In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician
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Searching for reusable cloth wipes? We considered over 20 brands before purchasing the 9 best cloth wipes available today for hands-on testing. Because a baby will undergo around 6,000+ diaper changes in the first three years of life, you will go through many diapers AND wipes. Investing in a stack of washable, reusable cloth wipes (around 40) can save costs over time and less biological landfill waste. We evaluated all the cloth wipes in our review based on cleaning ability, softness, and durability to find the best products available. We are sure you'll find the perfect wipe for your diapering routine in this review. All you need to add is a little warm water.
The GroVia Wipes earned a top spot in our review, performing well in all three of the most critical metrics: cleaning ability, softness, and durability. Doubling up two polyester/cotton terrycloth layers creates the ideal texture and thickness for a cloth baby wipe. They come in a plentiful 12-pack and are soft yet durable at an excellent price point. We love that the double-layered construction creates a thick surface for cleaning messes without letting anything soak through. The 8" square cloth is an ideal size, sufficiently large to protect your hand but not so big as to be unmanageable. The terry cloth texture is grabby enough to achieve a squeaky clean baby bum and soft enough to use multiple times daily on sensitive skin. We also appreciate that the cloths are super versatile, and many parents like to use them during bath time as a baby washcloth.
Our gripes with the GroVia Wipes are minimal. That said, we feel some things could be better. These wipes have an 88% polyester content, and we generally prefer to stick with natural materials when possible, like the BabyKicks Cloth Wipes. Also, we noticed the stitching around the Grovia edges started to come undone after a few washes. It does not affect the overall performance of the fabric itself, but the edges might fray over time. Despite these flaws, GroVia makes some great multipurpose baby cloth wipes you will love for many years.
GroVia Cloth Wipes are a favorite of ours and we love to always keep a few on hand in the nursery and in the diaper bag.
The OsoCozy Flannel Wipes is an unbleached cotton flannel wipe with a fuzzy, soft texture. Although thin, these wipes are perfect for a final once-over on the baby and for reaching between little chunky thigh rolls. They are a great budget option, coming in a 15-pack, and are among the most affordable. OsoCozy wipes offer a level of versatility and durability that is hard to match. We like to use them as diaper wipes, mealtime face wipes, and baby washcloths for bath time. We have personally used them in our homes for many years.
These flannel wipes begin on the larger side, but you can expect nearly an inch of shrinkage after the initial wash. Also, we prefer not to use these for messier situations or remove caked-on gunk, as they aren't substantially thick or textured enough to get the job done. BabyKicks Cloth Wipes are thicker baby wipes if thickness is what you are after. Still, we think you will find OsoCozy Flannel Wipes come in handy in almost every room in the house and are inexpensive enough to keep a little stash wherever convenient.
Although the come out of the wash slightly wrinkled, OsoCozy Flannel Wipes still lay flat enough to fold nicely.
The Buttons Cotton Flannel wipes are the closest we could find to a disposable. They are lightweight, thin, and easily folded to fit into a travel case for on-the-go diaper changes. Despite folding up very small, these wipes are large enough to offer good finger coverage. The flannel is very absorbent, and the already soft texture gets softer when it is damp. Because they are so thin, reaching into small nooks and crannies is easy. If you feel they are too thin, there is enough surface to fold the wipe in half and double the thickness. We think caregivers will appreciate their likeness to disposable wipes as they feel more familiar and manageable.
Our main complaints with Buttons wipes have to do with durability. We noticed some threads were coming loose from the stitching around the border. Over time, these threads pull out and unravel further. Luckily this does not affect the performance of the wipe as a whole. The durability of the cloth itself is not as good as some others. Some users note that the flannel started to wear after a few months and held up for about a year before the fabric began tearing and became unusable. However, we think purchasing a replacement pack periodically with such a low initial cost is manageable. If you are cloth diapering on a budget and don't want to invest much in accessories, the Buttons Cotton Flannel wipes may be good. But if you can swing a few more bucks, we recommend the durable GroVia Wipes.
