Written by Liz Turrigiano, Esembly co-founder and lead designer
My cloth diaper origin story
I was 6 years old when I was first introduced to cloth diapers. My grandma was caring for a foster baby and the agency sent her home with a bag of cotton prefold diapers and colorful pins. These were VERY different from the Pampers my parents used on my two younger siblings. My grandma taught me how to carefully fold and pin the diaper on the baby and I loved it (the diapering, not so much the crying baby). She gave me a few prefolds to keep and practice on my dolls.
Flash forward a few decades and prefolds were once again front and center in my life as I diapered my first born and debated leaving my job in advertising to start a cloth diaper service with a fellow producer.
Since then I’ve changed countless diapers of every style in existence, but there is something about the prefold that still holds my heart. It’s not just the nostalgia — it’s the function. Prefolds are affordable, absorbent, versatile, and they wash and dry quickly and beautifully. But I’m not naive to their shortcomings - there is a learning curve to using them, which requires some patience, they lack elastics at the legs so leaks onto the diaper cover are constant, and you need a separate fastener like a Snappi to close the diaper. In short, they’re a bit complicated and not an easy sell for an expecting parent who is on the fence about whether or not to cloth diaper.
That’s why when we were designing our first Inner for Esembly we went with a fitted cloth diaper. Our brand mission has always been to bring cloth diapering to the mainstream and make it less complicated and the fitted style is just more familiar and doesn’t require a video tutorial to understand how to use.
BACK TO BASICS
In 2025 when I set out to create a new Inner option for Esembly I went back to basics. I pulled out the Rubbermaid bin with all of the different diaper styles I’ve collected over the last 17 years, and amid the fancy fitteds, all-in-ones, all-in-twos and pocket diapers were my trusty old prefolds.
I started writing down the pros and cons of each style. I’ll spare you the pages and pages of scribble and jump right to the meat of what eventually led to our new Super-Diaper!
Prefold diaper pros
- Cost effective
Only natural fibers (no plastic!)
Wash and dry quickly and easily
Prefold diaper cons
- Doesn’t resemble a diaper, can be intimidating
Requires fancy folding to put on and can take some time to learn
Needs a separate fastener like a Snappi or pins
Lacks elastic at the legs and waist, leading to lots of leaking onto the diaper cover
Fitted diaper pros
- Looks like a diaper. Easier for even cloth diaper skeptics to embrace
No folding required, goes on just like a disposable
Easy to use, even for babysitters who have never used cloth diapers before
Built-in snaps for closure
Elastic at legs and waist keeps messes contained
Fitted diaper cons
- Not cheap
Can take a while to dry due to all the layers being stitched together
DESIGNING THE PERFECT CLOTH DIAPER
My goals for our new Inner option were as follows:
- Must look like a diaper at quick glance
Must wash easily and effectively
100% organic and plastic-free
Must contain leaks to minimize poop getting onto the Outer
Must be trim-fitting
Must be highly absorbent
Must be very soft and comfy for baby
And, of course, despite our original Inners being very well loved (over 1,300 five-star reviews!), I knew there were some things we could improve upon. Like the fact that they can sometimes take a long time to dry, that sticky newborn poo can occasionally get stuck in the stitching that holds the center pad in place and sometimes the center pad doesn’t lie perfectly flat when it comes out of the dryer.
I also secretly hoped that I could come up with a design that might cost a little less to produce that our original Inners!
HOW THE INNER TIE CAME TOGETHER
Instead of starting with our Inner fitted cloth diaper and stripping down, I started with a prefold and built up. First thing I did was give that plain old cloth rectangle some shape, which would make it more intuitive and give it a trimmer fit. Next thing was to add elastic to the areas most prone to leaking out (the back waist and legs). Voila! Things were moving along nicely. Until I got to the closure. Most diapers on the market rely on snaps or Velcro, and those that don’t require a separate fastener like a Snappi or pins. I wasn’t interested in any of that. I wanted our diaper to have an easy-to-use built-in closure and I wanted it to be plastic-free.
I thought back to our days running the cloth diaper service in NYC and remembered a young French woman that came to one of my Cloth 101 classes with a bag of vintage cloth diapers her mother had given her that had these long ties. She was hoping I could show her how to use them but I had never seen anything like it. Anyhow, I was apparently intrigued enough that the memory stuck. Ties! That was the solution!
A few months and several rounds of prototypes later we had our Inner Tie. This innovative design was born out of almost 20 years spent changing diapers, washing diapers, and testing diapers and we are SO excited to now have two different styles of Inner to offer you.
HOW TO CHOOSE BETWEEN INNER SNAPS AND INNER TIES?
Why you might prefer Inner Snaps
They require no folding at all — just slip under baby’s bum, snap closed and you’re good to go!
Speaking of snaps, they require no skill to use. Anyone can do it.
You like your diapers to have some structure.
Why you might prefer Inner Ties
The dry time is unreal. Blink and they’re good to go. They are one of the fastest drying diapers out there.
You love the art of tying your shoes and think the little bow is adorable.
You like a little stretch in your diaper.
What both cloth diaper Inners have in common
- Get used with our Outers
Offer the same absorbency
Are trim fitting
Are ultra soft (Inner Snaps are made of unbleached organic cotton twill and Inner Ties are made of unbleached organic cotton terry)
Are leak and blowout proof (when used with an Outer diaper cover)
Are customizable with our cloth diaper liners (Stay Dry, Tossers and Overnighters)
My personal cloth diaper recommendation? Do a mix of both!
