Diapers

After a ten-day research test in which 14 families tested seven brands of diapers, editors at Consumer Reports conclude that the quality gap is closing between store-brand and name-brand diapers and, in… fact, two store brands beat out a couple of name-brand diapers in Consumer Reports ratings. Along with popular varieties of Huggies, Luvs and Pampers, the store-brand diapers from Costco and Wal-Mart are also considered. Diapers have improved across the board, say editors. A companion article discusses cloth diapering, but no cloth diapers are rated.

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Amazon.com allows parents and caregivers to rank and review diapers. This is a great place to read feedback from parents. The Seventh Generation chlorine-free diapers are a customer favorite, receiving more… than 400 reviews for the Stage 1 size alone and an average 4.5 out of five stars. Pampers diapers are also well-loved, with versions of the Swaddlers, Cruisers and Easy Ups all attracting 4.5 stars (on average). Huggies Pull-Ups are newer with fewer reviews, but they also rate highly with an average 4.5 stars. Huggies Snug and Dry diapers get an average of four stars from 200-plus reviewers for the size 1-2 bulk pack. The problem with Amazon is that the diaper category also includes diapering-related products, including wipes, diaper bags, diaper cream, etc., so the user has to spend a lot of time scrolling and sorting to find actual diapers.

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In this article, Elisa Batista suggests as a misconception the idea that biodegradable diapers are better for kids and the environment than other types. It turns out these specialty diapers may not have… significant benefits over other disposable diapers. For one, it takes just as much water and energy to produce eco-diapers as regular disposables, though chlorine is not used in the bleaching process. Also, because landfills are airtight, biodegradable diapers don't break down any quicker than disposable diapers. Cloth diapers save landfill space, but Batista concludes that the extra water used in cleaning them means that the energy saved is merely spent elsewhere.

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Drugstore.com has several pages of customer-rated diapers, with the five-star picks being Huggies, gDiapers, GoodNites training pants, Pampers Swaddlers, Pampers Easy Ups, Tushies, Seventh Generation and… Huggies Overnights. Most of these diapers, however, only have one to three reviews in total. Another package size of Pampers Swaddlers, however, garners 4.5 stars with 20 consumer reviews. Products can be sorted by price, rating and brand name, but the site doesn't offer a side-by-side comparison.

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Heather Corley, About.com's Guide to Baby Products, conducts this informal poll of favorite diaper brands. The 4,000-plus respondents provide significant insight into which brand names parents prefer.… Interestingly, parents don't prefer the most expensive and longest-established diaper brand. The overwhelming victor is Huggies with 44 percent of the votes in a choice between ten options. Pampers places second with 29 percent of votes, followed by Luvs, store brands and Seventh Generation. Other options received very few votes.

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Although this site is very low-tech and seemed to have some technical errors, it includes a handful of thorough reviews written by an anonymous contributor. Reviews also include ratings on criteria like… cost, durability, comfort level, availability and "sponge factor," or absorbency. The reviewer also examines safety, stating that some tabs can scratch and even draw blood with newborns. Popular name brands are reviewed, as well as less expensive store brands. Pampers Swaddlers and ShopRite Training Pants (available only at ShopRite and Superfresh grocery stores) received the highest rating of nine out of ten.

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