Of all the cloth diaper types, the all-in-two cloth diaper is the most flexible to use. It consists of a cover and an insert, usually sold separately. Parents are free to mix and match should they not like the combination that is suggested. With that, I am going to share with you what all in two cloth diaper will most probably not fail you: Best Bottoms,* Thirsties Duo* or Grovia AI2 diapers.*
In this review, we will be comparing these three all-in-two cloth diapers. All of them are roughly nine months used (except for the Thirsties Duo inserts* and Grovia Soakers* (inserts) that we seldom use because of poor performance.
With that, let's get started.
From top to bottom: Best Bottoms (grey and green), Grovia (maroon) and Thirsties Duo (light blue). All photos are taken on their 4th to 5th month of use.
First of all, I would like to emphasize that the Thirsties Duo is not considered as one size. That means you would have to get the Size 1* if your child is below 18 lbs. Since I only started using these three when my daughter was already a toddler, what I got was the Size 2 Thirsties cover* (good for 18 to 40 pounds). With that, let us only compare which between Grovia and Best Bottoms is best fit for infant's use.
Take a look at their smallest settings.
From top to bottom (smallest settings): Grovia looks a little wider in the waistline than Best Bottoms; Thirsties Duo cover Size 2's smallest setting almost looks like as large as the biggest size of some of the pocket diapers I have reviewed here.
Notice that although both Grovia and Best Bottoms can be adjusted to the smallest size possible, Best Bottoms cover is greater in height while Grovia cover is a little wider.
Grovia and Best Bottoms look like they are at par when it comes to fitting a newborn. Thirsties Duo Size 2 is not applicable for infants, you have to get Size 1.
Cover-wise, Thirsties Duo is the thinnest of all, followed by the Best Bottoms and last is Grovia.
Thirsties Duo is made of a very thin wipeable material. Same goes for Best Bottoms except that the material used is thicker and feels more durable. The Grovia cover, however, still has a lining inside that is not wipeable. That is what made the cover a little thicker than the two.
Putting the inserts, Thirsties Duo ends up the sleekest (middle), followed by the Grovia (top), and lastly, the Best Bottoms (bottom).
Grovia is pieced together, compared to the other two where you have the option to just use one or two pieces as you need.
Look at the inserts the three of them is usually paired with. For the Grovia, two pieces are sewn together, making it "1-piece." The Best Bottoms overnight inserts come in 2, but using two would be too bulky. The Thirsties Duo is usually paired with a sized insert (sold in 2 as well), and putting the two on top of each other doesn't have any bearing on the "bulk" of the overall diaper.
Despite the two pieces of Thirsties Duo inserts placed on top of each other, it still is the least bulky compared to the other two with just "one" insert each (but of course, Grovia's soakers is two pieced in 1).
Of the three, Thirties Duo is by far the largest and can fit toddlers up to 40 pounds. I'm not kidding, but it looks like it can fit a teenager with a slender body, too! LOL. It's good that you don't have to worry about the Thirsties cover being outgrown so soon by your child but remember, it's not one size. And we are talking about the Size 2 cover here. You have to get the Size 1 for children below 18 pounds.
If we are referring to a one-size AI2 cover that can grow with your toddler a little while longer, the Grovia cover can do the job as it is.
However, it looks like Best Bottoms has developed a solution for adjusting the waist to the largest setting possible. Of all the cloth diapers I have in my stash, only Best Bottoms offers extender tabs.
Get the extender tabs when the cover cannot fit your child anymore. My daughter, 33 pounds as of writing this, can still comfortably fit in the cover.
You can stop worrying about the Best Bottoms cover being too tight when time comes by getting these extender tabs.
The goal of the extender tabs, as its name suggests, is to extend the diaper cover to the largest setting possible. See the photo below. If you attach it to the Best Bottoms cover and set it to the biggest size possible, what you get is larger than the Thirsties Duo Size 2 cover. That means a kid that is more than 40 pounds can still use it.
The Best Bottom cover with its extender tabs
Although Thirsties Duo and Best Bottoms cover can both be "leak-proof," the inserts that you put inside also play a great role. Because the Thirsties Duo inserts are not absorbent at all, that makes the Thirties Duo combo leak in less than an hour.
I have tried using the OsoCozy prefold (My Review Here) inside the Thirsties Duo cover, and because the prefold's absorbency is just a step higher than the Thirsties Duo inserts, the combination again leaks in no time, maybe an hour more than the original combo.
I have trusted the Best Bottoms cover to be the most leak-proof of the three and use the Best Bottoms cover and inserts for overnight use and for going out, but ONLY when paired with a charcoal bamboo insert (Read How This 5-Layer Charcoal Bamboo inserts can lead to leak-free cloth diapers).
Not that it matters, but Thirsties Duo and Best Bottoms have gussets on the sides to "prevent" leaks. If you have ever used cloth diapers with gussets before, you will know that not all with gussets can prevent leaking.
One major factor that parents take into consideration is the reusability of the cover. That way, they don't have to get as many covers compared to the number of inserts. Both Best Bottoms and Thirsties Duo covers are wipeable. After the inserts inside are soaked, just replace the inserts. However, it is best to wipe the cover first, let it air dry for an hour at most, before reusing it again. You can survive with just two wipeable diaper covers in 1 day, using alternately after air drying before throwing them out for washing.
The Grovia cover's inner lining is not wipeable. It gets wet together with the soaker. Therefore, it is useless after one use, more like pocket diapers and all-in-ones.
Having the thinnest material of the three, the Thirsties Duo cover can get dry in an hour or two after spinning. The Grovia cover dries last, needing a day at most.
