Today I am giving as un-biased of a review as possible of rock-star WAHM Kassi and her PLUMP diapers. Why am I trying to be unbiased? Because Kassi is my BFF. But, to be fair, I plan on doing a guest-review of PLUMP, in addition to this one, in the near future.
PLUMP was the first diaper brand that I tried, and got my first one in Fall of 2009. I got a Fleece All in One, which was Kassi's specialty at the time, but is a far cry from what she is creating today. I had four FAIO's that I used on my two year old daughter at night while we were potty training. I must be honest, I was not a big fan. The fit was great, and they were well-constructed. All of my mine were size Large, and fit her well. I did not like fleece all that much, and I did not feel like the simple microfiber inner made them super absorbent. Some nights they would last through, but most nights they didn't and although my wash routine was not perfect and could be to blame, they were a bit stinky in the morning.
I got pregnant with my second child in February of 2010, and by then Kassi was making a variety of gorgeous diapers, including fitteds and All in Two's. I will admit that her diapers are what convinced me to use cloth with my son, who was born in November of 2010. I began building my stash of primarily prefolds and PLUMPS in the eight months I had before he was born. By the time we was born I had a few each of PLUMP covers, fitteds and AI2's. Today's post will be dedicated to my favorite diaper for everyday use, the PLUMP AI2.
This diaper was purchased new in April of 2011 from the PLUMP hyenacart store at hyenacart.com/PLUMPdiapers, for $22.00. Shipping would have been $3.50, but PLUMP headquarters is a mere 10 minute drive from my house, so I did not pay shipping. As previously stated, it is an AI2 diaper with a printed poly outer and minky inner. There is a hidden layer of PUL that keeps it waterproof. It includes a dual petal-style soaker that snaps together in a manner that allows you to adjust the absorbency with one insert or two. It is a one-size diaper that features a fold-down, snap-down rise and this style fits approximately 10-40 lbs. My fat boy is six months old and tips the scales at 22 lbs.
One of my favorite things about PLUMP diapers are the inserts. They are super soft and squishy, and are generally made of OBF, zorb, OBF, and minky or the print material, in that order. So when you snap mine together as it came, from outside to inside it goes like this: print poly, obf, zorb, obf, obf, zorb, obf, minky. Like I said, super-absorbent and soft and squishy. I LOVE how this diaper has the print on the bottom of the bottom layer. No real reason, its just something I like. I also really enjoy the zig-zag topstich that the inserts on this diaper have, which is a feature that is new in 2011. It looks very professional, and means that all the layers get caught and stitched down.
Now, to put it in action!
At 22 lbs and approximately 28.5" long, Big D wears his PLUMPs with the rise unfolded, but is still crossed over. On first wearing, he wore this diaper for approximately two hours. I estimate that he peed in it one time, but it was a fairly good amount that he let loose, and we experienced no wicking or leaking.
D has worn this diaper several times since (at least five) and, still, no wicking or leaking. In addition, I have come home from a long day of work (the kind where the kids are in bed already when I get home) and have found that my husband has put D in a PLUMP AI2 instead of his usual fitted-and-fleece-soaker combo, and it has lasted the night with just a slight amount of wicking. Overall, fit and function considered, this is my favorite brand of WAHM diaper!
Now, to the part where it is hard to be unbiased...customer service!
Even before we became good friends, Kassi has always provided outstanding customer service. She is quick to respond to emails and phone calls, and wholeheartedly stands by her product. If ever you have a question on fit, construction, or find a flaw no matter how small, Kassi will happily work with you until you are satisfied. In my personal experience, I have had two instances where I needed her post-production help. After I purchased several one-size diapers while I was pregnant, and then finally got to use them six months later, I noticed that she had changed her design to include the snap-down feature of the rise. I asked her about it, and if she would mind adding the snaps to make mine a snap-down. She had no problem doing so, and was able to do so quickly. Now, if that had been an issue for someone who wasn't local, I'm not sure if it would be worth it to you to wait for it to be shipped, snaps added, and returned, but if it was, I know Kassi would be happy to do it. My other issue was with an insert that was just serged, with no topstitching, and a layer or two got missed. I noticed when it started rolling in when I washed it. I brought it up to Kassi and she was happy to make me a brand-new one. Overall, great customer service.
If you would like to try a PLUMP, please inquire on her own hyenacart store, and the congo's she stocks on which include Baby Bums and Cuties With Cloth Booties.
This concludes my super-positive review of PLUMP diapers! Thanks for reading, and please look for a guest review of PLUMP in the not-too-distant future.
