Diaper Review

Evaluating opinion on diapers

ConsumerReports.org earns our highest reviewer rating, with the most credible disposable-diaper testing. After a 10-day research test in which 14 families tested seven disposable diaper brands, editors reached some surprising conclusions. Although disposable diapers have improved across the board, there is now less of a performance gap between name-brand and store-brand diapers. The book "Baby Bargains," an excellent guide to baby gear by Denise and Alan Fields, is next in line when it comes to information on diapers, with evaluations of brand-name diapers and several store brands. It also has a nice section for those considering cloth diapers.

Other sources include parent and caregiver comments from Amazon.com, Diapers.com, Drugstore.com, Viewpoints.com, DiaperPin.com and ToysRUs.com. We also found two informative reviews of cloth diapers on blogs run by moms. Since every parent is a diaper expert, comments from satisfied (or frustrated) parents have significant value. These comments also provide evidence that some of the most important testing must be done by parents, since different babies and caregivers have different experiences and preferences. In fact, different ages and body shapes of babies can result in some parents loving one diaper while others experience lots of leaking.

We found several articles addressing the ongoing debate between cloth and disposable diapers, yet no reviews compare different brands of cloth and disposable diapers against each other in head-to-head testing. The general consensus is that both cloth and disposable diapers pose hazards to the environment, but in different ways. Disposable diapers take up landfill space, while cloth diapers require energy and water consumption for laundering. Most articles discussing this issue conclude that the decision between cloth and disposable diapers is really a matter of parents' personal choice. ConsumerReports.org estimates that disposable diapers will run you in the neighborhood of $1,500 to $2,500 per child; editors say going with cloth diapers costs "hundreds of dollars less" -- if you launder them yourself.

Cloth diapers are now the subject of many comparison reviews, with the BumGenius (*Est. $18 each) brand being the hands-down favorite among cloth diaper users. This one-size diaper has Velcro straps and snap-downs on the front that allow the diaper to be resized as baby grows. FuzziBunz (*Est. $18 each) cloth diapers also fare well in reviews; these cloth diapers have snaps as fasteners instead of Velcro. Reviewers like this feature because the snaps don't wear down over time, like Velcro can, and it makes it harder for older babies to remove their own diapers.

Eco-friendly disposable diapers aim to reduce amounts of energy, chemicals and plastic needed to manufacturer them. Earth's Best TenderCare diapers (*Est. 28 cents each) are the top eco-friendly diapers according to reviewers, due to their softness and leak protection. Parents report that their babies with sensitive skin have fewer diaper rashes with TenderCare diapers, because TenderCare diapers aren't bleached with chlorine.