April 2007
Disposable diapers
Consumer Reports Video  |
| BEST IN TESTS | |
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Disposable diapers |
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You'll change thousands of diapers by the time your child is 2 to 3 years old and ready for the potty. Fortunately, diaper
quality is better than ever, which makes the task easier. Your first major decision in the diaper department will be between
the cloth or disposable kind (see our report on cloth diapers). Both kinds have their benefits and drawbacks. On the one hand, disposable diapers are undeniably convenient, but they're
also costly: You can expect to spend $1,500 to $2,000 or more on disposables by the time your baby is out of them.
Cloth diapers are less expensive than disposables, especially if you do the laundering yourself. All-in-ones and cloth "diapering systems" that close with snaps or Velcro, are almost as easy to use as disposable diapers. But you still have to wash them. Despite a resurgence in the popularity of cloth diapers, disposable diapers remain the most popular choice among today's parents, as well as day-care centers and hospitals. A disposable diaper is an absorbent pad sandwiched between two sheets of nonwoven fabric. The pad contains chemical crystals that can absorb up to 800 times their weight in liquid and hold it in gel form. This helps keep liquid away from your baby's skin, so you can leave him in one longer than in a cloth diaper without causing him discomfort.
The quality of disposable diapers has improved in recent years. They're generally less leaky, feel less moist when they're wet, and provide a better fit. All the diapers we tested absorb far more liquid than a child is likely to produce during the time a single diaper is worn. Diapers are often sized according to a baby's weight, beginning with preemie and newborn and progressing to sizes 1 through 6. Some store brands are marked simply small, medium, large, and extra large, and weight ranges are listed on the package. The biggest diapers fit children 35 pounds and over. As the sizes increase, you get fewer diapers for the same price. A large package might give you 72 diapers in size 1, but only 40 in size 6. As with many things, buying the largest packages can still reduce your per-diaper costs.
All disposables are not the same, however. You'll see differences from brand to brand in fit, absorbency rate, and leakage control. For this report, we tested seven models of disposables, supplying 14 families with an infant or toddler with enough diapers of each model for 10 days. The children in the test wore diapers in sizes 3 to 6 and were evenly divided by gender. Pampers Cruisers and Pampers Baby Dry with Caterpillar Flex prevented leaks best and scored Excellent for leak prevention. Kirkland Signature (Costco's brand), Huggies Supreme with Natural Fit, and White Cloud (Wal-Mart) were in the middle of the pack, rating Very Good for leak prevention. Runners-up Luv's Ultra and Huggies had Good leak prevention. Overall, the families reported more often that Pampers and Huggies-brand diapers fit well, compared to other the brands tested.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
Major brand names of disposable diapers are Huggies (www.huggiesbabynetwork.com), Luvs (www.luvs.com), and Pampers (http://us.pampers.com).
Store brands include Cottontails (Stop & Shop brand, available at Stop & Shop supermarkets; not available online), CVS (www.cvs.com), Kirkland Signature (Costco), Little Ones (Kmart's brand; not available online), Simply Dry (another Stop & Shop brand; not available online), Target brand (available in Target stores only), and White Cloud (Wal-Mart; not available online). We found prices of our tested diapers varying from a low of 17 cents to a high of 24 cents when buying them in the largest-size package available. Although our tests show that the top-rated diapers are name brands because overall they tend to be more absorbent and fit better, you may find store brands more than adequate--and a cost cutter. In our informal research, we calculated a savings of 4 cents per diaper when we compared the cost of size 1 CVS-brand diapers with Pampers Baby Dry, also size 1, from the same store. Discounting pennies per diaper may not seem like much, but with, for example, 10 changes per day, which is reasonable with an infant, you'd bank about $12 per month and $144 per year using the size 1 store brand diapers, as an example.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Plan on using plenty of diapers for your newborn, but don't load up on the newborn size. Babies with higher birth weights may not fit the smallest size at all. Buy by weight. Start with one package of 40-count newborn diapers if your baby weighs less than 8 pounds at birth. If your baby weighs 8 pounds or more, start with a package of size 1s, then buy in volume after you find the brand you like best. Use our Ratings
In general, purchasing the largest-count package you can find is the way to go. Buying the "Mega" versus the "Jumbo"-size package, for example, could save you up to 10 cents per diaper. You'll save the most money if you buy store-brand diapers in economy-size boxes (which come in counts of 68, 80, 92, and 144), but you can also find competitive deals on name-brand diapers on sale, in various size packages.
Also, don't be too quick to jump to the next size diaper. Selecting the smallest diaper your baby can wear comfortably will save you money in the long run because a larger diaper costs more. Manufacturers usually charge the same amount per package regardless of the actual size of the diapers, but they will put progressively fewer diapers in the package as the size gets larger. In addition, a larger diaper may allow leaks.
Diaper sizes vary from brand to brand. One brand's size 1 may fit children from 8 to 14 pounds, while another's fits those 8 to 18 pounds, combining size 1 and 2 into one package. A brand's weight ranges usually overlap: Size 2 in one brand covers 12 to 18 pounds; size 3, 16 to 28 pounds; and so forth.
Stores often put disposable diapers on sale as "loss leaders" to induce parents to shop there, so watch for specials and stock up when the time comes. Take advantage of freebies and coupons, and consider joining a warehouse club, such as Costco or Sam's Club.
You can also find good deals on name-brand and some store-brand diapers at www.amazon.com, www.drugstore.com, or www.cvs.com, and save yourself a trip to the store. You might also call the toll-free customer-service lines of disposable diaper companies, or register at the Web sites, for their new-parent programs, which often include coupons and free samples. But keep in mind that your name may get on mailing lists.
