Love it!: Bumgenius 3.0/4.0 Stay Dry Pocket Diaper

Here is my first "Love it!" product review! Since I migrated all my Flat Diaper/Handwashing Challenge posts over from Domestic Dirt, I thought I'd start with a cloth diaper review! 

Bumgenius 3.0/4.0 Stay Dry Pocket Diaper

Rating: Love it! (snaps) Like it (hook and loop)

What is it?:  Bumgenius 3.0/4.0 stay dry pocket diapers are modern cloth diapers have a pocket made of suedecloth (soft) that you stuff absorbent inserts into.  The 3.0 versions come in velcro (hook and loop) and the 4.0 version comes in both snap and hook and loop.   In my experience, they fit from about 9-10 lbs to 35lbs.

Here is JD in a 4.0 snap version on the middle rise at 4 months and about 17 lbs.

Bumgenius retail for $17.95,but often are on sale for $14.50 each when you buy 6.  I bought several of JD's new, but over half of my stash are "last chance" diapers that cottonbabies.com offers occasionally.  These  "last chance" diapers are used and in need of repair, but cost only $1-2!

Pros:   Bumgenius are trim and they work!  What more can you ask for in a diaper!   The suedecloth wicks the wetness away from the baby so they feel dry.  JD seems to like the stay dry better than having wet cotton against his skin.  It's more like a disposable diaper where all the wetness gets locked into the inside of the diaper!  The hook and loop versions are very easy to put on (especially in the middle of the night!)  I like that you can customize the amount of absorbency by stuffing it with different kinds of inserts. The come with 2 microfiber inserts, but at 21 months, we now stuff all JD's Bumgenius with one pad folded flat and a 3-layer bamboo insert.

Here is JD in a Bumgenius 3.0 at 17 months and 30 lbs.

Cons:  Like most pocket diapers, you have to take out the microfiber insert before you wash it and then stuff it back in again after the wash.  Just an extra step, which when you are tired seems like a mountain of work!
The hook and look versions haven't held up over time.  After about 8 months of use, the hook and loop started to fray, and lost their stickiness.  I have replaced the  hook and loop  on several of my diapers which costs about $3 in supplies to accomplish.  I also bought snap pliers and some KAM snaps and converted some to snaps to avoid the  hook and loop issues in the future.  A set of pliers cost about $20 and snaps run about $5 set, which will fix 5 diapers.
The biggest con with Bumgenius is the microfiber inserts.  They hold a TON of liquid, but get stinky over time.  I've stripped them with dawn, beached them, changed my laundry soup, but they still stink.  Ever since I took the Flat Diaper/Handwashing Challenge in May, we have used only cotton flats and bamboo inserts in my Bumgenius and they work great.  

Disclaimer:  I was not paid or "perked" to give this review.  I bought all my Bumgenius from cottonbabies.com or the cloth diaper swap on babycenter.com.