Fitted diapers are usually made out of cotton and other absorbent materials like hemp, bamboo, and terry. Popular fitted diapers are BSRB diapers, Kissaluvs, and Swaddlebees. Fitted diapers do NOT have a waterproof outer shell. This means that they must be worn with a cover in order to be effective. Here is a picture of a Kissaluv fitted diaper:
Diaper covers are made out of fabric lined with a polyurethane laminate, otherwise known as PUL. PUL is also used when making pocket diapers and all-in-one diapers because those diapers are designed to be used without a separate cover. Two companies I've seen with diaper covers are Thirsties and Bummis. Bummis is a Canadian company that manufactures their own version of PUL. Here is a picture of a Thirsties diaper cover made from one layer of PUL:
Pocket diapers usually consist of an outer PUL layer and an inner microfleece or suedecloth inside. There is also a pocket between the two layers where you add whatever absorbent layer you wish to add. You can simply put in a pre-fold diaper (the old-fashioned rectangular diapers) or any number of inserts that are available. These inserts are made of many different fabrics. Hemp/cotton blend fabric is very popular because it absorbs more than cotton by itself. Microfiber also absorbs a lot of liquid. Popular pocket diapers are FuzziBunz and Happy Heinys. Here is a picture of a FuzziBunz fitted diaper:
And here is a basic pre-fold diaper:
Next we have the kind of diaper that I originally was most interested in making. This would be the all-in-one diaper, or AIO. This diaper is like the pocket diaper and insert sewn together as one diaper. AIOs can either have PUL as the outer fabric, or a hidden layer of PUL underneath the outer layer. People like the ease of AIOs because you don't have to go through the hassle of putting in an insert. It's basically like a reusable disposable diaper. The inner layer that touches baby's skin is similar to the inner layer of a fitted or pocket diaper. It's usually a polyester fabric that serves to wick away the moisture onto the absorbant inner layer. The AIOs that seems to be the most popular are the Bum Genius diapers. I have since decided that I do not like AIOs because they take a long time to dry and the absorbent layers are hidded. This means that you can't take them out to really clean them well. Here's a picture of a Bum Genius AIO:
Somewhere in between a pocket diaper and an AIO diaper, is the all-in-two diaper (AI2). This diaper has an outer shell (usually PUL outside and moisture wicking inside) but instead of a pocket, the insert snaps into the diaper on top of the inner lining. I think this is my favorite diaper because you really do have the best of both worlds. You have the ease of an AIO with the ability to wash the soaker separately. Plus, if baby only wets the soaker and doesn't soil the shell, you can just snap in another insert and use the shell through more than one diaper change. An example of an AI2 diaper is Softbums and here's a picture of one. The insert you see snaps into the back.
I also stumbled across a disposable-cloth hybrid diaper known as the gDiaper. This diaper is basically a diaper cover with a disposable insert. The disposable insert is earth friendly because it is flushable and it can completely decompose in less than half a year. However, the disposable inserts alone are just as expensive (if not more) than disposable diapers. The outer cover is made from cotton, but you also need an inner waterproof layer of nylon PUL that snaps in. So that's three separate layers: cover, liner, and disposable absorbtion pad. You can also fold up an infant pre-fold to use in place of the flushable liner. JUNE 2009 UPDATE: gCloth inserts are now available from the gDiapers website! Here's a picture of the gDiaper covers and disposable inserts:
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