Mama Koala Swim Diaper Review: Do They Work?

By April Duffy •  Updated: 06/26/24 •  10 min read

As the weather gets warmer, many cloth diapering families start looking for a reusable swim diaper to take their little ones to the pool or beach. Swim diapers need to perform differently than regular cloth – rather than absorbing liquids, they’re designed to contain solids while letting water flow through.

Mama Koala, known for their popular pocket diapers, also offers swim diapers in adorable prints. To see how they hold up, we had one of our community members test them out during weekly swim lessons with her baby.

Read on to find out if Mama Koala swim diapers lived up to their cute appearance with a functional design.


At a Glance

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

  • Customizable side-snap fit
  • Soft, stretchy material
  • Fun, colorful prints
  • Meets public pool requirements
  • May be roomy on slimmer babies

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 11:59 PM PDT.
  • 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. This code can not be combined with other offers and does not apply to trail packs. No expiration!

YES! You Can Use these Coupons on the Mama Koala 3.0 pocket diapers when they are released on November 9th!


Mama Koala Reusable Swim Diapers
5.0

Mama Koala's recently relaunched swim diapers are an excellent, affordable option not only for cloth diaper parents, but any parent looking to replace disposable swim diapers at the pool or beach.

Pros:
  • Customizable side-snap fit
  • Cute, colorful prints
  • Contains solid messes
  • Affordable price point
  • 1-year warranty
  • Meets public pool requirements
Cons:
  • May be a bit roomy on slim babies
  • TPU used over mesh
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

How We Rate Swim Diapers

In our reviews, we rate each diaper out of 1 in five categories: absorbency and effectiveness, adjustability and fit, prints and fabrics, support and warranty, and price and affordability.

Adding up the scores gives a rating out of 5 stars. Keep in mind, when reviewing swim diapers, “absorbency” refers to how well they contain solids, not liquids. We want swim diapers to let water flow through, not absorb it.

How We Tested Mama Koala’s Swim Diapers

To put Mama Koala’s swim diapers to the test, we turned to a cloth diapering mom from our Facebook community. Our reviewer used the swim diaper on her 9-month-old daughter during weekly swimming lessons.

She tracked how well the diaper fit, performed in the pool, and held up to washing, and also compared the Mama Koala diaper to other reusable swim diapers she’s tried.

At 20 lbs with chunky thighs, her baby was a great tester for seeing how the diaper fits babies on the higher end of the weight range. Allison’s thoughtful feedback and cute photos of Emma modeling the diaper formed the basis for this review.

While every baby is different, we aim to give you a realistic idea of how Mama Koala swim diapers perform in real-life use. Now, let’s dive into the results!

What Did We Rate Mama Koala Swim Diapers?

Rating Mama Koala’s swim diapers was a bit of a challenge: on one hand, they have a fantastic diaper that performed well in every way. On the other, we didn’t want to be too easy on Mama Koala after giving them a 5-star 3.0 pocket diaper review, diaper cover review and cloth diaper inserts review, as well as a 4-star menstrual pad review

Also tough was that there were a few things we thought could be improved – the bagginess of the TPU, and choosing TPU over mesh – but in the end, they are design choices with valid reasons behind them. 

So, after some debate, there was literally no reason we could think of not to give Mama Koala swim diapers a perfect 5 out of 5 stars! 

Way to go Mama Koala! 

Here are the details…

Absorbency and Effectiveness

For regular use in the pool, our tester found that the Mama Koala swim diaper worked exactly as intended. It didn’t get waterlogged or saggy, letting her daughter move around easily in the water. 

She also noted,” I really liked the edging on the diaper as I feel it makes it more comfortable for baby and helps to prevent any poop leaks.” 

While swim diapers aren’t meant to absorb pee, Mama Koala notes that you can add an absorbent insert inside the diaper when baby is out of the water. 

It’s this choice to allow the swim diapers to be used as diaper covers that makes them a bit saggy, which I’ll talk about in the next section, but for now, just note you should NOT use any inserts while swimming, as they’ll absorb water and weigh your child down.

The interior athletic wicking jersey (AWJ) lining seemed to do its job, letting water pass through without absorbing. 

Since the Mama Koala swim diaper effectively contained poop without any leaks during the testing period, we gave it a full star for absorbency and effectiveness.

Star Rating for Absorbency and Effectiveness: 1/1

Adjustability and Fit

Our reviewer got a great fit on her 9-month-old daughter, who weighed just over 20lbs at the time. The adjustable side snaps allowed her to customize the fit around her baby’s chunky thighs, getting a snug but comfortable fit.

She reported, “No issues in the pool at all, didn’t get waterlogged, and seemed to work as intended. It seems quite roomy and not too tight, but [I’m] still able to get a good fit with the snaps. It might look like ‘saggy butt’ on a slim baby due to the roominess”

As mentioned in the last section, this saggy bum is likly caused by Mama Koala’s choice to allow folks to add inserts to their swim diapers when not being used in the pool. Our reviewer was concerned about how this sagginess would look on a smaller and more slender baby than her own, but since it shouldn’t affect performance in the water (and also because we’re regularly slagging diapers for fitting too slimly), we respected this choice and didn’t dock them any points for this roominess. 

Mama Koala swim diapers come in two size ranges:

Thanks to the double rows of snaps and flexible sizing, we gave the Mama Koala swim diaper a perfect score for adjustability and fit.

