Cloth diapers are reusable diapers that work from the newborn period all the way to potty training. The size adjusts with snaps at the front, so you don't need to buy new ones as your child grows — and the same diapers can be used for several children. Whether you're curious about whether cloth diapers suit your family — or you've already started and want to understand more — you'll find everything here.
This guide covers what cloth diapers are, which models we offer, how to adjust the fit, how to wash them and what you actually save. Read from the beginning or skip straight to whatever you're wondering about.
What is a cloth diaper?
A cloth diaper works exactly like a disposable — you put it on, change it when it's time, and pop the diaper in the wash instead of the bin. In practice, that's the whole difference.
What makes cloth diapers a little different is that they're adjustable. Instead of buying a new size as your child grows, you adjust the diaper with snaps at the front. The same diaper fits a child from around 3–5 kg right up to potty-training age — that's what we mean by "one size".
The materials are chosen with care: the absorbent insert is made from bamboo (a natural material that breathes and keeps the temperature comfortable), and the outer cover has a thin waterproof layer of TPU — the same technology used in performance clothing, free from BPA and phthalates. All materials are OEKO-Tex Standard 100 certified.
Cloth diapers — which model suits you?
There are a few different types of cloth diaper, and they suit different families depending on how you want everyday life to work. Here are the most common ones:
Cover / All-in-One
The cover (or "all-in-one") is the most flexible option. It comes in two sizes — Comfort (5–17 kg) and Slim (3–15 kg, for the littlest ones) — and works in two ways:
- As a cover diaper: you simply change the insert at each diaper change and reuse the cover if it's clean. Perfect for reducing the washing.
- As a complete diaper: the whole diaper is washed after each change — handy if you prefer it that way.
The inserts for the Cover/All-in-One have two surfaces — bamboo on one side and stay-dry on the other. You choose which side sits against your child's skin:
- Bamboo — when you want your child to feel the wetness against the skin. Good for helping your child understand their own signals, especially as potty training starts to approach.
- Stay-dry — when the diaper needs to stay on for longer stretches and you want your child to feel dry even as it fills up. The material draws moisture away from the skin (a little like a sports T-shirt).
The same insert, two options throughout the day — you simply turn it over to suit the situation and the need. It's a much-loved detail that many parents appreciate — one more thing that makes our Cover/All-in-One system easy to use in everyday life.
Pocket diaper
The pocket diaper has a pocket inside where the absorbent insert is tucked in. When it's dirty, you take the insert out and wash everything. Because the insert is already inside the diaper, it becomes a ready-to-go solution with no loose parts — popular for preschool or a babysitter, where the change needs to be quick. It's handled just like a disposable: open, change, close.
Our main option is the Pocket diaper Comfort (5–17 kg) — part of our main range (more on materials and certifications further down).
For anyone looking for a lower-priced way in, there's also the Pocket diaper Basic with hook-and-loop fastening (4–16 kg).
Newborn diaper — for the very smallest
For the very smallest there's the Newborn diaper (2–6 kg) — designed for a perfect fit from birth. It has a fixed sewn-in insert with an extra insert included, and sits snugly from as early as 2 kg.
If you want to start with cloth diapers right from birth, there are two routes:
- The Newborn diaper if you want an optimal fit from day one. It does, however, have a shorter useful life, since your child grows out of it at around 6 kg — which for most children is somewhere around 2–4 months.
- Cover/All-in-One Slim (3–15 kg) — many use it right from birth, while others wait a week or a few until their child has settled into their shape. A good option if you want longer use from the same diaper, all the way to the end of the diaper period.
Both work excellently in the early days. You'll find more on choosing for a newborn in our guide to cloth diapers for newborns.
Materials — what touches your child's skin
What sits closest to the skin matters. Cloth diapers don't have the same plastic-against-skin feel as disposables — the material breathes in a different way.
