Which Diapers Work the Best?

Updated on November 13, 2007
K.L. asks from Mishawaka, IN
43 answers

We recently switched to disposable from cloth diapers and haven't had much luck finding a diaper that holds up to explosions. We are trying to find the cheapest and most durable diaper. Any suggestions?

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S.Z.

answers from Chicago on

When my son was newborn it seemed that Pampers worked the best. Then I went to Costco one day and saw a pack of 237 Huggies diapers for $37.00. For us, that's over 2 months of diapers for less than $40! Can't get that good of a deal even at Wal-Mart. So, we switched to Huggies and haven't had any problems. There was one blowout but that was due to my hubby not putting the diaper on tight enough.

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S.C.

answers from Chicago on

At night - we use Huggies Overnights and they really work to manage the explosions - also try one size up. We used to use Pampers Cruisers at night and we still had messy sheets several nights a week.

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A.H.

answers from Chicago on

I chose cloth for my child's health, but after a while, the service was costing too much. They're not the best for containing explosions, but after using cloth diapers, I felt the safest alternative to chlorinated diapers was seventh generation. They're, unfortunately, not the cheapest, but if you go to 800diapers.com, you can buy in bulk and get free shipping. If you want the best leak protection, go with what the other moms suggest, though, because while we don't have too many explosions anymore, it does happen from time to time.

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A.G.

answers from Chicago on

This isn't exactly answering your question, but I thought I might add this anyhow.
Cloth diapers really are most cost effective in the long run. If you get good cloth diapers, in my experience, they are better than disposables and do cost less overall (especially if you will have more babies or can sell them to someone else). I have used cloth for both of my children and only occassionally use disposables when we travel without access to laundry machines. I have never had a blow out in cloth like I have seen with disposables. I think the elastic helps to hold it in. With the good quality cloth diapers, my son usually needs only 4 or 5 diapers a day. He can go 12-13 hours overnight in one cloth diaper with no leaks.
You can always do a mix of cloth and disposables, especially if you already have the cloth diapers. You can use them when you are at home or during the day and use disposables at night. That will help cut down on cost, too.
If you would like more information about the types of cloth diapers that have worked best for us, please feel free to contact me.
Either way, congrats on doing cloth, even if you're done with it now. Every bit makes a difference.

A.

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J.D.

answers from Chicago on

I first started cloth diapering when my 2nd son was about 17 months. We bought All in one's for the convenience, and they were nice, but once I had my 3rd son, we used prefolds and covers, and I liked that system MUCH better. For the 1st year that was all we used, but now he is at a point where he is too big for infant prefolds, and too small for premium prefolds, so we are now using fitteds and covers, and I have been happy with this system =)

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C.C.

answers from South Bend on

I see you've gotten lots of advice here! But, my youngest (Out of 4 children) is now 3 1/2 mo. old, and i started her out in Pampers Swaddlers, which are good, but have since switched to Luvs. I have found with all of my children, Luvs workes the best at keeping "IN" all of the leaks and explosions! Especially now, at the age my newborn is, she has had alot of explosions! :) She is breastfed too...and breastfed babies have looser, more watery stools than formula fed babies.

So, to end this, i would say my experience as a mommy of four recommends Luvs overall. Plus, i love the price! At Target, they sell for $6.99 a pack everyday price for the jumbo pack, compared to 9.49 and 9.99 a pack for Huggies and Pampers. When they go on sale, it's even better! As lots of Mommies have said, i agree that Target does have good diaper prices. Try the Luvs, you'll like them...and they are true to size...no jumping up one size! Good luck!

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M.E.

answers from Chicago on

I agree with many of the other Moms. Pampers are great for the most part. The only deviation I have from Pampers is when my son was about 18 months old and Pampers no longer cut it for overnight use. I now use Huggies Overnights based on feedback from other Moms on this site. They were right!!

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C.U.

answers from Chicago on

Luvs suck.....they leak.

