I have a lot of parents reach out when their child is moving from toddler-sized diapers and pull-ups into the new world of incontinence products for larger children and teens. With the prospect of continuing to diaper for many more years, all the benefits of using cloth diapers over disposable diapers matter even more, but they can be difficult to find in larger sizes.
It seems that while infant cloth diapers are available by the thousands, finding diapers for special needs children is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack.
To help, I have here a curated list of available options for cloth diapering older kids and teens with special needs. While I’ve not tested all the specific diapers on this list (My daughter was wearing bedtime pants until six-year-old even though she is fully potty trained during the day since four) the brands I’ve chosen to include are all well-known and receive top marks for their infant diapers. I’ve also consulted moms on the Cloth Diapers for Beginners Facebook group who are cloth diapering older children and chosen to include only diapers and pull-ups that I know (from my now nine years of experience using and talking diapers) have the materials that will be able to handle the sheer volume of “output” you’ll be dealing with for an older child or special needs teen.
Wherever possible I have included feedback from parents who have used these specific diapers themselves. If you’d like to send me your own feedback about any of these diapers or let me know of another good option please email me at clothdiapersforbeginners @ gmail.com (no spaces). The more feedback we can collect to help others cloth diaper their older kids, the better!
Big Kid and Teen, Diapers & Bedwetting Pants NOT on this List
If you’re doing your research, you may notice that there are a few more options out there (though not many) that are not on this list, including the very popular Super Undies (with options fitting everyone from toddlers to fully-grown adults). This is because they have been tested by me and in the end, I don’t feel their quality meets my very high standards so I can’t recommend them.
With that said, both these brands are well known and loved by others, if you’d like to see those options as well, here are those links:
With that said, let’s get to the special needs cloth diaper options I DO recommend.
Best Cloth Diapers for Big Kids and Teens
Snap/Velcro Closure Cloth Diaper Options for Older Kids
With adjustability to fit kiddos from 35 all the way to 70 pounds, the Big O.N.E has all of those same bells and whistles that make the regular GroVia O.N.E great:
- The "Outlast Closure," which lets you convert it from Hook & Loop to a Snap closure and back again, quickly and easily.
- All-In-One Style, meaning that everything you need is in this one diaper, and once the soakers are snapped in place, it's good to go, making it quick and easy during changing.
- Lots of absorbency! In fact for some kiddos on the smaller end of the sizing, this diaper can work for overnight as well!
Adjustable to fit kiddos from about 40 to 60+ pounds, the Thirsties Snap XL pocket diaper is a great choice for those who need all the features of a cloth diaper, just bigger! The XL pocket diaper comes with some solid inserts made from cotton and a hemp/cotton blend so the out-of-the-box absorbency is solid.
Thirsties is by far one of the better-known premium brands, and for good reason, their diapers fit well, are able to hold well, and have a long life (if cared for properly).
If you're looking for a diaper-style diaper for your older or special-needs kiddo, you won't be disappointed by this choice.
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Pull-Up Style Options for Older Kids
With very forgiving sizes that will easily fit kiddos just shy of 30 lbs right up to 65 lbs, these bedwetting pants are the overnight diaper equivalent of a tank—they will literally hold everything! Even better they will stand the test of time and look brand new for years (if properly cared for of course)!
I can't recommend these enough for older kiddos struggling with bedwetting.
Overnight/ Bedwetting Options for Older Kids
With very forgiving sizes that will easily fit kiddos just shy of 30 lbs right up to 65 lbs, these bedwetting pants are the overnight diaper equivalent of a tank—they will literally hold everything! Even better they will stand the test of time and look brand new for years (if properly cared for of course)!
I can't recommend these enough for older kiddos struggling with bedwetting.
With adjustability to fit kiddos from 35 all the way to 70 pounds, the Big O.N.E has all of those same bells and whistles that make the regular GroVia O.N.E great:
- The "Outlast Closure," which lets you convert it from Hook & Loop to a Snap closure and back again, quickly and easily.
- All-In-One Style, meaning that everything you need is in this one diaper, and once the soakers are snapped in place, it's good to go, making it quick and easy during changing.
- Lots of absorbency! In fact for some kiddos on the smaller end of the sizing, this diaper can work for overnight as well!
Options for Special Needs Teens (Kids Over 70 pounds)
Made for special needs kids with Incontinence around age 6-13 years, EcoAble Big Kids' Protective Briefs offer a pull-up style, but with the option of using the snaps on both sides if needed.
Note that the insert that comes with these is microfiber inside, so you may need additional inserts if your child is a heavy wetter.
We love EcoAble overnight fitted diapers for babies, so we're very excited about this special needs big kids's nighttime cloth diaper set for kids age 6 to 13 years old.
This set includes:
- 1 Waterproof Pull-on Cover;
- 1 Bamboo / Cotton Fitted Diaper
- 1 Snap-in Booster Insert
If you're looking for an overnight solution for your teen, this may be it!
Hope for More in the Future
Though there are not a whole lot of diapers on this list, I want you to feel optimistic about the future. When I began my own cloth diapering research way back in 2014 I would see many parents ask about cloth diapers for their older children or teens and I can’t recall more than one or two being out there at the time.
Since I’ve worked with parents in this industry I’ve seen more and more companies step up to fill this gap in the market, especially in the past two or three years, and so I’m very optimistic that we will have even more options in the future!
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!