Diapers

Consumer advocates Denise and Alan Fields have released the eighth edition of their book, "Baby Bargains." The 2009 edition touches on a variety of diaper-related topics, with an emphasis on how the choice… between cloth and disposable will affect parents both financially and practically. Also included in this latest edition is a nine-retailer comparison list showing the varying prices of the Huggies brand. Although the main focus is on major brands, the book also mentions that many parents are pleased with improved store brands and suggests at least trying these cheaper options first. This new edition also covers recommended websites for researching diaper information and purchasing diapers online. The recommendations for best diapers are a bit vague, covering the major brands and discussing features of each, and they note that "writing about disposable diaper brands is a bit like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall" due to the constant changes and improvements to design.

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This site sells diapers and other baby items. Many diaper brands feature parent reviews, such as the average 4.5-star rating of Pampers Swaddlers among over 250 ratings. The BumGenius cloth diapers are… rated highly by parents, receiving an average 4.5-star rating out of nearly 150 reviews. Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive diapers also average 4.5 stars, although this brand has accumulated less than 50 parent ratings. Likewise, Huggies Supreme Natural Fit and Huggies Overnites Super Mega Pack have an average of 4.5 stars with less than 100 ratings each. One feature that helps these reviews stand out is each size of diaper is lumped together for most brands, so you don't have to piece together a consensus for a brand and style by looking at reviews for the multiple diaper sizes. Another nice extra is that each review has fields such as "describe yourself," in which reviewers choose options like "parent of multiples," "medical professional" and "first-time parent."

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DiaperPin.com is a review site geared specifically towards cloth diapers and related items. Reviews are ranked on a single page, including the rating and number of reviews for each product. BumGenius cloth… diapers earn an above-average star rating based on over 250 reviews, while Thirsties diaper covers earn 4.5 stars, on average, based on around 150 reviews. FuzziBunz also earn a four-star average rating out of over 100 reviews. Other diaper brands are rated well, but don't have as many reviews, including the Crickett's Hemp Diaper and Green Acre Designs Cloth-Ease Pocket Diaper. Users can sort reviews based on the specific type of diaper, such as one size and pocket diapers. This site is updated frequently, with new reviews being added nearly every day, and also includes cloth-diapering tips and parenting-related articles.

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This simple review included four tester babies ranging in age from newborn to two years, who tested four brands of cloth diapers. Current users of cloth diapers were impressed by the new features, but not… by the price of these newer products, while disposable diaper fans were not swayed to cloth by the testing process. Testers favored the Econappi by Swaddlebees, noting that the diaper was snug, absorbent and easy to use. The Econappi comes in different colors and designs. The BumGenius diaper was noted for its convenience, although the review states these diapers have a long drying time after washing, and two testers complained of leakage.

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Tsh Oxenreider, a mom blogger, reviews nine cloth diaper brands, all of which she recommends. She also notes that many other brands of cloth diapers are likely to perform very well, although she doesn't… review products she hasn't tried herself. Each brand is rated for absorbency, affordability, overall fit, drying time, dad and grandparent friendliness, the cute factor and customer service. The review doesn't provide an overall ranking for the diapers, however, and they all seem to rank very similarly overall, although the insights provided based on personal experience are quite useful.

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Visitors can submit reviews, and you will find diapers heavily reviewed here. It can be a bit difficult to navigate, because a search for diapers includes many other items, such as diaper disposal systems,… diaper bags and baby wipes. You can sort by top-rated diapers; however, the first few garner the best ratings in part because they only have a handful of reviews. Consumers here give positive ratings to Pampers Swaddlers and Pampers Baby Dry. Other brands receive good reviews but have fewer ratings, including Seventh Generation, Huggies Gentle Care, Huggies Overnites, Huggies Pure and Natural, Huggies Natural Fit and the gDiapers Starter Kit. Pampers Cruisers also get good reviews from parents, although some are not happy about the new design that eliminates the mesh lining of these diapers.

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Heather Corley, About.com's guide to baby products, conducts this informal poll of favorite diaper brands. The nearly 8,000 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 45 percent of the votes in a choice between 10 options. Pampers places second with 26 percent of votes, followed by Luvs, store brands and Seventh Generation. Other options received very few votes. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

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This article discusses the pressure diaper manufacturers are under to win over new customers. To entice new moms, major brands are becoming more environmentally friendly, introducing the Huggies Pure and… Natural and Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive and Change 'N' Go brands. The Change 'N' Go is a brand new product yet to hit the mainstream market; these diapers include inserts that can be changed without removing the entire diaper. A blog article dated the next day discusses the same issues, and nearly 80 readers respond with their thoughts on the diaper debate.

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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 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 10.

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