How Much Do Cloth Diapers Weigh?

Many parents are worried that a cloth diaper may be too heavy, too bulky and even uncomfortable for their little one. How heavy does the diaper need to be in order to not leak and to absorb all the liquid safely? What is the average diaper weight for a 3-month-old or for a one-year-old? Which differences are there in the various cloth diaper systems that are on the market? How heavy are cloth diapers?

It is not a peculiar question to ask, and since I didn’t have an answer, I set out on a “weighing mission” and weighed more than 50 different cloth diapers. These covered sizes from newborn to about 2.5 years, night and day diapers as well as 7 different cloth diaper systems and 40 different liners and covers.

How much do cloth diapers weigh? The average weight of a cloth diaper ranges from 1.4 oz (40 g) for a newborn day diaper to 20.1 oz (570 g) for a 2.5-year night diaper. The weight greatly varies and depends on four factors: 1) the type of cloth diaper system, 2) the number and type of absorbent layers, 3) the size of the diaper, and 4) whether it’s a night- or a daytime diaper.

I structured this post in such a way that you have a helpful overview of the different diapering systems per age group in the first few paragraphs. The subsequent paragraphs and tables are short descriptions of the various diapering systems, giving real examples of various brands, day and night diapers, different sizes, and diapers for the hot and cold season. Let’s dive right into it…

Comparison of cloth diaper systems within one age group or size

Table 1: What is the average weight of a cloth diaper for a newborn (0-3 months)?

Table 2: What is the average weight of a cloth diaper sized small to medium? Most diapers are one-size and grow with the little one. Size S/M can be used from 3 to 24 months (baby’s weight 10-33 lbs, 5-15 kg).

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In-Depth Information on each cloth diaper system

In the following paragraphs I give an overview of the most common cloth diaper systems:

1. Prefolds + Snappi + cover
2. Fitted + cover
3. All-in-One (AiO)
4. All-in-Two (AiT), or Snap-in-One (SiO)
5. Pockets
6. Minimal Diaper Systems (Mokomidi)
7. Trainer Pants – for transitioning from diapers to underwear

I briefly explain how each system works (advantages/disadvantages) and give examples of the weights of inserts and covers (for the 2-step-diaper systems). I also provide examples of a “finished” diaper for different age groups and seasons (hot/cold) as well as for night- and daytime.

1.)   2-step-diapers: Prefolds + Snappi + Covers

A 2-step-diaper system that is often used is the Prefold (an absorbent pad), which is folded and then held together by a Snappi (fastener) and has a cover (either water-absorbent or waterproof) on top. It’s called a 2-step system because two different parts are combined to complete baby’s diaper.

Example of the 2-step-diaper system with Prefolds, Snappi and cover. There are many different sizes of prefolds available; you can choose between waterproof and water-absorbent covers.

Prefolds

Prefolds are available in various sizes, and range from size x (XS) to toddler (XL). The ones used here were size S – 10×14 inch (newborn, orange border, 6-10 lbs), size M – 12-16 inch (infant, red border, 7-15 lbs), and size L – 14.5-22 inch (toddler, green border, 15-30 lbs). Prefolds are mostly made of 100% cotton, but are also available in mixtures of hemp and bamboo.

Table 3: Weight of Prefolds

Covers

Covers also come in many variations. The most important difference is between waterproof Polyurethane Laminate (PUL) fabrics and water-absorbent covers like pure wool.

Table 4: Weight of covers for prefolds

S… Small; M… Medium; L… Large;

Examples of 2-step-diapers: Prefolds + Snappi + Covers

This table gives examples of completed diapers for different sizes, day- and nighttime and for different seasons.

Table 5: Examples of Prefolds+Snappi+Covers

The newborn day diaper is made up of one small prefold (with the orange border), the Snappi and a water proof cover in the form of pull-up pants or a waterproof shell (similar in shape and handling to a disposable diaper).

Some moms really love the waterproof, unlined pull-up pants because they are so easy and fast to put onto a little one and weigh less than the waterproof shells. I personally think they are unpractical when you have to change the diaper because you have to pull them off completely in order to take the Prefold off. If the Prefold is very wet or full of runny newborn poop, it’s likely to be soaked through – and without a waterproof outer cover you’ll get your changing table all dirty.

The waterproof shell in this example was lined in the back and front and weighs a little more than the non-lined pull-up pants or non-lined waterproof shells. The fleece in the front and the back of the flaps make it comfortable for a newborn to wear and also help to prevent diaper blowouts. When you need to change a diaper, it’s easier to handle than pull-up pants.

