Right, let's start from the very beginning.

You might be here because a friend mentioned wool covers and you're not sure whether to take them seriously. Or you did some searching at midnight, found a thread full of acronyms, and quietly closed the tab. Maybe you tried cloth diapers before and it seemed like more effort than it was worth. Maybe someone in a group said "just use wool" like that explained anything.

Wherever you're coming from — you don't need to already understand this. That's the whole point of this page.

Here's everything. Actually from the beginning.

A cloth diaper is two pieces.

That's it. That's the whole system.

There's an inner layer — the part that does the absorbing. And there's an outer layer, called a cover — the part that keeps everything contained.

The inner layer is called a flat or a prefold. A flat is a large square of fabric — literally just fabric, nothing complicated — that you fold to fit your baby and fasten in place with a snappi or a pin. A prefold is the same idea but pre-stitched into panels so there's more absorbency in the middle where you need it. Both have been around for a very long time. They're simple, they dry fast, and they work.

You fold your flat or prefold and lay it inside the cover, then put the whole thing on your baby — or fasten the flat first with a snappi, then pull the cover over. Either way, it goes on like one piece. It takes about as long as putting on a disposable once you've done it a few times.

That's the whole setup. Everything else is just variations on those two pieces.

The cover is where Bumby comes in.

Most covers are made from PUL — polyurethane laminate, which is basically a thin plastic coating bonded to fabric. They do the job. But they don't always seal tight against the skin, they take ages to dry, and they don't breathe the way you'd want something to breathe when it's against a baby's body all day.

Bumby covers are wool. And wool is a different thing entirely.

Wool absorbs moisture — up to 30% of its own weight — without feeling wet on the surface. So the inner layer can be damp and your baby's skin stays dry. The fibre is hollow, which means it traps warm air in winter and releases heat in summer. It genuinely regulates in both directions. And here's the part that sounds like a rumour but is actually Mother Nature being the hero she is: lanolin — the natural wax that comes from the sheep's own skin and stays in the wool fibre — reacts with urine and neutralizes it. It turns into something close to soap and water. Which means a wool cover doesn't smell the way a synthetic one does, and it doesn't need to be washed every single time it gets used.

If you're thinking — that sounds too good to be true — we hear that a lot. It's real. Wool has been used for exactly this purpose for a very long time, before synthetic materials existed. We just forgot about it for a few decades.

About the care.

This is the thing people worry about most. Let's just go through it.

Your cover arrives already treated with lanolin and ready to use. You don't have to do anything before putting it on your baby the first time.

During regular use, you take it off, let it air dry, and put it back on next time. That's a normal day. The lanolin is doing its job and the cover doesn't need washing.

After a few wears — how many depends on your baby, but most people find it's every three to five days or so — you'll want to let it air out properly or rinse it. When the lanolin starts to wear down (you'll notice it feels less water-resistant, or it starts to smell a bit faster), it's time for a full wash and a re-treatment.

Full wash: machine wash on cold, gentle cycle, with Unicorn Clean — a wool-safe detergent. While it's still wet, you apply a lanolin treatment. Then lay it flat to dry.

That's the whole care process. It takes about ten minutes of actual hands-on time and happens every couple of weeks or so under normal use. One full wash cycle a fortnight versus running a wash load of synthetic covers every day or two.

Everything you need for the first two months comes in your order.

How many do you actually need.

Less than you think, because of how wool works.

The cover gets reused. You take it off, let it air out, put it back on next time. You're not washing it after every single use — that's the whole point. So you don't need ten covers. Most families get by comfortably with four to six, rotating between them. Some manage with fewer.

The inner layers — your flats or prefolds — do get washed every time, because they're handling everything directly. So you'll want more of those. A dozen is a reasonable starting stack.

And the cover only needs to come off the rotation entirely if there's a poop situation. Pee it handles. That's the short version.

Which cover is yours.

There are four styles. Here's the honest breakdown.

Traditional is the everyday workhorse. Trim fit, sits lower on the waist. Goes with most body types and most diapers. If you're not sure where to start, a lot of people start here.

Briefs sit higher with longer legs — better coverage, narrower cut. Great for long lean babies. Not ideal if your baby has a chunky build.

Hybrid is the one most people end up reaching for most. It has the higher coverage of the Briefs with more room through the hips and bum. Works well on a wider range of body shapes. If your baby is solidly built, this is usually the answer.

Abrazo uses hook-and-loop tabs (the same closure as a disposable) instead of snaps, with an adjustable rise — meaning you can change the height of the cover as your baby grows. More flexible over time. Good if you want one cover that adapts rather than resizing at each stage.

If you're stuck, just ask. We've been helping people figure this out for a long time and we're not going to push you toward the most expensive thing or the most complicated answer. We'll just ask you a few questions and point you in the right direction.

You don't have to do this perfectly.

A lot of people start with one cover. Some people use wool at night and something else during the day while they're getting used to it. Some people take a few weeks to get the lanolin routine dialled in. It's about doing what is best for you and your family.

Wool is not precious. It's durable. It was bred to be worn in all weather by animals that live outside. If you mess up the first wash, it's not ruined. If you forget to re-lanolin for longer than you planned, it's fine. If you have questions at 10pm because you're not sure if what you're seeing is normal — there's a community of people who've been exactly where you are, and they will actually help you.

That community is here. We're here. Start wherever you are.