What is a Cloth Diaper System vs. Stash

In the world of cloth diaper lingo, the terms diaper “stash” and diaper “system” are among the most confusing. What’s the difference and does it even matter? Who needs to know this?!

Alas, the point of specific terms is to help identify and classify certain information so that everyone can be on the same page. If you’ve browsed cloth diapering blogs, you know there is no escaping the mention of diaper stash and diaper system.

So here we go.

A cloth diapering system is basically the type of cloth diapers you use. For example, if you use mainly pocket diapers, you use a pocket diaper system. The “system” includes the pocket diaper shell and inserts. If you use AIO, then your system will consist of only your AIO diapers.

A cloth diaper stash, on the other hand, includes ALL the diapers and accessories (wetbags, wipes, etc) you have, whether you use them or not. Most people have several different systems in their stash. For example, maybe they use pocket diapers primarily during the day but have a heavy wetting side sleeper, so they switch to fitteds with covers at night.

So…Should you build a cloth diaper stash?

Whew. Now that we have definitions out of the way, let’s tackle the question of stash building. To stash or not to stash? That seems to be a common question rolling around. This is a tough one to answer, especially if you are in the beginning stages of cloth diapering and haven’t yet decided on a brand or type.

Like most all advice when it comes to cloth diapers, you have folks and experts advising completely opposite things.

“Buy lots of different styles and brands of diapers to figure out what’s going to work best for you!”

“No, only buy one type of diaper because bodies and habits change. Just focus on getting a good quality diaper in the correct size range and stick with that.”

“Bodies are different and different brands fit differently. You need to get lots of different types so you know what you like.”

“Don’t bother investing in a bunch of diapers you’re not going to use. Just go with what you think will work best.”

Yay. So helpful. Thanks internet for your glowing recommendations.

So…to stash or not to stash?

In some ways this question is easier for adults to answer. Most adults won’t have to deal with the radically changing bodies and evacuation habits of babies. So some of the issues raised by the stash naysayers are mostly irrelevant.

However, many people use cloth due to budgetary issues. Thus, the advice to not spend money on a bunch of different brands and styles of diapers is worth taking into consideration.

Questions to ask before stashing

Before you go out and go crazy buying every style and brand in sight, ask yourself a few questions first.

1. Which style of diaper will likely best fit my needs?

The style of diaper you choose depends on your needs and budget.

Your needs (or the needs of someone you are caring for) may include things like how much protection is needed, how often the diaper would be changed, when the diaper would be used, etc. 

Budget, is well a budget. How much do you want to spend? 

Maybe you narrow down your options to 2-3 styles. For example, maybe you decide to go with pockets, but you also like the idea of AIOs.

2. Which brand will work best?

As a creator of diaper patterns that I sew and sell myself, I’m going to let the cat out of the bag. At the end of the day, the miniscule differences in brands don’t really matter. (Especially since many diapers that are manufactured in China are all the same diaper, but with a different label and price point.)

Sure, the adjustable elastic on the legs of Charlie Banana diapers is really nice – though I rarely bothered to adjust that with my kids when they were babies because it was just too much of a pain in the ass to my sleep deprived brain.

I also found that I liked the wider crotch of the bum genius diapers because they were easier to stuff. But did one brand work much better than the other? No. They both were sturdy, lasted, and got the job done. What matters most is choosing a well made, good quality diaper of your style choice.

2. So what brand do you buy?

It’s simple. Take some time to read reviews and a blog post or two. Find a few brands in the style you want and compare prices. You can buy directly from the company or you can go online to a cloth diapering store that offers multiple brands. This route is often better because they may have special perks that a company doesn’t offer and you can often get other accessories like cloth wipes, inserts, and wet bags at the same time.

At the end of the day, you’re going to have to just bite the bullet and choose. If your budget is your #1 concern over quality, then go as cheap as you can. As long as the fit is good and you have enough absorption on the inside, you should be okay. Just don’t expect the super cheap diapers to last in the long run.

Now, if you’ve just had surgery (or a baby) and only need something to get you through a short time period, maybe you’d want to go with those cheaper cloth items. It’s up to you.

At the end of the day, you may end up with a stash that has a bunch of different styles of diapers and brands, but in the beginning just focus on finding the particular type of diaper to fit your needs and lifestyle. Then find a brand or two. If you want to try out a couple of different types of cloth diapers or want to use a different system at night than during the day, that’s okay too.

In order for your foray into cloth diapering to be successful, you have to know what you need and want. Sometimes that’s the hardest question to answer.