.  Less washing, less expense!
    
   3.  Real Nappies per diaper change are heaps cheaper than other systems!
    
   4.  Real Nappies is a 2 part system (separate cover to inner cloth diaper) and is very quick and easy to dry.  The inner cloth diaper opens out for easy and quick washing and drying.  The diaper cover dries pretty much instantly, the inner diaper about equivalent to a small hand towel to dry.  All in ones / pockets can take up to 3 days to dry per diaper, who’s got time for that with 2 kids in cloth!
    
   5.  Real Nappies cloth diaper is 100% natural, breathable cotton – most other systems use synthetic fabrics next to baby’s skin.
    
   6.  Real Nappies offer a unique guarantee  – we guarantee our products will last for a minimum of 2 kids.  Therefore if a cover / cloth diaper breaks, velcro fails etc we replace the product with brand new product (terms and conditions apply, does not cover normal wear and tear).  No other company offers this unique guarantee simply because their product will not last as long!
    
   7.  With Real Nappies you can machine dry the cloth diapers and the covers if you wish to.  Some other diapers you can only line dry.
    
   8.  Real Nappies are used in New Zealand Hospitals and DayCare Centres and are NZ’s #1 reusable cloth diaper.  All other brands competed for these tenders (including well known other pockets and AIO’s) and because our system is so simple, economical and versatile we were chosen and won the tender.  Subsequently Real Nappies Cloth Diapers are used successfully in Day Care Centres and Hospitals in New Zealand.
    
   9.  Real Nappies cloth diapers can be folded to accomodate different wetters: boys, girls and newborn (liquid poo fold!)  Therefore the diaper can be made thicker and more absorbent where ever your baby needs it most.  With other systems that use pads this is not always possible.

10.  Real Nappies uses a prefold cloth diaper system, any expert will tell you that prefold systems are the system of choice for newborn babies – other systems are too bulky or do not provide enough containment.  Real Nappies have 4 sizes which accomodate all different weights and sizes of babies.
 
11.  Real Nappies use velcro closures which are quick and easy to use – especially on a wriggly baby, no fiddly snap closures.  Plus velcro is more adjustable than snaps, and Real Nappies guarantee the velcro!

12.  Real Nappies use a flushable diaper liner - no need to scrap poo from your diapers, simply pop the biodegradable liner in the toilet with the solids, no smelly trash cans.  BEWARE!  Not all systems use a flushable liner.  We include 800 liners in our Birth to Potty Pack!

We hope this helps answer your questions – if you need any more help our customer careline and website are second to none.

As a mother I share every parents concern for the welfare of their children and the world they will inherit. However, as a busy working parent with two children I also understand the pressure of just keeping up with day to day demands and the need for convenience and labor saving solutions. It always troubled me that the two always seemed at odds and out of necessity I, all too often, opted for convenience. That was why I was so delighted when a friend introduced me to a modern re-usable nappy system. I found that reusable nappies had changed dramatically from the old-fashioned terry nappies our parents used – no more pins or tricky folds and they were so much easier to wash and care for. They had truly became an easy and convenient alternative to disposable nappies that also saved me a small fortune!

I became a convert!

The Real Nappies system was born from a vision of a reusable nappy system that would become the preferred alternative. To achieve this we knew we had to improve what was available until it was no longer a struggle to do what you knew to be best.

Thanks for reading!

- Liz from Real Nappies

So there you have it, why I’m a convert to cloth diapers and more importantly why I now have created my own cloth diaper system that has been improved so that everyone can make the right choice.

Oko-Tex (sounds like echo-tex) is a process of testing that checks for over 100 harmful substances.  Our cotton diapers go through a pain-staking process whereby they are tested for over 100 harmful substances.  Oko-Tex is the evaluation standard for the human ecological standard of textiles.

Why do we love öko-tex?

When you deal with Real Nappies you will know from the beginning that you are dealing with a company that cares, well Oko-Tex have the same ethos.  The testing that our cotton diapers undergo is absolutely exhaustive, every thread, every stitch, every layer is tested for over 100 harmful substances.  Plus to achieve certification our cotton diapers must be regularly re-tested to remain certified.  

Why should you love öko-tex?

Real Nappies cloth diapers use pure, natural and chemical free cotton.  By having Oko-Tex certification you can rest assured that the cloth diapers you put next to your baby’s skin are as pure as you can get.  We care about you and your baby and want the best products for you. By gaining Oko-Tex certification it’s just another little way we can show you that we care about the quality and purity of the Real Nappies products we offer you.

NZ Herald Tuesday Feb 03, 2009. By Eloise Gibson.