This is probably the heart of an all-in-two diaper. Without a reliable insert, cloth diapering in AI2 can be a nightmare. Of all the suggested AI2 combination, using the Best Bottoms' overnight inserts can get you the most pleasant result, lasting up to 8 hours of no-leak experience BUT again, using a Charcoal Bamboo* on top. Without the charcoal bamboo, it is not as good, and you should use two Best Bottoms overnight inserts* to get at least 4 hours of absorbency needs.
The other two are the softest, probably ideal to use with an infant who is not a heavy wetter yet and needs the softest material to be in direct contact with sensitive skin. That's all there is to compliment about the Grovia and Thirsties Duo inserts.
Take note: You have to get inserts' different sizes (small, medium, large) as your child grows. The Grovia soakers claim that it is one-sized, but it is way too big for the smallest setting of the Grovia cover.
Top to bottom: Grovia, Thirsties Duo, Best Bottoms.
Here's how the three scored based on the above.
While it is better to rate each from 1-5, the goal is to determine which one is the BEST in a particular area. For example, not putting a "check" on absorbency doesn’t mean that it is not absorbent. I am only giving the point to the particular diaper that BEST performs in a specific category.
Products | Best Bottoms | Thirsties Duo (Size 2) | Grovia |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Fit For Newborns | |||
Least Bulky | |||
Cover Can Grow With Your Child | |||
Leak-Proof Cover | |||
Fastest To Dry (Cover) | |||
Fastest To Dry (Insert) | |||
Wipeable Cover | |||
Most Absorbent Inserts |
Best Bottoms: 60 days for covers seams, stitching, elastics, or any other sewing defects.
Thirsties Duo: Limited warranty (loose stitching, holes discovered upon arrival, broken snaps) or possible return for up to 1 year after the original purchase date.
Grovia: Elastic, snaps, TPU (waterproofing), sewn seams, zippers for one full year from the time of purchase.
What All-In-Two Cloth Diaper Will Not Fail Me Then?
Thirsties Duo cover is the cheapest to acquire, but not being a one-size cover means you need to get two batches (size 1 when your child is younger, and size 2 when they get older). That makes the cost of the cover more than the Best Bottoms cover, which is the most expensive of the three.
While the Thirsties Duo inserts are also the cheapest to get, they are the most useless of the three. I applied for a return, and I have to commend that they have a generous return policy. Click after a click, my money was instantly back, and Amazon prompted that I don't have to ship the item back. Cool. But what do I do with it?
While the Best Bottoms all-in-two is probably my most recommended of the three, you have to remember that you need to get different sizes of inserts as you adjust the cover - small, medium, and large inserts. That makes the cost of the inserts triple as your child grows.
The Best Bottoms cover is the most ideal to acquire, having an extender tab as an additional accessory, you can use the cover until your child is potty-trained. Take note that to get the most out of the Best Bottoms all-in-two diaper, I suggest you add a charcoal bamboo insert* on top of the Best Bottoms overnight insert. Just the Best bottom overnight insert is not enough for you to use it overnight and for going out. It may have the most upsells, but it is so far the most reliable cloth diaper combination I have in my stash.
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What do you think?
Which AI2 cloth diaper gets your vote?
Please let me know if you have any questions. Leave them in the comments section below.
Thank you!
Cheers!
Pitin
Hi there! Thank you for the information. I’m a first time mom only newly pregnant and I have been trying to figure out the best brands/types for cloth diapering! This may be a silly question but when you use the charcoal inserts for overnight, do they just sit in the diaper without snapping in or anything? The reason I ask is, from my understanding, the Best Bottoms inserts snap in. Thank you again!
Hi Jennifer,
Yes. The charcoal bamboo insert just sits inside the cloth diaper cover without snaps. Congratulations on your first baby! 🙂
Kind Regards,
Pitin
I have a 14 pound baby and have no issues with Thirsties Duo inserts leaking at all. They seem more economical than Best Bottoms and I like the microfiber and hemp combo. I haven’t tried B.B. yet but like that their inserts curve with the leg.
I didn’t like grovia at all due to the bulkiness and it wasn’t wipe clean and seemed the most expensive.
Hi Tracy,
Thanks for sharing your experience with the Thirties Duo and Grovia, as well as your thoughts about the Best Bottoms. 🙂 I’m sure my readers will find it very helpful.
Regards,
Pitin
As a mother, the chemicals that are being put into disposable diapers to make them more absorbent have always really concerned me. I’ve looked into cloth diapers a number of times but it’s hard to find a good review that compares all the aspects you might be concerned with as a mother. This one is by far the best I’ve seen and doesn’t make cloth diapers seem so daunting. Thank you for this!
-Jessica
Hi there Jessica,
Thank you! Appreciate it. 🙂 I hope my review helps you find what you are looking for.
Cheers,
Pitin
Have you heard of Kawaii diapers?* They are a 2-in-1 cloth diaper as well. I used them with my last baby. I wanted to buy Bum Genius or Thirsties Duo but I couldn’t afford them, so I went for the Kawaii’s. They are quite cheap because they are made in China. They worked well though and came in a variety of cute prints. Using cloth diapers is great. It saves you money and it saves you from throwing away diapers that will sit in a landfill for the next thousand years.
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for sharing your experience with Kawaii diapers. I haven’t heard of them until you mentioned it, so thanks for that. You sure have left a valuable insight for my readers. Upon checking them, they are surprisingly cheap and it’s amazing to know it has worked well for you. 🙂 I might give them a try if ever I get another child again.
Cheers!
Pitin