When making the switch to cloth diapers, finding an affordable diaper cover that contains messes without leaks is a key part of the success of many parents and caregivers.
Cloth diaper covers are versatile, wipable, and often essential for overnight cloth diapering on babies over 6-9 months. But many cloth diaper brands make the price of cloth diaper covers prohibitive for many cloth diaper newbies.
Mama Koala is a well-known and well-priced cloth diaper brand that offers covers with both snap and hook-and-loop closures to meet different parents’ preferences.
To provide an impartial review, we had one of the admins in our community test out these covers on her 35-pound, 38-inch tall 3-year-old. She used them for a month and provided detailed feedback on how they performed across a variety of metrics. Keep reading to see how Mama Koala diaper covers stacked up in real-world conditions or if you’re pressed for time, skip ahead to our video review down below.
At a Glance
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
- Reliable containment of messes without leaks
- Snug and easily adjustable gap-free fit
- Quality materials and lots of cute prints and colors to choose from
- Very affordable around $7 per cover
- Comparable sizing and performance to pricier brands
- Should last from newborn through potty training age
Exclusive Discounts for the Cloth Diapers for Beginners Community:
- Amazon US: Use code CDFB10MK for 10% off everything! No minimum purchase, one-time use per account. Can’t be combined with other offers. Expires on 08/10/2024.
- Mama Koala’s Website: Enjoy 15% off (excluding trial packs) with code CDFB15MK. No minimum purchase, one-time use per account. Valid only on mamakoala.com. No expiration!
Table of Contents
How We Rate Diapers
I have a lot to report back about Mama Koala’s cloth diaper covers, but first I would like to be transparent about how we judge and rate diapers during a review. We give each diaper a score out of one, in five different categories: absorbency and effectiveness, adjustability and fit, prints and fabrics, support and warranty, and price and affordability. At the end, we add up the score and that’s the rating out of five stars.
This system keeps our reviews consistent, and fair for all diapers we rate, and lets you know the true value of the diaper you’re considering.
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What Did We Rate Mama Koala Cloth Diaper Covers?
I’ll be honest, I didn’t go into this review thinking that Mama Koala cloth diaper covers would perform so well given their price point, but to my surprise they received a perfect score: 5 out of 5 stars!
Here are the details…
Absorbency and Effectiveness
We tested Mama Koala cloth diaper covers on a toddler over a period of about one month. During that time, the covers performed very well in terms of effectiveness (cloth diaper covers aren’t meant to absorb, so we judged them on their ability to contain the mess alone)
The covers were used during the day and our reviewer felt they would have also worked well over bulkier overnight diapers as well.
Some of the key features that stood out in terms of effectiveness were:
- The double gussets, which are there to help contain messes, and did!
- Good quality, thick but flexible Thermoplastic Polyurethane fabric (TPU).
- Nice long back elastic and small tummy elastic to contain messes.
Positives aside, we couldn’t identify any features that negatively impacted effectiveness and overall. The covers did a great job at holding in messes when paired with good absorbent inserts. The tester didn’t have any leaks when using these covers with enough absorbency.
The double gussets, good elastics, and lack of leaks show that the Mama Koala covers are really effective at their main job – keeping messes contained. Based on our tester’s experience, parents can feel confident that these covers will perform well and prevent leaks.
Star Rating for Absorbency and Effectiveness: 1/1
Adjustability and Fit
Mama Koala diaper covers come in two sizes:
- Size S: one size (6-18lbs/3-8kg)
- Size M: one size (18-40lbs/8-18kg)
As already mentioned, our community admin tested the Mama Koala covers on her 3-year-old child, who weighed roughly 35 lbs and was 38” tall at the time. The fit of the size medium covers was good with room for her child to grow.
The medium covers have a 3×3 snap rise configuration and a to customize the rise and hip fit. With the rise completely unsnapped, the covers fit well without any gaps at the legs that could lead to leaks.
It was worth noting that she could have further snapped the rise up and the covers would still have fit nicely. This highlights the adjustability and shows the sizing adjustments should accommodate most babies within the stated size range.
Compared to other leading brand covers, the tester found Mama Koala’s sizing runs just slightly smaller than Thirsties Duo Wraps in corresponding sizes. However, the difference is minimal and does not impact achieving a great fit.
