Review of Buttons Diapers
Recently it feels like there are so many exciting nappy brands coming to the UK, bringing amazing new ideas and making cloth nappies even better, and Buttons is just one of these recent additions. This US brand has been popular over there for quite some time, and is gradually growing over here, as more people try them and fall in love.
I’ve been testing the Super version of this nappy on my 2 year old boy over the past few months. If my opinions change over time I’ll update this post to let you know. The pictures here were taken after the nappy had been washed a couple of times so you can see how it looks after washing.
The facts
Buttons Diapers are an all-in-two nappy, made up of a PUL waterproof cover and separate snap-in inserts. They are available in three sizes: newborn (7 - 15lbs / 3 - 7kg), one size (9 - 35lbs / 4 - 16kg) and super (12- 40lbs / 5 - 18kg).
As with any all-in-two, if the cover isn’t dirty when you come to change the nappy, you can simply switch out the insert. The nappy has popper (snap) closures.
Covers and inserts are sold separately, and there is a range of different inserts available, each of which is available in small, large or x-large:
Daytime bamboo: 70% bamboo/30% organic cotton
Daytime hemp: 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton
Nighttime bamboo: 70% bamboo/30% organic cotton
Nighttime hemp: 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton
The nighttime inserts are designed for use as a doubler, so they should be used with a daytime insert as well. Daytime inserts have a layer of stay-dry fleece on top. The inserts can seem large at first, but shrink to fit with washing.
I believe there are also microfibre inserts available, but I can’t find a UK stockist and generally am not a fan of microfibre, so won’t cover these!
The prices for the various Buttons options are:
Newborn Cover: £10.50
One Size Cover: £11
Super Cover: £12
3 pack of daytime inserts: £20 - £24 (depending on size)
2 pack of nighttime inserts: £16 - £20 (depending on size)
Buttons recommend washing “warm”, which I think means either 40 or 60 degrees on a UK machine. The inserts can be tumble dried, though like all nappies tumble drying too regularly may shorten their life (and isn’t great for the environment!).
Like all nappies made of natural fibres, these will need up to 7 or 8 pre-washes to reach full absorbency, but I put them through one wash and then changed more often until they reached full absorbency (I’m too impatient!)
The impressive performance of Buttons is even better given their price
What I love
Absorbency vs slimness: These nappies are so slim fitting for the amount of absorbency they manage. My average-wetting boy has managed up to 5 hours between changes with a large insert, and I think could potentially last longer (I haven’t tested as leaving too long between changes feels wrong!) They are definitely less bulky than most of the popular pocket nappies and all-in-ones, whilst packing a better punch on absorbency and reliability.
Value for money: The impressive performance of Buttons is even better given their price. While not the cheapest nappy out there, they are more affordable than other premium all-in-twos (like Motherease Wizard Duo: £13.50 for cover and £10.99 for insert or Bare & Boho One Size: £24 for cover and insert), whilst pretty much matching them on performance, appearance and quality.
Quality of design: Buttons covers have the all-important double gusset that so many people look for now, and which excellently does the job of containing explosive poos and large wees. Unlike other nappy brands, they also have elastic across the front of the nappy, which some people may find unnecessary, but I find useful on our skinny-waisted and chunky-thighed toddler.
Availability of larger size: It’s quite unusual to see nappy brands catering to larger children, so it’s good to see that Buttons offer a Super size. However, I wish that they had decided to make the Super size even bigger - the range it covers is only slightly bigger than their One Size (about 5lbs larger), which means in reality it still may not work for a late potty trainer or an older child who is pushing the larger centiles.
Easy to upgrade for nighttime: The availability of nighttime inserts makes these easy to use for both day and night, which is excellent if you love having only one type of nappy in your stash! We’ve had success with these overnight, but having said that, I would still expect lots of people to need more absorbency for a full night. A two part fitted nappy and cover system is still my go-to recommendation for nights, as I wrote about in my ultimate guide to nighttime nappies.
Mostly natural inserts: Bamboo is the more common ‘natural’ fibre used in high absorbency cloth nappies, but it’s not as sustainable and natural as we all might think. It’s processed so much to turn it into the bamboo fabric we see in our nappies that it’s essentially semi-synthetic, and produces quite a lot of potentially harmful waste products. Hemp is much more sustainable than bamboo with many of the same (or better!) properties, including excellent absorbency. If you’re looking for a sustainable option - go for hemp!
What I don’t love
Elastics: The elastics on Buttons wraps are very strong, which is excellent for containment but can mean that they are prone to leave marks on baby’s legs. If they fade within an hour or so, there’s nothing to worry about, but some parents prefer something gentler.
Size of inserts: Given that the inserts are mostly made of natural fibres, they will shrink after a few washes. However, even with this shrinkage, they do seem slightly long for the nappy covers, especially if you have the rise snaps closed. I found the large insert need a little jiggling to get it to sit nicely in the Super cover. Having said that, the absorbency of the inserts is excellent so you might find that you can get away with the Small insert and avoid this problem.
In summary
I really struggled to find much wrong with these nappies! If you’re looking for an all-in-one that’s super reliable, slim-fitting, and great value for money, Buttons would be an excellent choice. There are minor niggles that might bother some people, so as ever I would recommend trying one before you invest heavily, but I would expect most people to get on great with these!
I have an ongoing relationship with The Nappy Gurus, but these nappies were purchased with my own money and the article is not sponsored. This page contains affiliate links, which earn me a little bit of commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!