At Bubblebubs we stock two types of prefolds for newborns: Bamboo and cotton. I wanted to do a short blog post to break down the pros and cons for you. If you're interested in prefolds in general, I did a whole series of them you can check out via this link and more specifically I did a blog post on why prefolds are perfect for newborns!
Bamboo Prefolds
Ok so type one is the Bamboo Stretchy Prefold. As the name suggests they're made from bamboo and they are stretchy. Keeping up so far? Our stretchy prefolds are lovely and soft on delicate newborn skin. The stretch allows you to get a nice tight seal while being gentle on bub's skin. They will also fit well for a longer period of time because of the stretch.
Bamboo is 60% more absorbent than cotton. Bamboo, on the other hand, can be a bit more delicate. However, this isn't a huge issue for newborn nappies as they have much less wear and tear than one size fits most (OSFM) nappies and newborns wee much smaller amounts and less concentrated than toddlers.
Cotton Prefolds
Cotton prefolds are definitely the more economical option at about one third the price of the bamboo prefolds. Cotton is more rigid and definitely not as soft as the bamboo prefolds. It also lacks the stretch so is marginally more difficult to fit, but not in any substantial way. It is, however, more durable than bamboo and while during the newborn phase this isn't so important it does make it more ideal for boosting later on. Or using on several children. Snappis are also easier to use on the cotton ones as they have a tendency to slip on the bamboo prefold because of they are so soft. Cotton prefolds also come in three sizes Newborn, Infant and Toddler whereas the cotton ones only come in a Newborn size.
Whichever option you choose, prefolds are great for newborns as they have a very customisable fit as well as being economical and useful later on. They can be used as boosters with night nappies or pad-folded as extra inserts in your Candies. Whether they make up the bulk of your stash or not I think everyone could benefit from a few prefolds. I promise you're they're not as scary as they look!
To see these two types of prefolds in action check out this video. And if you're interested in learning more about prefold folds check out this link.