Like Duo Wraps you can achieve a nice, trim fit with Mama Koala covers, which many cloth diapering parents are on the hunt for, but I will talk more about how they compare to other brands in a moment.
Mama Koala covers also come in both snaps and hook & loop (also known by the brand name Velcro) waist closure types. This is a great choice by Mama Koala in my opinion as the debate between hook & loop and snaps is a divided one.
Star Rating for Adjustability and Fit: 1/1
Prints and Fabrics
Mama Koala cloth diaper covers are made from 100% polyester fabric with a waterproof TPU laminate.
Our admin noted that during her review the fabrics held up well after repeated washing over the 1 month period, with no observable wear, pilling, or other deterioration.
In our tester’s experience, the vibrant cover prints remained intact after washing without any fading or distortion issues. She found the patterns and colors to be very cute and aesthetically pleasing, as do so many in our community who absolutely adore Mama Koala’s prints of both their covers and pocket diapers.
Mama Koala is very much known, probably more than any other brand, for the large variety of prints they always have available and for adding new prints and colors all the time.
We got to try out their Simply Neutrals collection and were in love, but even if that collection is gone by the time you’re reading this there will be what feels like endless new prints to fall in love with.
Check out this Mama Koala video showing off just a fraction of the prints they have released in the past in their various cloth diaper collections:
The feel of Mama Koala’s cover fabric is soft and the 3-year-old who tested them seemed comfortable wearing them, however, the texture could be described as a bit more “plastic-y” feeling than the comparable, and far more expensive, Duo Wrap covers. This very slight difference did not negatively impact performance and makes sense given the much lower price point.
Even with the difference in feeling to her Duo Wraps our admin said she would be willing to purchase more covers in these fabrics, particularly given the budget-friendly pricing and adorable prints.
Star Rating for Prints and Fabrics: 1/1
Support and Warranty
Mama Koala is available on Amazon, which has a 90-day satisfaction guarantee provided by Amazon. However, if you purchase directly from Mama Koala the guarantee is even greater.
Mama Koala is always standing behind our products and our company provides a 365-day warranty. Customers can contact Mama Koala anytime with any issues.
In my experience, the company is highly responsive to questions on social media, email, and their website. I’ve contacted them through email and Facebook Messenger in the past and even when the company was unaware who they were speaking to (someone from this website), they were helpful and eager to address any questions or issues and answered quickly.
There can occasionally be a slight language barrier, but Mama Koala’s customer service team makes an evident effort to resolve problems and ensure satisfaction.
It is clear through their attentiveness that Mama Koala places priority on delivering a positive customer experience. They actively solicit product feedback and have upgraded and launched a bunch of new products in the past couple of years.
Star Rating for Support and Warranty: 1/1
Mama Koala cloth diaper covers are a great addition to any cloth diaper collection. With features like double gussets, high-quality PUL, good adjustability, and both back and tummy elastics, they are premium covers set at a very reasonable price.
Factor in their extensive design collection, and Mama Koala covers stand out as a top choice for both new and experienced cloth diapering families, regardless of their aesthetic or budget.
Read our full review here.
Exclusive Discount for the Cloth Diapers for Beginners Community:
- Mama Koala's Website: Enjoy 15% off (excluding trial packs) with code CDFB15MK. No minimum purchase, one-time use per account. Valid only on mamakoala.com. No expiration!
Price and Availability
Mama Koala cloth diaper covers are very affordably priced at just $6.75-$7.75 depending on size. This puts them at a lower price point than the majority of competitor brand covers.
The cost savings are significant for budget-conscious families compared to higher-end cloth diaper cover options. Based on the quality and performance, the pricing is just an excellent value.
The covers can be purchased directly on the Mama Koala website, where the company offers free shipping to the US on orders over $50. This further improves the value for money.
They are also available through Amazon in the US, Canada, and other regions around the world. The wide availability makes them easily accessible to most families looking to purchase cloth diapers online.
Considering the budget-friendly pricing, free shipping promotions, and global availability, we gladly gave Mama Koala cloth diaper covers a full 1 star rating for overall affordability and access. They provide impressive value at a very low cost.
Star Rating for Price and Availability: 1/1