Diaper Lab

I drank the Kool-​Aid. I can’t stop buying diapers now. I shop at the Diaper Lab becaus everyone there is friendly and knowledgeable plus their prices are equal or better than Amazon’s. Are you afraid of cloth? Don’t be.
Cloth diapers are
cheaper than disposables overall
Super easy to clean (Seriously)
Exceedingly cute (yes your baby can be even cuter… just add a giant bum)
Earth friendly
well fitted– no blowouts!
Gentle on baby skin
I could go on.
Take the intro to cloth workshop, you will get sucked in like I did and be supporting a wonderful small local business. Oh and, parking!

Are you thinking about cloth diapering at all? Even just on weekends? or during the day? or when Venus is in it’s 3^rd house? (I don’t know astrology) If you are, stop what you’re doing right now (reading this review) and point your browser at their website and sign your happy ass up for one of their intro to cloth diapering classes. Seriously. It’s $ 20 for 1 – 2 people (and who can’t afford that?!) and it will absolutely convince you that you can cloth diaper! (or maybe it won’t, but at least you’ll be sure!)
My plan was to purchase 1 or 3 cloth diapers and just «see» if I could do it. This was after much Googling and YouTubing. Then, a fellow member of the Boston Moms Facebook group suggested the Diaper Lab. Here are the highlights:
Classes
I already mentioned Intro to Cloth Diapering, but there’s also a Baby Wearing class, a Newborn Care class and a New Dad’s class! Our instructor, Jen, was quite witty and down to earth, not an intimidating, crunchy, granola mom you may anticipate.
Packages
HOLY MOLY! The Newborn Diaper Rental package is amazing (disclaimer: I haven’t gotten ours yet because Baby isn’t here). There are two price points, $ 300 and $ 450. The more expensive one just gets you a couple diaper types that are a bit pricier. But they give you everything you need to get started down to the pail liner, wet bag and detergent.
There is also a package for larger babies (after 3 – 6 months) that includes 8 different diaper types and costs $ 35. You get $ 15 off a purchase of $ 75 or more when you return it.
Prices
It’s easy to think that you can just go on Amazon and get a better price, but that isn’t so. Diaper Lab (DL) sells at MSRP and so does Amazon. Plus, DL can give bulk discounts and a coupon after a class. Plus they let you try stuff out before buying it. That’s so frickin’ worth it. Also, you can feel really great about supporting a local, small business. (And these folks are great, we want to keep them around! Which brings me to…)
Service
I mentioned our instructor Jen. Not only was she a great instructor but she also is not at all a sales person. By her own admission, she’ll talk you out of purchases before she’ll talk you into them. The owner, Salina, is the same way. You can tell that they don’t put things on the shelves unless they truly believe in them. Cloth diapers can be a bit tricky to maintain, but it’s clear you can call the shop if you ever have a question and they’ll troubleshoot any issues you may have.
Very rarely am I so enthusiastic about a business, but I’ve been excited about this one pretty much since I first saw that mom on FB recommend it. I’m sure there are very few communities lucky enough to have something like this. I’m so grateful to have found it!

Great selection of diapers, disappointing staff. I had high expectations for this place to be THE place for cloth diapers with a really knowledgable staff. Each time I came in they seemed disorganized and confused. I have a sneaking suspicion that they’ve recently hired someone new and she has very little cloth diaper knowledge.

I received a gift certificate for diaper lab from a friend and went there one Saturday afternoon. The store has a wide selection of cloth diaper prefolds and covers in a variety of sizes. Because I am a new parent, I really had no idea what I was looking for despite my internet reading. Unfortunately the employee working that day took her sweet time to provide any guidance, making it an inefficient experience for me. When the employee finally did attempt to provide guidance on buying covers for a newborn, the information was incorrect. The covers I bought where one-​size, which do not fit a newborn baby well (as opposed to size extra small, or a specific newborn size cover). In addition, the prefolds I was directed to buy are also too large for a newborn. Although there are a few classes for cloth diapering, the store location is so out of the way for me and the advice I received was so misguided that I will not be going back. The reason why I still think the store deserves 4 stars is that it is the only place to get many cloth diapering supplies in the Boston area. They also has a couple of diaper package options that would allow new parents to try out different brands of cloth diapers easily without making a huge investment up front.

