Reusable Nappy Boosters: What They Are, When You Need One & How to Use Them
If your reusable nappy has started leaking sooner than usual, your baby is getting older, or you simply need a little more absorbency, it might be time to add a nappy booster.
A reusable nappy booster is an extra layer of absorbent fabric that you add to a reusable nappy to help it hold more liquid. It allows you to adjust the absorbency of your nappies as your baby grows, without replacing the nappies you already own.
Reusable Nappy Boosters: Quick Start FAQs
1. What is a reusable nappy booster?
A reusable nappy booster is an additional absorbent insert that you place inside any reusable nappy to increase how much liquid it can hold.
Think of it as extra absorbency when you need it.
2. How do I know when my reusable nappy needs a booster?
If the absorbent part of the nappy is completely saturated when you change your baby or your starting to experience leaks, but the fit is still good, adding a booster can help.
You may also find you need more absorbency as your baby gets older, starts drinking more or begins going longer between changes.
3. Where does a nappy booster go?
Place the booster inside your reusable nappy alongside its existing absorbency.
If your reusable nappy has a pocket, such as the EcoKinly Grab & Go Nappy, additional boosters can be placed inside the pocket to keep everything neatly contained.
4. Can I use a booster with any reusable nappy?
Yes. The EcoKinly Everyday Bamboo Booster is designed to be used with any reusable nappy where additional absorbency is needed.
5. What is the EcoKinly Everyday Bamboo Booster made from?
Each Everyday Booster contains four layers of absorbent bamboo fabric and is made from 73% bamboo, 22% cotton and 5% polyester.
It is designed to add absorbency while remaining slim inside the nappy.
6. How many nappy boosters do I need?
You don't necessarily need a booster for every nappy straight away.
Start by adding boosters to the nappies where you notice you need additional absorbency. As your baby grows, you may find you use them more frequently.
Our Everyday Bamboo Boosters come in packs of four, making it easy to add extra absorbency to your existing reusable nappy stash.
7. Will adding a booster make the nappy bulky?
Adding absorbency will always add some additional fabric, but the EcoKinly Everyday Bamboo Booster has been designed specifically to provide extra absorbency while keeping the nappy slim fitting.
8. Do I need to wash nappy boosters before using them?
Yes. Wash your boosters before first use.
Natural absorbent fabrics such as bamboo become more absorbent over their first few washes, so you may notice their performance improve after they have been washed several times. The more you wash them, the faster they will dry.
What Does a Reusable Nappy Booster Actually Do?
Reusable nappies work by combining an absorbent inner layer with a waterproof outer.
As your baby wees, the absorbent layers hold the liquid inside the nappy.
But every absorbent fabric has a limit.
When your baby's nappy is fitting correctly but the absorbent layers are becoming completely saturated before you're ready for the next change, you don't necessarily need a different nappy.
You need more absorbency.
That's where a booster comes in.
Adding another absorbent layer increases the capacity of the nappy and allows you to adapt it to your baby's changing needs.
When Should I Start Boosting My Reusable Nappies?
There isn't one particular age when every baby suddenly needs a booster.
Every baby is different.
A younger baby may be perfectly comfortable using the absorbency already built into their reusable nappy. As they grow, their absorbency needs will usually change too.
With our EcoKinly Grab & Go Nappies, we use this as an approximate guide:
0–6 months: EcoKinly Grab & Go Nappy on its own
6–12 months: Nappy + Mini Hemp Booster
12 months+: Nappy + Mini Hemp Booster + Everyday Bamboo Booster, or a Mighty Hemp Booster
24 months+: Nappy + Everyday Bamboo Booster + Mighty Hemp Booster where additional absorbency is needed
This is a guide rather than a rule.
Your baby's nappy will tell you when you need more absorbency.
If you change the nappy and the absorbent layers are soaked through, adding a booster is a sensible next step.
If you are using other brand nappies, the absorbent inserts they come with can vary greatly in terms of fabric and the number of layers. Adding EcoKinly Everyday Bamboo Nappy Boosters will improve the performance.
How to Add a Booster to a Reusable Nappy
Adding a booster is simple.
Take your clean reusable nappy and add the booster alongside the absorbent layers already in the nappy.
With an EcoKinly Grab & Go Nappy, simply slide the booster into the pocket at the back of the nappy.
Put the nappy on your baby as normal.
That's it.
The booster is washed along with the rest of your reusable nappies and used again for the next change.
Add it. Wash it. Dry it. Use it again.
Bamboo vs Hemp Nappy Boosters: What's the Difference?
Not all boosters need to do exactly the same job.
Bamboo boosters are a useful everyday option when you want to add absorbency without adding lots of bulk. Our Everyday Bamboo Booster contains four absorbent layers and is designed to be slim enough to layer with your existing nappy absorbency. They soak up liquid fast - these are good to go closest to the babies skin.
Hemp boosters are another option when greater absorbency is needed. EcoKinly nappies can be combined with Mini or Mighty Hemp Boosters depending on your baby's needs. Hemp soaks up liquid slowly - these are best placed furthest from the baby.
And you don't always have to choose one or the other.
As your baby gets older, you can layer bamboo and hemp boosters together to build the level of absorbency that works for them.
Is My Nappy Leaking Because It Needs a Booster?
Maybe — but don't automatically reach for another booster every time you see a leak. If the inserts inside your nappy and soaked through then yes, you need more absorbency.
First, check the nappy when you take it off.
The nappy is completely saturated
You probably need more absorbency or a slightly earlier change.
Try adding a booster.
The nappy isn't saturated
The problem may be the fit rather than absorbency.
Check around your baby's legs for gaps and make sure all of the absorbent fabric is tucked completely inside the waterproof outer.
Adding more absorbency to a poorly fitting nappy won't necessarily solve the leak.
The nappy has suddenly started leaking
Consider what has changed.
Has your baby started drinking more? Are you going longer between changes? Have they grown? Is the nappy becoming completely saturated?
Reusable nappies are adjustable — and absorbency can be adjusted too.
Extra Absorbency Without Buying New Nappies
One of the advantages of reusable nappies is that they can adapt as your baby grows.
You don't necessarily need to replace your nappies when your baby's needs change.
You can change the absorbency inside them.
The EcoKinly Everyday Bamboo Booster adds four additional layers of absorbency while maintaining a slim fit.
Use one when you need a little more capacity, combine it with your existing boosters as your baby grows, then wash and reuse it again and again.
One nappy. Adjustable absorbency. Built to grow with your family.
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