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Product Reviews

Tots Bots Bamboozle

Number of reviews: 21
Overall score:

Bamboo Terry nappy
Available from www.totsbots.co.uk, price Ł8.75

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Fantastic Nappy!

Test length: 6 weeks
Parent Panel review by Amanda - review date 21 February 2006

This is a lovely soft and silky nappy with a choice of velcro or nippa fastening (personally I love the nippa, but velcro would be great if you were using a nursery). You use it with the seperate Tots wrap. Very well made, and a fantastic, slim fit but still very good absorbency. Extremely reliable, and environmentally friendly as made from 90% bamboo! The only negative comment I can make is that they really are quite slow drying so you may need a few more than the usual 18 nappies to ensure you don't run short. Because they are also more expensive than quite a few nappies on the market this does make them a more expensive option, but if cost isn't a top priority I'd say they are well worth it, and still very economical compared to using disposables!

Best Feature: Silky Bamboo Fabric

Worst Feature: Only the price really

Verdict: I love these nappies and would love a full set!

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Mum of one

Bamboozle - super absorbent, super slim!

Test length: Um, about 5 weeks, I think!
Parent Panel review by Laura Johnson - review date 11 November 2005

Bamboozle – aplix version Type – shaped nappy, needs wrap. No stay-dry liner, so may need to use a fleece one. Fit/Looks – The bamboozle is very slim fitting and you may even find you can go down a size in wraps. The fit around the legs is a little ‘wobbly’ and we have had a couple of leaks as a result, only onto the wrap however. It can take several adjustments of the aplix to get a good fit around the tummy area. This is such a lovely nappy to look at and feels unbelievably soft next to your skin. Absorbency – made from bamboo terry, this is incredibly absorbent, especially when you consider the slim fitting nature of the nappy. Drying – I find this nappy takes an absolute age to dry. Even when a load is put through a tumble drier, this is still very damp at the end. Air drying takes a good couple of days, so if this was your ‘sole’ nappy, you would need to buy more supplies than normal to allow for this. Containment – we have had a couple of leaks, but not serious ones and it is fantastic for soaking up wee.

Best Feature: Absorbency is great.

Worst Feature: Drying time/no stay-dry inner

Verdict: Great if you need that extra absorbency and you don't mind long drying times!

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Mum to Beth, 24 weeks

Member reviews

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"Great nappies shame about the service :("
As we decided to use cloth nappies rather than disposibles because of the cost and environmental impact I decided to do som research into shaped nappies and came accross the tots bots website. The nappies sounded amazing so we ordered a full birth to potty set along with the fleece liners 2 month befor the birth of our son. We live in South africa at the moment (returning to UK nxt month for good)and so ordered on line for them to be sent to a friend who forwarded them to me. We were very impressed with the product its self but had noticed we had not received the liners we ordered. At this point I contacted tots bots by phone and advised them of the situation and they agreed to send the missing liners to me here in SA. "weeks later they arrived at my friends house in the UK!!!! They were sent on to us by her but unfortunately spent the next 4 months traveling round the world as they got lost in the post and have only just arrived to us at the end of last month, this means we have had to use disposible nappies (which we wanted to avoid and at great expense) in the mean time as they realy need the stay dry fleece liner. Whils i apreciate that the parcel geting lost in the post is nto the fault of tots bots, had they been sent to me correctly in the first place this would never have happened. Further more, 2 weeks befor my sone was due I decided to wash all the nappies ready for him to use and noticed that they took a long time to dry so decided that i should order another of these sets to ensure I have enough nappies. I rang tots bots and once again they agreed to send the parcel directly to me here in SA. 5 months later, £300 worth of disposible nappies, and much time money and energy wasted on telephone calls to Scotland, I still await the arrival of our parcel!! I believe it should be with me this week and whilst I feel the product is superb, I am most disillusioned with the service received from the company as despite the debacle and the additional expence I have incured, although I have received an apology, up to now no gesture of good will or service recovery have been offered! A very poor state of affairs I feel, such a shame as the product is really good.
Member review by Sam - Mother of a 5 month old and expecting our second. - review date 8 October 2009

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"Not the best Tots Bots has to offer..."
These nappies are very slimline and give a great fit. But they are not my favourite nappy at all - I use them when all the others are in the wash! They take a long time to dry (and drying on the radiator turns them hard and slippery so I only line dry them now) and are no longer remotely soft. I much prefer fluffles as they stay lovely and soft in my hard water area.