I can’t wait to hear what you think of our brand new, patent-pending Inner Tie design! It’s hard these days to truly innovate something new and we’re really, really excited to bring these to life. Please don’t be shy — share what you think once you’ve tried them!
Happy Diapering! However you choose to do it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Inner Snaps and Inner Ties?
Are Esembly Inners made of organic cotton?
How long do Inner Ties take to dry?
Do I need a separate cover with Esembly Inners?
Can I use Inner Snaps and Inner Ties together?
Absolutely. We recommend starting with a mix of both styles!
Does the front on the Inner Tie slip down? Will it stay up even on a toddler who is mobile?
Absolutely no slippage! The texture of the organic cotton combined with the gentle tension from the ties keeps everything securely in place. We tested this extensively (including on fully mobile toddlers), and found there was no slipping at all.
Plus, just like Inner Snaps, Inner Ties are always paired with an Outer, which adds another layer of secure containment.
It seems like it will be impossible to tie on a squirmy baby or toddler
How secure are the ties? Do I need to double-knot them?
When the tie is wet, is it difficult or gross to undo?
Realistically, diaper changes are diaper changes, whether you’re unsnapping, untying, or removing a disposable; there’s always a little contact with a wet diaper involved. We haven’t found Inner Ties to feel any wetter than undoing the snaps in everyday use, and since the ties are secured with a simple bow, they untie easily even when damp.
Do ties make it uncomfortable for tummy time?
No, the tied bow is actually very soft and low-profile, about as bulky (or even slightly trimmer) than the snaps on Inner Snaps. If your baby is comfortable doing tummy time in Inner Snaps, they should feel just as comfortable in Inner Ties.
Are they tight enough to avoid leaks and blowouts?
Yes! When paired with an Outer, both Inner Snaps and Inner Ties are designed to be leak- and blowout-proof.
That said, Inner Snaps offer a little more containment inside the Inner thanks to their ruffled elastic design. Inner Ties are designed more like a modernized prefold, with elastic at the legs and waist for added protection, but you may notice more poop transferring from the Inner onto the inside of the Outer compared to Snaps.
If your goal is fewer Outers in rotation and maximum containment inside the Inner itself, Inner Snaps are the better fit. If you don’t mind washing Outers a bit more often in exchange for faster drying and a different fit style, Inner Ties work beautifully.
Are they as absorbent as Inner Snaps?
Yes, both styles offer the same level of absorbency! The difference is in how they achieve it. Inner Snaps use 14 thin layers of organic cotton twill, while Inner Ties use 8 thicker layers of absorbent cotton French terry concentrated through the wet zone. Different construction, same absorbency performance, as they both have the same GSM.
What’s it like to scrape poop off since it’s a flap?
Before your baby starts eating solids and is on a breastmilk or formula diet, there is no need to remove any of the poop, just toss them in your pail pouch to be laundered every 2-3 days when you do your diaper wash .With Inner Snaps, some families notice staining around the stitched center panel during the milk-only stage. Our Stay Dry Liners are a great solution for preventing staining and keeping cleanup easier. And because Inner Ties lay completely flat without stitched-in layers, there are fewer places for newborn poop to get trapped.
Once babies start solids, you’ll want to remove the bulk of the solid waste before washing regardless of diaper style. Our Tossers liners make cleanup especially simple, they catch solids while letting liquid absorb through to the diaper. As babies eat more solids and less milk, poop becomes firmer and easier to shake off naturally. Simply hold the diaper from the front panel and shake solids into the toilet.
Do you have plans to make these GOTS Certified?
Rest assured, all of the cotton we use is GOTS-certified organic unbleached cotton.
Full product-level GOTS certification requires every stage of manufacturing, storage, and shipping to also be certified, and while we’re exploring that process, it’s a significant undertaking for a small business.
WHEN ARE THEY AVAILABLE ON AMAZON CANADA AND US
We’re aiming for Amazon US and Canada availability around October/November.
As a small business, we launch new products on our site first so we can better gauge demand before investing in larger inventory orders for Amazon. Inner Ties are selling much faster than we anticipated!
Because of that, there is a possibility we could sell out before our next production run arrives. So if Inner Ties are something you’ve been wanting to try, we wouldn’t wait too long.
In the meantime, they’re available directly through our website, and Canadian customers should also see them arriving in June at Cloth Diaper Kids.
I use a portable washing machine. Which are better for me Inner Tie or Inner Snap?
Inner Ties, hands down. Because they open fully flat, water and detergent can move through them much more easily, making them simpler to clean without a full-size washer’s heavy agitation. They’re even great for handwashing!
Do they dry faster? And are they less prone to mold?
Inner Ties open completely flat, which makes them one of the fastest-drying natural fiber diaper options out there, drying in under 30 minutes. Inner Snaps are more layer dense and take longer to fully dry.
Mold prevention has much more to do with diaper storage habits than diaper style.
Fresh pee actually helps prevent mold growth because of its acidity. The bigger risk comes from introducing excess water into your pail, like heavily rinsing or spraying diapers and then storing them damp with little airflow. When diapers sit wet and tightly packed, especially in sealed containers or humid environments, that creates the perfect conditions for mold.
That said, because Inner Ties open completely flat and dry so quickly, there’s less chance of accidentally putting them away still damp.
Will you still be selling your original snap inners?
Absolutely. Inner Ties were designed to offer another option, not replace the Inner Snap families already know and love. Inner Snaps are here to stay.
Check out our Reel on Instagram, which dives into each FAQ in more detail!
