These are hands down my favorite cloth diapers. Bum Genius 4.0 diapers are good old fashioned one-size pocket diapers with 3-snap rise settings and either snap or hook and loop closure around the waist. (We have bumGenius diapers with both.) They consist of a waterproof cover lined with a soft, sueded fabric that wicks moisture away from the skin and a microfiber insert that is surprisingly absorbent, despite being very thin. The diapers have worked for us from about 8 weeks–and Isla was small for her age at 8 weeks–to 26 months. The diapers don’t size down as small or size up as large as FuzziBunz, and I don’t know how much longer we could keep Isla in them, because they are a snug fit right now. However, 2+ years of use will cover the majority of your kids’ years in diapers, so the one-size claim holds true. They are easy to use, easy to clean, easy to get on and off, and seem to be very comfortable for Isla. The operative word here is “easy.”
Pros
- Easy to stuff. Our bumGenius diapers are incredibly easy to stuff, thanks to the fact that they are wide through the crotch and the inserts are not very bulky.
- Easy to adjust. These diapers are also easy to adjust up or down in size. They have a 3-snap rise setting, so you can easily move the diaper up or down a size that way in well under a minute. The waist either has snaps or hook and loop closures which, on the whole, are pretty easy to adjust. Hook and loop closures (velcro) are easy for obvious reasons, but the snaps are pretty easy, too. I like that there are only 2 parallel rows of snaps at the waist, which makes it quick to find the right setting.
- Not bulky. The inserts are fairly thin (although still absorbent), and the diaper itself isn’t bulky. This makes it very easy to get pants over them and for Isla to move around in. She’s very active, and these never leave marks around her legs or waist or cause any chafing.
- Easy to wash. Granted, this is pretty much across the board for cloth diapers. The laundry issue isn’t nearly as challenging as I thought it would be. Still, it’s nice that I can pretty much just toss these in the wash without any prep work, run them through a hot wash, cold rinse cycle twice–once with detergent, once without–then dump them in the dryer and call it a day.
- Cute colors. bumGenius has by far some of the cutest colors and patterns. I love our Albert and Lovelace diapers, in particular. I pretty much want every color they have, and unlike some of my other diapers, I don’t have any colors I wish I didn’t have to use because they are kind of ugly.
- Minimal leaking. We used the newborn insert, which is very thin, without any issues with leaking up until Isla hit about the 8 month mark. After that, we started to notice some leaks, so we started using the larger bumGenius inserts. Problem solved. We will see pee leaking if we leave the diaper on a long time–3.5 hours or longer–but we’ve never had poop leak out of these diapers.
- Now on Amazon. I buy pretty much everything on Amazon. When I was pregnant, it was hard to find bumGenius on Amazon (which is why I have so many FuzziBunz instead), but since then, they’ve become available on Amazon. My bumGenius stash has exploded, not only because they are awesome diapers, but also because with my Prime account I can have them at my house in 2 days without paying a dime for shipping.
Cons
- Can’t use them for overnights. At least, not just with the regular insert. I’ve heard that doubling up the insert or using hemp inserts might help, but I didn’t bother with cloth diapering overnight.
- Inserts don’t always agitate out in the wash. This doesn’t happen very often to any of my diapers, but if it does happen, it’s pretty much always with the bumGenius 4.0’s.
- Velcro issues. On the diapers with hook and loop (aplix, velcro, whatever you want to call them) closures, I’ve had problems getting the velcro to stay stuck to the tabs you are supposed to stick them to when you put them in the wash. Instead, they come loose and stick to everything else, and then we get crap stuck in the velcro, and the velcro doesn’t stick anymore, so the diapers come off. I love velcro, because it’s so stinking easy…but then it’s not, and then I wish I only had snaps. So your choice: velcro that gets gross and stops working so you have to pick all the junk out, or 10 minutes of screaming while you try to chase your baby down and get her in a diaper with snaps.
bumGenius 4.0s make my life make the cloth diapering experience a breeze. I highly recommend them to any mom who is interested in trying out cloth diapers.
Original ran on January 4, 2013. Edited on June 16, 2014. Republished November 25, 2014.
HP says
January 4, 2013 at 11:07 amWhat does “agitate out in the wash” mean?
