So one of the reasons you might have chosen to switch to cloth nappies is to save money. It absolutely can save you money, even with just one child. But when you start looking at purchasing nappies and find some that cost nearly £30 for a single nappy it doesn’t look feasible or realistic.

Let’s get this clear –  you do not need to spend anywhere near £30 to get a decent nappy, and you do not need a massive stash of nappies either.

The reason you’ll hear that cheaper nappies “don’t work” is largely because the absorbent part is made from microfibre. It is cheaper to use microfibre than something like hemp, that’s why manufacturers do it. But although absorbent it is prone to compression leaks. That does not mean these nappies aren’t any good. You just need to overcome the compression leaks. The easiest way is to not use the microfibre and replace it with something else. In a pocket nappy this is really easy and cheap to do. Check out my review on Alva Baby pocket nappies to see how I do this.

If you can’t remove the microfibre, or want to continue using it, then you need to add something to absorb liquid when the microfibre is under pressure. Any natural material will do. Boosters are really easy to add. Prefolds are very cost effective. It doesn’t even need to be something ‘proper’, an old flannel will work or a cut up tea towel. No one is going to see your inserts, they don’t need to be pretty. Check out my review on Bambino Mio to see how I counteract their microfibre insert for my heavy wetter.

You also don’t need a huge stash of nappies. Around 20-25 birth to potty nappies will see you through to potty training. You can also start small, just buy a couple and see how you get on. Adding to your stash over time.

Which brings me nicely onto buying and selling. There is a great preloved market for buying and selling nappies. My handy fees calculator will help you work out how much money you will receive from any sales.

Finally if you want to save money then absolutely check out cloth wipes if you’re not already using them. Without a doubt these will save you hundreds of pounds over a couple of years.

Budget nappies

Below are some nappies to consider that are under the £15 each mark, there are of course many other options too. Just remember it is mostly about the insert and there are plenty of ways to improve what you have.

There are also a couple of options which are naturally cheaper, see my affordable pockets or wipeable covers pages.

• Alva Baby pocket. Retails between £4-7, if you can try buy without the inserts, which aren’t great, and buy some cotton prefolds instead. This will give you a reliable day nappy system.
• Bambino Mio Miosolo – £15.99 but included as you can normally find these in the Aldi baby events for just £9. Because of the microfibre insert you will need an additional booster.
• Easy Peasy Bumble – £12 (although you’ll need a wrap too, but maybe only 5 wraps against a stash of 20 Bumbles). These can be used for both day and night.
• Fiyyah Pokkit nappy. £15, comes with two pure bamboo inserts which are great and it’s unlikely you’d need additional boosters. Very high quality materials. Probably one of my favourite budget options.
• La Petite Ourse pocket nappy. £14.50, comes with two inserts which used together are sufficient for my heavy wetter.
• Little Lambs pocket – £14 and often on multi buy offers. Comes with two bamboo inserts, although you may need to boost still.
• Little Love Bum popper and pocket – £10-19. The pocket can be purchased on it’s own for £10, you can use inserts you already have or prefolds are a very cost effective option. If you want to purchase inserts as well then the bamboo pack is the most affordable whilst still offering good absorbency. The bamboo inserts are £5, taking the overall cost to £15.
• Little Love Bum snap & wrap – £12.99 for the wrap, plus another £7.99 for the insert. But you can use the wrap around 4 times so this makes for an economical system if used full time.
• Terry squares – an individual terry will cost you just a few pounds, cheaper still if you buy a pack. You’ll need to add a nippa to fasten and a wrap to make it waterproof. But a full time kit can cost under £100 and these can be used overnight too(probably with a booster as your baby gets older).