Star Rating for Adjustability and Fit: 1/1

Prints and Fabrics

As usual, one of the biggest wins for Mama Koala swim diapers is the seriously cute prints! From cute and fun, to neutral and aesthetic, there’s something for everyone. 

We all love the fun, colorful designs, though it may leave you with the same dilemma as our reviewer had at the pool. 

“I almost didn’t want to put on her swimsuit since they were being covered,” She said. 

Luckily, you can also get matching wet bags in some prints (and I’m in love!)

As for fabric choice, if you’ve read my previous posts about swim diapers you’ll know that I personally don’t like laminated fabrics for swim diapers as there is potential for accidents BUT nearly all the swim diapers on the market in 2023 are made this way. This choice is quickly becoming the standard and pools are likely to begin making it part of their regulations soon out of familarization, so there is no way I can fault a brand for using TPU to make their swim diapers in 2024, it’s just the standard. 

The polyester material with TPU laminate Mama Koala uses for their swim diapers feels soft and flexible, not stiff or plasticky, which is great! 

After several weeks of use and washing, our reviewer didn’t notice any fading or wear to the prints or fabric. The diaper still looked and felt as good as new.

With their eye-catching, durable prints, we happily gave Mama Koala a full star for the look and feel of their swim diapers.

Star Rating for Prints and Fabrics: 1/1

Support and Warranty

As noted in many of our other Mama Koala reviews, purchasing Mama Koala from Amazon, will give yo a  90-day satisfaction guarantee provided by Amazon (rather than Mama Koala), but if you purchase directly from Mama Koala, they stand behind their products so strongly that the company provides a 365-day warranty. Customers can contact Mama Koala anytime with any issues to start a claim. 

In my experience, the company is highly responsive to questions on social media, email and their website.

Based on their standard 1-year warranty and track record of good customer support with their other products, we happily gave Mama Koala a full star for this category.

Star Rating for Support and Warranty: 1/1

Price and Availability

At less than $7 per diaper*, Mama Koala swim diapers are a very affordable option for families looking to save money on disposable swim diapers. 

* Please note that prices are always subject to change, so please check the website for up-to-date pricing. Some insert upgrades will add to this price. 

Reusable swim diapers in general are a great way to save money if you spend lots of time at the beach or pool.

Compared to other reusable swim diaper brands, Mama Koala’s pricing is on the lower end, without sacrificing performance or aesthetics.

Even better, Mama Koala has given the Cloth Diapers for Beginners community additional coupon codes for their products: 

  • MK Amazon: CDFB10MK

Enter this coupon on the payment page, and grab 10% off everything! No minimum purchase requirement, one-time use per account; it’s for Amazon US only and cannot be combined with any other offer. Expires on 08/10/2024.

  • MK website: CDFB15MK

Enter this coupon on the payment page, and grab 15% off everything (except the trial pack). No minimum purchase requirement; one-time use per account; it’s for https://mamakoala.com/ only and cannot be combined with any other offer. No expiring date.

These discounts make the diapers even more budget-friendly, and we truly appreciate their commitment to making cloth diapering accessible to more families. 

Star Rating for Price and Availability: 1/1

Overall Impression

In our reviewer’s own words, “Mama Koala diapers are one of my favourite diapers in my stash and the swim diapers did not disappoint. Between the fun prints and the flexibility to get a great fit with the snaps, these diapers should be in everyone’s closet if you plan on going to the beach or pool.”

She was impressed by how easily the Mama Koala swim diaper fit her 20lb daughter and held up over a month of regular pool use. In her experience, they performed better and are easier to get a good fit than other budget-friendly brands like Alva Baby. She plans to buy more prints for the summer and spread the word to her mom friends.

The only potential downside is that slimmer babies might end up with a little extra room in the bum – but the snug leg elastics should still prevent any disasters. 

If you’re looking for an affordable, reliable reusable swim diaper, we highly recommend Mama Koala. 

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Customizable side-snap fitMay be a bit roomy on slim babies
Cute, colorful printsTPU used over mesh 
Contains solid messes 
Affordable price point
1-year warranty

The Bottom Line

Based on our tester’s experience using Mama Koala swim diapers every week at swim lessons with her 9-month old, we’re happy to recommend them to any families looking for an affordable, effective reusable swim diaper. The side snaps allow you to get a snug fit, the inner lining and elastics keep messes contained, and the huge range of prints add a major fun factor.

While the roomier fit might not work for very petite babies, overall these swim diapers perform well and hold up to regular use. We love that they make it easy for more families to affordably cloth diaper at the pool.

Mama Koala swim diapers are a smart choice for saving money and reducing waste this summer. With an impressive 5 out of 5 star rating from our testing, they’re a great addition to any cloth diaper stash.

Mama Koala Reusable Swim Diapers
5.0

Mama Koala's recently relaunched swim diapers are an excellent, affordable option not only for cloth diaper parents, but any parent looking to replace disposable swim diapers at the pool or beach.

Pros:
  • Customizable side-snap fit
  • Cute, colorful prints
  • Contains solid messes
  • Affordable price point
  • 1-year warranty
  • Meets public pool requirements
Cons:
  • May be a bit roomy on slim babies
  • TPU used over mesh
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

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.