Katie says
January 4, 2013 at 3:06 pmThey come out on their own in the washing machine. I don’t have to pull them out beforehand.
HP says
January 4, 2013 at 10:57 pmYou’re not supposed to remove the inserts before washing? We remove them immediately after taking them off and they go into the washer separately.
Also, massive +1 to snaps over velcro. It’s pretty certain velcro will get gummed up with stuff, but snaps will always stick together.
Anne Sweden says
June 21, 2014 at 12:54 amI like that this diaper is so trim. Also, the double snaps on the wings are a nice feature.
sherry blamer says
June 21, 2014 at 6:52 amI love that its not bulky. bulky diapers are a bit hard to put inside of a childs outfit.
Crunchy con mom says
June 21, 2014 at 7:52 amI love that they fit such a broad size range yet arent bulky!
Bri Sherman says
June 21, 2014 at 7:58 amI love that they are a trim diaper! Bulk is so hard to deal with sometimes.
Kara s says
June 21, 2014 at 9:12 amBig fan of them being 1 size diapers. It makes it so much easier to get a good fit.
Sarah Hayes says
June 21, 2014 at 1:54 pmi love their great quality
Kaity Marcos says
June 21, 2014 at 7:58 pmAbsolutely love the simplicity of this diaper and how it is durable yet not bulky.
Joelle says
June 21, 2014 at 8:13 pmI love the wide range of colors they offer!
Joelle says
June 21, 2014 at 8:15 pmI hope that is an acceptable comment! Lol! It really is my favorite thing about BumGenius! Just not the insanity that follows a new release!
Colleen Maurina says
June 21, 2014 at 10:44 pmMy favorite feature of bumGenius diapers is that they are one size and easy to adjust. And now I know that they are available on Amazon – so glad!
Kylie M. says
June 21, 2014 at 11:07 pmI love BG because they have snaps and are easy to find!
Kelly Faber says
June 22, 2014 at 1:13 amI LOVE Amazon too!! …I have heard great things about these diapers…I just started cloth diapering and I want to try bumgenius! I would choose the snap setting :)…
Lisa H. says
June 22, 2014 at 12:23 pmI like that BG 4.0’s fit my big baby and don’t leak. They look trim under clothes.
Claire Rheinheimer says
June 22, 2014 at 7:09 pmI love my 4.0! It’s trim, it fits well, and it dries quickly. Also love the snaps, I refuse to use aplix due to it getting gross and not sticky.
Miriam Matheny says
June 22, 2014 at 8:08 pmI like that the waist snap tabs are a little stretchy
Rebecca T says
June 22, 2014 at 8:19 pmI have several bumGenius 4.0s, and I find myself using them when I go out because even if I go a little longer between changes, I never get leaks. They’re one of my most bulletproof diaper choices.
Faith says
June 22, 2014 at 9:40 pmI can’t wait to cloth diaper my preemie. I love that they can go undone in the washer and that they can be stuffed easily. =)
hayley s says
June 23, 2014 at 11:33 amI love the fit of the bumGenios 4.0! It is super easy to adjust and my husband favorite diaper!
Mia Hicks says
June 23, 2014 at 12:49 pmI love that they are thin, but still very absorbent!
manisha says
June 23, 2014 at 6:09 pmMy favorite feature of BumGenius diapers is that they are one size and easy to adjust.
jenn mcclearn says
June 23, 2014 at 7:59 pmI love bumgenius because they are very well made and hold up after many washing’s, they also fit my little peanut from about 8 weeks old with no leaks 🙂
Kerri says
June 24, 2014 at 10:59 amHaha. I love your comments about snaps vs aplix. I’ve started with all snaps, but I’m quickly beginning to see the benefits of aplix, and my LO is only a squirmy 10 weeks!
Amanda D says
June 24, 2014 at 7:09 pmThese are my go to night time diapers with a hemp insert. So far I only have 2 with snaps but would love to try their aplix/velcro to see if I like them as well.
Amanda D says
June 24, 2014 at 7:18 pmJust wanted to add that my son is only 10 weeks, so I’m hoping that they continue to work overnight. Right now he is not a super heavy wetter.
Beki Lozano says
June 24, 2014 at 9:51 pmBgs are my all time favorite cloth diaper i love the fit its not bulky very trim and they never leak or leave red marks there are so simple to put on and off i wish i could own more!!
