The basic design of the nappies and covers is the same, but it can be confusing trying to decide between the different fabrics, fastenings and sizes. This page runs you through the different features and helps you identify which one will suit you best.

The Nappy Fabrics: Bamboozles vs Flexi Tots

Bamboozles are made of bamboo fibre and have quickly achieved huge popularity with our customers. Bamboo is soft and silky, and highly absorbent, which means you can get the same absorbency in a much thinner nappy than cotton. Bamboo also has the smallest environmental footprint of all the fabrics. If you don�t like the look of a big bottom on a baby, or if you have strong environmental concerns, then Bamboozles are for you. You should know, however, that bamboo fabrics change in texture over time � nothing like as much as hemp, but much more so than cotton. The size 2 of this nappy can be used from birth to toilet training, by folding the flap at the front down, and using a snappy nappy fastener to fasten.

Flexi Tots are made of a mixture of bamboo and microfibre. The microfibre means that the nappy dries incredibly quicky, and the bamboo is against baby's skin so you have the piece of mind that there is a lusciously soft natural fabric against their bottom. This nappy also has a synthetic outer which stays dry, so you can put it in the nappy bucker without the 'ewww' factor. While it does need a cover over the top to keep baby's clothes dry, in summer they can certainly run around in just a nappy and top (no cover). It's more stretchy than the other nappies, which I tend to think makes it a bit more comfy to wear.

Some of these features may stand out for you and make it easy to choose. If you still can�t decide, consider mixing them up. If I had my time over again, I would get about one-third of each � which is what I built into our �Mix� packages. This gives you all the advantages of each type. As the washing instructions are the same, there is no problem with having different types in your nappy collection.

The Nappy Fastenings: Popper vs Aplix vs Snappi

Snappi-fastenings provide the most adjustable fit because they pull in around the waist and up at the crotch. If your baby had an unusual shape (eg very fat Buddha tummy with very skinny legs), the snappi-fastening nappies would work best. If you are using a mix of fitted nappies and folded terries, snappi-fastening is best because you�re using the same fastening on each of them � there�s no chance of trying to change them into a folded terry and finding that you don�t have a snappi to use from the old nappy. Many people are daunted by snappis but I always say that it is about the same level of difficulty as using a zipper: it will take a minute to practise but then it�s really easy. I would say that the most experienced cloth nappy users generally prefer snappis because of their flexibility. If you particularly want snappi-fastening nappies, choose Originals.

Aplix is a particular brand of Velcro. It is extremely hard-wearing and therefore will work well throughout the life of the nappy. The nappies feature a fold-back tab which allows you to fasten the Aplix on itself while the nappy is open. This allows the nappy to get a good wash, but prevents fluff getting into the Aplix, or the nappies tangling up in the machine. It is the fastest form of fastening and very good for encouraging the nervous, who may include spouses, babysitters, grandparents or other carers. (When demonstrating nappies, I often find that fathers are comforted by the sight of Aplix.) The speed of use makes it ideal for babies passing through a try-to-crawl-away-during-the-nappy-change stage, while the simplicity of Aplix makes it good for anyone who has problems with dexterity, eg due to arthritis. There is a very slight risk that you might have one of those toddlers who enjoy taking their own nappy off at inconvenient moments, and Aplix will not discourage them. In my experience, however, the toddlers who really enjoy this phase are usually not deterred for long by any sort of fastening (except duct tape), so I wouldn't really bother planning long-term for this situation. It probably won't happen, and if it does, changing fastening probably won't help much. If you want Aplix-fastening nappies, you can choose Originals, Flexi Tots or Bamboozles.

Poppers are those little press-studs that you find on all types of baby clothing. The poppers have a wide range of positions, so you can adjust the nappy to fit your baby. They are just a touch more fiddly, but if you can manage it on clothing, you can manage it on a nappy. They can be useful if your toddler likes being changed standing up � you can do all except the last popper up and pull them on like underpants and fasten. They also remain pristine after years of use. If you want popper-fastening nappies, you can choose Bamboozles or Originals.

The Covers

We give a full explanation of how the covers work in the product detail, so we�re going to stick to the surface here and focus on how you choose between them.

Tots covers are made of PUL and come in a variety of patterns. PUL is the fabric of choice for most cloth nappy users. Our PUL is soft, stretchy, breathable and very, very slim.

Fleece covers are (obviously) made of fleece which, perhaps surprisingly, is the most breathable and coolest option. It is bulkier than PUL, so not a good choice if you are concerned for a slim fit. I strongly recommend that you use fleece overnight, however, as it is superb with very wet nappies. If you live in warm climates, fleece is a good option for you because of its coolness (see the product description for an explanation of why fleece is actually cool!), and it is very, very hardwearing which makes it an excellent choice for babies and toddlers who spend much of their day in just a nappy and singlet.

I usually recommend PUL for daytime and fleece for night as the best combination � and this is reflected in our packages. Typically, a customer using cloth fulltime and washing every second day, might choose 3-4 PUL covers and 1-2 fleece covers.

Finally... Remember that we are happy to offer a refund on any items returned in original condition. Browse through the website, stick anything you like in your shopping trolley and before you get to payment you can review it and take anything you don't want out again. If you get it home and change your mind, send it back in original condition for a refund. And if you still need more advice just contact us for help.