Every so often, something happens behind the scenes that we feel deserves a thoughtful, transparent conversation with the Esembly community. This is one of those moments.

In the last few weeks, several families who’ve trusted our products for years reached out to let us know they’d come across Esembly knockoffs – cheap look-alike diapers being sold online and marketed as if they’re the same as our Inners and Outers. Some sellers even used our words, our photos, and design elements lifted directly from our work. (yes, this really happened on Amazon!)

We know imitation is supposed to be flattering. But when you’ve poured your heart, time, and personal resources into creating something safe, sustainable, and long-lasting for real families – “flattering” isn’t exactly the word that comes to mind.

This post exists so we can share openly with you: what’s happening, what these Esembly dupes actually are, and how to make sure you’re getting the real thing.

Esembly wasn’t built quickly or casually. The earliest versions of our diapers were sewn during nap times and refined in the quiet hours of the night while nursing a newborn. Years of prototyping, countless rounds of testing, and thousands of dollars in personal investment went into making sure every fiber, stitch, and closure was safe for babies and durable for real-life washing and wearing.

So when we discovered that someone had copied the entire design – right down to the placement of the garment tag – and then reproduced it with low-quality materials it hit hard. And seeing our Inner photography stolen and used to sell those knockoffs was just icing on the cake!

We want to be very clear: this isn’t just about our design being copied.

It’s about parents being misled.

These fake Esembly diapers look similar at a glance, but they are not made with the same quality or craftsmanship as our products. And they are not sold with the same expert support as our diapers.

Parents who unknowingly buy a knockoff and then experience leaks, blowouts, them falling apart or not washing up nicely often walk away believing cloth diapering doesn’t work – when in reality, they were never using a product designed to succeed.

That’s the part that really bums us out.

Here are a few common differences we’ve seen:

• Fabric Feel: Authentic Esembly Inners and Outers are soft, flexible, and designed with certified-safe materials for your baby. Knockoffs tend to feel stiff, plasticky, and scratchy. Not exactly what you’d want to swaddle sensitive newborn skin in!

• Elastics: We designed our elastics personally. They are engineered to be gentle yet reliableand to hold up over years of washing and wearing. Many dupes use rough, rigid, or overly tight elastics that squeeze the skin too much or degrade too quickly.

• Construction: The snaps, stitching, PFAS-free waterproofing, and overall finishing details of authentic Esembly products are consistent and reinforced. Knockoffs do not follow the same standards, which means you will very likely end up with leaks, blowouts, and excessive wear over time. 

These comparisons aren’t meant to shame anyone who bought a dupe unknowingly. They’re simply here to help parents feel confident in what they’re purchasing and to prevent disappointing experiences that could turn someone away from cloth diapering altogether. 

We’ve been working directly with Amazon since the original listing used stolen Esembly imagery. The seller was required to remove the photos, but the listing itself remains active, and Amazon has limited tools to address copycat manufacturing.

We explored legal options as well – but pursuing action against overseas copycats is lengthy, costly, and rarely successful. We’re a small, values-driven company. Our resources are better spent on supporting families and creating exceptional products.

Still, transparency matters – and that’s why this blog exists.