PUL in Cloth Pads, do you need it?

No! Of course not! There’s a bunch of different ways to make cloth pads. Some, don’t even have waterproofing at all! What type of cloth pad you use will depend on your budget and preferences.
 

Common types of waterproofing are:

PUL

Heavy Polyester Fleece*

Windpro Fleece

Ripstop Nylon

Wool*

*Note that often this will only repel liquids to a point, as always water test your fabrics before use!

If you want a pad that is super comfortable, without using waterproofing at all, just increase your absorbency. To make a cloth pad only using Cotton Flannel, I would recommend using the pocket pad style of pad. Make insertable layers and add more or less depending on what flow you need. Typically for flannel layering would be 2= liner, 4= regular, 6= heavy, and 8 = postpartum. For a non-waterproof pad maybe you’d use something like 2= liner, 6= regular 9 = heavy and 12 = postpartum. More on pocket pads here (post to come!). Zorb is not a good option for this sort of pad due to the possibility of compression leaks. Cotton, Bamboo, and Hemp are ideal fabrics for this sort of pad.