Christina Howell says
June 24, 2014 at 11:59 pmI love that these diapers are trim! I don’t like bulky diapers.
Michelle T says
June 25, 2014 at 10:17 pmMy favorite thing about bumgenius is that the company started in St Louis, which is where I live. Buying from Cotton Babies is shopping local for me!
jennifer laur says
June 26, 2014 at 7:15 ami love the cut of this diaper…it was our favorite diaper for our son, who was in cloth from 7 months-potty learning and never at any point did it not fit, or have an awkward fit. it was always out best fitting, most reliable diaper!
Wendy says
June 27, 2014 at 9:00 amI love that they are not bulky. Sometimes with my prefolds and covers it is hard to get pants up over them.
Jennifer Nutter says
June 27, 2014 at 3:06 pmi like how adjustable they are and that you could easily cloth two kids with an easy readjusment 🙂
Jennifer H. says
June 27, 2014 at 8:03 pmMy favorite thing about BG is the quality — I have some pocket diapers that we’ve used for ages and they are still working great and are in fine shape.
Rachel says
June 27, 2014 at 9:25 pmI like that they are so trim and have a great fit!
Erin says
June 28, 2014 at 12:26 amI love that if I stuff the diaper for my husband he will use it!
Lindsey says
June 28, 2014 at 10:53 amI like that they are easy to use and cute
Brooke W says
June 28, 2014 at 3:13 pmI like that they have the snaps to adjust the size…it seems a little easier than the buttons for FB.
Jennifer says
June 28, 2014 at 11:06 pmbg4.0’s are my second favorite diaper and the one i have the most of! they’re so sturdy and reliable i love them!
Katie says
June 30, 2014 at 8:10 amWhat’s your favorite? 🙂
AlexisB says
June 29, 2014 at 9:49 amI love the butterfly stretchy tabs! Allows for a perfect fit.
Jessica says
June 29, 2014 at 3:01 pmI love that BumGenius tabs are so stretchy. We get a perfect snug fit every time :).
Vicki Hall says
June 29, 2014 at 4:13 pmI love the gentle elastic at the legs and back ,the roomy pocket so I can customize the absorbancy and the fit is great.
Judith Martinez says
June 29, 2014 at 6:34 pmI’ve never tried a BG 4.0. I like pockets and they have some cute prints.
Ashley F says
June 29, 2014 at 9:59 pmI like the snap configuration and the fact that they are a readily available brand that isn’t hard to find so it’s a good brand for people who have never used modern cloth diapers.
Holly Wells says
June 30, 2014 at 12:57 pmI have never tried Bumgenius 4.0 I have herd alot of good things about them. I love how trim they look!
Ashley Despain says
June 30, 2014 at 3:44 pmMy favorite thing about bumgenius is how trim the diaper is.
Stacy F. says
November 30, 2014 at 11:23 pmMy favorite thing about BumGenius Diapers would have to be the cut. They are trim, not bulky, and hold up really well. I will say my only dislike is the back opening/flap on the 4.0s. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t figure out the right way to deal with that over the pocket opening! 😀
Bianca Munoz says
December 1, 2014 at 12:56 amThis is mostly what are our stash is made of.
I love everything about them 🙂
Jamie says
December 1, 2014 at 8:11 amI like how trim these are! When I need to change my baby’s diaper, the last thing I want to be struggling with is a bulky diaper that makes dressing/undressing more time consuming!
Cassandra Eastman says
December 1, 2014 at 2:32 pmI love that they are so easy to adjust and not too bulky!
Colleen Maurina says
December 1, 2014 at 5:39 pmMy favorite thing about bumGenius diapers is that they are one size and very easy to use! It is one of our favorite brands of cloth diapers.
Keara B. says
December 1, 2014 at 6:25 pmI love their print and color choices! Plus, the wider crotch area is great if you have to double stuff for heavy wetters like mine. 🙂
Jen Eiserman says
December 1, 2014 at 6:53 pmWe love the fit. We never get a leak with our BG diapers!
Tara says
December 1, 2014 at 7:44 pmI like that they are almost as easy as a disposable, which makes them attractive to those new to cloth.
Emily Mahr says
December 1, 2014 at 9:16 pmThey last for such a long time! Such great quality.
