Meet Our Diapers! The GroVia AI2

This begins a series of posts that I have been meaning to write for quite some time.  The idea is to write a post for each different type of cloth diaper we have, discussing the different features of each diaper and our likes and dislikes.

The GroVia AI2 (all-in-two) was the cloth diaper that started it all for us, and the only diaper we used for the first couple of months of using cloth, so naturally it will be the first diaper profiled.  To be more specific, our first diapers were GroBaby AI2s.  Shortly after we began purchasing cloth diapers GroBaby was rebranded and their name changed to GroVia.  Several improvements were made to the AI2 (aka hybrid) system during the rebrand:
1) When the rise snaps are completely unsnapped (I'll talk about this more in detail shortly) there is an extra half an inch of rise in the diaper.  Great for those tall toddlers!
2) Tuck under laundry tabs were added to keep the hook-and-loop tabs closed during washing to prevent them from sticking to other diapers in the wash.  This helps to extend the life of the diapers.  I have definitely noticed that our hook and loop GroVias stay in better shape, longer, than the hook-and-loop GroBabies we've had.

3) A waterproof backing was added to the GroVia soaker pads that the GroBaby diapers did not have.  I have also noticed that the GroVia soakers haven't shrank as much as some of our GroBaby soakers did.

Our GroVia AI2s are, by far, the most versatile diaper in our stash.  The beauty of this diaper is that there are so many different options available from GroVia, but other non-GroVia options can be used, too.  The AI2 is a two-piece system consisting of a waterproof shell and a soaker pad.



The Shell:

The AI2 waterproof shell is available in either a hook-and-loop (think Velcro, which is just a brand of hook-and-loop) or snap closure (right).  The benefit of hook-and-loop is that they allow for a more precise fit;  however, hook-and-loop tends to wear out more quickly than snaps.  Fortunately when they wear out, hook-and-loop diapers can be converted to snaps by removing the hook tabs and installing plastic snaps (below). The advantages to the snap closure is that they last longer than hook-and-loop, and are more difficult for sneaky toddlers (like mine!) to remove.

The shell can also be used as a diaper cover for fitted, prefold, or flat diapers.  We participated in the Flats and Handwashing Challenge in May.  For an entire week we used flat diapers (the big pieces of cloth your grandmother folded into diapers) and were limited to 5 diaper covers - all of the covers we choose to use for that week were GroVias.   They can be used as swim diapers (though it's advisable to use only one or two shells for swim purposes as the chlorine in pools may cause the materials to wear faster).  We stick to our older GroBaby shells for swim purposes.

GroVia AI2s are one-size cloth diapers made to fit from around 8 pounds (newborn) to 35 pounds (toddler).  They truly are a diaper to last throughout the diapering years.  When I first began researching cloth diapers and seeing pictures of modern cloth diapers online I simply could not comprehend how they worked.  How could they fit a newborn and also a toddler?  I was confused by all of the snaps on the shells/covers, and could not figure out how they worked (most other one sized diapers use a similar system).  Then I found some GroBabies in a local baby boutique, and was finally able to see how they worked.  There are 3 rows of rise snaps (2 sockets, 1 stud) with 3 snaps on each row.  When completely unsnapped the diaper is at it's largest rise (length), or can be snapped down to to the middle or lowest row of snaps to make the diaper smaller (right).

Soakers:
GroVia offers two different options for soaker pads: a washable, reusable, snap-in cloth soaker pad, and a disposable biosoaker.  GroVia diapers used to be sold as a shell set for $24.95 which included a shell and a cloth soaker pad.  The sets have been phased out shells are now sold by themselves for $16.95, allowing customers to choose which soaker method they prefer to use.  The cloth soaker pads are backed with TPU, the same waterproof material that the shells are made of.  This helps to eliminate (or at least reduce) dampness in the inner mesh lining of the shell.  Cloth boosters are also available and may be laid on top of the soaker pad to increase absorbency.

The disposable biosoakers are similar to disposable diapers without the sticky side tabs.  Where biosoakers differ greatly from traditional disposable diapers are that they are dye-free, fragrance-free, plastic-free, and chlorine-free.  They are also mostly biodegradable (minus the elastic, I believe), and contain only a fraction of the absorbent chemicals that are found in regular disposables.  In our experience they are just as absorbent as traditional disposable diapers.  Biosoakers are simply laid inside of the AI2 shell.  There are two sticky tabs on the back of the biosoaker to keep them in place on the shell, but we never use these.  They have worked just fine for us without using the sticky tabs, and I have heard others complain about the tabs leaving a sticky residue on the insides of the shells which may be difficult to remove.

As I mentioned earlier, GroVia soakers do not necessarily have to be used with their shells.  We have used fitted diapers underneath of our shells.  We have also used fitted and prefolded diapers.

To Sum It Up:
Our GroVia AI2s constitute the majority of our diaper stash, and are, by far, our most used diaper.  We have both snap and hook-and-loop shells.  We have all available GroVia soaker options.  With a toddler who has recently discovered how to remove her diapers, we prefer the snap closing shells, or make sure she is wearing bottoms over top of her hook-and-loop shells - which will work until she figures out how to take her pants off, too.  Leaks are very rare with our GroVia AI2s, and have always been a result of errors we made (leaving the diaper on longer than usual or leaving a portion of the soaker sticking out of the shell).  We almost always use cloth soaker pads, even when traveling, as long as we have access to a washer and dryer.  Our biosoakers are reserved for airline travel (they take up a little less space, and we don't have to carry around dirty soakers) or instances where there aren't laundry facilities for us to use.  We love that there are fewer diapers to wash with our GroVia AI2s because the shells do not have to be changed unless they have been soiled, so we usually only end up using 2 to 3 shells each day.  That the shells dry so quickly (less than an hour indoors, even faster outside) is another huge advantage to this system.

Functionality aside, GroVia diapers are just darn cute!  We love the variety of colors and prints available, and are eager to get our hands on the two new colors, cloud and surf, that will be released next month.  GroVia has also teamed up with Seedling Kids to create beautiful organic shirts to match their print diaper designs.

These diapers have been a perfect fit (no pun intended) for our family.  As great as the diapers are, GroVia's customer service is the icing on the cake.  Their dedication to their products and their customers is second to none.  They are easy to contact, and take care of the rare product issue quickly and effectively.  Their Facebook page is a wonderful resource for customers or potential customers with questions, and a place where lots of GroVia mamas get together to share the love of their favorite diapers, including lots of pictures of their babies' adorable fluffy bums.