Frequently Asked Questions
Please see our laundry recommendations here. We recommend washing at 60°c to ensure a hygienic clean.
Putting a reusable nappy on a baby for the first time may seem slightly different to a disposable nappy, but in essence, it's the same — you're simply fastening a nappy to and around the baby! Please see our detailed fit guide here.
Roam absorbent inserts are made from bamboo terry, a natural material, and would benefit from a few pre-washes to help them reach their full absorbency, remove natural oils and perform well — just think about new towels! We also recommend giving the covers a single quick wash. No need to dry inserts in-between the pre-wash stage. Don't worry too much about this, as the nappies will all reach full absorbency eventually!
Roam reusable nappies should fit most babies from around 8-12 lbs, with 10 lbs being the general sweet spot. All babies are different and our one-size nappies may fit sooner or later. Roam one-size pocket nappies will continue to fit up to around 35 lbs, or when your child is toilet ready. Our one-size pocket nappies are a generously sized so-called ‘birth-to-potty’ nappy.
As a new business, we opted for a one-size nappy for our first cloth nappy offering because it covers the broadest range of sizes. We are working on and developing new products. These things take time!
As a rough estimate, for full-time use you will need around 15-30 reusable nappies. This allows you to have nappies clean and dry when it's wash day. This varies depending on the age of your baby. As a baby gets older, there will be less frequent nappy changes. However, you don’t need to rush out and buy 20 nappies if you’re thinking about making the switch to reusable nappies — starting with one or two is an excellent way to dip your toes in and you’d be saving hundreds of disposable nappies from landfill just by using one cloth nappy a day!
Absolutely! It’s always helpful (but not entirely necessary!) to have spares for wash days, as bamboo can be slow to air dry. You'll find them here.
A pocket nappy is a type of reusable cloth nappy where the absorbency goes inside the elasticated pocket in the back of the waterproof nappy cover and has a stay dry lining to wick moisture away from the skin. Absorbency can be customised if you need more or less in the pocket. Once the inserts are 'stuffed' inside the pocket, the whole nappy goes on a baby like an 'all-in-one' disposable nappy would. At every nappy change, the whole nappy comes off and a new nappy needs to be put on baby. Pull the inserts out of the pocket before storing in a bucket/wet bag for washing. Reusable nappies do sit lower and are a bit more fitted than disposable nappies, but we have a guide for that! Most people will pre-stuff nappies after washing and drying so they are ready to use as needed. Pocket nappies are a great option for nurseries/childcare.
Probably one of the most common questions when it comes to reusable nappies! You simply shake anything solid off into the loo and flush it away. Did you know that even if you use disposable nappies, solids (poo/faeces) should always be flushed down the toilet before disposing of the nappy? Pre-weaned or liquid baby poo is fine to go straight into the washing machine until they are having solid food because it is biodegradable. Disposable and reusable nappy liners can help with clean-up.
Our nappies and accessories are designed in England and manufactured in a trusted and ethical facility near Shanghai, China. The factory is audited by SEDEX and is Oeko-Tex certified. Safety and transparency is a priority. Each product goes through four types of quality control and products have third-party safety inspections to EU standards. We import our products via rail. Rail freight emits over 80% less CO2 than air freight. You can read more about our impact here.
Roam reusable nappies and wet bags are made from a mix of materials. The waterproof covers are made from a recycled PUL fabric called REPREVE®. Roam's custom inserts are made from 10 layers of bamboo terry per set, provided with each nappy. They are super soft, absorbent and slim. Our washable baby wipes are also made from this same bamboo terry velour. The lining of a Roam nappy cover is either polyester microfleece or AWJ (birdseye/athletic wicking jersey). We are working towards using recycled or natural materials for every element of our cloth nappies. All materials have Oeko-Tex certification from our manufacturing facility.
PUL is an acronym for polyurethane laminate, which is polyester fabric thermally laminated or coated on the backside with a thin, breathable waterproof layer. It's a very common material for reusable nappies and wet bags. Roam uses recycled polyester fabric before it is laminated. You can read all about REPREVE® here.
We love the benefits of bamboo. We opted not to use microfibre in our inserts as we think bamboo performs really well by itself. Microfibre is a material we would like to step away from due to micro-plastic concerns — we are aiming to use either natural or recycled materials throughout our products and hope to extend this to the lining of our nappies in the future. Microfibre can also cause compression leaks in reusable nappies. Although bamboo can take a while to dry, ultimately we have decided to use this for our super absorbent inserts. Click here to read our blog about the benefits of bamboo!
Modern cloth nappies are nothing like old-fashioned nappies (which did serve humanity perfectly well until disposables became mainstream in the 1950s and 1960s!). Modern cloth nappies are made from innovative and natural materials and usually have a lightweight, breathable - yet waterproof - outer cover. Roam reusable cloth nappies are lined with stay-dry microfleece or AWJ. The stay-dry lining sits against baby's skin keeping it feeling cool and dry, while allowing liquids through into the absorbent part of the nappy. Even with saturated inserts, the lining will still feel dry against their bottom! When the weather is hot, modern cloth nappies are a comfortable choice due to their breathability, whereas disposable nappies are plastic.
They can work and some people do have success with using pocket or 'day' nappies for nighttime. However, many reusable nappies won't have the capacity for overnight wear without 'boosting' (adding extra absorbent inserts). Boosting the nappy too much can then cause leaks by being too close, or not close enough, to the body, due to the extra padding. We believe a two or three-part system (fitted nappy, booster and separate cover) is the best method for nights and many people aren't aware of this when using reusable cloth nappies. While they are not available yet, we are working on our very own night system separate to our pocket nappies. It will be available as a set with everything you need for nighttime use.
We sometimes work with selected influencers and we are always happy to review your social content to assess whether we're a good fit! If you'd like to chat about influencer and blogger collaborations, please email us here.
Please see our full returns policy here. Roam nappies and accessories cannot be returned once washed or used, unless there is a manufacturer's fault. Any such faults are covered by a 6 month guarantee from the date of purchase. Proof of purchase required. Terms and Conditions apply.
Please see our wholesale and retailer information here.
Of course, we'd love to help. Please email: hello@roamnappies.com.
Modern cloth nappies are nothing like old-fashioned nappies (which did serve humanity perfectly well until disposables became mainstream in the 1950s and 1960s!). Modern reusables are made from innovative and natural materials and usually have a lightweight, breathable - yet waterproof - outer cover. Roam reusable nappies are lined with stay-dry microfleece or AWJ. The stay-dry lining sits against baby's skin keeping it feeling cool and dry, while allowing liquids through into the absorbent part of the nappy. Even with saturated inserts, the lining will still feel dry against their bottom! When the weather is hot, modern cloth nappies are a comfortable choice due to their breathability, whereas disposable nappies are plastic.