Trisha Chamberlain says
December 1, 2014 at 9:56 pmI like that they are that they are thin yet absorbent. Soft to the touch and adjustable.
Jessica S says
December 2, 2014 at 7:47 amI love how they hold up. They have held up best in our stash. The velcro on them has actually held up better than the other and the laundry tabs are still working after almost 2 years.
Jen Murray says
December 2, 2014 at 11:47 amI love all the cute colors and prints!
Sam C says
December 2, 2014 at 1:55 pmI love that you can customize the inserts and put in what you need for absorbency!
Jessi H says
December 2, 2014 at 2:32 pmI love that the pocket allows for customization of the absorbency, and that they dry more quickly than AIO’s!
Dominica says
December 2, 2014 at 4:00 pmI like how easy they are to stuff. We have a few and they have a nice wide opening.
Kat Kerley says
December 2, 2014 at 6:43 pmLove the adjustability and the colors! I just ordered Albert
Rachel R. says
December 2, 2014 at 7:32 pmI like that the aplix ones are very easy for other caregivers to use. Pretty close to disposables.
Amanda Lea says
December 2, 2014 at 7:41 pmI like that they aren’t too bulky and are easy to stuff.
Barbara says
December 2, 2014 at 7:58 pmBG are my favorite because of the great colors and fit. I never have a leak and I was able to start using them very early.
Shaina Chance says
December 2, 2014 at 8:12 pmWe started using BG 4.0s on my darling daughter around 6 months. They were my first pocket and have proved to be worth the buy! My favorite thing about them is the simplicity of the diaper, paired with quality craftsmanship, makes me say they are worth the money. They work well at night for my daughter of we use an extra insert. So far these are my solid nighttime diaper. I think we got lucky though, I know tons of CD moms have a hard time getting a good night diaper. Long live BG!!
Denise says
December 2, 2014 at 10:33 pmI love that they are one size!
Amanda A says
December 2, 2014 at 10:53 pmI am a huge fan of BG diapers. They are so easy to use and all of my BG 4.0 that I used with my 2 year old are still in excellent condition!
Claire Rheinheimer says
December 3, 2014 at 4:33 pmA majority of my sizable stash is BG, although I don’t use pockets at all. I do like how you can control how fluffy these are tho. Also, I love all of BG’s prints and colors!
Elizabeth N. says
December 3, 2014 at 5:01 pmI am going to be honest and say I like that you can buy bumgenious on amazon. I like to buy from certain companies to support them but sometimes I don’t want to meet the shipping minimum especially if I just want one or two colors. I like that I can get free shipping through amazon for the smaller purchases.
Katie says
December 4, 2014 at 8:03 amAmen, sister.
Jeanie Payne says
December 3, 2014 at 5:22 pmI like all the pretty colors they come in.
megan b says
December 3, 2014 at 6:24 pmYour right the best feature is how trim the diaper is. You can use them overnight and keep them trim with a thirsties hemp insert and a microfiber insert.
Melanie Schemanski says
December 3, 2014 at 6:32 pmI haven’t tried them but I think I would like the firmness best for my skinny girl
Daniela arm. says
December 3, 2014 at 8:08 pmNever try it, but would love to, I hear only the best about them…
Missy K says
December 4, 2014 at 8:05 amIt’s so hard to find a trim fitting diaper – I love that the 4.0 has less bulk!
Abbi says
December 4, 2014 at 12:20 pmBumgenius 4.0’s are my go to diaper right now….they just work, and that’s my main goal with cloth diapering.
Shanna Rodgers says
December 4, 2014 at 12:52 pmI really love the minimal leaking with the 4.0s!
Vicki h says
December 5, 2014 at 12:14 amI love the roomy pocket for adding extra absorbancy and easier stuffing.
Rachel R says
December 5, 2014 at 10:31 amI love how well they fit!
Hillary says
December 5, 2014 at 11:06 ami love that you can increase the absorbency if needed by doubling up inserts! more versatile
Michelle douzat says
December 5, 2014 at 11:25 amI love the fit of 4.0s and I love that I can customize absorbency!
Merissa Dillard says
December 5, 2014 at 12:59 pmI love the large pocket openings, i honestly dont like pockets except 2 brands, bumgenius and blueberry due to the pockets lol and snap style.
casey r says
December 5, 2014 at 1:31 pmthey are so simple to use – easy to stuff/adjust/clean/etc!
