1 Juniors
Style: An inner cloth nappy with Velcro tabs and separate plastic pants, this is very much like the old-style terry nappy without the pins.
Performance: Surprisingly good for daytime use when you’re at home and able to regularly change baby, but their lightness means they’re not so great if you’re on the go, plus they’re a little on the small side. The ones promising to fit tots aged up to 12 months probably won’t last far beyond the six-month mark.
Washability: Excellent. Quick to dry.
Value for money: Excellent. Cloth nappies cost Dhs10 each, and the plastic pants are Dhs12 per pair. Very cost effective, this is a great option for daytime wear around the house.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Babyshop (04 266 1519).
2 EasyFit all-in-one
Style: An all-in-one nappy that fits newborn bubs to potty-trained tots. We liked the colours and it wasn’t too bulky. It also has Velcro tabs on the waistband, making changes much less fiddly than the popper varieties.
Performance: Excellent. You can get an additional fleece liner which keeps skin even drier, but we had no problems without this and bubba’s skin wasn’t wet to the touch. Poppers mean the nappy adjusts for growing babes.
Washability: Excellent. Quick to dry.
Value for money: Excellent. Dhs100 each. A pack of five is Dhs450 or you can buy 20 for Dhs1,800. You can use from newborn until toilet trained and no additional outer wraps are needed.
Overall rating: 5/5
www.tini-tots.com.
3 Babycheeks
Style: An all-in-one nappy with removable inserts, this neat little diaper apparently fits tots from 3-16kg. We were a little skeptical about this claim, as we didn’t think the adjustment range was that ‘adjustable’. However, it feels soft, looks good, and isn’t bulky at all.
Performance: Average. It took moisture away from our tester’s skin, but it leaked when used overnight with the small inserts. It also has poppers at the waist, which are hard to do up when baby is wriggling around.
Washability: Excellent. The inner pad and outer wrap dried quickly.
Value for money Good as a starter but you have to buy lots of inserts to make it more absorbent, which ends up making it an expensive nappy. Dhs95 for each nappy plus the inserts, which cost Dhs27 for two small ones, and Dhs20 for a large single insert.
Overall rating: 4/5
www.dubaibabies.com.
4 Cushie tushies
Style: An all-in-one nappy available in 18 cute designs, it’s lovely and soft, with a fleecy outer layer. But it was so bulky that our tester’s clothes wouldn’t fit over it, and we have doubts about the ‘one size fits all’
assertion – the nappy is large and would swamp a newborn. The poppers are fiddly compared to more convenient Velcro, and we reckon it’s a tad hot for Dubai’s warm climes.
Performance: Average. It leaked once.
Washability: Good. It dried within three hours.
Value for money: They’re expensive to buy (Dhs130 each). But if you’re off skiing, bubba’s butt will be super-cosy.
Overall rating: 3/5
May Angels at Organic Foods & Café (055 514 7182/04 434 0577).
5 Grovia Hybrid
Style: A nappy with changeable cloth inserts and also boasts a disposable, biodegradable liner option, making it eco-friendly. It closes with Velcro, so it’s easy to get on and off.
Performance: Not so good. The cloth insert leaked during the night and even after a two-hour sleep. The disposable insert worked better, but the nappy was uncomfortable, leaving a rather sore-looking indent on our tester’s naval as she was sleeping on her tummy.
Washability: The insert was slow drying – this was because it has two layers that are joined together so you can’t spread it out.
Value for money: Not brilliant. You have to buy it in different sizes and purchase additional inserts as the baby grows, which costs more in the long run than an all-in-one. You can buy disposable inserts, which makes the Grovia handy for travelling though. Each nappy costs Dhs110. A box of 20 biodegradable liners cost Dhs40 for 20.
Overall Rating: 2.5/5
May Angels at Organic Foods & Café (055 514 7182/04 434 0577).
6 Bamboozle STRETCHIE
Style: An all-in-one nappy with an outer wrap for newborns to potty-trainees. Made from bamboo fibre (apparently 60 per cent more absorbent than cotton) it’s silky-soft and, we imagine, super-comfy for baby.
Performance Excellent. It can be soaking wet and still doesn’t leak.
Washability: Good, but it doesn’t dry as quickly as the EasyFit.
Value for money: You can use these nappies from newborn up until the baby is potty-trained, but you have to buy the wraps separately in different sizes as your tot grows. Dhs70 each, five for Dhs350 (including an outer wrap) or 15 for Dhs1,100 (four outer wraps included).
Overall rating: 4.5/5
www.tini-tots.com.
