New Zealand designed cloth nappies

New Zealand designed cloth nappies is a phrase that seems to pop up all of the time, but what does it actually mean? Are all nappies that claim this the same? What is it about our nappies that make them different to other brands on the market? Want to learn more? Then read on.

Designing cloth nappies

I’ve always been quite proud of the fact that our dinky nappy was designed right here in New Zealand by me. But of course I was part of this process every step of the way, so I understand what it actually means when I make that claim. Back in 2007, when my oldest son was only a year old I’d been using cloth nappies since he was born. I decided that I wanted to try and make some nappies myself and so I started the slow process that would eventually lead to the dinky nappy.

I think I’d be the first to admit that actually, my first attempt wasn’t the best. I spent the following years working on my nappy making skills and tweaking the design to add things that I liked from other nappies and a few of my own ideas. When I finally went into business in 2010 I’d had a number of different prototypes and had something that I was finally happy with.

Manufacturing cloth nappies

Although I started out making the nappies myself, it soon became clear that I wasn’t going to be able to keep doing that. I made a few more changes to the dinky nappy and found a manufacturer that I trusted to make them. Unfortunately, I had to look overseas for this and most of our cloth nappies are made in China. The manufacturer that we use is a reliable and ethical producer and I’ve worked with a long time so know that I can trust them to make cloth nappies in a way that I am happy with. I’ve tried for many years to find someone to make them here in NZ, but as yet have had no joy. We do have a small range of cloth nappies made in NZ. But these only get added to when I have time to sew, which isn’t very often any more. With our nappies being New Zealand designed cloth nappies, we can be sure that they are made with the features that I developed here in NZ.

Not New Zealand Designed Cloth Nappies

There are lots of nappies (and of course other products) that claim to be New Zealand designed, but is that always the case. Although there are those that are, those that have spent time and effort in developing the features of their products, there are plenty that aren’t. Some people simply put their own label onto a product that they have had manufactured overseas to a generic pattern. Although there are some items that don’t really need more design, there are really only so many ways to make a wet bag for example, for the rest of our products we really have thought about the design. I’m very proud of the products that I’ve developed here in NZ for Kiwi parents. I’ve got more in the pipeline, but sadly, these often take years to take from the initial idea to a fully finished item ready for sale, but hopefully, I’ll have some new things to share soon.

Is having a product that has been designed in New Zealand important to you? As always I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on our facebook page.