The new Wizard range consists of the Wizard Duo all in two, Wizard Uno all in one and the Wizard Easystuff pocket nappy. Motherease is a very well respected cloth nappy brand and just as I expected the Wizard nappies have performed exceptionally well.
Wizard Duo
The Wizard Duo is an all in two nappy system. This is a fairly new class of nappy and is somewhere between a two part system (nappy and separate wrap) and an all in one (wrap and nappy permanently sewn together). The Wizard Duo outer wraps come in different sizes, xs 8-12lbs, small 10-18lbs, medium 18-27lbs and large 27-35lbs. This makes the system more expensive however it also means there is no compromise on fit as there is with a birth to potty wrap. The Wizard wraps only come in popper fastening however I find them to be very adjustable and I didn’t have any problems getting a snug fit. The poppers on the nappy tabs are positioned vertically above each other (just like the Bumgenius range), this makes an extremely secure fastening far more secure in my opinion than nappies that have horizontal off set popper positions.
With the Wizard Duo you have a choice of nappy insert sizes. Either xs/sx 8-18lbs, med/large 18-35lbs or the onesize 10-35lbs (onesize doesn’t fit inside the xs wrap). The sized inserts make the neatest nappies however the Onesize offer the best value. For most people starting cloth nappies from birth i’d expect them to use xs/sm inserts and then more onto the med/large size. If you’re looking for a birth to potty system then i’d suggest using muslins until 10lbs and then moving onto the onesize insert.
Not only do you get a choice of insert size but there are choices of nappy fabric too. These are Staydry Regular (daytime), Staydry Nighttime, Bamboo and Cotton. The Staydry is AMAZING and my favourite. Everytime my baby used this nappy it was COMPLETELY dry to the touch and the first few times i though she hadn’t wet it at all even though she definitely had. The only way I could tell she had actually wet it was that it felt heavier than a dry unused pad. The Staydry layer also had another benefit, she’s currently teething badly and has very acidic wee, this has led to her developing nappy rash on an off just before the tooth pops through. However whenever i’ve used the staydry inserts she didn’t get a rash at all and her skin started to heal. Over night her wee is particularly strong, however using the staydry night time inserts next to her skin have been wonderful and no sign of a rash at all. If you’ve ever struggled to use cloth during teething you should really try these staydry nappies! The Bamboo inserts are very soft, very absorbent and cheaper than the staydry inserts but do not have a stay dry layer so baby will feel wet, they are also the slowest drying insert (24hours+). The cotton inserts are the cheapest, average drying speed (overnight) but the lowest absorbency. The bamboo and cotton fabric is the same that is used with their famous Motherease Onesize Nappy. If you are trying EC (Elimination Communication) the cotton or bamboo inserts would be perfect to use and i can see the Wizard Duo becoming a very popular nappy for ECing families.
For night time i’ve ALWAYS been a supporter of a two part nappy system as it’s easier to get additional boosters inside and the absorbency of a two part nappy is generally higher anyway. I’ve tested the staydry night time onesize insert with an additonal basic booster and the system lasted her all night without any leaks. The additional booster is put underneath the Wizard insert so that the staydry layer is still next to baby’s skin. The addtional booster was very wet and the nappy wouldn’t have lasted much longer (was on her 12hours). She is an average wetter but this is the first all in one or all in two system what has ever lasted her all night and i’ve tried MANY combinations. If you have an average wetter and want a slim night time nappy this is a system i’d recommend. Heavy wetters i would still stick with the higher absorbency two part nappy systems.
Drying time for the stay dry inserts are very quick so ideal for people with limited drying facilities. However just a warning, the stay dry inserts feel so dry to the touch make sure they really are dry before you put them away, as they might feel dry but the inner core might still be damp. I learnt to tell by the weight of them.
The idea with all in two nappies is that you just change the insert and use the outer wrap again. There are four poppers to secure the inserts into the Wizard wraps. If you’ve got a wriggly baby it could be a nightmare unpoppering the insert and then fastening a new one in. I got round this by having two wraps on the go and I always had the next one made up ready. My process was taking the soiled nappy off and putting to one side, putting the new nappy on and letting her off to play (or back in the cot or somewhere safe for a younger baby). I’d then unpopper the soiled insert and put it into the bucket and then popper a new insert back into that wrap and leave it ready for the next nappy change.
As the inserts are so slim they don’t take up much room in a change bag so if you like to travel light and find some cloth nappies too bulky for your change bag you’ll like these!
Am I am going to part with my samples…. no way these are now a permanent addition to my nappy system and my first choice for times of teething.
The Wizard range can be bought on the site and the link below takes you to all the parts:
http://www.thenappylady.co.uk/productGallery.asp?topCategoryID=1&subcategoryID=29
Demo video will be available soon.
Wendy Richards
www.thenappylady.co.uk