The BabyKicks Cloth Wipes come in a 10-pack of cloth wipes and are one layer, with each side having a different texture for more thorough cleaning. The fleece side is simultaneously textured and soft, and the smoother knit offers a bit more absorbency. The fabric is a blend of hemp and organic cotton, which is more eco-friendly and has the added benefit of antibacterial properties, suitable for diapered skin. The single layer of fabric is thick enough to keep moisture from seeping through to your fingers and thin enough to maneuver around the small creases. After one wash, we experienced about a half-inch shrinkage with these oval-shaped wipes, and after years of use, post-wash measurements are 7.5" x 6.75", taking on a narrower oval shape with each wash. The colorful border stitching holds up well after heavy use.
After a few years of use and many cycles through the wash, the wipe's fleece side tends to get a bit matted. It is not as soft as in the beginning. We are also not pleased with the shrinkage that happens over time. However, for the amount of use they went through in our homes, we feel that they held up quite well aside from these things. Also, you must prep them before they reach full absorbency due to the natural materials. A minimum of 3 cycles through the wash should do the trick, but some parents don't like signing up for more work than is necessary. However, this is not a deal-breaker for us, as we toss them in with the rest of our laundry. We think any parent or baby would be happy to add BabyKicks wipes to your cloth stash. Though they're not quite as soft, the GroVia Wipes are more durable and offer better cleaning performance.
Tip: You never want to find yourself short on wipes (yikes!), so we recommend having a stash of at least 40 wipes to start. Also, keep a package of disposable wipes on hand if your laundry pile seems endless. Then you'll have them if you run out.
The thin, yet sturdy fleece on the BabyKicks wipes made them a tester favorite.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
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Credit: Abriah Wofford
How We Test Cloth Baby Wipes
The cloth vs. disposable diaper debate is one close to our hearts, and your wipe preference goes right along with it. We have been using and experimenting with various brands of cloth baby wipes for more than ten years, comparing them to one another and assessing how they measure up to their disposable counterparts. For this review, we chose our personal favorites and some of the most popular on the market for a head-to-head or tush-to-tush competition of softness, cleaning prowess, and durability to determine which options are the best.
After using a wide variety of cloth wipes, we have realized that not all are equal.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Why Trust GearLab
Our founder, Dr. Juliet Spurrier guides product selection and testing metrics and draws from her experience as a pediatrician and mother of two. Senior Review Editor, Abriah Wofford leads the hands-on testing in this cloth wipes review, using the wipes hands-on with baby testers.
We used the Charlie Banana Double Sided Wipes both in the lab and in our home to test their effectiveness and durability.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Analysis and Test Results
We evaluated and ranked each cloth baby wipe in this review, primarily based on three metrics: Cleaning Ability, Durability, and Softness. In addition, we considered where and when you are most likely to use each wipe to bring you specific recommendations tailored to your lifestyle.
What's the Best Value?
Cloth wipes usually have a low price per piece. This price dramatically increases when you tally up the recommended stash size of 40+ wipes. A wipe that costs around $2, like the BabyKicks Cloth, quickly becomes an $80+ investment if you purchase enough to avoid daily laundering. On the other hand, the OsoCozy Flannel Wipes are just .77 per wipe and add up to $30 overall. They also have the durability to last beyond diapering years, adding to the already great value. If you are on the strictest of budgets, the Buttons Cotton Flannel wipes are the lowest-priced option we tested and will run you about $20 to build an adequately sized stash of cloth wipes. These are similar to the OsoCozy wipes but less durable, so you may not get the same longevity as the higher-quality options.
Spasilk Baby Washcloths have a soft and supple feel to the terrycloth and are large enough to wipe and fold multiple times.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Cleaning Ability
The #1 most important task of a cloth wipe is cleaning your baby. To evaluate this most critical metric, we examined each wipe's texture, size, and absorbency to gauge how well it does its job.
