Charlie Banana Cloth Diapers – Review & Giveaway

Giveaway alert!! One of my lucky readers will win a Charlie Banana 2-in-1 Eco-Diapering Sytem (1 diaper, disposable inserts, and bio liners).  Details at the end of this post. ECO-ngratulations Kendra @butterfly1979_2!!!!

A few days ago I posted an interview that I held with the owner of Charlie Banana; Gaelle Wizenberg.   We received a really nice package of their sized diapers, disposable/hybrid inserts, bio-liners, and a few other goodies.  Overall I’m very pleased with our Charlie Banana diapers.

Charlie Banana 2-in-1 System:

I’m still surprised each time I get a new cloth diaper because there are always little differences in the way each brand makes their diapers.  With Charlie Banana they’ve decided to use a smart front panel instead of the back opening panel found in most pocket style diapers.  The front panel is nice when dealing with poops because most of the poop stays in the middle to back of the diaper.  However with the front panel you are always touching the wettest part of the diaper.

I’ve never been much of a sized diaper fan because I’ve always been afraid of picking the wrong size.  In fact when I first received our Charlie Banana we got a large size.  At about 25lbs and 2 yrs old the large Charlie Banana was slightly large on Lil’ B – in fact she pulled it off like a pair of underwear.  We then tried a medium and it fits PERFECTLY!!  This diaper is actually one of our go-to diapers in our stash.  Price: $17.88-19.88

Advantages of a sized diaper:

• X-Small and Small sized diapers are perfect for newborn babies whereas most one-sized diapers won’t fit until babies are 8-10lbs (usually 2-3 months for small babies like mine were)
• Trimmer fit with less bulk is especially nice on the smaller babies.
• No rise snaps on the front of the diaper.

Disposable Inserts:

One of the growing marketing strategies I’m seeing for cloth diapering companies are the disposable inserts.  bumGenius, GroVia, gDiapers – they are all known for their hybrid or disposable inserts for traveling or when a cloth diaper may not be convenient.  It’s also a good strategy to try to woo the disposable diaper momma’s to cloth.  I have to admit when we were researching cloth diapers I really considered the gDiaper but decided (personal reasons) not to put a strain on our ancient plumbing system.

I still never tried the gDiaper so I can’t compare it to their inserts.  I have tried both the bumGenius and Gro Via disposable inserts and the Charlie Banana are similar.  Unfortunately they aren’t my favorite disposable insert; they are stiffer than the competition and can’t be very comfortable for the baby.  Price: $15.99/32 inserts

Bio-Liners:

We’ve used almost every brand of flushable liners that I can find (Imse Vimse, Cutey Baby, AppleCheeks, and Bummis) because daddy and our day care really enjoy how easy it they make handling the poop.  I could be happy without using them unless I suspect we’re getting close to the pooping hour.  The Charlie Banana liners are not my favorite – they are larger in size and they are really stiff.  They feel like wax paper actually.  However daddy continues to reach for them and told me the poop just falls right off of them.  Unfortunately Lil’ B sticks her hand down there and tries to pull them out.  I would imagine they would feel like a disposable diaper or a pad.  Price: $11.99/100 pack

Organic Training Pants and Underwear:

With Lil’ B reaching that peak age for potty learning I was excited to get a training pant.  The Charlie Banana training pants are made of organic cotton and have a waterproof outside that makes it perfect for potty learning on-the-go!  They also fit her small frame really well – she’s currently 25 months and almost 25 pounds.  We’ve played around with them on the weekends when she’s home with us and they seem to work pretty well.  They keep the wetness on the inside where it belongs but it still allows for them to feel the wetness.  Compared to some of the other brands I’ve tried I’m really happy with the Charlie Banana trainers – mostly because of the fit and the fabric.  Price: $15.99 (a little pricey but they are organic)

Other Charlie Banana Accessories:

• Organic cotton wipes
• Hanging diaper pails
• Swim diapers
• Leg warmers
• Sized diapers are usually cheaper in price.

Charlie Banana for Mama:

Another brilliant idea for the Charlie Banana team -the feminine secrets line of reusable pads and panty liners.  They are available in a liner, a regular absorbency, and a super absorbency.  The pads are sold in sets of three and come with a small zipper bag for carrying them in your purse.  I really like how they fold into themselves and seal with a snap to keep your bag and purse clean.  They are super soft too – I’ve fallen in love with the Diva Cup but feel like on Day 1 & 2 I need a little extra protection in case I haven’t put the Diva Cup in just right.  Price: $15.99-18.99/set 3 pads with a pouch

Where to Buy? Amazon, Target.com, and Babiesrus.com or you can also get them at one of my fine affiliates Franklin Goose.

Follow Charlie Banana:

Online:  http://www.charliebanana.com/
Twitter: @CharlieBanana
Facebook: LoveCharlieBanana

Win It!! Visit Charlie Banana online and leave me a comment on this post telling me what your favorite product is in their line.  This entry is mandatory and must be completed in order to win.  Please leave your email address in your profile (will remain private to me only) so I can contact you if you are the winner.  (1 entry)  CONTEST CLOSED!!!  Eco-ngratulations Kendra!!!

Extra entries: Leave a comment for each extra entry earned..

• Follow @CharlieBanana on Twitter (1 entry – leave a comment with your @name)
• Like LoveCharlieBanana on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall telling them The Eco Chic sent you. (1 entry)
• Follow @TheEcoChic on Twitter (1 entry – leave your @name in the comments)
• Like TheEcoChic on Facebook  (1 entry)
• Subscribe to The Eco Chic by email (2 entries – see sidebar to subscribe)
• Leave a comment on another post on my blog (3 entries)
• Tweet about this giveaway “Learn more about @CharlieBanana #clothdiapers on @TheEcoChic and win a 2-in-1 diapering system  http://bit.ly/frc3Ok”  (Max 5 entries per day/1 entry per tweet – leave link to your tweet in the comments)

Rules:  Contest is open to anyone over the age of 18 yrs of age who completes the mandatory entry as listed above.  All extra entries will be accepted after the mandatory entry is complete.  Contest will end at midnight ET on Friday, March 4th, 2011.  COMMENTS AND CONTEST ARE CLOSED!  THANK YOU!!!

Disclosure: We received samples of the Charlie Banana products for review. No other compensation was received for this post.

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