If you choose to put a water-absorbent cover over the prefold, knitted pants of 100% wool are the way to go. The wooly pants should be greased, e.g. with Lanolin (adeps lanae anhydricus); there is a short description of how to do this at the end of this post. This way they keep all the liquid inside and are as good as a waterproof cover – with the advantage of being fully breathable. But beware: If you put pressure on soaked wooly pants they’ll leak. For example, if you’re carrying your little one with all the weight, and therefore the diaper-cover, on the bottom, you’ll squeeze the liquid out of the wool. In this case it’s better to use a waterproof cover and reserve the wooly pants for when your beloved little one is lying down.

The last example in the table above is a very light diaper that your active baby or toddler will hardly notice, and allows for unrestricted leg movement. But depending on how much your little one pees, it may be necessary to add two prefolds or another liner. The example here was made of one L-sized prefold (green border, 15-30 lbs or 6-15 kg), with a Snappi and a waterproof cover.

2.)   2-step-diapers: Fitted + Covers

Another similar system consists of a fitted insert (absorbent inner part) that has the shape of a disposable diaper and is covered by an outer waterproof or water-absorbing layer. This is also a 2-step system because the two parts are needed to complete baby’s diaper. In the picture below you can see examples of this kind of diaper-system; tables 6-8 summarize the weights.

Example of a 2-step-diaper system Fitted+cover: There are extra liners that can be snapped into the fitted inner layer; the liners and fitted diaper part come in different materials such as bamboo/hemp and cotton. Either a water-absorbent or waterproof cover is needed to complete baby’s diaper.

Fitted

Table 6: Weights of the first, absorbent inner part of the diaper: Fitted

S… Small; M… Medium; L… Large;

Covers

Table 7: Weight of covers for Fitted

Examples of 2-step-diapers: Fitted + Covers

Table 8: Examples of fitted+cover

Depending on which brand you use and which material the diaper is made of (different mixtures of bamboo/cotton/hemp), the newborn fitted diapers without an extra liner range from 5.3 ounces (150 g), e.g. for hu-da diapers, to 6.0 ounces (170 g), e.g. for TotsBots Bamboozle. For a bamboo liner you need to add about another ounce to that weight. The cover in Table 8 of the first newborn night summer diaper was short wooly pants. The wooly pants, size small, usually reach up to the chest and keep your little one snug and warm. Therefore, a onesie on top of the diaper is usually enough and no extra pajamas are needed.

Was your little pumpkin born in autumn or winter? Then just swap the short wooly pants for long ones. This adds an extra ounce (about 40 g) and weighs 7.8-8.8 ounces in total, but is very comfortable and keeps your little one perfectly warm and cozy. A few weeks after birth it may be necessary to add that extra small bamboo liner, just like for the summer pants.

The S/M night diaper from Anavy comes with a snap-in extra-long liner (see bottom left example in the picture). It can be used for a 12+ month-old toddler and absorbs an enormous amount of liquid. A friend of mine uses it in summer with single-knitted, very light long-sleeved woolen pants, and in winter with a double-knitted, warm pair of woolen pants, giving the range 15.9-20.1 oz (450-570 g). The fitted absorbent inner diaper itself weighs about 12 oz (340 g). With this diaper she’s never once had to deal with a leak.

The other example here is a Bamboozle from TotsBots, size M. Compared to the Anavy with its 12 oz, this one is quite light at 6 oz (170 g) without liners, and 8.8 oz (250 g) with two bamboo liners. The Bamboozle with liners is also used at night. As you can see from this example, the weight of cloth diapers is not only dependent on the diapering system you choose, but also greatly varies from brand to brand within one system.

3.)   1-step-diapers: All-in-One (AiO)

All-in-One diapers have liners or absorbent layers that are already connected to the outer, mostly waterproof shell. The diaper is therefore just one piece, and in its handling and appearance has the greatest similarity to a disposable diaper. This is a very common diapering system and well loved by cloth mommies. However, the diapers take a long time to dry and take up a lot of storage space.

Not every AiO allows additional liners to be snapped in, which you should consider when choosing your products. The flexibility to choose the type and number of extra liners was important for me personally. There are also AiOs where you can pull out the inner liner through a slot, but it stays attached to the shell of the diaper. It needs to be stuffed back in before the diaper is used again, quite similar to a pocket diaper. There are great products out there, for example by Imagine Baby Products.

Table 9: Examples of AiO diapers

4.)   1-step-diapers: All-in-Two (AiT) or Snap-in-One (SiO)

The Snap-in-One (SiO), also known as All-in-Two (AiT), is my personal choice. I’ve used it and absolutely loved it. It’s a 1-step diapering system with an outer, waterproof shell that you “fill” with liners to complete it. The shells are in the shape of disposable or fitted diapers and have snaps inside to snap the absorbent, mostly rectangular-shaped layers into the diaper. Most shells also have snaps in the front of the diaper that allow you to shorten the whole diaper to 3 different lengths.

