Review : LampinKain Fitted Diaper

LampinKain side snapping fitted diaper
in Teals Heart cotton knit print

Close up of the LampinKain woven label

I am wondering how many of the cloth diapering parent in Malaysia have actually try out this local sewn LampinKain fitted diaper as I have NEVER actually come across anyone talk about it be it in the cloth diapering forum or the facebook groups that I joined.

Honestly, I have only came across of LampinKain when I participated and won a diaper from a giveaway by LampinKain way back in August '2011. I didn't know the existance of this diaper brand prior to this. :P

LampinKain is the first local sewn fitted diaper that I have bought before I started to buy some other local sewn fitted diaper. After buying tonnes of cloth diaper from overseas, I decided to give LampinKain fitted diaper a try in support of Malaysian made cloth diaper. 

Style

LampinKain fitted diaper is only available in One Size (OS) with snap closure. You may choose to have the diaper in side snapping or front snapping with overlapping snap closure. At the time I wrote this review, it is not available in hook and loop closure yet.

The soaker have a two part snap in soaker style (one hourglass contour soaker and one trifold) just like the Itti Bitti AI2 diaper soaker style. 

The contour soaker and the trifold

The constructions of the diaper is as follows :-

• Body (Total 3 layers)
• 1 layer of knit cotton print outer, 1 layer of hidden bamboo fleece, 1 layer of bamboo velour for inner OR 1 layer of microchamois (if you choose stay dry inner)
• Trifold Soaker (When unfolded - Total 2 layers. When folded - Total of 6 layers)

• 1 layer of bamboo fleece and 1 layer of bamboo velour
• Hourglass Contour Soaker (Total 3 layers)
• 2 layers of bamboo fleece and 1 layer of bamboo velour OR 1 layer of microchamois (if you choose stay dry inner)

The diaper will have a total of 12 layers of absorbent layer if you choose to have bamboo velour inner or 10 layers of absorbent layer if you choose to have a stay dry inner instead.

LampinKain fitted diaper is available in selected choice of prints. It is not available in plain solid colors.

My Verdict (After more than 10 times of usage)

1. Price & Availability

• This LampinKain fitted diaper is retailing for RM 79.90 which is quite a standard market price for fitted diaper in my humble opinion.
• It priced slightly cheaper compared to some other fitted diaper which is also sewn by local mama.
• I bought mine from LampinKain when it is having introductory discount on it's fitted diaper sometime end of last year.
• Anyway, it do no harm if you try to ask the seller and see if she can offer any discount right... :P
• There isn't much in-stock available for this even on LampinKain online store since it is mostly made-to-order diaper.
• As far as I know, there is no reseller or retailer selling this at the moment and such, we can only get the diaper from LampinKain directly.

2. Fitting

• Like most One Size diaper, this fitted diaper sizing is adjusted using the rise snap in front of the diaper.
• I have been using this diaper on TY at the highest rise setting since TY is already close to 22 months old when I got this.
• I really like the fitting of this fitted diaper on TY as it look quite trim without the bulky looking bum.
• It doesn't leave any red mark on TY as well.
• When TY wear it, the fitting of this fitted diaper is totally different from the LampinKain pocket diaper that I got from the giveaway.
• The LampinKain pocket diaper that I got from the giveaway is way too generous in sizing.

The different sizing between the LampinKain pocket diaper (on the left)
with the LampinKain fitted diaper (on the right).
The pocket diaper have a higher rise with a wider crotch
area as compared to it's fitted diaper.

• Since I get the one with side snapping closure, I do not encounter any wing drop problem as well.
• The diaper have a row row snap where you can do the adjustment for the waist and thigh sizing accordingly.
• There is 5 snaps at each row on the wing tab to get a better fit for the waist.

• It have a turned and topstitched finishing for the leg elastic which I suppose it is good as for some baby thigh might rub against the diaper causing itchiness if it is a serged finishing diaper.

