Charlie Banana
Details:
A birth to potty pocket nappy, with 2 different sized microfibre inserts, snap closures, a stay dry lining and PUL outer. These come in a variety of block colours and prints. Their unique selling point is their adjustable leg elastic.
Fit:
I was really attracted to these nappies because of the adjustable leg elastic. Unlike other OS nappies which adjust with snaps, the leg elastic in the Charlie Banana adjusts with a 'bra strap' style affair, which means the elastic is adjustable to precisely your babies fit. Despite this, I didn't find them a great fit at all. The elastic always seems too tight or too loose, I couldn't seem to get it just right, which of course led to either red marks or leaks. They also seemed pretty bulky on Isabelle, even with the newborn microfibre insert in.Containment:
Despite the leg elastic issue, I cannot fault their 'solids' containment. Trust me, it was very well tested! However, wee leaks weren't always so well contained, and we had two unfortunate leaks on Simon's suit trousers at a wedding. Needless to say, he wasn't pleased, and the nappies were sold on soon afterwards. While other nappies were easy to use with just a microfibre insert at that point, Isabelle needed these to be boosted, indicating their absorbency wasn't as good as many other nappies.
Ease of use:
Very easy to stuff, and the leg elastic was easy to adjust (despite my own inability to to get it right.) As easy as any nappy to snap on to Isabelle.
Appearance and quality:
I can't fault the quality of shells of these nappies at all, but as I mentioned, I don't feel the quality of the microfibre inserts is as good as other nappies. The appearance of these nappies is superb. They have some of my all time favorite prints, and a good range of solid colours, which seem nicer than other brands.
Cost:
£14.99 - I think slightly expensive. You can get boxes of 6 which reduce the individual price (and tempted me many times!)
Bug bears:
Obviously the lack of microfibre absorbency is my main issue here.
Overall:
The Charlie Banana OS nappy gets a 3/5 from me. The gorgeous prints, and general quality is great, but they do lack the absorbency of similar nappies, and are more expensive than I think they should be.
Have you used any of the Charlie Bananas?
