We’ve picked our best advise to choose well your reusable nappies, to save money and the environment. 

1. Know the different types of reusable nappies

Check out our guide to reusable nappies to understand each type of cloth nappy – not only the mechanisms, but also the pros and cons of each one, to understand which one is best suited to your home routine, budget and child age. 

2. Check reviews, with critical thinking

It always helps checking the opinion of other parents who have actually tested a particular nappy on their babies. However, beware that more and more profiles have partnerships with brands, so usually influencers who are either paid or receive free goodies in exchange for a positive review are not the most genuine reviews you can find. 

3. Try one before buying lots

No matter how tempting it is to buy a full pack of nappies to make the most economical option. It can end in great disappointment if you have not tested those nappies in particular yet. Try out at least one nappy of the ones you’re particularly interested in, to have a good notion of the products and routine involved. Then your investment in a full pack will be worth it.

At our kiosk in NorteShopping, We offer free trial kits so that families can test our nappies without any commitment to buy one. Enjoy your Test Drive!

4. Invest in good absorbent materials 

Give preference to Tencel™ lyocell, organic cotton and hemp. These are very absorbent materials, are environmentally friendly and retain a good value in the second-hand market. It will pay off in the long run.   

5. Don’t let yourself be greenwashed – avoid ‘microfiber’ and ‘bamboo’ fabrics

If protecting the environment is one of the reasons for cloth diapering your baby, then it’s important that you know what is actually helping the environment and what is not. Avoid absorbents based on viscose/rayon (bamboo) and polyester or nylon (microfiber). These are cheaper options, but for a reason:

• Bamboo viscose/rayon is not a natural fabric, but a semi-synthetic one using harsh toxic chemicals in its production. Sodium hydroxide (a.k.a. caustic soda) and carbon dissulfade are used to dissolve the bamboo pulp, forming a viscous solution (therefore the name ‘viscose’). This process discharges 50% of the toxic solvent. The Changing Markets Foundation’s 2018 investigation revealed a disastrous impact on the environment, workers in factories and local communities.
• Polyester/nylon not only have little absorption capacity. So later in time you will have to buy more absorbents to avoid leaks as your baby grows and urinates more. But also are synthetic fabrics that releases microfibers in every single wash, ending up in the rivers and oceans and do more harm than good.

6. Keep it simple

Tempted to buy several complementary accessories, such as liners, specific basket for dry pail, and especific detergent for sanitising cloth nappies? You may end up not needing them at all. Your regular detergent may give good results in cleaning nappies effectively. A bucket or basket that you already had at home may work fine as a dry pail. And you may realise that you simply don’t need liners at all.

7. Know your post-purchase rights

The EU Regulations give customers a minimum 2-year guarantee at no cost, regardless of whether you buy the goods online or in a shop. In Portugal this warranty is 3 years since January 2022. Check with the seller what his product warranty terms are before making the purchase. 

So, there you have it, a list of tips that will help you on your journey to choosing reusable nappies for your baby. Still needing reassurance or have any questions? Reach out to our team on the Live chat, Instagram or Facebook.