Orion Size 4 Pull Up

Orion’s Cloth Nappies started out as Bigger Bums Cloth Nappies; a cloth nappy hire service which had a special selling point in that they catered for those who needed nappies beyond the usual expected time for potty training. This meant that they were able to provide larger sizes, including an adult range, both for sale and hire. In recent times they have seen a few changes; developing their own ranges of nappies and moving from the UK to Australia! While the UK’s loss is definitely Australia’s gain, they still have strong business links in the UK and still sell their products here. The products are available from several shops, but can be bought directly from Orion’s Cloth Nappies through the hyperlink.

Another wonderful development is that they have expanded their range of nappies with a larger size that happily accommodates an adult, although it may be more tricky if your waist size is quite big.

It is great to see a small company being successful and developing a product in the way they have and the Pull Up nappy they have developed is truly a brilliant piece of kit and is different to anything else you will find on the market.

The nappy is a wonderfully flexible product with an outer waterproof PUL layer with excellent stretchy waistbands and is affixed using snaps at the side rather than the front. In addition to the side snaps, there are also rise snaps which allow the rise to be adjusted between a minimum of 23” and a maximum of 27”. Now this is on the smaller side for an adult-sized product, but is deliberately shorter to be a more discreet product for everyday use. While they don’t quote a waist circumference range for the Size 4, it will accommodate hip sizes between 33” and 42”. My waist is about 32-33” (Christmas dinner dependent!) and I easily fit into the Size 4 with the side snaps on the smallest setting, but if you are slimmer, you might need the Size 3 instead, but the rise only goes up to 24”. The outer PUL layer comes in a variety of fabulous designs created by an Australian artist and they truly are a thing of beauty and make a unique product. I would love to see what I would class more “masculine” designs in addition, but I am very much aware that this is a personal preference only. The inner lining is made from athletic wicking jersey and incorporates a small absorbent pad built in, which will protect from small leaks/accidents, but between the inner and outer layers is a pocket to accept further absorbency which is customisable. The pocket has openings front and back and incorporates snaps to allow fixation of inserts. The leg openings have hidden elastic to help prevent leaks and there are further internal gussets which would help to prevent leakage of stool etc. if needed. This kind of lining seems to be increasing in popularity due to its feel-dry properties which allow liquid through, but not back in contact with the skin. Many newer baby nappies are starting to use this and it is nice to see that adults are not being excluded from its benefits too.

There are several inserts available, but I have both the Size 3 and 4 inserts which can be used with the Size 4 nappy and I will limit my discussion to these in this review.

The Size 4 insert is a trifold insert made from bamboo terry. It is lovely and soft, as well as comfortable and the absorbency is quoted at 1.2 litres when combined with the inbuilt pad. It is well-made and easy to use with the ability to add in further absorption if required. The Size 3 insert is a snake insert which is designed for the Size 3 nappy, but is perfectly serviceable in the Size 4. The insert is made in 3 layers, 2 of bamboo/cotton mix and the other of a hemp/cotton mix. It can be used in the daytime for a trimmer fit and will absorb around 700ml of liquid. For a bombproof absorbent product both can be combined, but it does start to get pretty bulky by this point and is definitely more of an overnight or lounging around the house solution, rather than for everyday wear out and about.

The ability to remove the inserts makes laundry much easier, as they can be opened up and washed more effectively and are much better for drying as well, as all-in-one products take an age to dry. The inserts and the pull up nappy itself are suitable for machine washing and drying which is a necessity for anyone using cloth on a regular basis, especially in the winter months.

I haven’t had the Size 4 nappy very long, as they were only released fairly recently, so it is difficult to comment on how they will stand the test of time, but it has rapidly become a bit of a favourite. I have not had any leakage issues as yet and have definitely tested the capacity a few times! I have not tested how well it works overnight, as I have alternatives that work well and I haven’t had the need to try this yet. I tend to like using fitted nappies overnight, as the absorbency is all around the nappy and this means that they are less position dependent than other solutions and it would seem that this would be the same, but I can’t comment fairly, as I haven’t tested in this way. There are so many things I like about the product, as you can see from my comments above, but also I love the company. Communication was courteous, friendly and helpful and they seem to have a genuine passion for finding good solutions for reusable incontinence products and helping a somewhat unseen population. I would highly recommend the product and company and hope they continue to go from strength to strength!