After a few days in the cloth diaper community, you’ll likely be spinning from all of the strange cloth diaper terms we use. “Double gussets” is another good example of this confusing lingo.
So what exactly is a double gusset cloth diaper? A double gusset cloth diaper is a diaper with an extra set of elastics sewn into the leg area. The original double gussets, created and patented by Kanga Care, are “internal double gussets,” meaning a second elastic is sewn into the lining of the diaper. You’ll also find “external double gussets,” which is where the second leg elastic barrier is sewn into the outer PUL material.
Here are photos of each type of double gusset diaper to show you what I mean:
In order to better understand double gussets, I went straight to the source and spoke with Julie Ekstrom, Founder and CEO of Kanga Care, and the original developer and patent holder for internal gussets in cloth diapers.
Disclosure: This Content was created thanks to a paid partnership with Kanga Care diapers.
What’s the Purpose Behind the Double Internal Gusset?
I asked Julie why she created double internal gussets in the first place, and just as I suspected from using them, it was all about leak protection.
“Double gussets are your double barrier protection on the interior of the diaper against blowouts both out the legs and up the back. Kanga Care has an inner gusset elastic channel that runs along the inside of each leg elastic to double your coverage, as well as a bonus elastic, just above the pocket opening at the back of the diaper, below the back elastic, which offers a double gusset back elastic,” Julie explained. “ With Kanga Care’s double gusset diapers, you get a system that keeps the messiest messes where they belong – in the diaper!”
“The inner gussets truly set the Kanga Care brand apart from all the other brands on the market because there was nothing else like them in the cloth diaper industry. The inner gussets were truly a revolutionary development to the cloth diaper industry.”
Julie Ekstrom, Founder and CEO of Kanga Care
With that said, the double gusset cloth diapers you get today are not the original ones Julie developed. They’ve actually gone through a number of evolutions and patents.
“My first version of the inner gusset was in 2006 and it was two separate pieces, sewn on the inner diaper. From there I moved to a one-piece inner with elastic sewn in, in various ways, ranging from a 360º elastic ring, a U shape, and several different arrangements. By 2007 I had finally troubleshot through what would become the famous “Double Inner Gussets”, as known today, and what you currently can find on our Kanga Care diapers like the Rumparooz, Rumparooz OBV, Lil Joey, and Ecoposh One Size Fitted,” Julie said.
The inner gusset feature was the main problem she wanted to get under wraps first, Julie explained. Once she had a solid poop-containment feature, she moved on to other things, like making the diapers one size, and so on.
What About Double External Gussets?
Kanga Care also sells diaper covers with external gussets, but it’s important to note that while these also help prevent leaks, they mainly prevent fit-related leaks, meaning leaks caused by gaps between the leg elastic and the baby’s leg. They aren’t designed to prevent blowout leaks.
“Putting the gussets on the outer PUL still only leaves you with a single leg elastic. You no longer have double elastic protection against blowouts, “ Julie explained. “When the gusset is placed on the leg elastic of a cover, that is used the expand the depth of the cover to allow for a puffy prefold or flat on the inside. It essentially allows the cover to be pulled away from the body without pulling the elastic off the leg and breaking the seal so the cover does not leak.”
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Which Double Gusset is Better for Your Baby: External or Internal?
If you’re looking for leak protection, a double gusset diaper will definitely help you; but it may be tough to know what type to choose. Here are the three things you need to know to make a clear choice:
1. Style Availability
It’s important to note that internal gussets are only possible in diapers with a soft lining, like a pocket diaper or a fitted diaper. This is because, again, those internal gussets are sewn right into the inside lining of the diaper.
If you’re considering a diapering system like prefolds or flats, internal gussets are simply not an option.
External gussets, on the other hand, are available with any cloth diapers that have PUL, especially a cloth diaper cover, and so they can be added to your prefold or flat system.
2. Type of Protection
As mentioned earlier, a double gusset in the diaper lining is best for protecting against blowout leaks. Though blowouts are less common in cloth diapers in general, they can happen especially in a pocket diaper stuffed tightly for a heavy-wetter.