Newborns at a West Auckland maternity hospital will sport a new look as part of a scheme to put fewer nappies in landfills.

From today, babies born at Waitakere Hospital’s maternity department will wear cloth nappies until they leave hospital – a change organisers say could save 80,000 nappies going to landfill each year.

Parents leaving the hospital with their babies will have the choice of hiring a cloth nappy kit at half the usual price, or switching to disposables.

West Auckland Health Services Foundation’s Dr Nicole Bassett said using cloth nappies could cut the household waste of a family with one baby in half.

The foundation and Waitakere City Council decided to switch to cloth nappies after a three-month pilot scheme saved about 20,000 nappies going to landfill.

Dr Bassett said feedback from the pilot scheme showed cloth nappies were not difficult to use and did not cost the hospital significantly more than disposable nappies.

Parents who picture themselves struggling with pins and squares of fabric might be pleasantly surprised at the new breed of cloth nappies.

Dr Bassett said modern versions came prefolded in different shapes and sizes and fastened neatly with velcro.

The hospital will continue to offer disposables to parents, but will encourage them to use cloth at least some of the time. A study on the environmental effects of nappies published by Britain’s Environment Agency late last year showed the effect of cloth nappies on global warming depended largely on how they were laundered.

Cloth nappies washed in very hot water (90C) and tumble-dried every time they were used produced more carbon dioxide over their lifespan than the equivalent number of disposable nappies. But cloth nappies that were line-dried outdoors, washed in fuller loads and reused for a second child used 40 per cent less carbon dioxide than other nappies.

The West Auckland Health Services Foundation and Waitakere City Council are suggesting parents wash cloth nappies in cold water and dry them outside to save energy.

Figures compiled by the Zero Waste New Zealand Trust and used by the Waitakere City Council said disposable nappies used 3.5 times more energy, eight times more non-renewable raw materials, and 90 times more renewable materials than washable nappies.

The figures also showed that it took as much energy to produce one throwaway nappy as it did to wash a cloth nappy 200 times.

Disposable Nappies are the first choice of many parents, so why turn to those awful leaky, plastic pants and pins? Well times have changed and cloth diapers are becoming a real alternative, read on to find out our top 5 reasons to choose cloth diapers instead of disposables.

Reason #1: Easy to Use.

Modern cloth nappies are so easy to use, with no complicated folds and definitely no pins. They fasten with Velcro-type closures in exactly the same way as a disposable nappy, plus they come with a flushable nappy liner that can be flushed away in the toilet with the solids. No more smelly trash bins and no more rubbish to pay for!

Reason #2: Comfortable.

Real Nappies look like disposables, but are 100% natural, breathable cotton, soft and gentle against babies’ skin. Would you rather wear paper undies or cotton? Plus being cotton the air can circulate freely around baby’s skin allowing it to breathe. Your little one will spend 24/7 in a nappy for the next 2 ½ -3 years so a chemical-free nappy that allows baby’s skin to breathe is a great option.

TOP TIP: The best thing for baby is NO nappy time! Try and let your baby have time to kick around with no nappy on at all.

Reason #3: Save money.

Did you know that you will change your baby’s nappy over 6,000 times in their lifetime, multiply this by the cost per disposable nappy (aprox from $0.39 each) + nappy sacks + wipes and you will quickly see that compared to spending $699 (based on Real Nappies Birth to Potty Pack) + $300 (washing) savings equate to $$$’s!

TOP TIP: Some companies (yes including us, Real Nappies) guarantee their products to last so you can use them on future children and save even more money!

Reason #4: Better for the Environment.

Did you know that EVERY disposable nappy ever thrown away still exists in landfill?? In actual fact there is no such thing as a ‘disposable nappy’. Your little gorgeous bundle of joy will create up to one tonne of nappy waste and where will all this end up? Our landfill sites.

Be you a ‘greenie mum‘ or not that’s pretty shocking and the reality is that every time you use a single cloth nappy, you are doing your bit to reduce the mountain of waste, making a better world for your baby to grow up in.

TOP TIP: You don’t have to use cotton nappies all the time. If it suits you better, try using them at home and use disposables when you are out. Once you are confident you will use them all the time – at home or out and about!

Reason #5: Great for Potty Training

Parents tell us that their babies are potty trained earlier and more easily when they use cotton nappies, as they understand and know when they feel wet. Think about it, when we were little and were put in cloth nappies, ask our parents at what age we were potty trained, I can assure you it was a lot earlier than the average nowadays!

TOP TIP: Try reusable Potty Training Pants when you get to this stage, they are great and mean little one can pull them up and down themselves and you don’t get wet clothes with any little accidents!

Hopefully you are convinced by these top 5 reasons cloth diapers are great and worth considering.