Diaper Lab is an excellent store for new parents. My wife and I took the cloth diaper class there this morning with Jen, and it was exactly what we were hoping for. In just one and a half hours, we went from «we know we want cloth diapers» for several reasons to knowing which of the choices in diapers we wanted.
At Diaper Lab, they know all the products in the store because the employees have used them, so when they give a recommendation, it is from not a manufacturer’s sales pitch or an uninterested salesperson. They are knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful.
I’ve taken the baby carrier class, too, and I finally found one that fits my tall frame (most don’t). Jen was the teacher for that one, too, and she helped me try them on to find the right one for me.
While prices there are moderate, they are often better than what you will find on the internet, and with the service, the prices can’t be beaten!

The staff here are INCREDIBLY helpful and truly a wonderful resource for cloth diapering parents. I already had my full stash of diapers but they’ve been great about troubleshooting with me and spending not insubstantial time providing advice. Their stock is great, too, with plenty of diapers but also cloth diaper accessories and other items (like baby carriers).

The one star is for the class they offer on cloth diapers, otherwise they deserve zero stars. I never thought I would be writing this, but feel compelled to do so. I made the mistake of signing up for their most expensive 3 month infant cloth diaper rental for over $ 300. They tell you to sign up early so that they can accommodate, and that they will work with you to ensure you get what you need… for $ 375…I hope so! Well, my baby was going to come earlier than planned and I was to be induced, so they moved up my rental date up and I was told by Jen (?) that the sizes they provided me were the smallest they had when I picked them up — since I was delivering early I needed smaller sizes. I ended up having complications and my daughter was born @ 4lbs and with a heart condition, so we weren’t able to use the supplied diapers for months. When I got some of my sanity back and wasn’t in and out of the hospital for the next month, I called and spoke to the manager to explain the situation and to see if they would allow for me to extend my rental for a month since she was only able to fit into what they supplied 2 months into the rental, leaving me one month of use. She said I could extend if I paid an additional $ 75! I explained again that I was told the diapers supplied to me were the smallest they had and certainly couldn’t return them for their use by other customers since I was in the hospital and trying to care for our daughter staying up 22 hours a day for weeks! She asked if I read the contract and they wouldn’t be able to accommodate me and extend for another month for free, unless I was willing to pay another $ 75, despite my not being able to use them… so we paid $ 375 for use of diapers that fit her for a month of which we didn’t even use for the whole month left on the rental… my opinion is they only care about getting paid and don’t have a process to accommodate unique situations. She told me that she would speak to the owner, but if I don’t hear back that I will need to return the diapers as scheduled… I never heard back from anyone… we will be returning the rented diapers and will NEVER return again… I will also ensure everyone I know is aware of the lack of concern for their customers. They certainly made sure I wouldn’t be a return customer! If you are an expecting mom that may have complications… I highly suggest you not sign up for their diaper rental! It is an absolute shame that a small local business wouldn’t be more customer service oriented… the downfall of businesses today. I should have just purchased cloth diapers from the consignment store on Mass Ave in Arlington… it would have been A LOT cheaper!

In order to save some cash my boyfriend and I made the executive plan to cloth diaper. I’m 20 weeks along and just last weekend we attended the cloth diaper workshop at Diaper Lab. I couldn’t tell you how HAPPY I was to have found the class online. For a whopping $ 15 we learned everything we needed to know about cloth diapers. It answered every single question I had (I really didn’t know much about it other than that I’d be doing a lot of laundry!!!). The class is 1 ½ hours long and it’s hosted by Jen and she is awesome. She’s quite a character and she knows her stuff. She makes it clear that everything is her opinion (other than the facts of how the diapers work & how to launder them) and that you should stick with what works best for you and your baby’s body. She talks really really fast but let’s face it– with only a 1 ½ hour session she has a lot to cover! There wasn’t one moment where I felt I couldn’t catch up. She showed us how to use prefolds & covers, all in ones, two in ones, etc. and she let us practice on her little teddy bear friend.
I highly recommend this class to anyone who is considering cloth diapering!