Pampers are the best, you get what you pay for. Good Luck

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A.G.

answers from Chicago on

Target has some the best prices on any type of diaper hands down, I even found them to be cheaper than WalMart at times. I have also heard that ordering them online can be way cheaper, although I have never personally tried that. As for things holding up to "blow outs" I have always found going upa size may help...A lot. I have friends who swear by Huggies, I cannot stand them, I really liked Pampers for both of my kids, especially once they began to crawl. LUVS aren't bad either. With the store brands I have personally found that not only do they leak, but they do not wick away the moisture that well either. Hope this helps, and good luck.

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J.Y.

answers from Chicago on

I have discovered that pampers work best for girls, and huggies work best for boys. I tried the generic brands with no luck.

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A.A.

answers from Chicago on

I love COSTCO brand - they are inexpensive and have handled all but the most overpowering "requests". : )

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D.G.

answers from Chicago on

For us, Pampers work the best. No diaper will completely hold up to explosions though. If you go with store brand diapers, you will be changing them more often, so the lower cost really does not end up being much lower in the long run. My suggestion is to watch sales, & use coupons with the sale price. Stock up when you can.

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M.H.

answers from Chicago on

I went to Costco today to buy their brand (Kirkland). When I got there, I found that Huggies (Size 3) were cheaper than the Kirkland brand (per diaper). I briefly looked at size 4's and they are exactly the same price per diaper. I didn't look at the bigger sizes to see the price differences. I ended up buying the Huggies. My son has leaked through Pampers many times. I like Huggies the best.

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D.T.

answers from Muncie on

I actually use the Wal-mart brand. Parent's Choice I think it's called. Only time they leak is when it's time for us to move up to the next size.

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M.R.

answers from Chicago on

Pampers is not the cheapest brand, but they are my favorite. We use the cruisers during the day and the baby dry at night. Our child sleeps from about 6:30-7:00 at night until 6:00, and the baby dry has held up wonderfully without any leaks. I tried Luvs and Huggies and hated both of them.

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M.K.

answers from Chicago on

We tried Luvs, Huggies, Pampers and Walgreens. Huggies were the worst! We then tried Target brand and have stuck with them. He has been wearing them for 2 1/2 months with no blowouts!

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A.M.

answers from Chicago on

nothing holds up to some explosions but huggies and pampers are the best. the cheap generic brands aren't worth anything. they leak continually and aren't absorbant at all, which is why they are cheap.

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J.

answers from Chicago on

I have always heard that Huggies are better for boys and Pampers for girls. Both my girls were able to wiggle the tabs loose on Luvs. Recently I have begun using the Target brand during the day and Pampers at night on my 11 month old. It works for her and it is much cheaper. Unfortunately what works for one kif dosen't for all. My oldest had to wear Panpers or she would get a rash. Maybe you could mooch a test diaper ot 2 from a friend to see what works so you don't have to spend $10 and then do 7 loads of laundry! Best of luck!

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B.W.

answers from Chicago on

We've been using Target brand diapers on my son almost from the start. We rarely have any leaks, even after leaving them on overnight. The only "issue" with Target brand diapers is that you have to buy a size up from what you'd get in a name brand diaper. The Target brand size 3 is the exact same size as a Pampers size 2. They're around $11 for the BIG package.

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M.C.

answers from Indianapolis on

Hello,

I have two girls and I must say I used two diffrent brands with them because they worked diffrently on each of them. My youngest who is now 3. We used luvs on her most of the time. Though when she became more active we switched over to the Pamper Crusiers. They just seemed to hold up better on those active days. I think it depends on the child and the fit also. I would just buy small packs and try them out. My oldest daugther could not wear papmers because she would break out ever time we put them on her! I would shoot for luvs, but thats me!

Do not forget to go to the diaper companies web sites and sign up for there coupons.

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S.D.

answers from Indianapolis on

It's true, disposables just don't do what cloth does:( I was happiest with Pampers and Luvs (both P&G and very similar) when we used disposables. Are you looking to sell your cloth? I'd be interested depending on the type. PM me if you're interested.
~S.

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C.D.

answers from Chicago on

My husband works for Kimberly-Clark- they make Huggies. Regardless of that, I prefer Huggies over any other diaper. The Costco Kirkland diapers are made by Kimberly-Clark and are basically Huggies. So, we use those too. My husband used to do a ton of product research a few years back for Huggies and has tested all the diapers out there. He says that the absolute best "cheaper" diaper out there is the White Cloud diaper which is available at WalMart (it's Walmart's private label brand). We have used those and they are nice if you are trying to save money.