The insert (the absorbent part) is made from bamboo blended with polyester. Bamboo is a natural material that holds the moisture in, breathes and keeps an even temperature. The blend is deliberately chosen to combine absorbency with durability — the inserts withstand many washes and last across several children. It isn't only about economy: if the inserts wear out too quickly, more products are used up, and then cloth diapers lose both the saving and the resource benefit. It's gentle on sensitive skin and a natural choice for parents who steer clear of unnecessary chemicals.
The cover (the outside) in our main range is made from recycled polyester (rPET) — material that was once PET bottles and has been given a new life as a cloth diaper. It's coated with TPU, a thin waterproof layer that prevents leaks without trapping air. TPU is free from harmful substances and is included in the OEKO-Tex certification.
All materials in our main range (Cover/All-in-One, Pocket diaper Comfort, Night diaper, and our inserts) are OEKO-Tex Standard 100 certified — one of the textile industry's strictest standards for safety around chemicals and dyes.
The Basic series (Pocket diaper Basic, Insert Basic, Wet bag Basic) comes from a different supplier and has SGS-certified materials — internationally tested and checked to a recognized standard. That's why Basic can be offered at a lower price.
Fit — how to adjust the cloth diaper correctly
The most common question from parents who've just started is: how should the diaper sit? The answer is simpler than you'd think.
The cloth diapers are adjusted with snaps — along the waist and in the rise. You never need to change size, you just re-snap as your child grows.
Rise adjustment (the size in height): the row of snaps at the front determines how high the diaper sits. Newborn → snap on the lowest setting. Older child → build up step by step.
The two-finger rule (applies to both waist and legs): A simple rule of thumb that works for all ages. You should be able to easily fit two fingers between the diaper and your child's skin — both along the waist and at the leg openings. Not tight, and not so loose that it gapes.
We've written a whole guide about fit with step-by-step pictures: How should the cloth diaper sit?
Washing and care
Washing cloth diapers is easier than its reputation suggests — once the routine is in place, it becomes part of everyday life.
The most important things in brief:
- Solid stools are tipped into the toilet. Breastfed poo (before your child has eaten solid food) is water-soluble and disappears in the wash — you don't need to do anything with it.
- Store used diapers airily in a wet bag or an open bucket with a towel over it. Not tightly sealed — the air needs to get in. Don't soak them.
- Wash at 60 °C with fragrance-free detergent. No fabric softener, no bleach.
- Air-dry when you can.
Need to wait longer than 4–5 days before washing? Hang the diapers up to dry first — then they keep better in storage. For longer intervals, covers with extra inserts are often easiest: you just change the insert and let the cover air out between uses.
If you want the whole routine — what to do with different stools, which detergent works best, how to adapt to your wash interval — we have a separate guide that goes through everything:
→ Washing cloth diapers — how simple it really is
How many cloth diapers do you need?
The most common answer: 20–25 diapers if you want to cover full-time and wash roughly every third day.
The newborn period is an exception — newborns are changed more often (8–12 times a day), so reckon on a 2-day interval at the start unless you want an enormous stock.
| Diaper type | For full-time (wash every 3rd day) |
|---|---|
| Cover diaper (Comfort) | 6–8 covers + 20–25 inserts |
| Pocket diaper | 20–25 diapers |
| Combination | Adapt to how you prefer it |
With a cover diaper you often just change the insert — the cover is used again if it's clean. That's why you need fewer covers but more inserts. With a pocket diaper the whole diaper is always changed, so you need more in total.
Want to get started without buying a whole stock straight away? A Starter Kit is built for exactly that — you get the right number of diapers, inserts and a wet bag in one package.
What do you save with cloth diapers?
For many, economy is a reason to start with cloth diapers — and it's an honest one. Here's what the numbers say.
Disposables over one diaper period (about 3 years): a child uses roughly 5,700 disposables from birth to potty training. With standard-priced disposables that comes to around SEK 15,000 for one child. Premium diapers can climb towards SEK 20,000.
Cloth diapers over the same period: a complete basic set (8 covers, 24 inserts, wet bags, cloth wipes) costs around SEK 4,000–5,000 to buy. Add the washing — roughly SEK 7 per wash (electricity, water and detergent included) — and you land at around SEK 8,000 in total over the whole diaper period. If you resell the diapers afterwards, you get some of that back.