If you have a newborn (those newborn poops can be explosive) or a baby who is both a heavy-wetter and/or prone to blowouts, this type of protection can be a lifesaver.
If on the other hand, you have a baby who is giving you problems with leaking due to fit, external gussets may be the way to combat that.
3. Fit
For babies with thinner legs especially, external leg gussets can help with fit as they will pull the diaper even closer to the baby’s legs. This gap-free contact around the leg crease will help prevent cloth diaper leaks as we’ve discussed.
While external gussets help with fit in this way for all babies, if your baby has chubby legs (and let me take a second to say that neither twiggy babies nor chunky babies are better, all babies grow differently, and they are both adorable) and if you’re debating between two diaper styles based on the gusset type alone ⸺ internal or external ⸺ choose internal gussets. I say this because babies that have nice and plump thighs generally don’t need help getting the diaper to fit into the leg crease, and in some cases, the external gussets can make some parents worry the diaper is too snug even when it’s fine.
Internal gussets, on the other hand, don’t change the fit at all and should be taken advantage of whenever possible.
What if I Want Both Types of Double Gussets?
What if you have a baby with twiggy legs who also is prone to blowouts — like almost every newborn as an example — can you take advantage of both internal and external gussets? Yes! You can create a diaper with both internal and external gussets, but as no single diaper currently offers that, you’ll need to be using a fitted diaper and diaper cover system.
A fitted diaper with internal gussets, like the Ecoposh OBV Fitted Cloth Diaper can easily be paired with a cloth diaper cover, like the matching Rumparooz Cloth Diaper Cover, to give you both added elastics.
Are Double Gussets the Way to Go?
Without a doubt, the double gusset, whether internal or external, is a design choice that many parents have loved from day one.
“As soon as I started designing the inner gussets I had an overwhelming response of excited friends, family, and other cloth diaper users telling me that I had something special,” Julie told me. “The first weekend that I put my website up, I received enough orders to keep me sewing for nine months, and I had to shut my website back down after just 48 hours of being live.
“I spent a couple of days organizing all the orders that came in, contacting customers to let them know how long it would take me to sew up their order (I was still hand sewing every single diaper at that point), and what the estimated shipping date would be. Then I doubled my prices and re-launched the website with a new estimated shipping date listed. The orders just kept coming as soon as the site was up. At some point they did slow, but I was eventually booked out about 18 months. That was when I started looking for other moms to help me sew – and real, actual local manufacturing.”
The hype was understandable. Depending on your preferred diaper style, your baby’s shape and size, and their protection needs, double gusset diapers could be a game-changer for you and your baby.
Best Double Gusset Cloth Diapers
If you think that you’d like to give double gusset cloth diapers a try on your cloth diapering journey, I have a list of good ones available here. There are of course some not-so-good double gusset cloth diapers out there, but I don’t bother listing those here.
These are simply my top recommendations for each style of double gusset:
Best Internal Double Gusset Cloth Diapers (One-Size): Rumparooz OBV Pocket Cloth Diaper
When you’re the ones who created the technology, and then perfected it over years, it’s no wonder you’re going to be the best at it, and the Kanga Care inner gussets are the best around.
Add to that the softest lining I’ve ever felt made from organic cotton bamboo velour and organic cotton and bamboo inserts, and you have the crème de la crème of cloth diapers, which is what this diaper is.
The Rumparooz OBV Cloth Diaper will fit infants from about 6 to 40+ lbs, and because of its organic fabrics, it may even work for some younger kiddos overnight.
The only downside to this diaper is that all those premium features and textures do add up to a bit of a higher price tag.
Budget Option: Rumparooz One Size Pocket Cloth Diapers
If you want that patented internal double gusset without the hefty price tag the regular Rumparooz Pocket Cloth Diaper may be the better option for you.
