Cloth Diapering

Smart One 3.1 One Size All-In-One Cloth Diaper Review

Smart Bottoms has recently started retailing in Canada, and this American cloth diaper company was even featured in the March issue of Canadian Family magazine. When I was asked to be one of the first Canadian bloggers to review the Smart One 3.1, an organic, one-size AIO cloth diaper, I jumped at the chance to get my girl in this fun Wild Thing print.

Smart Bottoms Smart One 3.1 AIO Cloth Diaper Review

Anatomy of a Smart Bottoms Smart One 3.1 AIO Diaper

The Smart One 3.1 is an organic, one-size, AIO (all in one) cloth diaper that fits most babies from 8-35 pounds. All in one means there’s no need for a cover or inserts – this type of diaper is most similar to a disposable diaper in that regard. Smart One diapers come in 6 solids and 4 prints, and only in snap closure.

The Smart One 3.1 comes with two rows of 10 waist snaps and two snaps on each wing to adjust the size at the waist and leg. This diaper doesn’t have hip snaps or crossover snaps. The size and rise is adjustable with three rows of three rise snaps.

Smart One 3.1 outside

The inside of the Smart One 3.1 is made from 100% certified organic cotton and features a snake-style insert attached at the back of the diaper. It has an elasticized back and a flat front with  a strip of PUL along the inside to help stop wicking at the tummy. This PUL strip is one of my favourite features.

Smart One 3.1 inside

Here’s how the sizes compare.

Smart Bottoms Smart One 3.1 size comparison

It’s important to know that the oils naturally present in cotton have not been stripped out with chemicals, so you do need to wash the diaper 6-8 times before it reaches full absorbency. Smart Bottoms recommends testing your diaper’s absorbency by pouring a little bit of water on the insert. If it runs off or pools on the fabric for even a second, you’ll need to wash it again to remove the rest of the oils.

Diaper Fit and Performance

Here’s Kay in her Smart One 3.1 – look how trim this diaper is! At 21 months and 26 pounds, she still has another row of rise snaps to go, so there’s plenty of room left to grow. The waist and legs fit well, and even though Smart One diapers don’t come with hip snaps, I have never had an issue with wing droop.

Smart Bottoms Smart One 3.1 Organic AIO Cloth Diaper Review

Smart Bottoms Smart One 3.1 Organic AIO Cloth Diaper Review

I like the organic cotton snake-style insert. It washes better and dries quicker than old-style AIO’s where the absorbent pad is sewn into the body of the diaper. It might take a bit of trial and error to find the best configuration for your baby, but the benefit to this style of insert is its versatility. You can simply double it up, or you can customize the absorbency where your baby needs it most with three layers up front for boys or three layers in the middle for girls.

Absorbency can be customized for boys or girls.

The extra wide and gentle elastic never gave Kay red marks. It isn’t encased, which seemed to help roll the edges of the leg holes in and kept the inside edges from wicking when wet. I would rate it as average in absorbency (a couple of hours for Kay), but you can add a booster for extra absorbency if you want. Smart Bottoms sells hourglass-shaped cotton or hemp boosters to fit these diapers. On one occasion, hubs forgot to change Kay after her nap and we did experience leaking. Considering it had been over 3.5 hours though, I wasn’t surprised.

I like this diaper for going out as it’s so trim and fits so well under Kay’s pants and even jeans. I do find the crotch to be a bit narrower than other diapers in my stash, which I think is why I discovered some “overflow” the one time she pooped in this diaper. It wasn’t that it leaked out, but it sort of spread out to the edges. (Sorry if that’s TMI, but I thought it was important to report.)

Kay is always on the go, and after she’s been racing around for a while the insert tends to bunch up in the crotch. She hasn’t complained about this, but I worry it’s not as comfortable as a smooth inside layer like you would have with a pocket diaper or an AIO with sewn in insert. Despite this, I wouldn’t trade the snake-style insert for a sewn in soaker though. As long as Kay doesn’t seem to mind the bunching, the reduced drying time makes up for it.

Final Thoughts

The Smart Bottoms Smart One 3.1 is a cute and trim diaper, ideal for babysitters and grandparents because there are no extra pieces to worry about. It’s very  trim under clothes and jeans, and you can easily customize the absorbency with the snake-style insert. Depending on the build of your baby, the narrower crotch can be a benefit or a drawback. Skinnier babies will likely appreciate the trimmer fit and less bulk between their legs, but it does mean slightly less coverage than average. This is a great diaper for daytime use and naps, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it for overnight use, especially with a heavy wetter like mine.

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Shop

Smart One 3.1 diapers retail for $25.00. Shop on the Smart Bottoms website or look for a retailer near you.

Want to Win?

Smart Bottoms is generously sponsoring a fantastic giveaway in next week’s Eco-Friendly Summer Giveaway Hop. Come back then to enter to win a Smart One 3.1 diaper of your very own. Sign up for my emails to make sure you don’t miss this giveaway or any of my other posts.

Disclosure: I received a sample item for review. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.

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