In our tests, Pampers Baby Dry diapers with Caterpillar Flex performed almost as well as the top-rated Pampers Cruisers and cost less, making them a good deal. But if your budget is tight, try store brands. In our tests, two store brands, Costco's Kirkland Signature and Wal-Mart's White Cloud, rated Very Good for leak prevention. (See the Ratings, available to .)
Cloth diapers are less expensive than disposables, especially if you do the laundering yourself. All-in-ones and cloth "diapering systems" that close with snaps or Velcro, are almost as easy to use as disposable diapers. But you still have to wash them. Despite a resurgence in the popularity of cloth diapers, disposable diapers remain the most popular choice among today's parents, as well as day-care centers and hospitals. A disposable diaper is an absorbent pad sandwiched between two sheets of nonwoven fabric. The pad contains chemical crystals that can absorb up to 800 times their weight in liquid and hold it in gel form. This helps keep liquid away from your baby's skin, so you can leave him in one longer than in a cloth diaper without causing him discomfort.
The quality of disposable diapers has improved in recent years. They're generally less leaky, feel less moist when they're wet, and provide a better fit. All the diapers we tested absorb far more liquid than a child is likely to produce during the time a single diaper is worn. Diapers are often sized according to a baby's weight, beginning with preemie and newborn and progressing to sizes 1 through 6. Some store brands are marked simply small, medium, large, and extra large, and weight ranges are listed on the package. The biggest diapers fit children 35 pounds and over. As the sizes increase, you get fewer diapers for the same price. A large package might give you 72 diapers in size 1, but only 40 in size 6. As with many things, buying the largest packages can still reduce your per-diaper costs.
All disposables are not the same, however. You'll see differences from brand to brand in fit, absorbency rate, and leakage control. For this report, we tested seven models of disposables, supplying 14 families with an infant or toddler with enough diapers of each model for 10 days. The children in the test wore diapers in sizes 3 to 6 and were evenly divided by gender. Pampers Cruisers and Pampers Baby Dry with Caterpillar Flex prevented leaks best and scored Excellent for leak prevention. Kirkland Signature (Costco's brand), Huggies Supreme with Natural Fit, and White Cloud (Wal-Mart) were in the middle of the pack, rating Very Good for leak prevention. Runners-up Luv's Ultra and Huggies had Good leak prevention. Overall, the families reported more often that Pampers and Huggies-brand diapers fit well, compared to other the brands tested.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
Major brand names of disposable diapers are Huggies (www.huggiesbabynetwork.com), Luvs (www.luvs.com), and Pampers (http://us.pampers.com).
Store brands include Cottontails (Stop & Shop brand, available at Stop & Shop supermarkets; not available online), CVS (www.cvs.com), Kirkland Signature (Costco), Little Ones (Kmart's brand; not available online), Simply Dry (another Stop & Shop brand; not available online), Target brand (available in Target stores only), and White Cloud (Wal-Mart; not available online). We found prices of our tested diapers varying from a low of 17 cents to a high of 24 cents when buying them in the largest-size package available. Although our tests show that the top-rated diapers are name brands because overall they tend to be more absorbent and fit better, you may find store brands more than adequate--and a cost cutter. In our informal research, we calculated a savings of 4 cents per diaper when we compared the cost of size 1 CVS-brand diapers with Pampers Baby Dry, also size 1, from the same store. Discounting pennies per diaper may not seem like much, but with, for example, 10 changes per day, which is reasonable with an infant, you'd bank about $12 per month and $144 per year using the size 1 store brand diapers, as an example.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Plan on using plenty of diapers for your newborn, but don't load up on the newborn size. Babies with higher birth weights may not fit the smallest size at all. Buy by weight. Start with one package of 40-count newborn diapers if your baby weighs less than 8 pounds at birth. If your baby weighs 8 pounds or more, start with a package of size 1s, then buy in volume after you find the brand you like best. Use our Ratings
(available to subscribers)
as a guide, but don't be afraid to experiment. You'll find a favorite brand in time.In general, purchasing the largest-count package you can find is the way to go. Buying the "Mega" versus the "Jumbo"-size package, for example, could save you up to 10 cents per diaper. You'll save the most money if you buy store-brand diapers in economy-size boxes (which come in counts of 68, 80, 92, and 144), but you can also find competitive deals on name-brand diapers on sale, in various size packages.
Also, don't be too quick to jump to the next size diaper. Selecting the smallest diaper your baby can wear comfortably will save you money in the long run because a larger diaper costs more. Manufacturers usually charge the same amount per package regardless of the actual size of the diapers, but they will put progressively fewer diapers in the package as the size gets larger. In addition, a larger diaper may allow leaks.
Diaper sizes vary from brand to brand. One brand's size 1 may fit children from 8 to 14 pounds, while another's fits those 8 to 18 pounds, combining size 1 and 2 into one package. A brand's weight ranges usually overlap: Size 2 in one brand covers 12 to 18 pounds; size 3, 16 to 28 pounds; and so forth.
Stores often put disposable diapers on sale as "loss leaders" to induce parents to shop there, so watch for specials and stock up when the time comes. Take advantage of freebies and coupons, and consider joining a warehouse club, such as Costco or Sam's Club.
You can also find good deals on name-brand and some store-brand diapers at www.amazon.com, www.drugstore.com, or www.cvs.com, and save yourself a trip to the store. You might also call the toll-free customer-service lines of disposable diaper companies, or register at the Web sites, for their new-parent programs, which often include coupons and free samples. But keep in mind that your name may get on mailing lists.
In our tests, Pampers Baby Dry diapers with Caterpillar Flex performed almost as well as the top-rated Pampers Cruisers and cost less, making them a good deal. But if your budget is tight, try store brands. In our tests, two store brands, Costco's Kirkland Signature and Wal-Mart's White Cloud, rated Very Good for leak prevention. (See the Ratings, available to .)