I used my shells for more than 2.5 years and they still show hardly any signs of wear. Whether you use the type of shells with snaps or those with Velcro to adjust the tightness around your little pumpkin’s belly is completely up to you – and your little one. For us it was Velcro.

Depending on the brand, the SiO diapers can have an extra flap which you tuck the liners under in the back and the front of the diaper. I personally prefer the ones with the flap; it helps keep everything in the right place. Usually any kind of insert from any brand will fit into an AiT-diaper, but not every liner has the snaps to securely fasten them into the outer cover.

I personally never snapped the liners into the diaper; I simply tucked them under the flaps and used all sort of brands, combining different materials to always have the perfect diaper available for the given moment. This system hardly takes up any storage space, and the single liners are dry within no time, even in winter (and I don’t have a dryer).

I also remember that one time after a baby swimming lesson I wanted to put a new diaper onto my son – and realized that I had completely forgotten to bring a fresh, dry one. With this diapering system it was no problem: I used the shell of the first diaper, which was still dry, folded my t-shirt (100% organic cotton ?), put it into the shell, and my little one was good to go again! To prevent speculation about my own state of undress: I wore my jacket on the way home…

Liners

Weights of Prefolds:

Table 10: Weight of different types of liners (and other things that can be used to stuff a diaper…)

Covers – Waterproof Shells

Table 11: Weight of covers typically used for AiT or SiO diapering systems

Examples of AiT or SiO diapers

Table 12: Examples of All-in-Two or Snap-in-One diapers

For a newborn light diaper with a waterproof cover that is changed often during the day the weight only depends on what type of insert you use. Here it varies from 3.5 ounces (100 g) with a muslin cloth to 5.3 ounces (150 g) with one bamboo liner.

The same principle applies for the one-size diapers that grow with your little one by allowing adjustments in the length of the diaper with the snaps at the front. Only the number and fabric of liners used determines how heavy and also how bulky the diaper is. Here I used a large prefold that I doubled over in the front to provide extra padding for boys closer to 3 months and two bamboo plus one cotton liner for toddlers closer to 24 months of age.

For the night diapers I just added one or two extra absorbent bamboo/hemp liners.

To make sure that a night diaper doesn’t leak and has enough capacity to absorb the entire amount that a 2-3-year-old pees, it may be necessary to experiment with the number of layers. If you’re interested in how much liquid these diapers hold, please go to the end of the post and check out Table 16, where I weighed my little one’s nap- and nighttime diapers.

The weights of these diapers are the same as the ones that I used for the last example in Table 12. I fold one prefold L cotton, one prefold L hemp, one cotton liner and two bamboo/hemp liners, and use them with a waterproof cover from TotsBots. For my son I fold one very absorbent liner in half and place it in the front of the diaper; for a girl I’d put it in the middle. This may look bulky and is 35relatively heavy (13.8 oz; 390 g), but it does the trick and keeps my beloved little one dry.

5.)   1-step-diapers: Pockets

Pockets are the great compromise between All-in-Ones (AiO) and Snap-in-Ones (SiO). They are a waterproof outer shell with either a little bag or a sewn-in net which you stuff with liners to complete the diaper. They give you the flexibility to choose the combination of liners that you need for that moment, but also securely keep them in place without any snaps.

They dry faster than the AiOs, since you can take the liners back out of the diaper. Some moms love them because of their practicability, and even enjoy sitting down at night to pre-stuff the diapers needed for the next few days while watching a movie or chatting with their partner. Others don’t find the stuffing (and unstuffing) process appealing at all and prefer to choose a different diapering system.

Most pocket diapers either have a net or an absorbent inner layer sewn into the outer shell, which has the size and shape of the shell. Other brands have a kind of bag sewn into it. Both variations can be stuffed with extra liners.

Table 13: Examples of weight of Pocket diapers

6.)   Minimal Diaper Systems

What a brilliant diapering system this is if you practice Elimination Communication (EC) and are a fan of “as much as needed, as little as possible”-diapering, or simply have a toddler who thinks diapering takes waaaaaay too long – no matter how fast you are. I personally didn’t know this system until I started my research for this blog, but be assured, if we are blessed with another little one this is what I’ll use.

By the way, if you have a newborn who just goes through the phase of infant colic, you may be interested in reading this article here “Could Elimination Communication help to treat your baby’s colic?” to see if you find some helpful information on easing it.

The waterproof covers for a minimal-diaper either come with snaps which the liners can be snapped into, or they have a little flap that securely keeps extra liners in place. Many moms prefer not to have a waterproof cover and just go for the “no-cover-needed” version of the mini-diapers.

