Velcro or Snap Close Cloth Diapers - Which Should I Choose?

The pros and cons of choosing velcro or snap close cloth nappies.

When choosing between velcro and snap fasteners for cloth diapers, you might immediately think that velcro is the easiest solution. While you're probably right when it comes to closing the nappy, there are other important factors to consider. Let's examine the pros and cons of each to help you decide what will suit your family best.

Snap Popper Fastening

Fastening with snaps provides incremental choices for closing the nappy around your baby's waist, usually in increments of 0.5cm. The optimal closing position should leave sufficient room to fit two stacked fingers between the nappy and your baby's belly.

You can choose which snap gets closest to this ideal fit - this may mean choosing asymmetrical snaps, so one snap from center on one side and two from the center on the other side.

Finding the Right Fit

Just because a baby is young doesn't mean you need to choose the smallest snap settings. I have often used the very widest snap close options on a 6-month-old baby. Babies often slim down once they start crawling, so you might notice that you're using the largest setting possible and will then reduce to a smaller setting as they hit a growth spurt.

Snap popper fastening nappies can have 2, 3, or even 4 snap poppers to close on each side. The most common closing option is two on the top and one hip stability popper on the bottom. However, you can also find them with two on the bottom and one on the top.

When closing snap poppers on a toddler, you may find you need to leave the outermost snap off the nappy completely to achieve a fit that allows two stacked fingers.

Ease of Use

Snaps may seem complicated in appearance due to the many choices available, especially with first use. However, once you determine the correct snap setting, it's unlikely you'll need to make any adjustments until your baby has a growth spurt.

Snaps can be complicated for first-time users or those who don't regularly care for your baby, but this can easily be resolved by leaving simple guidance such as a picture highlighting the correct snaps.

You'll be amazed how quickly you become a snap close expert. Once your baby is rolling over, you'll find yourself snap closing nappies backwards and eventually on the move while your little one is running away!

Wash & Wear

Snaps wash and wear like new - they very rarely show any signs of age or deterioration and are largely indestructible. In the thousands of preloved nappies I have encountered while stocking our preloved collection, I have only found 1-2 with broken or missing snaps.

Cons

Snaps can be fiddly, slower to close than Velcro, and sometimes off-putting for new users of cloth diapers.

Velcro / Aplix Fastening

Fastening cloth nappies with velcro gives you the perfect fit every time with precision. You're not confined to pre-positioned snaps and can choose the exact placement of the aplix tabs. It's still important to adhere to the "two stacked finger" guidance.

Ease of Use

Velcro is very easy to use and most similar to closing a disposable nappy, making it very easy for non-cloth nappy users to manage. There is one small drawback to this: because velcro is so similar to disposable diapers, people tend to close a Velcro cloth nappy the same as a disposable - which is much tighter than ideal.

Wash & Wear

Velcro will deteriorate with wash and wear over time. The sticky part can become clogged with fabric and fluff, which prevents effective sticking. Long term, the velcro surface can become smooth and will no longer stick properly. However, velcro tabs are relatively easy to replace, so even nappies with worn-out velcro can have a new lease of life.

Cons

Noise Issues
You might not think Velcro is particularly noisy to open until you're trying to do a sleepy nappy change and realize that opening Velcro tabs is enough to wake a sleeping baby.

Toddler Escape Artists
Toddlers can usually figure out how to undo velcro and take much delight in whipping off their nappy for the thrilling chase from mummy or daddy that follows! Snaps are more difficult for them to figure out opening, though not impossible - particularly single row hip snaps.

Making Your Decision

Both fastening systems have their advantages. Consider your priorities: ease of use for caregivers, durability, noise levels, and your child's personality. Many families find success with either option, and some even prefer to have a mix of both types in their cloth diaper collection.

Find a selection of Velcro close nappies here