Cloth Diaper Fabric

Here is a run down of the most popular types of diaper fabric and sewing materials used for making diapers.



Aplix:
A very durable brand of hook and loop (velcro). Great for cloth diapers because you are opening and closing them so much, plus washing a few times each week. You want something that will stand the test of time.

Bamboo:
A highly absorbent material, often used directly against baby's skin. Because it is so absorbent, it will wick moisture away from baby, helping her to feel dry. Bamboo is a very fast growing plant and usually is grown without pesticides, making it a good choice for the environment. And, is has natural anti-bacterial properties, which is a great trait to have in a fabric used for cloth diapers!

Burley Knit Terry:
A soft, very absorbent material that has longer loops than regular terry cloth. Usually made mostly of cotton with a small percentage of polyester for added durability.

Cotton Birdseye:
Absorbs quickly and is good for making flat diapers, prefolds, fitteds and soakers. Very durable so it will hold up to lots of washes, getting softer and more absorbent over time.

Cotton Velour:
A soft, absorbent cotton material that is good to use right up against baby's skin.

Flannel:
100% cotton flannel is often used as the outer layer because it is really soft and comes in lots of cute prints.

Fleece:
You will mostly see Windpro Fleece for making diapers. This is a high quality, very breathable polyester fleece that is also waterproof. Great for making covers, AIO's and pocket diapers. You will also find 200 weight and 300 weight fleece that work well for making diaper covers.

Fold Over Elastic (FOE):
Great to use at the legs or the waist of diapers to give a nice finish and a little stretch. It folds in half, so it can be used like bias tape, but with the stretch of elastic.

French Terry:
Similar to terry cloth, only the loops are only on one side. The other side is knit.

Hemp:
You will usually find hemp cloth diaper fabrics to be a cotton and hemp blend. Hemp is very absorbent, making it a good choice for fitted diapers, soakers, or wherever you would like alot of soaking power.

Microfiber Terry:
A synthetic material that is very popular to use for soakers and inserts. Can be uncomfortable right up against baby's skin.

Microfleece:
A great material to use for pocket diapers, made out of 100% polyester. It will wick moisture right through to whatever absorbent material you have inside. This helps keep baby feeling dry. I like it because poop falls off of it easily and it rarely stains.

Minkee:
A polyester fabric that is super, duper soft! It is not waterproof, but gives your diapers a soft, luxurious quality.

PUL (polyurethane laminate):
Fabric that has been laminated on the backside, making it waterproof. Even though it is waterproof, PUL is also breathable, making it a great choice for making cloth diapers.

When buying, you will see 1 MIL and 2 MIL PUL. What this means is that there is either 1 or 2 millimeters of laminate, which will effect how waterproof/breathable the material is. PUL is usually made out of cotton, polyester, or a cotton/poly blend.

Sherpa:
Made from cotton and a small amount of polyester for durability. It is very soft and absorbent, making it a great fabric to go right up against baby's skin.

Suedecloth:
Similar to microfleece, this is great for wicking moisture away from baby. Suedecloth is made from 100% polyester and won't pill so stays new looking after many washes.

Touchtape:
Similar to Aplix (hook and loop fastener), but a little more stiff and has a little more holding power. It is really a matter of preference which one you will like using better.

Wool:
A great, natural material to use for covers or soakers. Wool covers are often knitted out of wool yarn, but you can also make and buy covers made out of 100% wool fabrics like jersey or interlock.





As you can see, there are ALOT of cloth diaper fabrics! Some of them are expensive, some not as much. And you don't have to use these materials, they are just what are popular and make the most reliable diapers. Check out our tips for making cloth diapers on a budget! You can make diapers from materials you have lying around the house.

Most cloth diaper fabrics you will have to buy online since they are higher quality fabrics that you won't be able to find locally. Shop around though, more and more fabric stores are carrying these types of supplies!

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