This is the most simple system that you can use with any kind of insert, quite similar to the AiT or SiO-system. In my opinion, the main and most brilliant difference from the other diaper systems lies in the outer waterproof cover, which is made of 2 separate parts: The main part that covers the little one’s bottom and front, and a piece that can be snapped in in front of the belly that works kind of like a belt. On the outer side of this little front part is a piece of Velcro that connects with the main part.

If you want to quickly take off the diaper you just have to open the Velcro at the front – and you can flip the whole part backwards to uncover your little one. This is brilliant when you use EC and need to take the diaper off quickly, or when you’re using split pants. Instead of taking the whole diaper off (and trying to catch your “I’m off again”-little one to put a new one on) you simply open the front, put a new insert in if necessary, and close it again.

Another brilliant fact is that this diaper has no back or front. You can just as easily put it on backwards and uncover the little bottom from behind – which can be quite useful from time to time.

There is another mini-diaper from Petit-Lulu that has a soft belt which is pulled up around your little one’s belly and has a waterproof flap attached. You can either snap or place any kind of insert into this flap, bring it between your little one’s legs up to the belly and tuck it under the belt. Done. Easy. Effective.

Not a fan of waterproof outer covers? Then try the MokoMidi from Mokosha. 100% Merino wool, or a 100% cotton belt that can be combined with any type of long insert or a muslin cloth.

Are you now also keen on trying this system? You can order it here from the Moko-Shop, Austria. The owner of the shop is a lovely lady and mom of two boys, who took a lot of time to patiently show me and explain to me all the different diaper systems, and who let me take as many photos as I needed. Thank you, Natalia!

Table 14: Weights of diapers and covers of the minimal-diapering system

Trainer pants; pull-down pants

Trainers (trainer pants) are used for those “transition days” when your little one theoretically doesn’t need a diaper anymore – yet you feel more comfortable when they wear more than just thin cotton undies. There are trainers made of 100% Merino wool as well as ones with a waterproof outer layer and even ones that work like pocket diapers where you can stuff a liner in between the outer shell and the sewn-in net.

Table 15: Weights of trainers, pull-down pants and toddler underwear

How much do wet diapers weigh?

Obviously, the weight of the wet diaper depends on how much your little beloved little one pees. That in turn depends on how old your baby is, how much they drink in general and whether you practice elimination communication.

You may have noticed that I like to collect data and to do research, so I became curious about how much my little one actually “puts back” into his diaper. He is now 2.5 years old and we use a diaper for his lunchtime naps (min. 2 hrs, max. 3.5 hrs) or nighttime sleep (approx. 9-10 hrs). His nap diapers weigh 6.2-6.9 ounces (175-195 g) when dry; his night-diapers weigh 10.6-12.7 ounces (300-360 g).

He usually goes to the toilet right before bed and he’s used to drinking half a bottle of water in bed. The daytime diapers were usually not completely soaked, but the nighttime diapers were at their limit and sometimes I changed them in the middle of the night.

Table 16: How much liquid does an All-in-Two naptime diaper and nighttime diaper for a 2.5-year-old hold?

How do you grease wooly pants? What’s the purpose of it?

Wooly pants are greased to greatly increase the amount of liquid they can absorb and to improve their ability to hold the liquid under pressure. This means that when you soak non-greased wooly pants and wring them, they lose more water than greased ones.

You can buy Lanolin Anhydrid (adeps lane anhydricus), which has a water absorbance capacity of approx. 200% (e.g. in an apothecary/drug store or on Amazon).

Fill your sink or a bucket/big plastic bowl with lukewarm water and dissolve a teaspoon full of Lanolin in the water. Take the wooly pants and knead them in this water for a few minutes, then let them soak in it over night (8-10 hrs). Let the pants dry.

They will safely wick up the liquids that may escape the absorbent layers. If they are wet, just put them inside out and let them dry. They won’t smell and are good to be used again and again – for about 4-6 weeks. Then wash them and grease them again.

I hope this article has given you a good overview of the existing range of cloth diaper weights. I understand that it is a lot of information (don’t ask how many hours it took to collect and sort it!!). There is no exact answer to the question of how much a cloth diaper weighs, since it is dependent on the diapering system and the brands and liners you use.

But to me that is also the beauty of cloth diapering – the individuality and flexibility that it gives you to put together a diaper according to your beloved little one’s needs.

I wish you and your little darlings all the best!

If you’re unsure whether a diaper may be uncomfortable for your baby or want useful hacks on how to make sure it’s the perfect fit and not noticed by your little one, read this post: “Are cloth diapers uncomfortable?”