What Exactly Are Rise Snaps?

One of the things that always surprised us as parents was just how quickly babies grow and change. One day, you’ve got a full laundry hamper overflowing with onesies, sleepers and outfits that fit your little one – 24 hours later, you’re scrambling to try and find something that doesn’t look like it’s going to burst apart at the seams!

These growth spurts make things tricky enough when you’re just trying to find some pants to put your baby in that go all the way down to her ankles. When it comes to diapering, though, things get even trickier. A properly fitting cloth diaper is critical in order to keep leaks to a minimum and to keep your little one comfy, happy, and dry, but how do you keep up with your baby’s unpredictable growing? We’re glad you asked, because actually, it’s a snap! 😉

All those fasteners on the front of many modern cloth diapers? Those are called “rise snaps.” They’re an important diaper sizing feature that provides a customized fit by helping to lengthen or shorten the diaper in order to allow one diaper to cover a wider range of sizes and keep your little one snug as a bug in…some fluff!

These snaps are located on the front of the diaper (or diaper cover, depending on what you’re working with) in rows of 2 or 3 snaps. As baby grows, you simply let out the rise snaps to ensure that you are getting the best coverage.

L to R: small, medium and large snap settings

Leg elastics should be taut and close-fitting (able to tuck one finger under the elastic) and the hip tab should be up off baby’s thigh. It can be a bit of a fine balance between too small of a rise and one that’s too large, but generally speaking, we want the diaper to sit just below the belly button, with the crotch of the diaper not drooping and still sitting high enough that it’s able to come into contact with babe. The rise snaps should also not be pulling or puckering the fabric – they should keep things tight, but not too tight.

That’s really all there is to it! Rise snaps are great because not only do they allow you to get a bit more use out of your stash before having to move on to the next size of diaper, but they also help to minimize leaks and keep your babe as comfy and cozy as possible. We’re big fans of these simple little snaps and love the wide range of fitting options that they give to parents – and to growing little ones!

Have further questions about rise snaps, or cloth diapering in general? As parents ourselves, we know what it’s like having a brand new little one at home, and are always happy to chat and share any info we can to help make it easier – just give us a call at Pumpkin’s Diaper Delivery today!