How Many Cloth Nappies Do I Need?

How many cloth nappies do I need? We get this question a lot and for good reason.

Buying cloth nappies can be overwhelming, there are so many styles and brands, and then you have to figure out how many cloth nappies you need.

How many cloth nappies you need will depend on your budget, your baby, if you want to do them part-time or full time and your washing and drying routine.

You can start using one or two a day or go straight to full-time use, it's up to you. Remember, every cloth nappy you use saves one disposable from landfill.

How Many Reusable Nappies Do I Need?

Our recommendations for those families planning on using cloth from birth to toilet training are as follows. This is based on a washing frequency of every 2nd day.

Part-Time Use: 8 - 10
Full-time Day Use: 12 - 18
Full-time Day & Night Use: 24 - 30

Our modern cloth nappies are purchased in bundles with each cover containing a cloth nappy insert & booster.

We recommend having more reusable nappy inners than covers, as nappy covers can be used for multiple changes given they are not soiled. Simply swap your inners with clean ones into the same cover.

The following recommendations are a guide only. Every baby is different and will require more or less frequent changes. If your baby is a heavy wetter, you will likely need more than the recommended.

A newborn baby will also require more changes (10 -12 per day), so expect to go through more nappies in the newborn stage. You will need to change the wet nappy regularly to avoid nappy rash, usually every 2 to 4 hours.

You will also need more nappies if you live in a place that experiences a lot of rain or a cooler climate as nappy covers and inners will not dry as fast. You can tumble dry them, but keep in mind it may shorten their lifespan.

My Budget is Tight - Can I Get Away With Fewer Nappies?

If having the full stash is a stretch budget-wise, you can get away with a smaller stash if you wash and dry them more regularly. Keep in mind that more frequent washing causes more wear and tear on the nappies, reducing their lifespan. Washing more may also inflate the cost of your water and power bills in the long run.

You can also bulk out your nappy collection by purchasing additional nappy inners like extra inserts and cloth nappy boosters to get more use out of one cover.

While more expensive upfront, reusable nappies will save you money in the long run. The average baby from birth to toddler will require 6,000 nappy changes and more than double in baby wipes.

This equates to costs averaging $3500 to $5000 per child for disposable nappies alone. And it's even more if you opt to buy disposables that aren't full of chemicals.

A full-time bundle will cost up to $1000 and last from birth to toddler given the proper care is taken. And of course, you don't have to buy all the nappies at once. You can build your stash slowly to meet your needs. We provide discounts on our nappy bundles when you buy in bulk.

We also provide nappy bundles, as bundling is cheaper than buying covers and individual nappy components separately. If your budget is tight, many councils around Australia offer cloth nappy rebates that can help with upfront costs.

Why Buy The Recommended Amount of Nappies?

Having enough nappies has many benefits.

The more you buy the more you can stretch washing days. I swear parenting is like 90% washing, and if we can do less of it we will!

Having more nappies in your stash means they aren't getting washed as regularly and so will last longer. Washing cloth nappies more regularly will wear them out faster, which could mean you need to buy more over time.

You'll also save on power and water, which will save money in the long run. Simply dry pail your soiled nappies in a nappy bucket like our Strucket until you have enough for a full load.

Another big bonus of having more washable nappies is the benefit to the environment.

Using reusable nappies are a more environmentally friendly option to disposable nappies when laundered efficiently. This is because laundering uses energy and water, so laundering less is better for the environment.

Check out our nappy sustainability page for more information on the environmental impact of modern cloth nappies.

If you're worried about having too many cloth nappies, start small and gradually build your stash as you work out what you need.

Bare and Boho Modern Cloth Nappies

Our cloth nappies are a true all-in-two style, which means you replace the inserts and reuse the cover if it has not been soiled. One nappy cover could last 4 - 6 changes before needing to be washed.

Our nappies are high-quality and designed to be free from leaks. This means fewer cover changes and less frequent washing of soiled clothing and bedding.

They also have super absorbent inners which means less frequent changing. For heavy wetting babies, you can use our boosters and trifold nappy inserts to increase the absorbency in the nappy.

Our natural fabric inners become more absorbent the more they are washed. You will find when you first start using them that you will need to change more frequently until they reach their full absorbency. This can take up to 6 washes.

Reusable baby wipes are essential when using cloth nappies. You can wash them with your nappies, no separate trip to the rubbish bin like with disposable wipes.

We recommend 2 - 3 cloth wipes per nappy change. Get started and build your cloth nappy bundle to suit your use and budget.

While we are firm believers in minimalism, having an ample stash of cloth nappies is actually better for the nappies, the environment and your sanity!

Trust us, a few extra nappies will help in creating a more positive experience with cloth and encourage long term use.

If you are still not sure how many nappies you need or want to know more about our nappies, get in touch with our super friendly team.

Mumma & Founder,

Jordan xx