I cannot recommend Tots Bots wraps. They leak far too many times for me to use them - I sold mine on and bought Motherease instead which are so much more reliable.
Member review by Katy - Mum of one 2 year old - review date 22 October 2007

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"Poor quality nappies"
When I first looked into cloth nappies these were the ones that seemed to be 'everywhere'.

We have some bamboozles - the plain coloured and the rainbow ones and I have to say that I am not at all impressed with the quality. After not too many months of using the size 2's the coloured ones look horrible and are going very bald along seams and tabs and dont feel at all soft and silky. I am not in a hard water area and only line dry our nappies so I dont know why this happened.

The natural coloured ones seem ok with the material but instead have definately shrunk and im not sure we will get many more than a couple of months wear from them now and my little girl is only just 1 year old.

I still have these nappies (along with many others as we are avid cloth users) BUT these are at the back of the drawer and used only when there are no others available.
Member review by hayley - mum to stella (12 months) and josh (9 years) - review date 11 October 2007

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"Bamboozle Vs TotsBots"
I attended a baby show at glasgow and was advised to by the bamboozle nappies to suit my needs. However, after the 6th wash and actually realising that they take 2 days to dry on my pully I contacted Tots Bots who suggested I send them back to get a different kind of nappy, i.e the fluffle! I have just recieved them today and only have 10 days left before my bump is due to blossom into a baby so not long to wash them!! Very keen but also a bit hesitant to see how they perform! My baby will no doubt look as if it has a big bottom going by how bulky the nappies appear. They do however seem softer than the bamboozles, only time will tell! Unable to rate them as yet but will when baby arrives.
Member review by kate - expecting - review date 16 August 2007

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"Didn't like these nappies"
I came on this site when trying to choose which nappies to go for to read these reviews. I was so impressed by the sound of baboozles, that I foolishly ordered a complete set of 18, before trying them out. I have swapped to biodegradable disposables instead, as everytime I have used these they have caused extreme nappy rash (using sensitive baby wash powder in the machine, which is fine on all his clothes), have leaked through to his clothes each time, and have to be changed after a max of 2 hours as otherwise he is sitting around in a sopping wet nappy. I find it strange that all the reviews on here are positive and feel the need to add this as I really disliked these nappies and certainly don't think they are value for money or comfortable for the baby. I appreciate everybody has a different view, but I would not recommend these nappies to anybody. I also found the company tots bots to be unhelpful and unfriendly on the phone and ended up buying them from a supplier instead (who interestingly also found tots bots to be unhelpful). Unfortunately, this experience has put me off reusable nappies and I don't think I'll be trying anymore.
Member review by Julie - Mother of baby boy, 3 months - review date 27 May 2007

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"LOVE these nappies!"
Bamboozles are the best nappy I've used, and I've tried many! They stay soft, retain their shape, are super absorbant and require no soaking or special treatment.

I put mine in for a rinse at 60 then put the rest of babies washing in and wash it all at 40 with no problems. That way I can get by with just 6 nappies - because they are expensive!

I ordered my trial pack from totsbots directly and waited 3 months then ordered my day pack from www.glowmaternityandbaby.co.uk and recieved them the next day!

I use size 2 aplix on my newborn with the front folded down and a nappi nippa, they're bulky on him but not drastic and it means I don't have to buy more as he grows.

Member review by Jennifer - Mum to Milo, 9 weeks - review date 9 May 2007

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"Best nappy I've used"
I have a variety of washable nappies including most of the main brands, but these are my personal favourite by a mile!

This is a silky, supersoft nappy that remains soft even when dried on the line. It's extremely slim fitting, yet is still the most absorbent nappy I've used. My baby seems far more comfortable in these nappies than in other brands, and his clothes fit over them far better.

The applix band is not stiff like it can be with some cotton nappies, and it's easy to adjust the fit. They fitted my son from 3 weeks old and he still fits in the size 1 nappies now, although he will need size 2 soon.