First, take a workshop. Once you do, you’ll have a good overview of cloth diapering. Then, let these extremely knowledgeable folks help you select what is going to work for you. I have been through the CD continuum: from no way, to maybe, to yes I’m going to make this work, and the staff at TDL convinced me I could do it. I’m impressed that they fit so much merchandise into the space, but there’s plenty to get you started.
Bonus for the starter programs: newborn CDs for the first three months, then you can do a trial run of 8 and get what you really want.
Nope. Not overwhelming. Thankfully. You can do it: let the Diaper Lab show you how.

Amazing Place!
A friend and I went to Diaper Lab, with our 5 combined children in tow. We each had a few questions, and the 2 sales ladies were super helpful. If you are new to cloth diapering, Deciding between flats and covers, fitted and pockets– it can be overwhelming, but they explained so much, so well! The kids were getting bored, to say it nicely, so the ladies gave them paper and pens to keep them entertained. That was great!
It’s really the only diaper store anywhere around and it w a so nice to be able to see and feel diapers, rather than try to guess when buying online. They have an experiment to own program, and sell the gently used diapers at a discount. They have a HUGE amount of diapers and supplies, offer workshops, and have such knowledgeable staff. I highly recommend Diaper Lab!

Highly recommend the «intro to cloth diapers» classes! It’s the most entertaining and informative 2 hours you will spend while preparing to parent! I learned SO much about cloth diapering and my husband and I are actually looking forward to changing diapers! :-) The store is also amazing – all organic and natural products. So pumped to live in Davis because I will be in there a lot. :-)

i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place! it’s such an amazing resource for cloth diapering. i didn’t take a class, but i have a friend who did and she raved about it. for pregnant mamas to be, i would highly recommend doing a cloth diaper trial if you’re thinking about it. i wish i had done that. i got all crazy nesty and bought all my dipes while pregnant, and there are definitely some that don’t suit my son’s body type at all and now i’m stuck with. i love popping in here for detergent or other baby products, wet bags, to pick up a new flip cover or splurge on a tots bots easy fit (my ultimate favorite diaper, so soft and they have the cutest patterns!). my favorite is the used and clearance section. i stocked up on some flip inserts (my second favorite diaper) there. they also have baby carriers you can try.
flips + flip inserts or prefolds, cloth wipes, blueberry/​swaddlebees diapers, tots bots, planet wise wet bags, rockin green or eco sprout detergent. you’re all set.
i also bought my son’s very first cloth diaper here. a newborn swaddlebees monsters AIO :)

Whether you are wondering if you’re a cloth diaper person or you know you are one, the diaper lab is for you. The service is friendly — they are happy to troubleshoot with you, and they are full of encouragement and good ideas. Also, great selection — much better than other local parenting stores.

I wish I knew of this place a year ago!
Made my first trip in last weekend and it is like cloth diaper heaven. I was almost sad that I only needed inserts, although I was able to snag some discounted AIO’s because the deal was too good to pass up.
It is nice to see things in person — I have done all my previous CD shopping online.
It looks like they offer some classes; I did online research and asked a few people before I got started, but a class would have been nice.
The only note I have would be that one of the staff made a comment about my current inserts — almost made me feel stupid for using what I have been using for over a year (a certain brand). ALMOST. I don’t take poop that seriously, people.
And most importantly, price-​wise, all items seem totally in sync with what you can find elsewhere (online). But you get to touch and feel first — Yeah!

