Inserts
THE RIGHT ABSORBENT INSERT FOR EVERY SITUATION
Absorbent inserts are the quick-change artists of the WindelManufaktur diaper. Whether for the day or the night, for childcare or for an outing - you only need the one diaper with the right absorbent material. With our inserts, you can always adapt the absorbency to your child's development phase and the situation. When it comes down to it, they even "manage" more than a disposable diaper. What's more, with a wide range of materials to choose from, you can decide what goes on your child's delicate skin. We have developed two different types of inserts that you can combine in any way you like: Inserts and Prefolds.
What's the difference between insert and prefold?
Example hemp fleece insert
You can put your inserts directly into the diaper. If necessary, you can shorten the length by folding it.
Example hemp prefold
Prefolds must be folded before use. You can fold them with different techniques to adjust the main wetting zone to the needs.
Our absorbent inserts in a nutshell
- super variable from a small insert to a big absorbant power pack,
- large selection of materials and surfaces,
- as an insert or as a prefold,
- hygienically washable at 60 °C
A note in advance: All absorbent inserts must be washed before use. They only reach their maximum absorbency after several washes!
You can put our inserts into the inner diaper as they are. You can fold the prefolds into a real absorbent miracle. The combination inserts are the best solution in some situations to absorb a gush or to be on the safe side.
Inserts in our shop
ZERO PREPARATION TIME NEEDED WITH INSERTS
Organic cotton terry insert
The organic cotton terry insertis soft, wonderfully high-pile and absorbent. The terry cloth holds solids and urine optimally and is the best solution for "gushers". You can put it on its own or as the top insert in theinner diaper. Our insert is the perfect all-round insert from birth to the end of the diaper-changing period.
It is also super easy to care for. We have used a special sewing technique for faster drying, so that it fans out on the line as if by itself.
Hemp fleece insert
The two-layer hemp fleece insert is the perfect combination insert. It is so thin that it is not noticeable at all. With its enormous storage capacity, it can perfectly hold the wetness from other inserts. Its velvety surface is not lost even after many washes.
Booster insert
The boosterinsert is a true high-tech product! We use third generation Zorb™ for our inserts. It can absorb ten times its weight and sucks twenty times faster than cotton, bamboo or hemp! This makes the thin insert a great absorbent booster for all other inserts. You can put up to three boosters under an organic cotton terry insert and get a night-ready diaper.
Washcloths
Our organic cotton terry washcloths are made of the same material as our organic cotton terry inserts, only they are smaller and thinner. You can of course use them as flannels to clean your body. Our secret tip, however, is to use them as liners in our diapers for newborns. The thin layer of fabric is not bulky and works wonders for catching eliminations from breastfeeding. When the urine comes in a gush with bigger babies, the washcloth is perfect as the top combination liner. It absorbs the liquid very quickly and distributes it evenly to the layer below.
Disposable inserts from Fairwindel
The disposable inserts from Fairwindel are a good alternative if you don't have the opportunity to wash them. They fit perfectly into our inner diapers and are suitable for use on holiday, on the road, at the nursery or at home. The inserts are plastic-free and do not contain superabsorbents (SAP or sodium polyacrylate). The absorbent material consists of 100% renewable natural fibres and is biodegradable.
OUR PREFOLDS ARE REAL ABSORBENT WONDERS
Prefolds are single- to multi-ply wipes that you fold into a bar. This makes them a really variable insert. Most of them work well as a stand-alone absorbent material. But you can also combine them with our inserts or flannel. This table gives you an overview.
Prefolds made of cotton
Our cotton prefolds are available in different designs and with different absorbency. For nighttime use, the beautifully patterned cotton Herkules Prefolds or the wonderfully soft organic cotton Herkules Prefolds made of superfine terrycloth that feels as soft as velours.
The organic cotton Poseidon Prefold is perfect for liquids or when the wetness comes in gushes. Our reversible prefold is also made from organic cotton. You can choose to have the fine towelling side or the cooling, smooth side on top.
Prefolds made from bamboo viscose
The fibres of our prefolds made of viscose are obtained from the bamboo plant. With a proportion of cotton and polyester, the absorbent inserts are much more robust and softer than bamboo inserts from other brands. The extra thick and absorbent single-coloured ones are best used from size 1 upwards and are called Super Herkules Prefolds to distinguish them from the other prefolds.
Prefolds made from hemp
You won't believe how soft hemp can be - even air-dried. Our hemp prefold is of superior quality with a particularly high hemp content and impresses with its softly soft surface. The square, two-ply cloth can be folded as desired. It is ideal as a supplementary absorbent insert under an organic cotton terry cloth insert or under a flannel in a newborn diaper.
