Absorbency Chart by weight
List by weight for various cloth diapers. First is a quick reference of approximate equivalents.
2 small Cloth-eez green edge inserts = 1 size newborn orange edge prefold
3 small Cloth-eez green edge inserts = 1 size one-size Birdseye Flat = 1 Novice or Small yellow edge Cloth-eez Prefold.
2 medium Cloth-eez red edge inserts = 1 Cloth-eez Muslin flat size Newborn
3 medium Cloth-eez red edge inserts = 2 size intermediate blue edge or medium red edge prefold = 1 Cloth-eez Muslin Flat size One-Size.
Tip: Change baby often and the amount of absorbency is not actually all that important.
Visuals
Add a size small yellow edge Doubler to any diaper to boost absorbency by 1.00 once of cotton.
| Weight lowest to highest | Weight in Ounces |
| Doubler size Small | 1.00 |
| Inserts Small using only one | 1.15 |
| Inserts Medium using only one | 1.25 |
| Doubler size Large | 1.30 |
| Prefold Preemie | 1.30 |
| Inserts Large using only one | 1.45 |
| Prefold Newbie | 1.60 |
| Birdseye Flat size Half | 1.90 |
| Mother-Ease Big Kid Training Pant Medium | 2.10 |
| Thirsties Newborn AIO cotton | 2.20 |
| Babee Greens Fitted All-Cotton size Newborn | 2.30 |
| Inserts Small using two together | 2.30 |
| PreFlat Absorber | 2.30 |
| Muslin Flat Newborn | 2.40 |
| Prefold Newborn orange edge | 2.40 |
| Inserts Medium using two together | 2.50 |
| Babee Greens Fitted HEMP/cotton size Newborn | 2.70 |
| Mother-ease Sandy's Fitted size Newborn | 2.70 |
| Prefold Novice light green edge | 2.80 |
| Mother-ease Uno Newborn AIO | 2.80 |
| Inserts Large using two together | 2.90 |
| Birdseye Flat size One-size | 3.10 |
| PreFlat Small | 3.30 |
| Workhorse Newborn | 3.30 |
| Inserts Small using three together | 3.40 |
| Prefold Small yellow edge | 3.50 |
| Muslin Flat size One-Size | 3.60 |
| Workhorse Small | 3.60 |
| Inserts Medium using three together | 3.80 |
| Prefold Intermediate light blue edge | 3.80 |
| Prefold Medium red edge | 3.85 |
| Birdseye Flat size Large | 3.90 |
| Mother-ease Uno One-Size AIO | 4.00 |
| Mother-ease Sandy's Fitted size Small | 4.10 |
| Thirsties Duo Diaper size One | 4.10 |
| Thirsties Cotton Pocket Diaper | 4.10 |
| Inserts Large using three together | 4.20 |
| Thirsties One-Size AIO | 4.20 |
| PreFlat Large | 4.50 |
| Mother-ease One-Size Fitted | 4.60 |
| Workhorse Medium | 4.60 |
| Muslin Flat Large | 4.70 |
| Babee Greens Fitted All-Cotton size One-Size | 4.90 |
| Prefold Large brown edge | 5.00 |
| Mother-ease Sandy's Fitted size Large | 5.30 |
| Workhorse Large | 5.30 |
| Mother-ease Sandy's Fitted size Small w/ Small Liner added | 5.40 |
| Mother-ease Toddle-ease fitted | 5.60 |
| Babee Greens Fitted HEMP/cotton size One-Size | 5.70 |
| Thirsties Duo Diaper size Two | 5.70 |
| Prefold Xlarge green edge | 5.80 |
| Muslin Flat size Xlarge/Swaddle | 6.00 |
| Workhorse XLarge | 6.10 |
| Mother-ease One-Size Fitted with Snap-in Liner added | 6.20 |
| Mother-ease Bedwetter Pant Xsmall | 6.40 |
| Mother-ease Bedwetter Pant Small | 6.60 |
| Mother-ease Sandy's Fitted size Large w/ Large Liner added | 6.90 |
| Mother-ease Toddle-ease fitted with Large Liner added | 7.40 |
| Workhorse Xlarge with large Doubler added | 7.40 |
| Mother-ease Bedwetter Pant size Medium | 7.90 |
Inserts are listed 2 and 3 at a time because that is how they are used in pocket diapers.
Measurements are in OUNCES of WEIGHT. It represents the amount of cotton and is how much the item weighs. Weights can vary a bit and our scale might not be perfectly accurate either, yet this still gives you a general idea. Relative to each other the information is good. These numbers are NOT the amount of fluid the cotton holds. It does tell you how much cotton is in the item. If an item has elastics and snaps, we included that in the number so that means that fitted diapers are slightly overstated because snaps and elastics do have a little bit of weight to them. For items with a waterproof layer, we subtracted a bit from it (since that part isn't absorbent) to try to make it as accurate as we can.
