Fall in Love the First Time

If you’ve spent hours researching cloth nappies (what mother hasn’t!?), you might have heard the term “China cheapie” thrown about. You might have even owned one of these products. Perhaps you’ll swear by them or against them. Different parents, different babies, different experiences, but from someone who has tortured over 40 different reputable brands of modern cloth nappies on 4 kids, these are not products that I would recommend. And not just because I’m spoiled for choice, with a warehouse full of award-winning cloth nappies at my disposal!

I’ve worked in this industry now for over 6 years, and we often hear stories of brand rip-offs. Maybe you’ve seen a new brand of nappy and thought “Gosh, that looks familiar!” You’ve probably heard the stories… Hard-working Aussie mum creates an awesome product for her own children. She starts selling it to friends and family. It sells too well for her to keep up, so she imports it. Someone notices, steals the design, sources a factory and presto! These copycat brands don’t usually last long (nor do their inferior products), because the hardworking mama was smart enough to get her design protected and patented, but the pain and effort to oust the imposter remains.

But what about the generic China cheapies? The simple pocket designs with the tacky prints and the thin microfibre booster? There are two facets that concern me. First, is the manufacturer that sells direct via eBay. For a start they’re overcharging. That nappy is NOT worth $6. Even if the RRP says $14.95… The old truth remains that we get what we pay for. 

China cheapies sell for about $6 each on eBay, but they’re really only worth about one dollar. Why? Because they usually only come with a single microfibre insert, which means that most parents will need to purchase a bamboo insert or two (so already, the $6 investment is a $12-$18 ‘investment’). Given the low quality workmanship and materials used in manufacture, many parents don’t get more than a few months out of the nappy. And if the nappy has a manufacturing fault, we can forget the warranty. These are also usually made from a generic pattern, not one that has been designed, tested, modified and perfected to the stringent specifications of (usually) a mother who uses the nappies day in and day out. I can guarantee you that the cost of fabric used in the manufacture of a China cheapie would not exceed 50 cents. There is nothing intelligent about the design of these nappies that sets them apart as a quality product worthy of our hard earned money.

Grovia lifestyle imagery used to sell
a completely different brand of nappy on eBay.

Apart from ripping us off, some of these manufacturers are also using other company’s copyrighted text and images to sell their own inferior product.  


This is false advertising. I am pretty sure that nappy would not look like a Grovia if I put one on my baby…

What is perhaps worse is the Australian importers selling these nappies to us for 3-4 times what they are available for on eBay. I kid you not, there are Australian businesses who sell these same $6 nappies for $20. PLEASE DO NOT fall for this trap. If you really want China cheapies, buy direct from eBay!

Personally, I’d save my pennies and buy something that you will love, that will do the job, that has a warranty, that was designed with real babies in mind.

So why do I write about it? Why do I care so much? We hear lots of stories of leaking nappies and grumpy babies and disillusioned parents who thought their cloth investment would be a good one. 

Please know that it is a good choice! 

We want you to be happy with your first modern cloth nappy purchase, because we don’t believe you should have to fork out even a few dollars on nappies that aren’t guaranteed to work.

We understand that purchasing a modern cloth nappy system can feel like an expensive experience. But it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of things you can do to stretch the dollar, and many of our retailers offer a layby service. Why not put a pack on layby and pay it off during the remainder of your pregnancy? Or ask family to donate towards it for your baby shower? Why not go with an AI2 or pocket style system that lets you purchase extra inners to use in the same shells? Why not use good old fashioned terry flats and covers? Every time you use a terry flat, you could put 50 cents in a jar (this is about what you’ll save by choosing cloth over a disposable) and when you have enough, buy your first awesome, reputable modern cloth nappy! 

And fall in love…

© Oz Baby Trends 2013