Cotton Babies has a large line-up of cloth diapering products, including a very economical one-size system called Econobum. Econobum covers can be purchased separately or as part of a set with three cotton prefold diapers.
I purchased one last year to review and today’s post features both my experience with a toddler and Katie’s, with a 6-month-old.
THE ECONOBUM COVER
- Exposed PUL cover (poly knit outside and shiny laminate inside)
- Adjustable to fit from approximately 8 to 35 pounds
- White with contrasting foldover elastic trim
- Made in the USA
- Retails for $11.95
To keep this system very affordable, all Econobum covers are made with white PUL. You can choose from a variety of color choices for the trim, however. Many people think that Econobum PUL is thinner or cheaper than the material that Cotton Babies uses for Flip and bumGenius, but that’s not true. It’s the same 1 mil PUL, but white has an opaque quality that makes it appear to be thinner when visually compared to a colored diaper. Cotton Babies’ PUL is lightweight and pliable, which I like a lot. One drawback of the aforementioned opaque quality becomes apparent when your baby wears a colored flat or fitted underneath; you can see it through the Econobum cover. This is only an aesthetic issue, though.
Econobum covers also feature the same snaps and elastic used in other Cotton Babies diapers.
THE ECONOBUM PREFOLD
The Econobum prefold is made of 100% unbleached cotton and measures about 11×15 once it’s fully prepped.
It’s designed to be folded in thirds, so you have two options – long and narrow for older babies OR short and wide for small babies.
Performance: As a simple diapering system for an older infant or toddler, Econobum one-size performs fairly well. Absorbency with the cotton prefold inside was good for my toddler, and very good for Katie’s infant. Both of our children can wear it through a nap.
With the way the prefold measures, there are two drawbacks. With all three sections being the same thickness (instead of extra padding just in the middle), this is a bulkier prefold. Secondly, it’s not the right size for fastening with a Boingo or Snappi. So if you have a younger baby and are worried about #2 messes going from the diaper to the cover, then Econobum prefolds may not be a good choice. You could use your Econobum cover instead with a “pin friendly” brand of prefolds like Diaper Rite or Nicki’s for better poo containment.
Fit: Econobums run larger overall, and are wider across the middle, than many of my other one-size diapers. Katie likes that the lightweight material and lack of inner leg gussets make this an extra trim and lightweight cover. The elastics are gentle and neither child had problems with redness or discomfort.
Here’s 6-month-old Evangeline. She can still wear it on the smallest rise setting.
With Mary Kate, who is a petite toddler, and doesn’t have fat baby thighs anymore, I did have a little trouble getting a good snug fit around the legs. To get the legs tight enough, I actually snapped the Econobum up to its smallest setting (same that Evangeline wears!), which resulted in a low rise fit, that sagged even lower as she ran around and played.
I would prefer that this cover not be so wide across the middle. It does offer full coverage over really bulky fitteds and such, but I still like something narrower through the crotch.
And here’s Katie’s 3-year-old, Roderick:
There are no crossover snaps at the waist, so the adjustability is somewhat limited. However, Econobum does have a newborn version priced at $8.98, which you can see briefly reviewed here.
Value: With a price tag of $11.95, the Econobum cover is very budget-friendly. Only a few competitors can boast of being $10 and under, but they aren’t made in the USA, nor do they have a 12 month warranty. It’s also a versatile cover which can be used with pretty much any type of diaper or insert.
Where to Buy Econobum covers and prefolds:
Cotton Babies (free shipping plus discounts on seconds)
Amazon (free shipping with Prime)
I really, really loved this cover. My only issue with it was that for some reason, liquid #2 wicked through the stitching every time! I never had that problem with any other cover. I don’t know if it was the type of thread they used or the manufacturing process or what! I hope they’ve fixed whatever it was!
Did you have several covers that all did this? I wonder if they came from one bad batch.
We had a loosening issue with one batch of Flip covers that were made in Egypt and purchased from 1 retailer. Cotton Babies replaced them all with ones that were made in the USA. Never had problems again.
I had several, because I discovered how much I liked them before I had another newborn/EBF to use them on, and so collected a good amount. But this was when they were pretty new on the market. I don’t think I had any with the colored trim! I also had the elastic issue with Flips back in the day 😉 but my newer ones have no issues.
Hi! I have a few Econobum prefolds and have looked absolutely everywhere to buy more and cannot seem to find them. Do you know if anywhere still sells them? They are by far my favorite, and if no longer made, I’m not sure what to switch to! TIA!
Hi Stephanie, sorry to hear you’re having a hard time finding them. I think Cotton Babies is not making them anymore, so your only chance would be buying used in a cloth diaper sale group. It’s been so long since I’ve used them that I couldn’t recommend something comparable. We’ve used Nicki’s prefolds in years past and love them! If you check out my recent Black Friday post, they are on sale right now for 50% off! – Anne Marie