Why do it by weight? Fluid absorbency charts (which this is not) are tricky and difficult to replicate. Absorbency is subject to interpretation and can give misleading results depending on how the absorbency testing is conducted and interpreted. There are too many variables. Instead, we provide the cotton weight information which is clear and as accurate as possible. There is some variation item to item within normal cut and sew manufacturing tolerances. One absorbency test says a Newbie grey edge prefold which weighs 1.6 ounce can hold up to 1/2 cup of water. Another test might say it holds 1/3 cup. Another say 5 ounces (which is .625 cup). All are correct, depending on how you do it and when you call it full. It really varies a lot.
The more cotton it contains, the more absorbent it is.
ALPHABETICAL items, Weight in OUNCES:
| Babee Greens Fitted All-Cotton size Newborn | 2.30 |
| Babee Greens Fitted All-Cotton size One-Size | 4.90 |
| Babee Greens Fitted HEMP/cotton size Newborn | 2.70 |
| Babee Greens Fitted HEMP/cotton size One-Size | 5.70 |
| Birdseye Flat size Half | 1.90 |
| Birdseye Flat size Large | 3.90 |
| Birdseye Flat size One-size | 3.10 |
| Doubler size Small | 1.00 |
| Doubler size Large | 1.30 |
| Inserts Large using only one | 1.45 |
| Inserts Large using two together | 2.90 |
| Inserts Large using three together | 4.20 |
| Inserts Medium using only one | 1.25 |
| Inserts Medium using two together | 2.50 |
| Inserts Medium using three together | 3.80 |
| Inserts Small using only one | 1.15 |
| Inserts Small using two together | 2.30 |
| Inserts Small using three together | 3.40 |
| Mother-ease Bedwetter Pant Xsmall | 6.40 |
| Mother-ease Bedwetter Pant Small | 6.60 |
| Mother-Ease Big Kid Training Pant Medium | 2.10 |
| Mother-ease Bedwetter Pant size Medium | 7.90 |
| Mother-ease One-Size Fitted | 4.60 |
| Mother-ease One-Size Fitted with Snap-in Liner added | 6.20 |
| Mother-ease Sandy's Fitted size Newborn | 2.70 |
| Mother-ease Sandy's Fitted size Small | 4.10 |
| Mother-ease Sandy's Fitted size Small w/ Small Liner added | 5.40 |
| Mother-ease Sandy's Fitted size Large | 5.30 |
| Mother-ease Sandy's Fitted size Large w/ Large Liner added | 6.90 |
| Mother-ease Toddle-ease fitted | 5.60 |
| Mother-ease Toddle-ease fitted with Large Liner added | 7.40 |
| Mother-ease Uno Newborn AIO | 2.80 |
| Mother-ease Uno One-Size AIO | 4.00 |
| Muslin Flat Newborn | 2.40 |
| Muslin Flat size One-Size | 3.60 |
| Muslin Flat Large | 4.70 |
| Muslin Flat size Xlarge/Swaddle | 6.00 |
| PreFlat Absorber | 2.30 |
| PreFlat Small | 3.30 |
| PreFlat Large | 4.50 |
| Prefold Preemie | 1.30 |
| Prefold Newbie | 1.60 |
| Prefold Newborn orange edge | 2.40 |
| Prefold Novice light green edge | 2.80 |
| Prefold Small yellow edge | 3.50 |
| Prefold Intermediate light blue edge | 3.80 |
| Prefold Medium red edge | 3.85 |
| Prefold Large brown edge | 5.00 |
| Prefold Xlarge green edge | 5.80 |
| Thirsties Cotton Pocket Diaper | 4.10 |
| Thirsties Duo Diaper size One | 4.10 |
| Thirsties Duo Diaper size Two | 5.70 |
| Thirsties Newborn AIO cotton | 2.20 |
| Thirsties One-Size AIO | 4.20 |
| Workhorse Newborn | 3.30 |
| Workhorse Small | 3.60 |
| Workhorse Large | 5.30 |
| Workhorse Medium | 4.60 |
| Workhorse XLarge | 6.10 |
| Workhorse Xlarge with large Doubler added | 7.40 |
More cotton means more bulk and also means more absorbency.
Thinner is trimmer but not quite as absorbent. That's ok. It's just a choice and there are tradeoffs. Nothing is both trim and very absorbent. That's not how absorbency works. Bigger is more absorbent. The diaper has to fit though so there are limits to it.
Even though we are providing this information, I hope readers don't focus too much on the numbers. Choose the items that fit the baby comfortably and also items that fit your budget. Change the diaper often as you should and the amount of absorbency isn't actually that important!
The goal is not to "see how long you can go between changes" but you do need a diaper that fits and has enough absorbency to do the job. I highly recommend getting a pack of size small doublers. One doubler boosts anything by a full 1.0 ounce of cotton and that is often enough to make a big difference. Low price. High use-value from birth to potty learning - that's a winner.
Why is cotton so absorbent? Cotton is a quick-absorber because of its chemical composition rich in cellulose. Water (and pee) is a strong polar compound, and it is easily attracted by the polar -OH groups of cotton because it is a cellulosic fiber. Polyester cannot do that since polyester is made of plastic, not cellulose.
Thank you to Heather M. for inspiring this page. :)