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When it comes to inserts for adult cloth diapers, it’s true there are far fewer available than there are for babies. This is ironic since many adults and older children have long-term incontinence issues due to medical reasons, which means they have the most to benefit from the cost saving effects of cloth diapering.
Inserts also go by the terms soakers, boosters, insert liners and doublers. These are pretty much all the same thing. So read on to learn what you can use as an adult cloth diaper insert.
Whether you’re looking for inserts to stuff pocket diapers, or just want extra absorbency for another type of diaper, the good news is that many baby cloth diaper inserts work well for adults too! Since most adult flats and prefolds come in cotton twill or birdseye, I’ve only included options in those that come in different materials.
A note on shrinkage:
Natural fibers, particularly hemp, have a tendency to shrink in the wash. Cotton and bamboo tend to shrink 10%-15% while hemp shrinks even more.
Large or X-large sized inserts
What’s awesome about large or XL baby inserts is that you can get them in fabrics that aren’t available on adult cloth diapering websites, like hemp.
Although they are not big enough to be the main absorbency in a diaper, they make great doublers and can add needed absorbency where you need it without bulking up the whole diaper.
In addition, they can be added to pull ups and training pants as long the leg opening remains snug.
1. Pooters Diapers Stay-Dry Hemp Inserts – $8.00
While I am generally suspicious of absorbency amount claims due to the fact that the way companies test products has no bearing on real life, I can’t deny that the heavy lifting Pooters’ hemp inserts claim is appealing.
6 layers of hemp/cotton jersey give these inserts a trim body. In addition, they are topped with a stay dry fleece liner, making them great for resting against the skin.
Size: fully prepped, 5.25” x 14.25”
2. Best Bottoms XL Inserts – $7.99
Bamboo Insert – 8 layers of bamboo viscose for high absorbency.
Stay Dry Bamboo Cloth Diaper Insert – Same 8 layers as the bamboo insert with the added bonus of a stay dry fleece layer.
Size XL: inserts are 15.25”x5.”
3. Happy BeeHinds Extended Size Bamboo Insert – $3.99
Made from 3 layers of bamboo viscose, these Happy BeeHinds inserts make for a good sized, affordable, and absorbent insert. Although, at 3 layers only, it’s not as thick as other inserts.
Size – 6”x16”
Flats
Flats are big. Well, that, and the fact that they are only one layer and thus dry fast. Which makes them optimal if you want to use cloth while traveling or just need something that will dry fast. Plus they’re versatile 🙂
The awesome thing about using baby flats is that they can be very economical AND are available in fabrics like hemp that you can’t get at most places that sell adult incontinence stuff.
Simply tri-fold or quadruple fold one into a large pad-shaped insert for a multiple layer, very absorbent insert.
You may be able to get away with using several flats plus an XL insert folded and laid in an adult sized diaper cover as your main absorbency. You would just have to test it out!
Otherwise, a flat would make a great additional insert in a pocket diaper or laid in any other diaper.
4. Diaper Rite Bamboo Terry Flat Diapers
I am a huge fan of the bamboo baby loop fabric these flats are made from. Baby loop, unlike French terry, is stretchy and plush and stays soft even when wet.
These come in 3 sizes:
Size 1: 19″x19″ – $14.95
Size 2: 24″x24″ – $15.95
Size 3: 29″x29″ – $16.95
5. Smart Bottom Flat – $10.00
Made from 60% hemp and 40% organic cotton, the Smart Bottom flat comes in 3 sizes.
Large – 35”x 32”
Medium – 28”x 26”
Small – 20”x 18”
6. Cloth-eez Double Weave Muslin Swaddle Blanket – $12.95
I have had multiple requests over the years for diapers made from double weave muslin – also called gauze (just in case things weren’t confusing enough, ha!). And for good reason; muslin/gauze is soft and airy; unlike twill or birdseye. Unfortunately, it’s not the easiest or most affordable fabric to find, which is a big reason why I never ventured into that territory.
So if you like cotton, but want an organic option that’s a little more luxe, then this is a great one to try out. Not to mention, it’s HUGE.
Size – 39”x39”
7. Nicki’s Diapers Bamboo Flat – 6 pk for $19.99
At 6 for $19.99, these are an economical way to include bamboo into your absorbency.
Small – 28”x30”
Large – 31”x35”
8. Geffen hemp Fleece Fladdle – $16.49
If I’m honest, I wanted to include this purely on creativity of the name. What can I say? I’m a sucker for the delicious drape of a fabric and a nice turn of phrase. Though to be fair, “fladdle” sounds too much like “paddle” to be graceful.
But luckily, Geffen’s Fladdle is more than its name. Even though it’s a strange cross of a flat diaper and swaddle cloth, it offers all the perks of a flat’s large size. Since it’s made from 60% hemp and 40% cotton FLEECE, it has more absorption capacity than most flats.
Size: 30”x30”
9. Flour Sack Towels (FST) – $1.85
Even though I’m getting quite the list here in the “Flats” section, I couldn’t resist adding this one in! Flour sack towels have long been used as a super cheap option in cloth diapering. Made of lightweight cotton muslin (not gauze), they can be folded like any other flat into an absorbent insert.
You can also buy them pretty much anywhere.