The difference: You can save up to SEK 10,000 on one child compared with disposables. That isn't a marketing figure — it's what the calculation shows using actual prices from 2026.
And what about siblings? This is where it gets really interesting. The same diapers can be used for the next child — you only need a new washing budget and perhaps to top up a little. For two children the saving lands at around SEK 15,000 compared with disposables.
The resale value: Cloth diapers have an active second-hand market — mainly on Tradera and in buy-and-sell groups on Facebook. How much you get back varies with condition: as a rule around a quarter of the new price, and up to half if the diapers are in very fine condition. A bit of luck comes into it — but the active market means the products hold their value. Our diapers are designed in a slow-fashion spirit — we don't constantly release new collections that make older patterns passé, which means they hold a lasting value over time.
And the investment? It's more honest than an even monthly cost: you lay out a few thousand up front, and after that the biggest ongoing cost is just the washing. Break-even against disposables comes after roughly 8–10 months — and from then on you save every month going forward.
A Starter Kit is built to make getting started easier — you get a basic set of diapers and matching inserts to begin and see how cloth diapers suit your everyday life, without immediately investing in a whole stock. Once you know the routine works, you can top up as needed.
→ See the Starter Kits — packaged to get you started right
What's in a Starter Kit — and what do you need?
The simplest way to get started is with one of our Starter Kits. They contain diapers, inserts and a wet bag — everything you need to begin. We have Starter Kits for different situations across our whole main range — from the Newborn diaper (2–6 kg) for the very smallest, via Slim (3–15 kg) and Comfort (5–17 kg) through the whole diaper period, to Night diaper & Cover for night-time use.
You also choose the pattern — everything in our main range has our own Nordic-inspired designs: Forest kin, Dala flowers, Meadowwing, Forest mushroom, Dala fox and several others.
Pocket diaper Basic is available at a lower price — a separate collection, for those who want to try cloth diapers without a larger investment.
→ See all cloth diapers and accessories
Common questions about cloth diapers
Are cloth diapers hard to use?
No — most parents who start describe the routine as settling in after a week. It's mostly about learning the washing rhythm.
Can you combine cloth diapers with disposables?
Absolutely. Many families use cloth diapers at home and disposables on outings or at the childminder's. The combination works well and is a good way to start without changing everything at once.
Do cloth diapers leak more than disposables?
If the fit is right, no. On the contrary — loose baby poo (often called a "poonami" up the back) actually often stays put better in a cloth diaper, thanks to the adjustable fit that follows your child's body more closely than a disposable does. If it does leak wetness, though — check the fit with the two-finger rule, both at the waist and at the leg openings. Adjust the rise snaps or the waist snaps as needed.
Tip for the 6–8 month stage: When your child starts eating real food, they often take in larger amounts of fluid through their food, and some children wee more than usual for a while. A second insert may then be needed for a time — fold a thin insert lengthways and place it where the wee comes first.
Do cloth diapers work at night?
It depends on the child. Many children sleep fine in a cloth diaper. If it leaks you need extra absorbent inserts — see our guide on night diapers for concrete tips.
Can you start with cloth diapers when your child is older?
Yes. You can start at any point during the diaper period. The earlier you start the more you save, but there are no downsides to starting at 6 months old.
What do you do with the cloth diapers afterwards?
Resell them, pass them on to the next child or donate them. Cloth diapers in good condition are sought after on the second-hand market.
How long do cloth diapers last?
With the right care they last the whole diaper period and often across 2–3 children. Avoid fabric softener and tumble drying.
Can children with sensitive skin use cloth diapers?
Yes, cloth diapers can be a good option for sensitive skin and diaper rash — the natural materials breathe and are free from fragrance and additives. Choose bamboo closest to the skin for extra softness. For any medical concerns with your child, always consult your child health center (BVC) or a doctor.
Ready to start?
Making a good choice should be easy. Take a look at the Starter Kits — they're built to give you exactly what you need to get started, with no guesswork.
If you have any questions, you're always welcome to get in touch.