Terry cloth wipes tend to latch on to unwanted matter with more gusto. Smoother textured cloths, like the OsoCozy Flannel Wipes, have less bulk and feel more dextrous in hand, allowing you to reach into all the nooks and crannies that are inaccessible with thicker wipes. GroVia Wipes earned a high score in this metric thanks to its perfect size and texture.
Prince Lionheart Warmies are the perfect size and texture get baby's bum squeaky clean.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Reversible wipes with different textures are some of our favorites, and the BabyKicks Cloth Wipes are a contender with this double-sided design, featuring a smooth side and a grabby side. We found ourselves reaching for this brand time and again. Babygoal Bamboo Wipes and Charlie Banana Double-Sided Wipes are our least favorite wipes for cleaning. We found Charlie Banana to be too soft and textureless, and the Babygoal wipes are too darn small, resulting in lower scores for both wipes' cleaning ability.
The fleece side of the Charlie Banana Wipes is cloud soft and won't irritate sensitive skin.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Softness
Baby bums are sensitive areas, and most parents (including us) will do a lot to prevent painful agitation. One of the many benefits of using cloth wipes is avoiding rash-inducing synthetic perfumes and chemicals. However, finding the balance between texture and softness can be tricky.
The softest wipes in this review are the Babygoal Bamboo Wipes, Buttons Cotton Flannel, and the Charlie Banana Double Sided Wipes. All three options have an uber-soft fabric that feels like a cloud against the skin. If your baby has extra sensitive skin, these may be perfect. However, we generally prefer a bit more “latch” to our cloth baby wipes. The GroVia Wipes terrycloth is gentle enough for most infants yet offers enough scrubbiness to clean a baby's bum thoroughly.
The fleece side of the BabyKicks wipes is velvety soft at first, but tends to become more coarse with time.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Prince Lionheart Warmies are slightly more abrasive but great for tackling the stickiest messes. Although we think they are still plush enough for daily use in most cases, they may be unsuitable for babies with uber-sensitive skin. One of the least soft options in the lineup is the Spasilk Baby Washcloths. Although a far cry from your average terrycloth towel, these wipes didn't have the type of lux texture that makes you want to rub the fabric against your face.
Although they are not the softest of the bunch, we still like the Spasilk cloths and think they are a great budget option.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Prince Lionheart Warmies Wipes Warmer is a diapering accessory we love. It works well with Prince Lionheart Warmies and many other wipe brands, making diaper changes significantly more enjoyable for your little one.
One of the most durable options in this review, the GroVia Cloth Wipes will hold up through years of diaper changes.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Durability
Durability comes into play when you contemplate the number of cloth baby wipes you should buy and the number of children they will have to last through.
However, some brands will make that number last through years of diapering, and others will require multiple purchases as the wipes wear out. The thickness of the fabric, the quality of the border stitching, and how well each product cycles through the washing machine are all factors we considered for this metric.
The no-frills OsoCozy Flannel Wipes get the job done and will stay with you past the diapering years.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The GroVia are hardy and well-constructed wipes, lasting through years of daily use in our homes. Another highly durable option is the OsoCozy Flannel Wipes. Although thin, the flannel fabric stays soft over time and can withstand various tasks without tearing or wearing out. The Buttons Cotton Flannel and the Spasilk Baby Washcloths are some of the least durable options we used. We found issues with poor stitching around the borders, and many users complained of the fabric tearing quickly.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Conclusion
In contrast to disposable wipes, cloth wipes can be an eco-friendly alternative, reducing overall landfill waste and exposure to chemicals and perfumes in your baby's diaper routine. To rank our favorites, we thoughtfully chose the best and most popular wipes on the market for hands-on testing to evaluate performance. In conjunction with the information in our review, we suggest testing a few styles because one size does not fit all situations. Plus, it can be handy to have multiple cloth wipes ready to be of service. We are sure our lineup includes a product suited to you and your baby's needs and budget.