Inserts Overview
Here you can see all the diaper inserts at a glance. The lines indicate the number of layers. Bear in mind that you will end up with several layers of prefolds, depending on the folding technique. For example, the Hercules Prefold folded lengthwise at the seams will give a total of eight layers of fabric.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT MATERIAL
Here you decide what goes on your child's delicate skin! We have absorbent inserts made from natural fibres and wonderfully skin-friendly synthetic fibres. Each material is carefully selected and has been extensively tested by our test families. If you want to know more about the materials we use, we recommend you visit our Help Centre pages.
These are the materials we use
- (Organic) cotton (smooth, as terry, as fine terry (like velours) and as reversible prefold).
- Hemp (smooth (70% hemp/30% organic cotton) and as fleece (55% hemp/45% organic cotton))
- Viscose from bamboo (as terry and as reversible prefold)
- Zorb™
- Cellulose and organic absorbent pellets from Fairwindel.
HOW TO USE OUR ABSORBENT INSERTS
Folding instructions for prefolds
You can fold our prefolds lengthwise or crosswise as required. The best way is to fold the insert in thirds. Simply imagine three columns, with the right and left columns folded to the middle.
The models with the name "Hercules" have a reinforced centre bar. This gives you particularly absorbent areas, depending on the fold.
You can find lots of tips on folding techniques in our Help Center. Depending on whether your child urinates in the front (mostly boys) or in the middle (mostly girls), we have a few instructions ready for you.
- Folding instructions with hemp prefold or reversible prefold for newborns
- Folding instructions with hemp prefold or reversible prefold for size 1 onwards
- Folding instructions "Pullerdamm" for newborns (boys)
- Folding instructions "Pullerdamm" from size 1 (boys)
- Folding instructions "Starke Mitte" for newborns (girls)
- Folding instruction "Starke Mitte" from size 1 (girls)
If you have a girl who likes to sleep on her tummy, you can also use the folding techniques from the "Pullerdamm". To do this, turn the folded insert over once and you will have more layers of inserts in the front area.
Combination tips
As you can see, you have many possible combinations with our inserts. The inner diaper has enough room for absorbent material to get you through the night. Just make sure that the inserts do not protrude over the edges of the inner diaper. Otherwise the liquid will be transferred to the outside, causing the diaper to "leak".
Every child has different elimination behaviour. That's why we can't make a blanket statement about which insert is best at which age or for which situation. How do you find your perfect combination? It's best to start with an insert that is appropriate for your child's age and observe their elimination behaviour. You will soon notice a pattern. Then you will know if you need to add something at certain times of the day.
We have a few tried and tested combination suggestions for you in the Help Center.
STORAGE OF WET INSERTS
We recommend that you store used absorbent inserts in an airy and dry place until the next wash. Our so-called wetbags are ideal for this purpose. These wetbags are made of the same material as our inner diapers: PUL or wool. They are mainly odour-proof, waterproof and breathable at the same time.
Why wetbags and not an airtight bucket with a lid? Find out on our knowledge page about storing used cloth diapers.
Washing and drying
The following washing recommendations apply to all of our absorbent inserts:
- 60 °C with full detergent powder in the standard or cottons program
- spin at less than 1,000 rpm
- use little bile soap
- do not use chlorine bleach
- air dry or tumble dry on gentle setting.
Detergent: Our inserts are extremely durable. That is why we are particularly struck when we receive feedback from customers about premature wear. This seems to be favoured by detergents containing aloe vera.
ABSORBENCY OVERVIEW
We have had our absorbent inserts extensively tested by our customers according to a standardised procedure. We have derived our level system from the values obtained:
From the ranking you can see how much the inserts absorb in comparison to each other and also how thick they are when folded. Sometimes a combination of two thin inserts can be better than one thick, absorbent one.
Feel free to do the test on your own inserts. If you like, please share your results with us. We will be happy to hear from you.
- Fill a measuring cup with 500 ml of water.
- Dip the dry insert into the water and leave it in for a minute.
- Take it out again and hold it above the measuring cup until it stops dripping.
- Read off the remaining amount.
BAMBOO HERCULES PREFOLDS IN THE TEST
We had cloth diaper parents test the bamboo prefolds:
- Our test families especially liked the absolute softness of the insert when they held it in their hands for the first time.
- The colours glow beautifully and the whole prefold made an impression on the cloth diaper parents that it would be very absorbent as advertised.
- During testing, it turned out that the bamboo prefold could indeed be used without another combination liner, especially during the day.
- But also at night the diaper kept tight for the majority of the testers and we got the feedback that the diaper pack was even a bit more discreet on the baby's bottom.
- Inserting the diaper into the inner diaper was as uncomplicated as with the other absorbent pads from WindelManufaktur.
- Washing went without a hitch, only a slight pilling was noticed.