A Look At The New Pampers Pure Hybrid

Earlier I gave you some critique of the Pampers Pure Hybrid Reusable Diaper that is available at Target in the United States. A friend was able to secure one and sent it north to me in Canada to take a look at, and so we could all be equally disappointed in this product.

Why Don’t We Like The Pampers Pure Hybrid Cloth Diaper

1. The Cost – this is one of the most expensive cloth diaper covers on the market, outpacing most Made in North America diapers. If you love the idea of the hybrid model, you can do so in a much more affordable way at any Cloth Diaper Retailer.
   • Diaper, $24.99 USD for one diaper cover
   • 108 Inserts for $39.99, or 37 cents per insert

1. No Cloth Option Provided
   • They do market it “part reusable, part disposable” but it would be lovely if you could also buy a cloth diaper insert to go with it. This would be a great choice for starting the conversation on hybrid diapering
   • Good news! You could use this diaper with whatever you have on hand. That’s right, cloth diapering is not complicated and waterproof shells like this Pampers Pure Hybrid Reusable Cover can be set up to work with flat diapers, your favourite inserts, or any other system.

1. Standard Disposable Inserts
   • With so many amazing eco-friendly disposable diaper brands receiving grants and creating products that really offer a sustainable choice that is less reliant on chemicals and fragrances, I’m disappointed that we just get a standard disposable diaper but without wings.
   • Check out these disposable inserts made by cloth diaper brands.

A Look at the Pampers Pure Hybrid Reusable Diaper

Let’s take a look at the product. It’s the standard Charlie Banana Diaper (thanks to their acquisition earlier this year). This features internal elastics that can be adjusted. One of the key components of a one size cloth diaper is that it needs to be adjusted to fit babies. This is often done by using external snaps, but some brands have opted to adjust the elastic directly.

It’s awesome, but it’s not. It’s not because the functionality of the bra clasp is very difficult for some families who may have limited physical ability. Even myself find that it takes forever to adapt the diaper to change sizes. In previous years I would forget I could adjust the elastic and just ended up stretching the diaper out completely.

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This diaper also has a soft fleece inner. The disposable inserts have sticky pads that can be attached. This is a recipe for disaster. First, most of us prefer unlined cloth diaper covers because they can be wipes clean and less likely to hold onto smell. This lined pocket diaper is asking for more difficulties than it’s probably worth. I love a lined cloth diaper cover, but it’s not the most functional and they aren’t being made as often by brands.

The worry here is that the sticky part will continue to leave a residue for years to come. Sticky things are incredibly difficult to remove and hard to launder. GroVia had that problem with their inserts back in the day too. Most of us who use GroVia inserts don’t use the sticky. We just lay the insert into the diaper and call it a day.

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Hybrid Diaper Systems are the Future

But they’ll have easier to maintain designs, eco-friendly disposable inserts, and feature more interchangeable components so that you can transition from cloth to disposable with ease. Now, more than ever we know that cloth diapering is not all or nothing.

But the cloth diaper community wants mainstream cloth diapering to have a different ethos and create a product that is affordable, accessible, and easy to use. This is a challenge and it’s only for able-bodied individuals who can change a bra strap.

Reconsider this, and consider using another diaper system including cloth diaper covers made from brands with accessible styling and pair with your favourite disposable diaper that meeds both your budget and eco ethics.