Okay, so you have decided to cloth diaper. Great! Now head over to Google or Amazon and search cloth diapers. Boom! A million different things pop up. What is a prefold or a flat? Aren’t they all the same?

This was the trickiest thing for me when I was getting started. I felt like these cloth diapering mamas were speaking their own language or something. Personally, I learned what all the terms meant by watching YouTube videos. A LOT of YouTube videos. You could do that, or you could keep reading for my summary of all that I have learned.

Despite all the confusing terms, all cloth diapers are made up of two elements: something that absorbs and something that keeps moisture from escaping the diaper. Some diapers also have a “stay dry” layer of fabric as well.  Here are the most common types of cloth diapers:

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which just means that if you click on some of the links in this post and purchase something, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It isn’t much, but this just helps me to keep my blog up and running. I strongly suggest checking out the links in this post as they are examples of the types of cloth diapers that are mentioned.

Modern Cloth Diapers

1. All-In-Ones (AIOs)

AIOs are a very common type of diaper because they are the most similar to a disposable diaper. The absorbent material and waterproof materials are sewn together so that there is less hassle.  While this seems ideal to most people who are starting out, there are some downsides.

Because all of the absorbency is sewn together, AIOs take much longer to dry than other types of diapers.

AIOs are also less versatile because everything is presewn into the diaper. If your baby outgrows the absorbency of the diaper, then it is useless. Most other types of diapers allow you to adjust the absorbency.

AIOs are also usually the most expensive diapers.

2. Pocket Diapers

Pocket Diapers

Pocket diapers are also very common. They typically have a waterproof layer of fabric on the outside called PUL and a “stay dry” layer sewn on the inside to form a pocket. That pocket is where you stuff the absorbency into.

Most people use inserts as their absorbency. Inserts can be made of many different types of fabric. The most common types of inserts are made of microfiber, bamboo and hemp. If you want to save some money, you can even stuff pocket diapers with old t-shirts, flour sack towels or receiving blankets. Really any absorbent material will work.

You either love to stuff diapers or you hate stuffing diapers. Personally, I enjoy stuffing and organizing my diapers. But there are a lot of women that say they hate it.

I also enjoy how adjustable pockets are. I don’t have to have a special diaper for bedtime because I can just add some extra absorbency to her regular diaper. It makes it easier for me.

3. All-In-Twos (AI2s)

All-In-Twos are not as common as the previous two types I mentioned. AI2s usually come with an absorbent insert that can be snapped into a waterproof cover. I don’t have a lot of experience with AI2s myself, but I can see where it would be a good compromise for those who don’t like the drying time of AIOs but also don’t want the hassle of stuffing diapers.

4. Fitteds

A fitted is shaped just like the diapers mentioned above, but it does not have an outer waterproof layer. It is made up of several layers of absorbent material that is sewn together and shaped to fit your baby.

Since there is no waterproof layer on the outside, a cover will need to be used. A cover is simply a diaper without any absorbency.

Covers

Fitteds are a great option for night-time because they tend to hold a lot more than the average diaper.

More Traditional Types of Cloth Diapers

The following are all types of absorbency only. Therefore, all of these will require a waterproof cover.

1. Flats

A flat is a large piece of cloth that has to be folded in several layers before it can be attached to baby’s bottom. There are all kinds of different folds for flat diapers that can be used. It can either be folded around baby and attached with a pin or Snappi, or it can be folded and placed inside the cover before you put it on the baby.

2. Prefolds

Prefolds are similar to flats, only instead of one big single layer of fabric, you have several layers of fabric that have been sewn together. Prefolds also can be attached to baby with a pin or a snappi, or be folded and placed inside of the cover before putting it on baby.

Flats and prefolds are definitely more of a hassle than more modern types of cloth diapering, but many cloth diapering mamas think that they do a better job at preventing blowouts. Flats and prefolds are also a more cost-effective option.

Conclusion

I hope that these descriptions have helped you understand the common types of cloth diapers that are available. There are definitely pros and cons to each type, but hopefully, you are one step closer to figuring out what type of cloth diapers will work best for your family.