Friday, July 27, 2012

AppleCheeks Washable Swim Diaper: Review and Giveaway! (Closed)


If you've been kicking around for awhile here at M2M, you'll know I loooove AppleCheeks cloth diapers! I've had the opportunity to review both their Microterry and  Bamboo "Little Bundles" (i.e. envelope cover + absorbent insert) and awarded both extremely good scores via my cloth diaper evaluation system.

I'm happy to be teaming up with AppleCheeks again now by reviewing their Washable Swim Diaper!


Product Information:

AppleCheeks Washable Swim Diaper is a super soft, super cute swim solution! As we know you LOVE the styling of the AppleCheeks Envelope Cover, we’ve translated the design to a product that really works for the pool, the lake or the beach!

Two layers of 100% polyester Canadian-milled mesh allows water to comfortably move through the diaper while keeping any solids, should they occur at an inopportune time, out of the water.

Our diaper is completely designed and manufactured right in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, just like the rest of our AppleCheeks line.


And our signature two-size system with snaps at the waist and separately adjustable snaps at the thigh means your little one is guaranteed a comfortable, long-last fit.
  • Size 1 fits approximately 7 – 20lbs
  • Size 2 fits approximately 18 – 35lbs


My Review:

For review purposes, I chose the Samoan Sunset colour swim diaper in Size 2. Similar to their standard diapers, their swimmy comes with minimal packaging, which I always like to see!


A closer-up shot, sans insert:


True to description, the design of the swim diaper is very similar to their envelope cover. The same two-sized system is used (except their Size 2 envelope cover goes to 40 pounds, whereas the swimmy goes to 35), two rows of firm (but not ultra-tight) snaps are included and the signature super-stretchy & "ruffly" waist and leg elastics are incorporated here as well.


One difference is that there are only three sets of snaps on each size, whereas the envelope cover has four on each side. However I don't see this being an issue given the stretchiness of the waist elastic.


Given this is a swim diaper, the standard microfleece inner has been swapped out for a polyester mesh, which you can kinda-sorta see here. In hindsight, getting closer for a macro shot would have provided a better idea of the material's texture, but hopefully you can get a decent idea with this one.

 

All in all, the diaper is soft and incredibly light weight. Perfect, because the last thing you want when kickin' it at the pool is heavy, wet material hanging off your derrière!

Let's take a look at how the AppleCheeks swim dipe fits on our li'l princess! (18 months old and just over 20 pounds.)

Front view:


Side view:


"Mostly back" view:


Close-up of a leg gusset:


C'mon Mommy - are we going to go swimming already?!?


S has been in the 20-21 pound range during the review period, so she's at the lower end of the recommended weight spectrum for Size 2. That said, the waist and leg elastics still create a nice, snug fit on her so we haven't had any concerns that the diaper wouldn't contain at least a semi-solid mess (though I'm mostly happy to say we haven't had to test the theory out. Yet. :). The only fitting "imperfection" we've noticed (and it's probably due to the weight range thing) is that the diaper is a bit baggy in the back, especially when she's been playing for awhile. Here she is "helping" Mom & Dad in the backyard, and you can see that she has a li'l extra junk in the trunk.


At this point, I'd like to stop and thank AppleCheeks for their patience during this review period, as S has now been using the diaper for over two months. (Various personal factors have made it challenging for me to crank out reviews lately.) On the flipside, a longer review period = that many more opportunities to use the product, which is of course awesome assuming the goal is a thorough, detailed review (which you all know is my shtick. ;)

On the above note, S has now worn her swim diaper in the following scenarios: at the public (indoor) pool during her "Duck Tots" swimming lessons, in our own above-ground pool, on the sandy beach / wading in the shallow water at the cottage, and just mucking around in our backyard. As mentioned earlier, it's awesome in the water as it's so lightweight, and it fits nicely under a bathing suit which you can see from the following video taken during her swimming lessons.


When we remove the diaper, there are never any marks on her waist or legs, so we're confident that she's nice & comfy in there.

I'm also happy to report that it's quite durable. Aside from water (both chlorinated and fresh), our little munchkin's swimmy-clad bum has spent abundant time in sand, weedy grass, gravel and other less-than-gentle surfaces and the diaper hasn't sustained any damage or even noticeable wear.

On a related note, it's super-easy to care for. If it isn't visibly dirty after a wearing, we simply rinse under running water and hang to dry (and it dries fully in a few hours). We'll even do this if she's had a pee in the diaper, because there's no absorbent material which needs to be cleaned thoroughly. (On this note, swim diapers are not designed to contain pee. So yup, it's true - the more li'l kiddos in a pool, the higher the urine to water ratio. Yay!!) If the diaper is dirtier and/or she has worn it a few times, we just throw it in a load of cloth diaper or regular laundry and it comes out good as new!

All in all, I love our AppleCheeks Washable Swim Diaper, and would definitely recommend it to parents looking for a well-fitting, comfortable, attractive, durable swimmy for their little one(s). The only criticism I can think of is that it only comes in three colours, so it would be nice to see a few more options here, and possibly a print or two! But otherwise, two enthusiastic thumbs (bums?) up!


Buy It:

AppleCheeks sells its products exclusively via 3rd party retailers. Visit their Find a Store page to find retailers in your area.


Win It:

One lucky Manager to Mom reader will win an AppleCheeks Washable Swim Diaper of their own! Winner chooses colour and size.

To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Comments do not count as entries, however feel free to add a comment to remind yourself that you entered! 


 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  The prize is being provided and shipped to the winner by AppleCheeks.  I received no financial compensation for writing my review or offering this giveaway, although I did receive the sample items free of charge.  This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.

6 comments:

  1. Love the new swim diaper!

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  2. I love my Applecheeks swim diaper! Actually, my son's swim diaper. :) It dries really quickly and fits so well. Only have a size 1 right now, but will definitely be getting a size 2 for next summer!

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  4. Have one (same color too) and love it!!

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