Failing all the above and you just don’t know where to start, there are lots more great tips on-line at a certain excellent site…. LOL!

http://www.realnappiesusa.com

Real Nappies have been chosen as the diaper of choice to be used on every newborn baby born at Waitakere Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.  Not only that but every parent will be offered the option of taking home 2 extra cloth diapers and 2 wraps for free when they leave hospital!

“At Waitakere Maternity Unit we are using Real Nappies as our choice of cloth diaper for babies.  Every parent of a newborn baby is given the option of using Real Nappies.  Real Nappies are easy to use, leakproof and fit our newborns snugly regardless of birth weight.  We chose to offer parents the Real Nappies diaper system because of their ease of use, quality and effectiveness.  It is another eco-friendly option for families in West Auckland.  Offering parents cloth diapers whilst in hospital means parents can really give their baby the best possible start in life, whilst saving money and the environment at the same time.”

Helen Ngatai, Midwifery Manager, Waitakere Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand     

Why did Real Nappies win the Hospital Contract?

Real Nappies were found to be the most likely diaper that parents would continue to use after leaving hospital, as they are quick and easy to use and effective.  They are also better for baby’s health too, as using cloth diapers makes it easy to see if baby’s kidneys are functioning properly by their first wee which can be seen easily in cloth.

 Most parents want a natural, chemical-free lifestyle for their precious baby to grow up in – why not start with the humble diaper?

Look, we know what you mean – we’ve been there!  You’re pregnant, OK that’s hard enough to get your head around as it is.  Then people tell you what the essential items are: crib, bassinet, moses basket, baby carrier, diaper bag, stroller, etc etc, the list in endless so you start trawling around the shops, checking it all out.  Then you wish you hadn’t, not only are you feeling tired, agitated and my goodness always hungry, but you then find out that there are so many options you want to scream!  Take Baby strollers for an example:   there are lightweight strollers, Full size strollers, jogging strollers, travel system strollers, 4 wheelers, 3 wheelers, arrrghhh! 

Just when you thought you had it sorted!

Then you get to diapers, well that’s easy isn’t it?  Just pop to the mall and grab a pack, yes?….  Then your friend asks if you’ve considered using cloth……      WHAT!!! … you ask, those plastic pants, pins and leaks – are you kidding??!! 

Well actually no we’re not!  So you think again, okay, so what are my options, let’s look on-line, that’s gotta be easy, no more traipsing around shops, I can check it out from the comfort of my couch!  Yay. 

Confusions of Cloth

Then….. HORRORS – what have I entered, what are all-in-ones, prefolds, one-size, wraps, bioliners… it’s a whole other language!!  You wish you’d never started looking but by then it’s too late, you’re intrigued, you’re hooked and you want to use them.  Not only that but you are obsessed, wanting to use cloth, after all it’s the only way to go, why had you thought otherwise?  Put my baby into plastic diapers with chemicals, no thank you very much!  I’m definitely going to go cloth you proudly state to your friend, I’ll give you a week she in turn repies.   OK so now it’s a challenge!!  So which system for me??  The  more you look the more confused you become, please someone make the decision for me cut the the BS!! 

Cloth diapering made easy

So here you are at Real Nappies, affectionately referred to as cloth diapers for dummies!  Why?  Because we’ve put it all in a box – everything you need, we’ve stripped it down to the important stuff and invented a system made of natural components that ooze pureness, ease of use and won’t break the bank.  We’re BS free, which means top quality diapers without the fluff.  We don’t have fancy prints, over the top packaging or any other useless bells and whistles.  And to top it all off we guarantee our products – if Real Nappies don’t last for at least two of your children, we’ll replace it free of charge*.   

Inside our boxes is all you need to use cloth diapers, and that’s it, nothing more nothing less.  Want everything you need from when bubs is born to when they are out of diapers?  Consider our Birth to Potty Pack, all the supplies you need, we’ve got you covered, even including swim diaper, potty pants and waterproof bag for when you are out and about!  Want a one stop solution for your baby but not at newborn stage anymore – grab an Essentials Pack, want to use Real Nappies 24/7 grab two Essentials!

Fluff-free diapering

Cloth diapering is easy, just don’t get sucked into all the jargon and BS, don’t bother buying the extra fluff you don’t need, you’ll pay a whole lot more for it and then find you didn’t need it after all!  Real Nappies is the solution, it’s cloth in a box without the fluff.  That’s why we are New Zealand’s #1 cloth diaper and the diaper of choice in Hospitals and Day Care Centres, we’ve done our homework, meaning you don’t have to….

*terms and conditions apply, see www.realnappies.com for details