Snuggleblanks Website
This is the first article/review that I am posting and I thought that this was a good place to start. Not the first reusable product I bought, but definitely the ones that have moved me over to reusable products for the most part.
A bit of introduction is needed here I think to do these justice. Snuggleblanks are a small company that make a variety of reusable products for children and adults with incontinence and we’re developed by Vicky who owns and runs the company in response to her need for better products for her child who has special needs and had outgrown the standard reusable nappy options. This is story is massively important to me in the support I want to give the company, this is a real labour of love and she is always helpful when contacted and really keen for feedback. There are several types of products available on the site which include the Superwetter nappies, Pull-up style nappies, Swim nappies, Waterproof covers and a variety of others. All these come in a range of sizes from child to adult (18lb child to 65” adult waist) so the range is huge! As you can understand most of these items are made to order, although there are some ready to ship items. Because they are bespoke it does take a little bit of waiting to get your order, but this is definitely worth it! I fit nicely into the Adult Medium size, but if you have any concerns about sizing I am certain that Vicky would be able to advise and it is stated that custom sizes can be made if required.
So, after a lot of pondering and consideration, I eventually bought the Superwetter Quickdry in a size Adult Medium along with a matching fleece covered waterproof cover. Soon after, I decided that I should take the plunge and order a full kit so ordered the Trio kit which included: 3 x bamboo superwetter quickdry nappies with pull out cores, 3 x breathable waterproof covers, 3 x cotton trifold boosters and a large wet bag.
So first a note about sizing. The Adult Medium fits a waist size between 28” and 40” with a 30” rise. There are a huge range of sizes, as mentioned above and the standard sizing scan be found on the Snuggleblanks website. For me the fit was great and the fabric is extremely comfortable. As with all new cloth absorbent products they will gradually improve their absorbency over the first few cycles of washing and should really be washed a few times before first use to make sure that any residual oils from the manufacturing/nature of the product can be removed. Having used these over a few years, I can confirm that they stand up well to being washed and I have had no issues with deterioration of the fabric. It is still lovely and soft and the fact that the inserts can be removed for washing does make a big difference to drying times. The hook and loop (Velcro) closures need to be stuck to the conveniently placed pads so they are folded over during washing and don’t stick to and damage other items. This system generally works well and certainly much better than some other brands I have come across. The Velcro still seems to be in good condition and shows no sign of needing repair or replacement at this point.
The cotton trifold inserts are folded in 3 (as the name suggests!) and placed inside the pocket of the nappy to provide extra absorbency. Apparently the pockets can accommodate up to 3 inserts, but I have only used a maximum of 2, as I find it becoming a bit too bulky and uncomfortable for me at this point. Absorbency wise these can hold about 2000ml depending on the inserts you use and I expect this could be increased if they were combined with inserts including Zorb fabric, although the only Zorb inserts I currently have are quite small.
The waterproof covers have a lovely fleece cover which is nice and soft. The interior is very definitely waterproof and the closure is with Velcro again.
The covers, unfortunately, did not suit me as well as the inners. They have great coverage and will cover with even the bulkiest of stuffing, but they did have a couple of areas where they didn’t suit me so well. First, the fleece cover is really comfortable and helps with stopping liquid wicking onto the outside, but despite this, I have found that whilst using these covers I often get leaks, especially with overnight use. I certainly accept that it may be that I am not using them in the most effective way, but if gussets could be added to these, I think it would make them way more effective. Obviously this would be harder to make too, so would probably increase the price a bit, but for me that would be worth paying.
The second area where I didn’t get on with the so much is actually the fleece covering. Lovely as it feels, these are already a very bulky product. I have worn these with trimmer linings, out during the day a few times and I did feel a bit self-conscious and they are certainly not designed for discretion, but this is forgivable for the increase in function that it gives. I think that the fleece just adds to the bulk and a waterproof cover with a trimmer covering of cotton or bonded PUL works with these as a better option for me personally. Also, tend to use these as an overnight solution where the bulkiness is not such a problem, when compared to daytime and active use.
When I bought the trio kit, it cost £170 and when checking the price today, it only costs 50p more now! Which is amazing value really, when you consider that this could be pretty much all you need as a nighttime option and so far has lasted two and a half years and still going strong.
Overall, these are always going to be among my top choices for incontinence protection. They are comfortable, absorbent and well-made. Plus, I am supporting a small business and a local business built up by someone with a passion for her creation. I would heartily recommend these to anyone, particularly if you wet heavily overnight.
Incontinence Cloth 