Families who’ve saved a lot of money on cloth diapers may face some sticker shock when it comes to buying reusable trainers. Some are $20 or even $30 apiece. But opting for disposable pull-ups takes an even bigger toll on your wallet. Even the generic trainers from Wal-Mart cost $6.00 each and might last a week or so. Spend that week after week, and it could add up to $300 or more over the course of a year (if your toddler doesn’t train right away). And they all go in the trash. Nothing to re-use, nothing you can re-sell.
So if you really DO want to keep using cloth, and keep saving money, here are a couple of tricks for the potty training phase.
Make Them Yourself
But don’t worry because this tutorial is simple; you just need to add a little absorbency to a pack of storebought Gerber trainers. Cut out a pad and attach it with a few simple stitches. Lindsey at So Easy Being Green calculates the final cost for her DIY trainer to be just $2.91.
Don’t Spend a Fortune on New
I’ve tried all these brands that are about $15 or less. Most you can get with free shipping.
- Imagine Trainers snap open on one side and offer several layers of cotton plus a PUL panel for light absorbency. Normally $12.95, they are BUY 1 GET 1 FREE right now at Nicki’s!
- Nicki’s Day Trainers are pull-up style with stretchy elastic sides and a low-rise fit. Lined with cotton flannel and waterproof on the outside, they are just $10 each with free shipping.
- Nicki’s Night Trainers contain four layers of a bamboo, a comfy stay dry fleece lining and a waterproof outer. You also get a bonus, foldable bamboo insert. All of this for just $14.00!
- Wink Organic Bamboo Trainers snap open at both sides and have 3 layers of bamboo terry and microfiber inside. Lots of unique and beautiful prints and colors, too! Just $15.99 at Wink Diapers (use my code ZEPHYR20 for 20% off your order).
- Buttons Trainers are new to the market are great for small toddlers and new learners. There are 3 layers of bamboo/cotton sewn in; you can also purchase additional cotton boosters that fit perfectly inside the pocket. $15.00 at Buttons Diapers.
Use Side-Snapping Diapers
Side-snapping diapers work well as trainers because they look more like big kid pants. The side closure makes cleaning up accidents so easy, compared to standard trainers that leave an awful mess on your child’s legs as you pull them down.
- Knickernappies Custom Pockets go up to size large (35 pounds, photo below) and can double as trainers. They have been discontinued but I can sometimes find them on Ebay.
- GroVia All-in-One diapers are very trim and can double as trainers later on, so they are a great investment. They are available new with free shipping at Nicki’s. You can also buy directly from GroVia, and they usually have a 20% off sale every Black Friday.
- Blueberry Simplex diapers can be found used on Ebay or Facebook buy/sell/trade groups. Like GroVia, they are a great investment that can possibly double as trainers for your baby later on.
Buy Ahead and Buy Slowly
You can make an investment into cloth trainers over time to spread the cost out. Start before your baby is learning so you’ll be ready. Consider selling some of the diapers you don’t use or don’t like to fund a few trainers. I invested in some Imagine XL pocket diapers one at a time because I knew Ingrid was not going to nail night trainer for a long time. They are $17 each (with free shipping at Nicki’s), and I now have 4 pairs that I rotate between washings, and they’ve totally paid for themselves. When I think of the money I would have thrown away on overnight pull-ups, I’m so happy about my decision!
Do you have any tips for saving money on cloth training pants?
I love that you have added a diy trainer. I am an avid sewer and diyer so it is nice to have that option in the future. My little guy is only 3 months old but we are a very dedicated cloth family so it is nice to know there are affordable options for trainers.
We’ve been buying ahead when there is a good sale on trainers. Reading reviews really helped us estimate which brands might fit our big boy the best. So far Thirsties trainers seem to fit our 98% 2 yr old the best. I think looking on Marketplace & other BST groups might be useful for finding preloved for cheaper also.
Yes I use blueberry simplex 2.0 as a trainer for my toddler .. it catch a decent amount of accidents for the just in case .. it’s good for out and about and for the early potty learning kids whilst they can’t hold they’re pee a lot
Thanks for the feedback on the Simplex, Dania!
We started buying early and looked for sales, deals, etc. We tried a few different ones, but the Thirsties seem to fit but 98% height and weight 2 y.o. best so far.
We love cloth and use pockets and AIO so much better than disposables!
I love the DIY trainer idea! My mom bought a few used ones and this would be great to add to them since they are the Gerber trainers and don’t look that thick.
I like the side snaps on the Buttons and Wink trainers for easy removal! Trainers have been hit or miss in my house – a few kids seemed to do well and a few just used them as easy-off diapers til we pushed the underwear issue. One thing for sure – cloth is the way to go here because you’re likely going to have extra laundry potty training anyway, and the disposable versions are insanely pricey!
I love the DIY instructions you linked to. Using cloth trainers was so much nicer than resorting to disposable pull-ups that my older children used. Especially with those boys that take forever to pay attention to their bodies!
Thanks for sharing the diy instructions! My fav cloth trainer has been the Blueberry trainers. We’ve got some practical gift givers in the family so we added them on the Christmas/birthday list prior to starting potty training to build our stash of cloth trainers.
I have a long way until I’ll need trainers but I love buying preloved items and these suggestions are great so I can start slowly growing a stash just like I did with my diapers! Also, yay for a simple diy option.
The DYI is a great idea, and cheaper!
I love the DIY option. I don’t sew often, but I think I could make those! I would love to try trainers when my little guy gets ready to potty train!
We just skipped the trainers and went right to underwear. The Hanna Andersson training ones are high quality and last through multiple kids.
As someone who is cloth diapering my first child (just over a month now!), I really appreciate your advice and suggestions. Thank you for sharing, I will continue to follow your blog! 🙂
Love the DIY option! Also I think your tip about buying slowly is exactly right – buying a lot at once is expensive!
These are pretty cool. And love your shopping tips!
Need to try these once my little gets a little bigger!
The DIY gives me hope of not spending so much money when we’re ready for trainers 😂.
Great read! Love all the cute trainers
Thankful I came across this post! I have been looking into training pants options and was thinking about DIY as well. Happy to see that it shouldn’t be too hard OR too expensive if we need to buy.
Great tips, ideas and links! Thank you!!
I made my own for a while, but I have a seven-year-old bed-wetter with extremely sensitive skin. I’ve tried so many cloth diaper options, but they all leave his skin irritated after sitting all night. I love that Goodnights actually have a reusable option now. They look like regular underwear but are water-proof. I use them with disposable inserts, but you could also use cloth inserts.
I didn’t know that about Goodnights. Thanks for sharing!
Great information! I love the idea of making your own & also using the side-snapping diapers.
My mom used cloth on us and an aunt did with her first son. After that, I rarely saw cloth diapers. I am so excited to cloth my babies and now make/use trainers. What an awesome idea!
I had NO idea that there were training pants for different stages of potty training, I just thought that training pants were training pants!