There are 3 reasons I use washable nappies:

* Cost.
The average baby has their nappy changed around 5,000 times - it costs about £1000 to buy this many disposables. Using cotton nappies rather than disposables saves roughly £600 for a first child, and £800 for a second child if parents use the same washable nappies again.

* Waste.
In the UK we throw away 8 million disposable nappies every day - nearly 3 billion nappies a year. Using washable nappies means there are no smelly nappies lying in your bin for two weeks - you can flush away dirty paper liners, and put paper ones in the bin as they’ll decompose. Whereas disposable nappies take up to 500 years to decompose.

* Skincare.
Washable nappies are completely natural with no gels or chemicals to absorb liquid, just the natural absorbency of the cloth, which makes them soft and kind on your baby’s skin. Liners allow moisture to pass through, helping to keep baby’s skin dry.

I sell washable nappies (see the Product Catalogue) and I also offer washable nappy trial kits - see the 'Nappy Trial Kits' link in the main menu.

The washable nappies I sell are Nature Babies Stuffables, a birth-to-potty pocket nappy with 2 inserts made of part-bamboo and part-microfibre. In my experience these nappies offer the best combination of ease of use, absorbency, speed of drying, value for money, fit and comfort. If you'd like more information about the different types of washable nappies, read on:

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The 4 main types of washable nappies:

* Flat nappies
The traditional washable nappy, these terry squares are the most economical but can be quite fiddly. They need folding and fastening, plus the absorbent pad also needs a waterproof wrap, so you have 2 parts.

* Fitted nappies
These also come in 2 parts, but the absorbent part is already shaped to fit so there’s no folding. They also need a waterproof wrap.

* Pocket nappies
These have the absorbent part stuffed into the outer, which is removed for washing so they dry quickly. They’re then worn in 1 piece, so they’re easy to use.

* All-in-one nappies
These combine a waterproof wrap with the absorbent part permanently sown in. These are the easiest to use, but the parts can’t be separated so they’re the slowest to dry.
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You can then also choose between cotton, bamboo and fleece, and sized nappies (small, medium and large) or one-size (fits baby from birth to potty).