What extras do you still have to buy with a cloth nappy hire kit?

If the library says “everything you need”, what is missing?

Central Bedfordshire Council describes its cloth-nappy-library kits as “everything you need to use reusable nappies”: about 30 nappies, a bucket, wet bags, extra boosters, and flushable plus washable liners. That is a loan of a working set, not a gift of extras you keep after week four. Real Nappies for London's get-started page still lists a sealable bucket with mesh (or a wet bag), liners and reusable wipes as things you need — and its voucher rules treat boosters, liners and wraps as separate buy items.

The first leaky night is usually absorbency or fit, not a missing nappy type. Parents then buy boosters and another wet bag while the hire nappies still have to go back. That keep-versus-return split is what this page itemises.

What do I keep, and what goes back with the kit?

What is the difference between inserts, boosters and liners?

These three words get mixed up on packing lists. The Nappy Gurus (a UK retailer explainer, 4 September 2024) separates them like this — useful when a kit says it includes “inserts” but you still leak overnight.

• Inserts — the main absorbent layer, stuffed into a pocket or laid in a wrap. The kit's nappies should already have these.
• Boosters — extra absorbency on top of, or under, the insert. Night-time and heavy wetters. This is the usual first extra people buy after a leak.
• Liners — a thin top layer to catch poo. They are not absorbent. Disposable paper liners go in the bin (Real Nappies for London: do not flush). Fleece liners are washed with the nappies.

Reusable Nappy Week and Real Nappies for London both say: shake or scrape solids into the toilet, throw disposable liners in the waste bin, and do not flush them. Flushing liners can block sewers even when the pack says biodegradable.

What should I buy before the first night?

Reusable Nappy Week publishes average accessory prices (not a shop till receipt). Use them as a planning band, then check a named retailer.

1. 1
   Read the packing list on day one Photograph every item. Nappy Lady and Friendly Eco both ask you to report damage straight away or you can be charged.
2. 2
   Buy liners you are allowed to use up If the kit includes a disposable roll, plan a second roll before solids start. Keep the receipt with the hire paperwork.
3. 3
   Add night boosters only if nights leak Try the kit's own boosters first. Mini Hippo's terms offer extra boosters for postage (£3.20 Royal Mail small parcel on its 2022 T&Cs) or free collection in Norwich.
4. 4
   Get a wet bag that will not be returned Nursery and childminders typically need a sealed bag for used nappies (Which? reusable-nappy page). A hire wet bag has to go back with the kit.
5. 5
   Put detergent on your list, not the library's UKNN and the Nappy Alliance expect your own non-bio powder. That cost sits outside every hire fee.

What extras show up once we leave the house?

Which? says most nurseries expect a zip wet bag and at least five or six ready-stuffed nappies, plus spare clothes. Real Nappies for London says the same: enough clean nappies for the day, and a wet bag for used ones. A two-week mini kit with one wet bag is enough for home and not enough for childcare plus a day out.

Vest extenders appear in some kits (Liverpool's newborn kit lists them). If yours does not, they are a keep-item that stops vests riding up over a bulkier cloth nappy — Which? flags tight clothing as a cause of compression leaks.

In shortIn short: the hire is the nappies. Liners you use up, boosters you need at night, a wet bag you can leave at nursery, and wipes you want to keep are usually extra spend. Read the packing list for what must come back, and do not treat “everything you need” as “everything you keep”.