Velcro, nippas or poppers? There IS another way (and it's not pins!)

The days of fastening cloth nappies with pins is long gone. But what has replaced them? There are several options, actually, and each have their followers.

The Nappi Nippa or Snappi is a Y-shaped plastic gadget that allows you to fasten a variety of shaped nappies, terries and muslins. It allows a great deal of flexibility in adjusting nappies to fit and nappies that require them are usually budget-options. They are sold in most cloth-nappy shops, usually in packs of three. Which is good because I find them very easy to lose! While much safer than pins, they can be a bit fiddly to use initially, and rarely they can prick your fingers! Also, not the easiest when dealing with a wriggling toddler.

Velcro fasteners usually come in a variety called Aplix. This is a soft velcro which is sown into the nappy. Many All-In-Ones and pocket nappies use these, which makes them even more similar to disposables. They can be quite adjustible, especially if they have cross-over tabs. However, they can be quite easy for toddlers (even my 9-month old!) to undo. Also, something that drives me nuts, is that the velcro tends to stick to everything in the wash, which can damage other nappies and fill the velcro with fluff. Easy to pick out with a pin, but who has the time? Laundry tabs are provided on many, unfortunately not all, of these nappies, but these dont always work very well.
One more problem can be that the loop-part of the velcro on the front of some brands of nappies can roll inwards and scratch sensitive baby-tummies.

Popper-fastened nappies are also quite common. They dont have the disadvantages of sticking to your laundry or scratching little tummies that Aplix has. However, they are less adjustable as you can only tighten them to where the poppers allow. Also, although toddlers less likely to undo them, they can be harder to close on a wriggling toddler.

I used to think that was it as far a nappy-fasteners went. Until I discovered Wahmies. These birth-to-potty pocket nappies use a fastening system which seems to be unique to them. Its a hook-and-loop system which offers huge adjustability without any of the drawbacks of Aplix. I admit it takes some practise before you get used to it, but once you've got the knack its very easy. Probably not the best on a wriggling toddler, but on the plus side I'd say it would be impossible for a child to undo. And possibly easy enough to pull on and off for toilet training.

So, there you have it. Many different options and not a pin in sight!