Beautiful Humbird Wool Cloth Diaper Covers

Let’s talk diapers. It has been a while, hasn’t it? Cloth diapering all of my kids has been an interesting experience. Each baby is completely different. Each one has a system that works best for them. My son was a super eater and super soaker. I had to stuff enormous pocket diapers for him and change them every five minutes it seemed. Then Wyn came along and she barely ate or slept and could wear the daintiest of diapers without any leaks. Now Mory is the only diaper wearer in the house at the moment and she is more of a middle of the road wetter. Having each baby be entirely different makes diaper reviews a funny thing, since what works for one might not work for another.

One way of the wise that seems to usually be successful is the wool cover route. Wool is the ninja level in the cloth diapering world. Most of us start out with a few pocket diapers or some prefolds with covers and evolve over time. Wool covers, shorties, and longies are where the serious parents end up. Wool is intimidating, but awesome. It has a bit of a cult following.

Diaper cover c/o HumBird

I have delved into wool here and there, so I am not a stranger to the process. I am happy to have an opportunity to talk to you about HumBird Wool Cloth Diaper Covers. HumBird was created in 2012 by a mother and daughter dedicated to eco-friendly, handmade items. They currently specialize in wool diaper covers and all of the wool used is locally sourced. They also like recycling materials for sustainability. They offer interlock longies, shorties, sized covers, upcycled covers, embroidered covers, and even extra large sizes for older children. HumBird is located in Germany.

Wool is one of those intimidating things in the cloth diaper world and once you start using wool covers, you wonder what took you so long. First things first. Wool must be lanolized. To lanolize your wool covers, add a teaspoon of solid lanolin (your Lansinoh balm will work) to a microwave safe container and heat it for a few second to liquify. Add a couple drops of soap, we use baby shampoo, to emulsify the lanolin. This is kind of like when adding lye to your oils for soap making. Add the emulsified lanolin to your sink or bucket of room temperature water. Do NOT use hot water. Mix the lanolin in the water. Add your wool, then let it sit about 30 minutes. Remove it from the water and pat on a towel to remove excess water. Don’t ring it out or it will be misshapen. Do not rinse. You probably want to repeat this process when lanolizing a new cover. I know I have to lanolize twice or we get leakage. let it air dry. Never, ever use the dryer! If you heat dry it, you will end up with a tiny diaper cover perfect for a doll.

The wool diaper cover shown is in a color/pattern called Rosa with an owl applique. The waist and legs are made with a Scandinavian wool jersey fabric that is all natural and very trim. The main part of the cover is European Union wool knit with an enhanced soaker area. This European wool knit is very trim and can fit very well under clothing, unlike some bulkier wool covers.

The wool jersey for the legs and waist is very soft and won’t leave any marks. It feels very comfortable on Baby’s thighs and feels more like a cotton knit than wool. The stitching is great quality and the design overall is very durable. Even after the initial wash and lanolizing, it looks the exact same and hasn’t pilled, even under jeans. The wool jersey is like my expensive wool wick-away tops I wear for running. So comfortable!

You can use a wool cover with either prefolds/flats or a fitted cloth diaper. I have even used wool covers over a pocket diaper for ultimate nighttime protection. For the blowout protection, I like fitteds. In fact, the fitted-wool cover combo is a popular diaper system for many cloth savvy parents.

HumBird covers are sized generously. This cover is a size large and showcased on Mory who at 13 months, is about 24 pounds with 13 inch thighs. The cover is roomy enough to avoid compression wicking with a standard fitted. The extra room is great for when you need an overstuffed diaper for overnight. HumBird sizes go all the the way to 4XL, so even if you have a super soaker toddler needing a large size, or even an older child who needs a bit of protection at night, they have you covered. Literally.

The wool HumBird uses is amazingly effective at keeping wetness contained when you consider how trim it fits. An appropriately absorbent fitted with this wool cover takes care of a long nap for our youngest. Wool is a great option for diaper covers since it is more breathable, sustainable, natural, and more easily upcycled/recycled. When you properly take care of your wool, it can last a great while. Plus, lanolized wool is somewhat self cleaning when it is moistened, so you do not need to clean it often unless it gets soiled by a blowout. Wool seems like more work at first, with the lanolizing and handwashing, but really, it is less work in the long run.

HumBird wool diaper covers are also priced very reasonably, so if you find you love wool, stock up! Most of the covers are in the $15-$20 range, with longies around $35, not to mention world wide shipping!