Turned & topstiched finishing leg casing

• The diaper wing tab will looks a bit slanted down when my daughter is wearing it.
• This could be due to the positioning of the snap.
• Not sure if this is a special feature by the LampinKain of it's diaper since most diaper have a rather straight wing tab when being wore.
• Neither way, I like it slanted as it make the diaper looks trim.
• But to some other mama, I believe they might have an odd feeling towards it as if it looks like the diaper gonna fall off anytime soon... :P

The wing tab that will looks a bit slanted when being wore

3. Absorbency 

• This is one of the daytime fitted diaper that I like to use as it is absorbent enough for me to use this for around 2 hours before the next diaper change.
• I didn't use it for overnight as from my past experience, the absorbency might not enough for me to use it for night diapering on my heavy wetter daughter.
• But then again, I believe it can be use for night diapering if your child is a light or medium wetter.

4. Colours/ Prints

• Since this is a made-to-order fitted diaper, we may choose the outer print of the diaper that we want. (This is the beauty of the custom diaper, isn't it)
• From the LampinKain fabric selection link, there's around 20 cotton prints to choose from at the time I wrote this review.
• Most of the fabric (if not all) is imported from US.
• I was hoping LampinKain will offer the outer diaper print in woven cotton as well in the future since the cotton knit fabric colors print fade rather fast with the frequent washes.
• Personally, I like fitted diaper with woven cotton outer as the color prints stay longer and fade slower than knit cotton even though it is not as soft or stretchy as fitted diaper with knit cotton outer.

 

5. Overviews

• Overall, I do like this diaper as it's really trim.
• This diaper is just slightly bigger than the size Large Itti Bitti SIO diaper by a bit.

Left to Right :
LampinKain OS Fitted Diaper in Teals Heart,
Itti Bitti D'Lish SIO in Lime (Size L)

• But I think improvement can be done on the soaker style.
• The current soaker style dry pretty fast but I do not think it is suitable for use if you are using the diaper at smaller setting.
• When the diaper is use at the smaller setting, you'll required to fold the soaker in such a way that the diaper will look kinds of odd.
• There since this diaper have a two part soaker style, there is snap to hold the soaker just like the Itti Bitti diaper at the top and bottom of the diaper.
• For the side snapping closure diaper, the hourglass contour soaker MUST be snapped to the back of the diaper and the trifold MUST be snapped to the front in order to get the stay dry inner around the tummy area (refer picture below).

• If the soaker is snapped the other way, you'll a wet tummy as the wing tab will touch directly to baby (the stay dry will be under the wing tab if you get what I mean)
• Finally, this have nothing to do the the performance or special feature of the diaper, but there is still some little thing that I like on this diaper. Hehehe...
• For some stupid reason, I have fallen in love with the woven label on the back of this diaper.... :P

The woven label at the back of the cloth diaper which read :
"handmade with LOVE"

Review : BambooLite CM-TrueFit Fitted PREMIUM

When am writing this, there isn’t many local brand fitted diaper available in the market here in Malaysia. I bought most of my fitted diaper from overseas namely from US, UK and Australia. BambooLite is one of the few local brands that make fitted diaper. For this review, what I have is the snap version of BambooLite CM-TrueFit Fitted PREMIUM.

Style
This is a One Size pocket fitted and there is 2 type of BambooLite CM-TrueFit Fitted – LITE and PREMIUM. Generally both are the same except for the insert/ soaker.

BambooLite CM-TrueFit Fitted LITE comes with the hybrid insert, which are 3 layers of microfiber topped with 1 layer of bamboo velour.

BambooLite CM-TrueFit Fitted PREMIUM on the other hand comes with a bamboo foldover insert (2 layers of bamboo fleece topped with 1 layer of bamboo velour) with a 2 layers bamboo booster. The foldover insert is measuring approximately 76cm x 13cm when it's still new and unwashed.

You’ll have an option to choose on the diaper closure. You may choose between snap and velcro. In the event for diaper with snap closure, there is overlapping snap for the waist. So, I suppose it can fit newborn as well.