Size: 28”x29”
Trifold
Trifolds come in the basic shape of a prefold, but without the extra thick middle and thin sides, which only allows for tri-folding. A trifold is made from 2 or 3 layers of fabric in uniform thickness, making it possible to simply fold it in half for a wider insert or in thirds for a narrower one.
Simpler to fold than a flat, yet still dries quickly. Win-win.
10. Cloth-eez Sherpa Diaper – $4.95
Sherpa is not a fabric type you come across very often in the cloth diapering world. Fluffier than fleece, it has more the stretchy, soft feel of bamboo baby loop (which you know I love!).
Size large: 15” x 19.5”
11. Sloomb Bamboo Velour Flat Cloth Diaper – $18.00
You gotta love all the fuzzy lines when it comes to cloth diapering definitions. This is called a flat, but it’s size is more a prefold, but since it doesn’t have the sew job of a prefold, I’m going to dump it in the tri-fold section, lol!
the Sloomb bamboo velour flat is made from 3 layers of bamboo terry. It has pre-stitched fold lines, but since it’s all one flat layer of fabric, you can fold it however you want.
Size large – 15”x17.5”
12. sPUNKy rumps Trifold Insert – 2 pk for $20.00
Made from 2 layers of heavy hemp/organic cotton, these trifolds are French terry.
Size: 12”x24”
Prefold
Many companies manufacturing prefolds offer a variety of sizes. Prefolds can be a little tricky since the center panel is thicker than the sides, but most larger sizes of prefolds can be pad folded (thinner sides laid over center) and used as a great insert addition to your diapers.
The downside is that you can’t control the width of the resulting insert, but they tend to be wider than the trifold and economical like the flats, but without all the extra folding.
13. Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefolds – $11.25
Made from hemp jersey, Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold isn’t your average prefold. Instead of being crafted like the usual 4x8x4 prefold, it’s sewn more in a tube shape for faster drying. I used these when I cloth diapered my kids and I loved how absorbent the hemp was.
Since it’s not thicker in the middle, you have the added bonus of simply folding it in half for a wider crotch area.
Size 2 – 16.5”x16.5”
14. Geffen Fleece Prefold – $17.80
While vastly more pricey than it’s cotton counterparts, Geffen’s fleece prefold is made from 4 layers of hemp/organic cotton fleece. That, my friend, is some serious heft. This prefold also comes in a jersey version, but the fleece one is 25% more absorbent.
Size XL: 18” x 21”
15. Cloth-eez Organic Cotton Prefold – $5.00
Made from 100% cotton twill, these prefolds are 4x8x4 ply. They also come in many sizes, with the biggest sizes clocking in even larger than standard prefolds.
Size Large – 16.5” x 20”
Size X-Large – 17” x 23”
16. Nicki’s Bamboo Prefold – 6pk for $21.99
These bamboo prefolds are 4x8x4 ply and made from 55% bamboo and 45% cotton.
Size Large: 15”x17” fully prepped.
Snake Inserts
Snake style inserts used to be nearly impossible to find, but have gained in popularity over the past few years. They are shaped like a regular insert, but twice the length. They then get doubled over in use.
However, since adult cloth diapers are, well, larger than baby ones, these work great as boosters, no folding required, though they tend to be quite narrow.
17. Fruit of the Womb Snake Soakers – $8.00
Made from bamboo fleece, these snake soakers come in 2 sizes.
Small – 4”x24”
Large – 4”x28”
18. The Ample Snake Insert by Two by Two Baby Company – $6.09
Crafted from 4 layers of bamboo, this insert also has a stay-dry fleece liner. There is a snap at one end, which may or may not be useful, depending on the type of products you use and the fact that snaps tend to be different sizes.
Size – 4.9”x25”
19. Puppi “Bio-Terry” SLIM Fit Insert – $9.99
These inserts are made from 3 layers of organic cotton terry of the baby loop persuasion. *Sigh.* I really should get over my obsession with baby loop fabric, or at least sew myself a wardrobe from it. But alas, any free sewing time I have outside my business and domestic duties as a mom and wife is spent sewing curtains for the ridiculous number of windows in my house.
But that’s beside the point. The point is, these are organic cotton, super soft, and a nice size.
Size – 4” x 24”
20. Easy Peasies Extra Long Snap-In Insert – $8.59
Ok. I did NOT want to include this insert in my list solely because it has 2 snaps in the back. While this is not an unforgivable offense, there’s no guarantee that the snaps would fit whatever product you have that has snaps for snap-in inserts.
However, it is made from 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton, so I have swallowed my pride and included it in this list, lest you moan and groan that there is no hemp snake option to be had.
Size – 4”x24”
21. Blueberry Organic Capri Inserts 2 pk – $16.95
If baby loop terry is my favorite fabric, birdseye is my least favorite. But, Blueberry’s organic Capri inserts are organic and soft (at least after a few washes), so I can’t be too much of a hater here. AND their size 2 has got a bit more in its size than the other snake style inserts.
Size 1 (newborn) – 4”x22”
Size 2 – 5”x30”
At the end of the day, you can use baby inserts for adult cloth diapers as an affordable way to add extra absorbency to whatever type of washable cloth incontinence item you use. In addition, you can find a wider variety of fabrics than is available on standard sites that sell adult incontinence items.
Want more lists?
Find lists for every type of cloth incontinence products in my Ultimate Guide!
Alecia
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