The only real downside is the drying time. They take a good hour to dry in the tumble dryer and longer over an airer or on the line. This would make them a more costly option, as you do need more nappies than you might need if buying cotton ones. It's a price I'm willing to pay, though, as I love these nappies so much!

They are more environmentally friendly than some cotton nappies being mostly bamboo, and have a good resale value, so although the initial outlay is high, it would be easy to get a good return on them when no longer using them (especially as they are very stain resistant and good quality). They come in cute rainbow colours now as well as the original natural colour.
Member review by kelly - mum to 4, including 16 wk old Elijah - review date 10 March 2007

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"These are fab"
So very soft, so very easy to use.

No leaks at all.

I got mine from www.glowmaternityandbaby.co.uk as postage works out cheaper when buying the mulitpack.

Member review by Catherine - Mum to one who is 2 years - review date 14 February 2007

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"Really cool"
I don't think the drying time is that bad! I'm sure there are others which dry more quickly but I wouldn't sacrifice the other advantages for the sake of their drying times.

They stay soft no matter how many times you wash or dry them, they wash very well even on a short, cooler cycle and they don't stain or need soaking. When I was testing them I tried to leave them on my son until they leaked (he only poohs in the morning before he gets up) but they will go all day (from 7 till 7) with only minor leakage over the top and onto the sides of the wrap even though my little boy had just learned to say juice and was asking for juice all the time.

They dry in three hours on the radiator or outside line and in an hour in the drier (it matters how you hang them on the radiator, whether you hang them out in the day or night and how you fold them inside the drier). Just the same as a pair of jeans.

I have found that the size 2 nappies last a long time they fit my little girl (she was 3 months when I got them and very slim) and my chubby 20 month old toddler. The size of the wraps are what make the difference. I use size 3 wraps for my little boy because he is quite large.

I ordered them from www.purenappiness.com. they went to a lot of trouble to accommodate my needs and gave me a 10% discount which saved me over thirty pounds.

I wanted 20 nappies (my little boy is just starting potty training and I already have 5) some of them coloured and some natural, coloured wraps instead of the white ones, some fleece wraps and the fleece topped boosters. I have found the fleece wraps good for night time use as they are soft and comfortable.

Some of the wraps I needed to be bigger sizes than the nappies so I found it difficult to find a multipack. I was impressed because I e-mailed a number of companies with my requirements and got an almost immediate response from susan at pure nappiness to say she would get back to me.

I got my quote the same day (I also got one the same day from www.time2changeuk.com but the price was better from pure nappiness). Susan gave me her personal mobile number to order the nappies with my debit card (she even answered my phone call while she was not at work).

The only problem I have found is that Tots Bots themselves are very slow to send out their orders, a number of suppliers have explained this to me and I had to wait so long for my day pack that my debit card expired and they had to phone me for my new details!

I would definitely say that they are worth the money as I think you need to have good ones if you have "real" nappies at all otherwise you will find it difficult.
Member review by kat - mother of two - review date 2 February 2007

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"Brillant staple nappy"
This is much softer and more flexible than the original tots bots and gives a slimmer fit. The nappy is very absorbant which is great for wees although not so good for drying times. The fold out "tongue" does help to reduce this though. If you are looking for a nappy to start your collection with you can't go wrong with these! Seperate wrap is required
Member review by Claire - Mum of one - review date 18 January 2007

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"Save On Bamboozles"
I love these nappies they are super absorbent, slimmer than a lot of re-useable nappies. Do take a bit longer to dry than fluffles but a lot slimmer fit so worth the wait. 10/10. Everyones only complaint is price. I bought mine at www.cottonbots.co.uk and saved 15% so only cost me £7.65 per nappy.
Member review by fiona - Mother of One - review date 22 October 2006

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"Bamboo is the business"
we decided to use real nappies when our son arrived, we live in a very reural location and in winter are often cut off from teh world and we had visions of being stuck at home with no nappies so we thought that real nappies were the way forward. We were right.

Even I the fumbling father managed to work out how to work them and we have found that they have saved us quite a bit of cash too.