Again, there is no printed outer for this fitted. Only solid colours are available. We may choose from the 10 colours that currently available including yellow, blue, red, lavender, ivory, pink, turquoise, lime, chocolate and purple.

Unlike the predecessor diaper by BambooLite, it no longer have the rise snap to adjust the diaper rise and size. It’s now have the adjustable leg elastic with the bra like strap adjustment.

On the other hand, this fitted diaper have a pocket opening at the inner front of the diaper and there’s a snap to hold the insert just like previous version of BambooLite diaper.

I think this is BambooLite signature style to make it’s diaper appear to have All-in-Two (AI2) style. But no. You cannot use BambooLite as AI2 even with it’s PUL diaper. This is because the inner layer is not a wicking fabric like fleece, suedecloth or those athletic wicking fabric. It’s made of absorbent layer. Thus it’s better suit to be label as All-In-One (AIO) than AI2 in this case if it is diaper with waterproof layer like PUL.

My Verdict (After 2 months of usage)
1. Price & Availability

• I personally think it’s reasonable price at RM 80 for this fitted. Can get even cheaper if purchase in a bulk in a group buy.
• We can easily buy it online from BambooLite reseller. The list of BambooLite can be view from here :- BambooLite Retailers
• I bought mine from the below seller. Both of the store owner provide very good customer service :-
• My Little Toro
• LovelyGoody

2. Fiting

• With the bra-like strap adjustable leg elastic, my daughter can fit well with the diaper.
• No incident of leaking thus far and there's no red mark on her thigh as well.
• I think most baby can have a good fit on this diaper especially on the thigh as you may adjust it as accords to the baby thigh even if one of the thigh is chunkier than the other thigh.
• The diaper looks quite trim too considering it have 10 layers and most of the layer is made of heavy bamboo.
• Crotch area of the diaper seems rather wide. But it’s not really an issue when I wear it on my daughter as it is not too stiff that my daughter have to walk with “kaki kangkang”.

3. Absorbency

• The foldover insert that comes with it are very absorbent.
• After fully prep washed it, it’s slightly a bit stiffer as compared to when it is still new. But this is the nature of bamboo fabric.
• Fitted diaper will requires cover for waterproof and I think babies can go coverless wearing this fitted diaper with the booster if the baby is a small or medium wetter.
• It's a good night fitted for heavy wetter too.
• Please note that since the insert is made of bamboo, it'll need to be prep wash for around 6 - 8 times before it can reach maximum absorbency.

4. Colours/ Printed

• Like what I have listed above, currently there is only available in 10 solid colour dyed.
• With only solid colours to choose from, it might actually defers some to try on this diaper especially for those who prefer printed diaper.
• Of all the colours, I like blue, chocolate and lime the most.

5. Overview

• The outer of the diaper is made of colour dyed bamboo outer and the inner is natural color bamboo velour. The diaper feel so soft and nice.
• Personally I like how this diaper is constructed as it allow the diaper to have shorter drying time.
• My past experience with BambooLite PUL diaper, BambooLite use bamboo fleece as the inner but now it use bamboo velour for the inner.
• Bamboo velour make the diaper feels luxurious when touch. But sometime the velour feels rough to touch also especially after washed.
• Please note that other diaper with velour (not BambooLite) also the same. I guess it's the nature of the bamboo velour? Or is this due to the detergent that I use to wash the diaper?
• I read from BambooLite tips that we can actually soften the velour a bit after wash by rubbing the velour together I tried this tips before but it don't always work on my diaper.
• For the first few wash, I would recommend to wash the diaper seperately from the rest to avoid possibility that the colour bleeds to other diaper since the diaper outer is colour dyed.
• The foldover insert have a very good absorbency as it's made of heavy bamboo that meets Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 requirements.
• But it it might take a long time to dry also especially during raining season.
• I like the way how we can adjust the leg elastic for this diaper but I find it rather hard to understand on how it works if there isn't any instruction attached to it.
• Now what am wondering is how long can the elastic last before it started to loose it elasticity.