My personal thoughts on MCN’s vs CCN’s by Jenna (Mum of 5 month old baby girl).

Everyone has heard the hype over cloth nappies, particularly the current trend of Modern Cloth Nappies. Sounds great right? The most complain complaint, however, is the price. Modern Cloth Nappies (MCN) can be a very expensive outlay, with most basic units retailing for at least $12 on sale when you consider that you will need at the very least 10-12 nappies this can be quite a stumbling block. Our resident Guinea Pig Mum, Jenna has used both modern cloth nappies and a much cheaper version (let’s call them CCN, cheap cloth nappies) The CCNs were sourced on eBay from an overseas retailer for roughly $3 per unit, including postage.

Nappies have been compared by highlighting the various pros and cons with regards to the most prominent concerns washing, wearing, absorbency, quality and durability.

Washing

The biggest drawback for MCNs is the extensive, time consuming washing process. They’re quite fiddly, and each brand has a different preferred method for washing. Most of these involve soaking at particular temperatures, aren’t dryer friendly and require specialised products in the wash. And for the price you pay, you wouldn’t want to risk doing anything except the express instructions.

Cheap CCNs can be thrown in a large nappy bucket with Napisan. They then get thrown in the washing machine with soap nuts (helps keep the costs down even further!) and then through the dryer. Here is an example of a pink CCN nappy that hasn’t been used in comparison with the blue CCN that has been soaked, washed and dried at least once a day for the last 5 months. Can you tell the difference?

Wearing

The MCNs come with clip in inserts that you are required to buy separately to the nappy, significantly increasing the cost of each unit. While the clip in idea sounds great in theory, it is not so much fun poking your fingers through baby doo-doo to unclip them. These liners however, are tailored to fit the nappy perfectly and keep it all looking neat and tidy. MCNs are very bulky, and you may find it hard to get your baby into pants and onesies when he is wearing them.

The CCNs also require the purchasing of an insert. Bamboo fibre inserts are absolutely brilliant for the price (around 45cents each), and after being washed a couple of times were incredibly absorbent and soft. These inserts can be used in MCNs too, you may prefer them to the clip in method. CCNs are thinner in comparison to MCNs and many find it easier to dress their baby when they are wearing the CCNs.

It is worth noting you can buy disposable inserts for cloth nappies. It does up the cost factor, but still cheaper than buying disposables. Our guinea pig Mum used these recently when she was travelling with her bub; they made life so much easier!

Absorbency

This is where the MCNs come into their own. In terms of absorbency, they can’t be beaten.

The CCNs are great to use during the day when they can be changed more regularly. CCNs usually require 2 liners as opposed to the MCNs that only require a single liner.

Quality

You will be pleasantly surprised as to how the CCN’s can hold up to the toileting routine of a little one. While they are not as soft, nor as absorbent as the MCNs, they are still perfectly suitable for a baby, as long as you’re willing to change them more frequently than the MCNs.

Durability

“Both types of nappies are used on a daily basis in my house, and each remains in tip top shape. I have been using both types of nappies for close to five months now. I am much rougher, and take less care with my cheaper nappies and they are still in fantastic condition. I wouldn’t rate one nappy over the other each has held up well”

So it comes down to personal preference as to the type of nappy you choose to use for your baby. You might prefer a combination of MCNs and CCNs, using the MCNs at night time for their superior absorbency and the CCNs during the day as they are easier to wash and maintain. Our Guinea Pig Mum would be confident to recommend either type to a Mum looking to try cloth nappies.

Note: This is the expressed opinion of one Mum and is not the opinion of Stay at Home Mum.