The Rumparooz One Size Pocket Cloth Diapers also fit babies from about 6 to 40+ lbs. but come with a set of microfiber absorbent pads instead of the bamboo and a microchamois lining instead of the bamboo velour. Luckily, you can upgrade the inserts to their hemp or bamboo options if you purchase them directly from the Kanga Care website (I strongly recommend the hemp upgrade) here though.
I’ve written a full review of both the Rumparooz pocket diapers here, but suffice it to say that Rumparooz pocket diapers are very well made, [another notable trait in reviewing mom’s words], and offer that extra blowout protection.
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Go to the Kanga Care WebsiteRumparooz is a pocket diaper brand created by Kanga Care, a longstanding American cloth diaper company, based in Colorado.
The now patented Rumparooz One-Size Cloth Diaper was the original cloth diaper to contain inner double gussets for leak-proof protection.
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Go to the Kanga Care WebsiteRumparooz is a pocket diaper brand created by Kanga Care, a longstanding American cloth diaper company, based in Colorado.
The Rumparooz OBV (Organic Bamboo Velour) One-Size Cloth Diaper is the most luxurious feeling natural cloth diaper around with its ultra-soft bamboo velour lining. This diaper has the same patented inner double gussets as the original Rumparooz one-size pocket, it's just made with premium materials.
Best External Double Gusset Cloth Diapers (One-Size): Wink Organic All-in-One (AiO) Diaper
As I mentioned above, external double gussets on thinner babies really help with getting a good fit, so whenever I have a cloth diapering parent struggling with leg gaps on their smaller baby who is looking for an AIO I always recommend Wink diapers.
Wink Organic AIO’s offer a great fit for small babies, and are priced really well for an organic diaper though they don’t have the same soft and luxurious feeling like the Rumparooz OBV (not that they don’t feel nice, it’s just hard to beat a bamboo velour).
These diapers fit babies from approximately 8 to 35 lbs. A word of caution though, these truly do fit snug, so if you have a baby with chunky thighs don’t go for these as they may not work for you.
Wink Diapers is an American cloth diaper company based in Greensboro, NS that sells several types of cloth diapers and cloth diaper accessories.
We've tested their AIO, diaper cover, inserts and wipes and love the quality for the price with this brand.
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Best External Double Gusset Cloth Diaper Covers: Rumparooz Cloth Diaper Covers
If you’re using a fully customizable cloth diaper system like prefolds, flats, or fitted diapers, and you’re looking for a great fit with external gussets, the Rumparooz cloth diaper covers are going to be your best option.
Rumparooz diaper covers fit babies from about 6 to 40+ lbs. and are easy to wipe clean between diaper changes if not soiled. They also are available in a ton of cute prints and solids, which is hard to find in diaper covers, so I love recommending these to moms using these traditional diaper systems who still want all the cute pictures.
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Go to the Kanga Care WebsiteRumparooz is a cloth diaper brand created by Kanga Care, a longstanding American cloth diaper company, based in Colorado.
The Rumparooz One-Size Cloth Diaper Cover is a generously sized diaper cover that will fit over most fitted or prefold diapers. These covers have no lining so they may be used multiple times before washing but should be placed into the laundry if it becomes soiled. They fit from about 6 to 35 lbs and feature double external gussets.
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Go to the Kanga Care WebsiteEcoposh is the fitted diaper brand by Kanga Care, a longstanding American cloth diaper company, based in Colorado.
The Ecoposh OBV (Organic Bamboo Velour) One Size Fitted Diaper is the most luxurious feeling natural fitted diaper around with its ultra-soft bamboo velour lining. This diaper has the same patented inner double gussets as Kanga Care's Rumparooz diapers, but with all the super-absorbency and protection of a fitted diaper. This diaper, like all fitted diapers, needs a diaper cover to make it waterproof.
Best Newborn Double Gusset Cloth Diapers
Most newborns won’t fit into one-size cloth diapers until they are at least 8 lbs or often more, which is why newborn cloth diapers are so widely available. If you’re interested in cloth diapering your baby from birth to potty, newborn diapers are usually a must (unless you have truly large babies).