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Y.S.

answers from Chicago on

Parents Choice. They are cheap and they work great. Afterall diapers are for pooping and peeing, why spend a fortune?

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B.V.

answers from Chicago on

Pampers. I found out that they work best.
Good luck.

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A.B.

answers from Phoenix on

I (thankfully) am using Pampers Cruisers for both of my kids. I've tried Huggies but didn't like the way they fit. My son is moving in to Pull-ups but I swear by Pampers for diapers. And, yes, I noticed a difference in "fit" between Cruisers and Baby Dry ones. It's all about preference. I also would suggest buying small packages to try them out. Good luck.

A.

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A.S.

answers from Chicago on

TARGET brand all the way for this family!

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K.G.

answers from Fort Wayne on

I know you've gotten tons of responses, but I just wanted to weigh in. :)

We used the Parents' Choice diapers (only at Wal-Mart) for 3 1/2 years with few accidents until recently they apparently changed. Then they were HORRIBLE. I've heard the same with White Cloud. I had tried the generic at Dollar General and was really happy with those in the past, but it is out of our way to go there just for diapers. Since we just went through trying new brands, we tried the Walgreen's brand (o.k. but smaller), Huggies (good but expensive), Luvs (really liked them) and the Sam's Club brand (work great and least expensive after Dollar General). We've settled on the Sam's Club diapers because we haven't had any leaks, there is plenty of coverage all over, and are the cheapest where we shop. If the Parent's Choice diapers were back to what they were before, we'd choose them hands down. The price was unbeatable (.13/diaper).

Good luck!

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A.P.

answers from Lafayette on

We use Pampers for all of our children. We were noticing that our first son would blow out the top/back of his diapers all the time. We were finished with that pack of diapers and went onto the next to notice he wasn't doing it. That's when we took notice of the diapers. We found that Pampers worked the best for him. They are taller/longer than Huggies. He didn't blow out of the top as easily with Pampers. I have heard some parents say that Huggies worked better for their child. Luvs is also taller/longer in the back like Pampers. I have used White Cloud, they were alright. Unfortunately, diapers are more of a trial and error. Good luck. You will know once you find the right ones.

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K.W.

answers from South Bend on

we use Huggies. I use to use the cheap ones with my daughter when she was little but they have changed them and they won't hold anything. I have tried i think all of them now lol and huggies is the best. Good luck!
K.
____@____.com

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A.S.

answers from Chicago on

Hey K.. Well, I like Luvs and Huggies. Those two brands work for me. I used luvs with my oldest which is now 3 years old and I currently use Huggies for my 8 month old. But on occasions I do use Walmart's brand Parent's Choice. Those actually arent all that bad for the price.

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S.P.

answers from Chicago on

Hi K.!
We had our son in cloth diapers until around 15 months. We always used disposable at night or if going out. Once we switched to disposable all the time -- hard to find something that did the job. But Walmart's generic brand (I think the yellow pack or was it purple?) worked the best with the Jewel generic coming second. The Babies R Us supreme generic were okay too.
Good luck!
S. in Lisle

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G.K.

answers from Chicago on

i used pampers initially and i found them to be the best for explosions and no leakage. and there are coupons all the time that you'll come across to use. however, now we use the kirkland costco brand diapers b/c in the long run it's cheaper. they are not as soft as pampers, but they also work great. we disliked huggies!

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K.C.

answers from Fort Wayne on

I use pampers or huggies.....I have found that most of the generic seem to explode....also try this chat and their fourms they might be able to offer you other ideas..... http://www.a-mommys-world.com/chat.php

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J.H.

answers from Chicago on

Hi K.,

I have liked Luvs, Pampers and Huggies as well as the Costco brand which is comparable to Huggies. I have found that different brands work differntly with each baby's body style. For instance, my son is naturally very slinder, and I find that Pampers Baby Dry fit him better, thus work better on him than Pampers cruisers. He also seems to do well with Luvs, Huggies and the Costco brand. I am not loyal to one particular brand, I just buy which ever one is on special or that I have a coupon for. I have found that the store brands don't work as well with him. For some reason they just don't absorbe as well. The key is to find a diaper that fits your baby well. I've noticed that if the diaper does not fit snug enough, there is more chance of leaks and explosions. Good luck!

