Gro Baby has introduced a new biodegradable diaper insert that actually works. Cloth diapers are a great choice for your wallet, the planet, and your baby's skin. This hybrid cloth diaper system offers the best of both worlds - in a convenient option. Similar systems have been developed by gDiapers and BumGenius - but the inserts are not designed to hold in the leaks. With these systems the covers are supposed to contain leaks - meaning there is no second line of defense. The Gro Baby system actually works - and thanks to the two rows of soft elastic on the insert, there are no leaks!

With the holiday travel season almost upon us, I would suggest that these are a great option for time away from home. These could also work well for daycare centers that are opposed to cloth diapers.

The Gro Baby inserts are about 40 cents apiece, the same as comparable brands. The inserts can be composted when wet and can be ripped open to flush away the inside (the same as similar brands). They are made with no plastic and have only 3 percent super absorbent polymer instead of the 20 percent found in typical disposable diapers.

I’d like to address a common myth circulating about SAPs (super absorbent polymers). Many cloth diaper sites claim that they are dangerous and link them to the Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) issue from tampons. SAPs do not cause Toxic Shock Syndrome. The problem with SAPs in tampons was due to the fact that they were too absorbent, not due to the SAPs themselves. ANY tampon can cause TSS (thus the warning labels found on tampons) - but those that dry out the vagina were found to create a favorable breeding ground for bacteria. This is only a problem when worn internally. SAPs do offer a choking hazard, as do small pieces of paper or wood pulp, so no disposable or biodegradable insert should be accessible to an unattended baby. I have so far not found any of the SAPs leaking out of the diaper onto my baby - a common occurance with standard disposable diapers.

The Gro Baby inserts work well, even in other diaper covers. I tried them in the Thirsties diaper covers and they were great. My only caution is that they adhesive is very powerful and it stuck to the label on the diaper cover and was very hard to remove. I had no trouble removing the insert from the PUL, just the label.

We were able to go several hours without a diaper change, but I would not think these will get a heavy wetter through the night.

I have started using these in my diaper bag and they are very convenient for when we are going to be out of the house for many hours. I can fit 6 inserts and a spare cover in a tiny space - so there is plenty of room left in the diaper bag for other things. The Gro Baby diapers are trim fitting even with cotton inserts, but with the biodegradable inserts they were so trim it looked like my baby was wearing a disposable diaper.

My favorite thing about these inserts is that they don’t leak. Even with a really messy diaper, the elastic edges caught it all and there was no need to wash the cover. While I prefer cloth at home, these would be fantastic for traveling. With a few covers and a stack of inserts, you could travel for a week without running out of diapers or needing to find a laundromat. A box of 50 inserts weighs about 4 pounds and is surprisingly small.

I am not a fan of any disposable/biodegradable system for everyday use. However, there are times when cloth diapers simply are not convenient to use. When those times arise - these biodegradable inserts offer an earth-friendly option. Gro Baby covers fit from birth to potty - and inserts are available in infant and toddler sizes. You can see the whole GroBaby system and buy covers, cotton inserts, cotton doublers and biodegradable inserts at Little for Now cloth diaper store

Gro Baby Cloth Diapers and Inserts