I have a ton of information about newborn diapers if you need them, and how to choose good ones for you here, but here are the best double gusset options for newborns.
Internal Gussets
Lil Joey All-In-One Cloth Diapers are a fantastic newborn diaper option and have been the most popular and premium choice for newborn diapers for at least as long as I’ve been involved in the cloth diaper community (since 2015).
Knowing what I know now, their success is likely due to those internal gussets preventing those newborn blowouts! Newborns often have very explosive bowel movements and twiggy legs (though not always) so this just makes sense!
Lil Joey’s fit from approximately 4 to 12lbs, have an umbilical cord snap-down and have an internal soaker that’s four layers of microfiber that have been permanently sewn into the core of the diaper, no stuffing required. While that doesn’t sound like much it’s actually plenty for a newborn diaper and provides a nice balance between absorbency and drying time.
Lil Joey is the newborn AIO diaper brand by Kanga Care, a longstanding American cloth diaper company, based in Colorado.
Lil Joey's have long been the first choice for newborn diapers in the cloth community, possibly because of their patented double inner gussets and the umbilical cord snap-down. They fit from approximately 4-12lbs, and since they are AIO's (all-in-one's) no additional inserts, covers or anything else is needed; everything you need is in one package.
External Gussets (or Both)
If you’re looking for external gussets in your newborn diaper, Rumparooz Newborn Cloth Diaper Covers are the way to go. They fit from 4 to 15 lbs or so and are easily wiped down for reuse when not soiled.
Using these covers with prefolds or flats can make for some quick and inexpensive diaper changes.
But in my opinion, the best use for this diaper cover is with the Ecoposh OBV Newborn Fitted Cloth Diaper. This combo will give you the best protection possible since you’d be combining internal and external gussets for the best newborn leak and blowout protection possible. You’ll also get all that natural fiber absorbency, the ridiculously soft feeling of the organic bamboo velour lining against baby’s skin, and all the leak protection you could possibly need. This combination is also perfect for overnights or long car trips, and well worth the additional cost if you can swing it!
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Go to the Kanga Care WebsiteEcoposh is the fitted diaper brand by Kanga Care, a longstanding American cloth diaper company, based in Colorado.
The Ecoposh OBV (Organic Bamboo Velour) Newborn Fitted Diaper is the most luxurious feeling fitted newborn diaper around with its ultra-soft bamboo velour lining. This diaper has the same patented inner double gussets as Kanga Care's Lil Joey diapers, but with all the super-absorbency and protection of a fitted diaper. This diaper, like all fitted diapers, needs a diaper cover to make it waterproof. They fit from from 4-12 pounds so they are even great for premie babies.
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Go to the Kanga Care WebsiteRumparooz is a cloth diaper brand created by Kanga Care, a longstanding American cloth diaper company, based in Colorado.
The Rumparooz Newborn Cloth Diaper Cover is a pint-sized diaper cover that will fit over most newborn fitted or prefold diapers. These covers have no lining so they may be used multiple times before washing but should be placed into the laundry if it becomes soiled. These covers feature double external gussets and are made to fit from about 4 to 15 lbs. so they are great for premie babies too.
Not Sure What Style to Go With?
If you’re not sure what cloth diaper style you think you want to go with, I have an article here for you to help you choose. In it, I offer you comparisons and explain how cloth diapers should be looked at as a wardrobe and not a uniform.
Get help with choosing your cloth diapers here
April Duffy
April is the founder of Cloth Diapers for Beginners and author of The Cloth Diaper Wash & Care Handbook. Since 2015, April has helped well over 75,000 parents and caregivers cloth diaper their children through this website, her book, her YouTube Channel, and the Cloth Diapers for Beginners Facebook Group.
Save Your Sanity and Avoid Diaper Smells and Rashes with This Easy-To-Follow Digital Handbook. This Ultimate Wash and Care Guide Will Give You the Step-By-Step Coaching Your Mom Group Can't Provide!