J.

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K.K.

answers from Chicago on

I have found that it depends on the child. Huggies worked well for our first, but not our second...she had to have pampers or blow out city. We tried Luvs for our boy and no go..lots of leaks. He is now in pampers too.

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B.A.

answers from Indianapolis on

K.,

I have 4 month old twins and have found that the Pampers Swaddlers work best for us; they're not the cheapest, but I think well worth it in the long run!

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M.M.

answers from Jacksonville on

The Sams brand of diapers are best. I never once had a leak with either one of my kids. I think if you don't catch the explosion fast enough, any diaper will leak. Anyway, they are called Smiles and if I had another baby, I would use them again.

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J.O.

answers from Chicago on

I went through that search a year ago, trying all the generic brands (target, jewel, walmart) and they all leaked. I have since only used Luvs and they are great. A little less expensive than Huggies or Pampers and don't leak. All diapers will occasionally be overloaded with an explosion and poop may come out a bit but Luvs have a great track record with me. Plus there are coupons in the paper at times and they offer a good deal on mega packs

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A.C.

answers from Evansville on

I have used pampers, huggies, and now Luvs. So far Luvs work the best for my son. No more leaks. I have tried some of the sore bought brands, but haven't had much luck. My cousin said Targets brand worked well for her two boys she just had to use a size larger. Good luck.

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M.R.

answers from Chicago on

Before my daughter was six months old I tried out all the store brands and really had no complaints. Once my daughter became more active I switched to Sam's Club brand, since I found them to be the most durable of all the store brands. My daughter is 16 months old and Sam's Club is still my favorite brand. My daughter goes three hours between diaper changes with no problems. Out of the other moms I know, Huggies is the most popular brand.

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S.H.

answers from Chicago on

We have used pampers for the most part and switch back and forth between the baby dry and cruisers. For a couple of months we switched to huggies because they seemed to fit his body better (less leak through/explosions) and then he changed and we're back to pampers.

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C.H.

answers from Evansville on

What i can tell you is that what i done when i was useing cloth so that it would be cheap on us is use cloth in the day so i would have less cost on me. than i would use a more cost diaper at night so that i could keep leaks down. what i have learned from useing cheap and costly diapers is none of them keep the most messes blow outs. But i don't like the cheap diapers b/c they are very costly when you have to change them like a cloth diaper and on a 4 month old i would go with a diaper like huggies or pampers either one works good. I just have my days where i just pick witch one i want to buy but i like pampers alot for the hold up than i like the huggies for the most part of it but if anything try out diapers but buy bigger bags b/c it is more cheaper that way. for the most part people likes there own brands also and what i have found is one diaper might be better for one child is not better for the other. i know my friends child can't wear pampers and she has to buy huggies and if your child has not ever had a diaper on i would buy huggies first b/c they might not break him out. I know when they get old the less you have to change them so good luck and i hope this does help. i have a diaper bill of a 100.00 or more a month and i hate it but i have 3 in diapers full time and 2 in pull ups and it cost so much to diaper a child.

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C.

answers from Chicago on

Lots of responses, so I just skimmed. I saw one person did mention none will completely hold the explosions. I'm guessing you are nursing as 4 months old is prime time for those nursing baby diaper explosions. I want to say the prime time is within about 3-6 months, then it gets much better...no more explosions unless sickness or an antibiotic causes it after that! So no diaper really contains it all on some of those explosions because it comes too fast for the diaper to absorb and is more liquidy when it's a nursing baby.
I too think Pampers surely holds the most and fits well. Seems like in GENERAL from my experience, a lot of parents of boys seem to prefer Pampers and a lot of parents of girls prefer Huggies...not always of course, but that's what it seems.
Target has GREAT diapers for a great price, but as some others mentioned, you do sometimes need to change them more often with store brand whereas you COULD go quite a long time without changing with Pampers. Target is my favorite store brand diaper. Also, if you shop sales and coupons, might as well go with Pampers (or Luvs or Huggies), as it's often cheaper by the time you combine sales, coupons, special offers.

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