I’m so glad that Diaper Lab moved to Davis square, remedying the only two complaints I’d had — its relative inaccessibility way up on Spring Hill, and its small, narrow space. Its new location is right outside of Davis Square (toward Porter), and it’s a happy little oasis of cloth diapers and related goodies.
Now, these aren’t yo momma’s cloth diapers, and we’re not talking pins and rubber pants here, but rather a wide range of options using up-​to-​date technology at a variety of price points. You can go the old-​fashioned route with prefolds and covers, or get fancy-​schmancy all-​in-​one diapers, and the kind folks at Diaper Lab will talk you through the advantages and disadvantages of the different things they carry. They offer workshops to make everything less intimidating, although these days the workshop costs $ 10, and then you receive a $ 10 coupon toward a future purchase over $ 100. They have free workshops on making baby food and babywearing at the moment, so there’s lots to learn and to do at Diaper Lab. Prices are slightly higher than the interwebz, but really, you’re getting expertise and help, so the tiny markup is totally worth it in my book.
As a new parent who’s often out on the town without a car, having Diaper Lab in such a convenient location makes Davis Square a lot friendlier and appealing — even if you’re all stocked up on diapers, it’s a nice place to stop by, say hello to the people working there, feed and change your baby. I’m not-​so-​secretly holding out for them to offer a social hour (maybe in their new side yard?) where people can come and hang out. Don’t judge — your social life gets pretty twisted when you’ve got a newborn in the house, and the diaper store becomes an exciting addition to your social sphere!

My partner and I (soon to be parents, first kid) attended the cloth diapering workshop earlier this month — the course was incredibly helpful. We knew absolutely NOTHING about disposable or reusable diapers. The instructor was both enthusiastic and helpful in helping us choose reusable diapers!
Don’t even get me started on the amazing PRICES this place has to offer. We compared prices to what online vendors and other local ‘baby’ business have to offer … we are confident that Diaper Lab offers the best possible prices (not to mention variety!!!). The average outter-​reusable diaper for newborns is 5 – 8 dollars cheaper than some other local businesses (in Arlington).
TEN THUMBS UP!!!

There’s nothing I have to say that’s any different from what all the other great reviews had to say. Amazingly helpful, the diaper workshop was fantastic and affordable, and I am so grateful to have a local reliable source of information to turn to during our diapering days. I wish there was a resource like this for every baby gear decision I have to make.
Also: if you’re maybe considering cloth diapering even a little, do attend the workshop. I was nervous that I would get lectured and looked down on for thinking about sometimes using disposables, and it was a totally judgement-​free zone.

This place is great. They provide so much more than expert, consistent and wonderful cloth diapers! They give parents SUPPORT — how awesome is it that I actually took my daughter in once she was eating solid food and Laura gave me a hands on demo of how the cloth diaper liners work?! THAT is customer service, people. I’ve also gotten great advice on baby wearing from Laura (she is so sweet). The DL folks also set up a great gmail listserv so we can all bitch about laundry. I did the trial cloth diaper run and was hooked. If I hadn’t had DL in town, I wouldn’t have given up paper, and I would be a lot poorer! Go to a workshop, and you’ll see.

This store is a great resource! I went to one of their diapering seminars when my son was 3 months old. They have a great rental program that, for $ 25, lets you try all different types of diapers, inserts, and a wet bag. After our 2 weeks, I realized that CDing wasn’t for me. I felt so disappointed, but they were very nice and understanding about the whole thing. Since the start up for buying a whole stash of diapers can be high, $ 25 is well worth it to find brands and styles that work for your baby.
They also sell used diapers which are cheaper and more absorbant!

My little lady is now almost three months old and she’s loving life in cloth diapers. We’ve built up quite the stash of cute diapers, courtesy of Diaper Lab.
In the early weeks, when we were having trouble getting the pre-​folds to work on her, we stopped in and the lovely gals helped me figure out new folds that better fit my lady’s chunky midsection. They were very helpful!
I can’t even imagine using sposies now. The thought kind of grosses me out, even. Cloth diapering is actually quite easy, and I feel good about putting these diapers on my baby. They aren’t chemical-​laden, they aren’t clogging up landfills. She’s happy, I’m happy, life is good.