What’s the best nursing cover to buy?

I have had the chance to test out many different nursing covers during my 2 years of nursing and finally took some time to write down what I have learned to save you from making the same mistakes I did.

My best advice when it comes to selecting the best nursing cover? Spend more now… save more later.

The first one tested was the The First Years Nursing Wrap. This one features a couple standard patterns to choose from and is made of a polyester material which gets very warm for mom and baby inside. What really turned me off from this one is the coverage it provided. a It has a price point about $15. Don’t count on using the First Years cover in the summer – the fabric can make it pretty stuffy for your little one (note: the fabric isn’t actually a health hazard, just not very comfortable when the weather is warm).

The second one we tested was from Udder Covers and this one was slightly better in both design and allowed plenty of air for baby. Unfortunately if you are larger than a petite size 8 to 10 or nursing an older baby, the coverage may not be adequate.

The total price on Udder Covers for their “free” cover was $11.95 (which they say is for shipping), This price is probably equivalent to the quality of the product, so it’s not necessarily overpriced, but if coverage and keeping your modesty are important then I suggest you invest a little bit more. I was disappointed in the quality of fabric – which was very thin and will NOT work if your nurser is a wiggler. You will likely find yourself getting frustrated, especially as a child gets older and wants to wiggle even more. Would this work great as a cover for pumping milk? Absolutely!

If you are looking for well-made, quality nursing cover, then my pick is The Peanut Shell Nursing Cover from Farallon brands. The fabric is great and holds it shape well. The clasp is actually like a buckle you would find on overalls, making it easy to latch and much more likely to stay in place instead of the loops you find on covers.

One of my favorite features of The Peanut Shell Nursing Cover are the pockets inside the cover extra storage for teethers, phone, burp cloth, etc. Best of all – it does what a cover should do…keeps your business, well… your business and makes nursing while out and about a lot less stressful. The Peanut Shell Nursing Cover will run you about $21-$35 depending on where you purchase it.

Brands that were looked at in the store, but not tested…

While comparable in price, we cannot offer a full-review of the Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover or Hooter Hiders Nursing Covers. We did look at both in person and the fabric and quality for Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover seems to be similar to the The Peanut Shell, however the Hooter Hiders version seems to be lacking in at somewhat in fabric quality when compared to the previous two, but does feature storage pockets and overall seems to be close to par of the other higher end covers.

What are your thought? Are there other covers that you have tried – what did or didn’t you like about them? Any other thoughts on the brands in this review?

Happy Nursing!

Disclaimer: I was given the Peanut Shell cover to try at cost for this review. No other brands were provided free or at a discount and the research for this article was all my own.