9 best reusable nappies that are comfy, convenient and eco-friendly

Best: Overall

Rating: 9.5/10

Sure, “all-in-one” might be a phrase you’d rather see describing a nappy than ‘two-part system’, but this Bamboozle option is honestly really simple – not to mention cost-effective and laundry-saving. Those are some big boxes to tick.

These nappies are each made up of a soft, waterproof “wrap” and a detachable pad. Made from bamboo and super-absorbent microfibre, the pads are gentle on delicate skin and fasten to the inside of the wrap with popper buttons. They’re each made of two layers that can be split from each other and used alone if you don’t need as much absorbency (detaching them also helps them to dry quickly after a wash). Meanwhile, the wrap – made from recycled plastic – can be adjusted for size with popper buttons on the front, and does up much like a regular nappy, only with Velcro.

Here’s where it gets really economical – you don’t need a new wrap with every nappy change. Just take out the wet pads and replace them with dry ones, and you’re on your way.

Made from sustainable materials, helping to minimise laundry loads and coming in at a reasonable cost (buying mainly pads and just a couple of wraps works out cheaper than many all-in-ones), these Glasgow-made nappies were a real win.

Best: Cute prints 

Rating: 8/10

These nappies, with sweet animal face illustrations on the bum, were our favourite-looking of all in this list. That’s not to say that these all-in-ones sacrificed function for form, though.

Made from sustainable plant-based materials, the inner fabric is soft and fleecy, and features a sewn-in absorbent pad (although you can pull it out from the inner lining to help wash and dry more efficiently). If you need an extra layer of protection, you can buy reusable booster pads separately, to up the absorbency. The outer fabric is eco-friendly as well, created using old plastic bottles that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

The way these are tailored around the leg gives bums extra space and creates room to stuff another pad in if you like, without compromising the snug elasticated fit around the thighs. They stayed soft when wet and didn’t feel sodden – and they washed up really nicely, too.

Best: For extra absorbency  

Rating: 8/10

Perhaps best known for its period-proof underwear, Modibodi makes reusable nappies, too – and they aren’t just a token string to its bow. These cloth nappies are billed as the most absorbent on the market, tested to hold a pretty impressive 1,026ml of liquid when used with a booster, which comes in the pack as standard.

The inner fabric is really smart: it holds liquid inside its layers to keep skin dry; has antimicrobial qualities to neutralise odour and bacteria; and prevents solids from sticking to it, which we found made emptying and changing cleaner and easier. It’s also stain-resistant – though thanks to the black fabric, any stains that do manage to take hold won’t be visible.

These nappies are happily low-maintenance in terms of washing – just chuck them in the machine (having given them a rinse first to get rid of any solid residue) with your normal detergent and select a relatively thorough cycle. They’ll handle any temperature up to 60C easily, and Modibodi says there’s no need to wash them separately from your other laundry, either.

These became our go-to nappies for night-time – they saw our babe straight through for up to 11 hours.

Best: Secure fit 

Rating: 9/10

Perhaps the best-known reusable nappy brand out there, Bambino Mio is a global operation these days – although it all started in the UK more than 25 years ago. This is its classic, award-winning, one-size offering.

Made to fit babies from birth right up until they no longer need nappies, this vegan-friendly reusable is simple to put on (the fastenings work just like a disposable). It’s also easy to adjust in terms of size, with popper buttons up the front and really robust Velcro all the way across the waist.

The waterproof outside layer is supple and stretchy, and it’s lined on the inside with velvety-soft fabric. Here, the quilted absorbency pad is sewn in at one end, and there are nifty little loops along the back of it for pulling it out of the lining after use.

We found these nappies simple to use and care for. And, no matter what our always-on-the-move tester got up to, they stayed snug and leak-proof.

Best: For swimming lessons 

Rating: 9/10

If you take your tot swimming regularly, you’ll know that lots of pools and swim programmes have a double-nappy policy, asking parents to put a swim nappy underneath the usual neoprene outer. While this number from Splash About looks just like a regular version of the latter, there’s actually far more to it.

Scientifically developed and rigorously tested, the duo happy nappy has a pretty smart inner layer, which does the job of that second (often disposable) nappy. While the outer layer contains any solids that might find their way out of your water baby, this special lining actually combats the harmful bacteria that comes with it, keeping pools clean and safe.

Our nine-monther wore these to his local swimming lessons and was happy as a duck in water. They saved us using a disposable underneath and made changing time quicker.

Best: For variable absorbency  

Rating: 8.5/10

These nappies are designed to fit babies from around eight weeks old right up until they’re potty trained. There are three rows of poppers on the front, which you can use to fold the nappy up and make it smaller for tiny bums. More poppers stretch across the front of the waistband too, so you can get a great fit widthways as well.

That is a lot of poppers to get used to, but there are a couple of advantages they have over Velcro. First, your nappies won’t all get stuck together in the wash, and secondly, there’s no danger of the Velcro wearing out over time.

With a waterproof outer, these nappies have a super-soft microfleece lining (microfleece is a lighter, thinner type of fleece, meaning your tot won’t get too hot in warm weather), which our little ’un was very happy and comfortable in. Absorbent bamboo inserts (you get two of with each nappy as standard) sit inside an inner pocket – you can use one or both, depending on your need.

Best: For size

Rating: 8/10

We loved the fit of this reusable. It has a wide waistband, which is held in place really well with two sturdy poppers on each side. This meant everything was kept securely in place – the front band of the nappy never slipped down at the edges as it can with some designs. The leg holes are double-gusseted, too, meaning there’s extra wriggle room and the nappy stayed snug around those thighs.

Working a little differently from the other options on this list, this reusable comes in specific sizes. This is great if you find it tricky to adjust the fit of one-size nappies, or if doing up lots of fiddly poppers at every change is a struggle.

Each nappy comes with a large square of feather-soft (honestly, stroke it on your cheek) absorbent bamboo fabric. It just gets folded up and tucked inside the opening in the nappy lining. And can we talk about the too-cute, hand-drawn, farmyard prints, too? Well, we guess we just did.

Best: For tasteful designs  

Rating: 8.5/10

It’s a hemp and cotton mix that does all the heavy lifting when it comes to absorbency here. The hard-working inserts also have a special “shape stay” design – there’s a protected layer that stops them from shrinking and crumpling up in the wash, so no need to reshape when wet like some others. Ours came out of a 40°C wash looking as good as new.

The gorgeous neutral-coloured designs contain a gentle and fluffy lining, which wicks away moisture to keep bums feeling dry and comfortable in between changes. There’s a double gusset design here and tapered waist fastening, too, meaning you can get a really snug fit around the belly without pinching at the top of those plump little legs.

We found these nappies simple to use and effective at containing leaks. Like some other options in this round-up, you can boost absorbency for overnight wearing with an extra pad (bought separately).

Best: For the beach 

Rating: 7.5/10

These cute little trunks are great for holidays and beach trips. Unlike lots of swim nappies, there’s no need to put a disposable underneath, as there’s a special built-in layer to take care of business. Designed to contain everything that a regular nappy does, this reusable version won’t get heavy and bulky when wet like a disposable, absorbing all of that sea or pool water.

With elasticated leg holes and stretchy waistband, this nappy slips on and off like pants, and has a nicely snug fit to protect against leaks. That said, we noticed it was still soft on those podgy little thighs. We’re really into the cute crab print, too – and love the fact that the fabric is made from sustainable recycled plastic.