AppleCheeks Cloth Diaper #Review

AppleCheeks is a Canadian company based in Montreal, Quebec. The owners and designers of AppleCheeks are two Canadian mothers who offer cloth diapers and accessories that are all made in Canada.

{AppleCheeks Little Bundle Characteristics}

Two-Size Envelope Cover

• Size 1: Fits 7 - 20 lbs 
• Size 2: Fits 18 - 40 lbs
• PUL exterior
• Microfleece interior
• Two rows of snaps for leg and waist adjustment
• Only comes with snaps (no aplix)
• Elastic at the front, back and legs
• Large envelope opening in the center of the diaper
• Insert agitates out in the wash (no need to unstuff)
• Made in Canada

Inserts

• One-size stay-dry microfiber insert 

or

•  One-size rayon from bamboo insert (70% rayon from bamboo and 30% organic cotton fleece) 

{Watch My Video Review}




{My Review}

I have heard many great things about AppleCheeks so I was very excited to be able to review them for the first time. I love the fact that they are a Canadian company and based less than two hours from my home. Buying local is a great green way to shop. Plus all AppleCheeks products are MADE IN CANADA.

I love the "delicious" print. The blue and green apples are so cute and the print was custom made for AppleCheeks. Even though it is blue and green I think it would be a great diaper for both boys and girls. There are nine solid colors and two prints available.

Size 2 on a 6 month old/18 lbs baby

I reviewed the size 2 diaper which fits 18 to 40 lbs. My 6 month old is 18 lbs. It fits him pretty well. It is a bit bulky between the legs but since there is elastic on the back, front and legs you can get a good snug fit.

The Little Bundle came with a Rayon from Bamboo insert. Bamboo has to be prepped by washing 4-5 times to remove all natural oils and create absorbancy. I washed the insert multiple times before use but still had leaking around the legs for a couple of uses. I am not sure if it was because the insert was still not prepped enough or if the leg elastics were not quite tight enough for my young baby.

I've used this diaper on my son for almost a month and it does not leak anymore. So either the insert became more absorbent with washings (bamboo does that) or the cover is fitting better as he is growing.

My son often sleeps for 11 hours at night, with one or two wakings to breastfeed. Now that it is well prepped, the diaper does not even leak overnight. I love using bamboo: it is natural, absorbent and a renewable resource.

The insert is very soft to the touch. If you would like only natural fibers touching your baby you can lay the insert inside of the diaper and use the Little Bundle as an All-in-2 system as well.

For some reason the snaps do not go all the way across the cover. There is a gap right in the center. That must be done for esthetics, but unless you are using the smallest setting, you will see snaps anyway. My son is on an off-centered setting and I find it looks like there are snaps missing. I would prefer if the snaps went all the way across the top so you could have an even bigger range of waist sizes and it would look more even when snapped.

The website says to tri-fold the insert but I find it is too narrow for the cover that way so I just fold it in half. In the size 2 cover there is always a gap at the front where the insert does not come right up to the top. The insert is too short for the cover. Since I have sons, I need the absorbancy near the front for leak protection. I think AppleCheeks should come out with two sizes of inserts to go with their 2 size cover system. (Watch my video to see what I mean.)

I love the envelope cover with large opening in the middle. The location and size of the opening means that you DO NOT NEED TO UNSTUFF this pocket diaper. The insert agitates out in the wash. So you never need to touch the soiled insert! I think this aspect is ingenious. This feature makes AppleCheeks diaper VERY daddy and daycare friendly.

I don't know how many times my husband has tossed other pocket diapers brands in the pail after use without removing the dirty insert. I have had to rewash many diapers because the inserts were still stuck inside. AppleCheeks completely solves this problem.

{Update}

An AppleCheeks' rep addressed a couple of my conerns in an email.

Just an FYI - for boys, we suggest stuffing the insert and holding onto it (squeeze the front of the diaper tightly) as you put it on so that the insert stays at the front (where the absorbancy is needed). By the time a child is in size 2 diapers they rarely need much of any absorbancy at the back of the diaper, so we suggest leaving the "gap" back there  instead :) The reason we only have one size insert is because we know that compared to many of the other mainstream brands our diapers are higher priced. We want to make sure that savings can come in somewhere for families on a budget (which is also why we introduced a microterry insert), and having the inserts work for both (they are actually a little too big for size 1), makes it so that families only have to purchase covers as their little one grows.

{Summary}

The AppleCheeks Little Bundle is a very easy diaper to use. Great for dads and daycares. I would love to see two sizes of inserts and have the snaps go right across the top of the cover but all in all it is a great design. The envelope opening that allows the insert to agitate out on its own is a fantastic feature. The colors and prints are gorgeous. I absolutely love the fact that AppleCheeks is a Canadian company that only sells diapers and accessories made in Canada.

{Buy It}

AppleCheeks Little Bundle --- $24 to $30 depending on color and insert type. 


{Connect With AppleCheeks}


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