In this cloth diaper review, we are going to look at the Charlie Banana 2-in-1 One Size Pocket cloth diaper. We will look at what the 43 respondents had to say about it and will look at the diaper’s main features.
Main Findings
When compared with all pocket diapers, the Charlie Banana cloth diaper performed above average as a night diaper; however, it did not perform as well in fit and in being liked by cloth diapering skeptics. The diaper performed very well in absorbency and being worth the price, but not as well in being a night diaper as purchased.
Diaper Features
The diaper is a 2-in-1 system, or a “hybrid” system. This means that you can either use the reusable inserts, or you can lay a disposable insert on top, throw out that insert when soiled, and replace it with a new one. The panel across the front of the diaper makes it to where it securely holds a disposable insert in place.
That flap also securely holds the reusable insert IN the diaper. One of my pocket diaper pet peeves is when the flap doesn’t sufficiently keep the insert in there, or bulges–I didn’t have this issue with this diaper.
The outside of the diaper is made out of PUL
The diaper has snap closures. It also has hip snaps to help prevent things like wing droop.
The inside is lined with a soft micro fleece material (I have found that this has stayed softer on mine over time than my others). This material gives the diaper a stay dry feel against the baby’s skin.
You stuff an insert into the diaper using the pocket opening at the front.
The diaper comes with two inserts, one to be used as a newborn insert or a booster, and the other as a one size insert.
The diaper is one size, which means it is mean to fit the baby from birth to potty training. You adjust the sizing using the elastic adjustment setting in the leg. It looks very similar to how you adjust a bra strap. What is neat is each hole has a number on it, that way you can know immediately that the sizing is the same on both legs.
The diaper has a thick elastic band across the back (this is actually one of my own personal favorite features of this diaper and gives it a great fit on my kids).
Statistical Findings
Pros
Fit, trim, easy to use, easy to stuff
Cons
Leaks, expensive
Comments from Survey Respondents
I had horrible leaks at the thigh where the sizing for the elastic is. It triangles out there causing wicking. If I let the elastic out more and made sure to pull the front of the diaper high up and make sure the triangle part was flat it seemed to help. But…also, these run really small (possibly even smaller than Fuzzibunz one-size) so there wasn’t much to keep letting out. My son was on the biggest setting at 5 months old and 18 lbs. They seem to be made well but are one of my least favorite diapers due to the leaking and sizing.
CB are great! I love that the size adjustments are hidden under the front pocket flap. I also really like that the inserts are much more narrow than other pocket inserts.
I would only use the inserts that come with the diapers or perhaps inserts that are the same width and length. The Charlie Banana inserts work extremely well and clean up nicely so I started using CB inserts in my other diapers as well.
Awesome diaper in every way except because there is a tag sewn to the back of the diaper it creates small wholes in the PUL that allow the tag to wick urine out and onto the clothes. If there was not a tag sewn on the back, there would not be a single link issue with this diaper.
The snaps are somewhat difficult I found (they are in a triangle pattern)
Fit well past 40lbs…. 
Not as adjustable as I would have liked; only adjusted through elastic on legs, no snap downs. Trim fit meant it was difficult to double stuff for additional absorbency. Insert that came with diaper was sufficient when he was under a year, maybe up to 14/15 months, but when he started to pee in greater amounts but less frequently it wasn’t absorbent enough to last 2 hours between changes. Finally, the waterproof layer separated from the exterior layer after approx. 6 – 9 months of use.
Difficult for my husband to stuff (large hands). I found it fine but have very petite hands.
The internal rise adjustments are great on the newer version but the older version with button/elastic adjustment was hard to remember what numbers corresponded with the size. Love that they have now added s, m, l inplace of these numbers.
This diaper just feels cheaply made. The PUL feels flimsy and easy to snag. It also runs smaller, so it didn’t have a good fit on my bigger baby.
Best for skinny babies
I use exclusively for overnight right now. Have noticed some wicking from the fleece lining around the waist or legs, and had a good leak overnight when baby slept all the way through. May just need to upgrade the liner to hemp for longer stretches, and be careful that the fleece is tucked in.
My son was 7 pounds 1 ounce when I tried to use this diaper on him and even though it says minimum weight is 7 pounds, I had trouble getting the fit tight enough around his legs to prevent leaks and it was extremely bulky when set to the smallest size.
I love this diaper! This is definitely a favorite of mine- it has stayed the softest of all the pocket diapers we have, and I love the print!
I most appreciate the interior sizing of these diapers…sometimes it is nice to not have all the snaps everywhere I do tend to get more leaks with these if the insert shifts a bit, but overall like them…Target in Minnesota had these on crazy sale and I bought 5 and don’t regret it at all!
I like the pocket opening in the front. Sure, it means I have may have to touch a little pee (although if you stuff it right, you can usually pull it out by the tag), but I’d rather that than poop – which tends to travel up the back for my LO. The outer fabric is soft, almost silky. The available disposable inserts are a good option for travel. They are absorbent, biodegradable, and help keep most of the poop off the shells – good when you don’t have access to a diaper sprayer.
Night Use
Those who rated the diaper 5/5 (highest score) for being a night diaper with an additional or different insert used the following inserts:
Hemp babies diaper doubler
Additional microfiber insert
Thirties Hemp Insert
BabyKicks Hemp (in addition to CB insert)
Price: $20.88 each for solids or $21.88 each for prints/ 6 pack $114.88 / 15 disposable inserts:$15.88
You can see who carries this cover by going to www.clothdiaperretailers.com. Type in “Charlie Banana” and you can see who carries it and compare things like shipping, location, and even sales going on. It’s the best way to find the best deal on cloth diapers.
Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique provided this diaper for review, but that did not affect any of the opinions in this post.
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