Which Resuable Swim Diaper is Going to Contain the Poop?

I'm not a freak about recycling, reusing or saving the environment, but I do what I can. And if it saves me money? Even more motivating!

When I looked into the cost of cloth diapering versus disposable it soon became VERY clear that cloth diapering saves A LOT of money (and the environment). It was then an even more obvious choice to use a reusable swim diaper for my son. The first (and only) swim diaper I bought was Bummis Swimmi Cloth Diaper:

I bought a size Medium (15-22lb) and we have been using it for my son since he was about 5 months old, when he wasn't even 15 pounds yet. He is now 21 months and around 22-23lb and it still seems to fit.

Pros: sides that unfasten (as opposed to the pull-up type) would be helpful in the event of a mess (we have not had a #2 accident yet, so I can't really comment on this as much as others who have) but would also seem helpful when changing a very young baby who can't stand up - the pull ups are easier to put on a child who can stand up, the adjustable sides also allow you to fit the diaper to your baby's body size better, weight/size seems true as stated.

Cons: This diaper seems to hold in water so that the backside "sags" with all the water when my son gets out of the water, Velcro is an unwelcome evil in the washing machine (have you ever heard of the "diaper chain" when people talk about washing cloth diapers with Velcro? Trust me, you don't want Velcro in the wash with other Velcro diapers!) and Velcro has a limited life span.

The BIG Question...What if he poops in the water???

After reading hundreds of reviews pertaining to this very question, I have concluded:

1. If your child poops in the pool, NO diaper (reusable or disposable) is going to hold in the poop for very long. The diaper is basically just to buy you some time to get your child out of the water. 
2. When buying reusable swim diapers, go by weight of child, not age recommendations for sizing.
3. Babies/Kids are all built different. A diaper that might fit one child with large thighs very well may not fit a slender child. You will just have to try it on your child to know for sure!

FYI, most swimming pools now require a reusable swim diaper as opposed to a disposable one!

Here are my reusable swim diaper breakdown for some of the more popular brands:

Tuga Infant/Toddler Swim Diaper

Pros: gets good reviews (including parents of children going poop in the pool!), very cute designs, elastic waist and leg openings good for containment of poop

Cons: no side opening for easy cleaning after accidents, some reviews stated the "saggy" bottom factor due to the incredible waterproofness of the diaper holding the water IN.

$12-14 average price

Imse Vimse Swim Diaper

Pros: very compact, small and lightweight, opens on one side (for evil messes!)
Cons: mixed reviews at containing messes, tends to run big

$13-14 average price

Monkey Doodlez Swim Diaper
Pros: comes in with snaps or without snaps, has great mom/dad reviews, snug around the legs, Canadian company (NOT from China - which is a pro for most consumers), and SUPER cute designs :)
Cons: ummmm....? maybe the price?

$15-22 average price

Ultimately, we ended up trying the Finis swim diaper. I bought size large (22-28lbs, 12-18 months) even though my son is 21 months old, he still only weighs about 23 lb. We LOVE this diaper! It fits him perfectly, it's tight around the legs (but not the cut-off circulation-too-tight). There are no side snaps or openings but so far we haven't needed to know if that is a con...(no poop accidents yet!)

$8-10 average price

Obviously, there are many more brands and different styles of swim diapers out there. I have to say there is an overwhelming consensus amongst the online reviews from other parents that reusable is preferred over disposable for various reasons. Go and try it out for yourself!

More great swim diaper reviews (from actual moms and dads) at DiaperPin.com and DirtyDiaperLaundry.com