Pampers Swaddlers

Bottom Line

Pampers Swaddlers have long been a popular choice for their cloth-like softness and absorbency, particularly for overnight use. The diapers' stretchy tabs are easy to use, and the smaller sizes feature a wetness indicator that can be a lifesaver for rookie parents, reviewers say. However, some parents wish for an elasticized waist that would better contain solid messes. Swaddlers are also among the more expensive traditional disposables on the market.

Performance

Soft and absorbent. The overwhelming majority of parents say Pampers Swaddlers are soft and absorbent. An independent lab test also confirms good absorbency compared to 19 other diapers. However, a small but vocal group of reviewers say the diapers, which lack elastic at the waist, aren't good at containing up-the-back blowouts. Sizes newborn, 1 and 2 feature a wetness indicator that turns blue, which parents find especially handy. Most reviewers say the diapers are not bulky and the tabs are strong and stretchy, helping them get a better fit.

Material

Perfume too strong for some. Pampers Swaddlers are a traditional disposable diaper that contain petrolatum, stearyl alcohol and aloe barbadensis leaf extract, among other ingredients. The diapers are not biodegradable or compostable, and a few reviewers say they dislike Swaddlers' powdery scent. While the boxes may not specifically say so, Swaddlers do contain Pampers' Dry Max technology. Dry Max uses superabsorbent polymer (SAP), like other disposable diapers (Pampers calls it "absorbent gelling material"). In 2010, some parents complained that Dry Max diapers were causing diaper rash and pushed for a recall. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said in September 2010 that there was no reason to believe Dry Max was causing diaper rashes, and complaints have abated over the past couple of years.