The fit is good, and although other people have found the drying times long we got a few extra and have never found it a problem.

The fit seems to be much better than most nappies and we don't have any problems with leaks or stuff going up the back.

I would reccomend them to anyone (just make sure you have a washing machine!)
Member review by Gavin - Dad of one - review date 19 September 2006

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"Lovely nappies."
I have just started using these (aplix version) on my 3 week old daughter. They still look a bit too big, but with a fleeceliner and XS Motherease wrap, they work perfectly. The nappies are so soft and silky and Isabel looks really comfortable in them. They are very absorbent, don't leak and catch all that explosive, runny BFBP!

Both my community midwife and health visitor were fascinated by them, and lots of friends are keen to try them.

Yes, they are slower to dry than some other nappies, but I have some flat bamboo squares(Babeco) as back up and IMO, there are so many advantages to using Bamboozles that I don't mind if they take a bit longer to dry. So far, we've managed with line drying and an airer inside overnight and haven't yet had to resort to using the tumble drier.

Well worth the money, I think, and I will definitely be able to sell them on as I have a list of people interested in them already! I really didn't know what I was getting into when I decided to use cloth nappies, so I enlisted the help of my local Lollipop advisor. I know I made the right decision. As easy to change as a disposable nappy but without all the horrid drawbacks.
Member review by Racheal - Mum of 3, youngest aged 3 weeks. - review date 2 June 2006

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"My favourite nappy"
Love, love, love these nappies. Incredibly absorbent, soft and reasonably slim-fitting.

Have never had a leak with these (even overnight).

I have both aplix and nippa version, and have found the aplix ones to be more absorbent plus they have stayed softer for longer. Not sure why this is.
Member review by Maria - mother of 2 - review date 21 May 2006

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"Too long to dry - go for the Fluffle!"
I used the original 100% cotton TotsBots for the first 6 months and loved them, then tested TotBots Bamboozle and Fluffle before deciding on the Fluffle, because the bamboozle takes so long to dry especially now central heating is off. The Fluffle comes nippa or popper, and has a stay-dry lining. It literally dries with a 10 minute tumble (or in a few hours hung on the back of a chair), so you need far fewer which means less expense! Bamboozle is silky soft though, and very slim so I can see those advantages. I think all of TotsBots nappies are excellent for different reasons!
Member review by Kin Yee - Mother of 7 month old - review date 18 May 2006

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"High in comfort, slimness, quality but also drying time!"
Liked this nappy as it was a really snug and slim fit. Made from a nice fabric and feels really soft but also robust.

Is easy to fit on and can also easily put boosters in.

Downsides are that it does take ages to dry and also you would need to keep buying the next size up which could make it one of the more expensive options.
Member review by Vicki - Mother of 4 Month Old Boy - review date 3 March 2006

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"Like this!"
Very good nappy - slim fitting, but still v. absorbent - no leaks. Cut quite high on the leg and low at the waist, but still, my baby didn't suffer for that. Very good quality nappy, but expensive. The biggest downside for me was that it was so slow drying. My other nappies dried significantly quicker - this would actually put me off buying it, simply because you'd have to buy more of this nappy than others to cope with fact that it takes so long to dry, thus it gets more and more expensive. It's great, but there are other great nappies out there that dry quicker.
Member review by Elizabeth - Mother of seven month old - review date 28 February 2006

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"Best Nappy Ever!"
This is such a soft, almost silky, nappy. It has a lovely slim fit and I will be purchasing these when we get to the next size up - although quite pricey in comparison I think it's worth it for the lovely feel. On top of that the absorbency is very good. They do take longer to dry but again, definately worth it. I prefer popper or nippa fastening but the Velcro strip is soft and does not dig into baby's tummy as some do.
Member review by Helen - Mother to 3yr old and 4 month old - review date 25 February 2006

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"really like"
I think this nappy is great. It is really slimline but loses nothing in the absorbency. It feels very soft so I guess it's comfortable to wear! The previous review mentions taking a long time to dry, but I did not find that. It dried overnight on a radiator for me.
Member review by emily - Mum to William, 19 months. 30 weeks pregnant with number 2 - review date 21 February 2006

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