Reusable nappies: cost of a full supply, the laundry footprint, and ease of use
Cloth nappies ask for money up front and a wash every couple of days, and give back a stash you can reuse on a second child or pass on. The systems differ a lot in how many parts they have, how much handling they need and what a full supply costs. This guide is about choosing a cloth system. If you are comparing disposables, see the disposable nappies guide.
The short answer. Price the whole supply, not one nappy: GroVia says full-time use of its one-piece nappy costs $550 to $600, and Little Lamb sells a complete UK kit at £415 on sale (£594 regular). The UK Environment Agency found that how you wash and dry cloth decides most of its climate impact. Its average scenario came out close to a disposable. Fuller loads, line drying and reuse on a second child together cut it by 40 percent; washing at 90C and tumble drying every load raised it by 75 percent. Borrow a trial kit before you buy, and check whether your council offers a voucher.
The data, at a glance
Cost in the explorer, scored so that cheaper sits higher. Borrowing and subsidised routes sit near the top:
The systems, and what each asks of you
| System | Example, from its own page | The trade |
|---|---|---|
| Prefold plus cover | Cloth-eez cotton prefolds, 12 for $32.95 on sale; "requires a cover (sold separately)" | cheapest absorbent layer here; folding at every change |
| Pocket nappy | ALVABABY shell, $5.69; "Inserts Sold Separately" | cheap shell, a stuffing step, polyester and TPU with no certification listed |
| Fitted plus wrap | TotsBots Bamboozle, $25.00; works with the matching waterproof wrap | very absorbent bamboo; two parts to buy and fit |
| One-piece with snap-in soakers | GroVia O.N.E., $24.95; suggests at least 24 changes for full-time use | close to a disposable in use; washing every two days |
| Shell with either insert | Charlie Banana; washable or disposable inserts in the same shell | a fallback for outings or childcare, though disposable inserts bring back single-use waste |
| Wool cover | Disana pull-on, $42.95; "HAND WASH AND FLAT DRY ONLY" | washing "sometimes only once a month", but by hand, over a separate nappy |
A single nappy price says little. A full-time stash needs many changes plus the extras: Little Lamb's kit, for example, bundles 15 pocket nappies, 10 fitted nappies, 5 wraps, a pail and a wet bag. That is why the two full-supply prices above are the useful ones.
Where the footprint is decided
The UK Environment Agency's 2008 life-cycle study compared the two directly. For the average 2006 disposable it found about 550kg of carbon dioxide equivalent over the two and a half years a child is typically in nappies. For shaped reusables washed and dried the average way, about 570kg. Then the spread:
- Line drying outdoors all the time, or washing fuller loads, each cut the reusable figure by 16 percent.
- Fuller loads, outdoor line drying and reuse on a second child together cut it by 40 percent.
- Tumble drying everything raised it 43 percent; washing at 90C instead of 60C raised it 31 percent; both together, 75 percent.
The study's own advice to cloth users: line dry outside when you can, tumble dry as little as possible, do not wash above 60C, wash fuller loads, choose efficient machines when you replace them, and reuse nappies on other children. It is UK data from 2008 and did not test brands, so treat it as a guide to habits rather than a verdict on any system. Little Lamb's own care guidance, a full long cycle at 40 or 60 degrees and line drying in sunshine where possible, fits it.
Try, borrow, or get help paying
- Nappy libraries. Real Nappies for London says cloth nappy libraries let you try before you buy, with kit loans by the week or month and some long-term loans. Most are run by volunteer parents.
- Council vouchers. In 12 participating London boroughs, residents can claim a voucher worth up to £70 toward reusable nappies or a nappy laundry service. Outside London, ask your own council.
- Secondhand. NCT runs Nearly New Sales for baby items. The study counted reuse on a second child among the changes that lower the footprint, and buying used extends a nappy's life the same way. Condition and hygiene depend on the seller.
- A laundry service. Where one operates, the same London voucher can pay toward someone else collecting and washing the nappies.
If you care most about...
| If you care most about... | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest cost | prefolds and covers, secondhand, or a council voucher | the cheapest absorbent layers, or money off |
| Ease for everyone who changes the baby | a one-piece system | fewest parts at each change |
| Lowest laundry footprint | whatever you can line dry and wash in full loads at 60C or below | the study found washing and drying drive the result |
| Fewest cover washes | a wool cover over a simple nappy | the cover is washed rarely and by hand; the nappy under it still goes in the machine |
| Not committing yet | a library trial kit | you learn what fits your baby before spending |
| Childcare and outings | a shell that takes disposable inserts | one system, two modes |
There is no single best system. The cheapest take the most folding and fiddling, the easiest cost more per piece, and any of them can end up worse for the climate than disposables if every load goes in the tumble dryer.
What we're not telling you
We do not score fit, leaks or how a nappy holds up over years of washing. Prices are from each brand's page in September 2026 and move often. If your baby's skin reacts, or you are unsure about washing for hygiene, ask your health visitor, doctor or pediatrician.
How we made this
We take no money from any maker, retailer or service. Every price and figure above comes from a page we opened in September 2026. Tell us through Contribute if something has changed.
Sources
- Environment Agency, updated life-cycle assessment of disposable and reusable nappies (2008), checked 2026-09
- GroVia, O.N.E. diaper, checked 2026-09
- Little Lamb, day and night complete kit, checked 2026-09
- Green Mountain Diapers, Cloth-eez prefolds, checked 2026-09
- Green Mountain Diapers, Disana wool pull-on, checked 2026-09
- ALVABABY, pocket diaper, checked 2026-09
- TotsBots, Bamboozle, checked 2026-09
- Charlie Banana, reusable cloth diapers, checked 2026-09
- Real Nappies for London, vouchers, checked 2026-09
- Real Nappies for London, cloth nappy libraries, checked 2026-09
- NCT, Nearly New Sales, checked 2026-09
Compare reusable nappy systems on cost, ease and laundry footprint by your own weighting in the reusable nappies explorer.