Sarah L says
December 5, 2014 at 2:05 pmI like how easy the snaps are to adjust and use. I like the snaps on these better than on my other diapers.
Rebecca T says
December 5, 2014 at 2:13 pmI love that I always get a great fit with 4.0s. They leak less than most of my other diapers.
Jo b says
December 5, 2014 at 2:19 pmI love the stretchy tabs with two snaps!
Nicole R says
December 5, 2014 at 2:49 pmI like the stay dry suede cloth inner and the two rows of snaps for a customized fit.
Sarah Hayes says
December 5, 2014 at 3:09 pmi love that they fit bigger babies and they are so nice to use for nights
Sara l. says
December 5, 2014 at 4:09 pmI love the colors of bg. We have yet to try them but like that they seem like they are trim.
Mariah Sekaz says
December 5, 2014 at 5:17 pmI started out with all pockets now I like the freetimes but still use the others. I dont really have an issue with the cons you listed, I usually take my inserts out before I wash the diapers, I can also use them over nights. But Ive never tried the velcro, I dont like velcro because my toddler will just rip it off. lol.
Ashley F says
December 5, 2014 at 5:40 pmI like that you can stuff it with different inserts depending on your needs, they also come in great colors!
Charlotte R says
December 5, 2014 at 7:32 pmI like how trim their are.
Amy @ Oh So Savvy Mom` says
December 5, 2014 at 10:11 pmI LOVE, love, love bumgenius except for the velcro issue you mentioned. I love the H&L (it is dad, grandma, and babysitter friendly) for my kid who hates to have his diaper changed, but it only lasts about 12-15 months before it needs to be replaced.
Andrea Slagle says
December 6, 2014 at 11:15 amI haven’t used these yet, but I love that you can buy them on Amazon!
Sam says
December 6, 2014 at 11:38 amYour review was very helpful to someone (myself) new to cloth diapering. I have not used cloth diapers yet, but I have friends who use them and they all like BumGenius 4.0 the best. I am planning on attempting to use these diapers first and see how they go.
kelly says
December 6, 2014 at 2:49 pmI’ve never truied them because I like that it is affordable.
Jessica says
December 6, 2014 at 4:11 pmBumGenius is my absolute favorite brand of diapers. I love how stretchy their waist tabs are. It is so easy to get the perfect fit :).
Jeanette E. says
December 6, 2014 at 9:54 pmBGs are a good ‘staple’ diaper, but we currently use ours with prefolds for increased absorbency. I like that the insert is microfiber and nylon and using the NB and the regular insert usually gives us good absorbency, unless for longer periods when I use a prefold too.
Leela R says
December 6, 2014 at 11:27 pmI love that the stretchy tabs help get the perfect fit every time.
Lynn B says
December 6, 2014 at 11:40 pmMy favorite feature is who trim they are. I have narrow hipped babies and many other diapers tend to be too bulky on them.
Andy Bland says
December 7, 2014 at 6:40 amI want the 4.0’s please. It looks really comfy.
Mesha C. says
December 7, 2014 at 10:28 amI think BumGenius has the best made diapers on the market.
Emily Knight says
December 7, 2014 at 11:32 amI love the color selection and that they dry quickly!
Sabrina O. says
December 7, 2014 at 11:50 amI like that they are not bulky, but yet still very absorbent.
Nicole U says
December 7, 2014 at 12:24 pmI like that it is fairly thin, but still absorbent.
RJ says
December 7, 2014 at 12:34 pmI like that these diapers will fit from pretty much birth to potty training. 7-35+lbs.
Mara Davenport says
December 7, 2014 at 3:21 pmmy favorite thing about these is how easy it is to stuff the diapers! I don’t feel like I am going to tear them at the seams trying to get my hand and the insert down in them.
Gladys Aguilar says
December 7, 2014 at 7:52 pmI have never tried them, but would lik3 to if they are trim as mentioned. That is important for cute baby clothes
aurora P says
December 7, 2014 at 9:20 pmThanks for the review. I don´t like velcro but.I love the high quality of this brand.
maria carrasco says
December 7, 2014 at 9:41 pmI like that they are not bulky and easy to adjust.