The Best Overnight Diapers, According To Our Testing
Some families swear by overnight diapers, especially for babies who are sleeping for longer stretches and who consistently leak through regular diapers at night. But which ones are the best overnight diapers, and which are merely a glorified version of the diapers babies wear during the day? After gathering data from hundreds of test diapers, plus conversations with a pediatric dermatologist and two other experts, I can confidently say that Luvs Disposable Baby Diapers are the best of the bunch.
After interviewing experts and gathering data from hundreds of test diapers, we’ve found the best … [+]
Here is a list of all the winners following testing:
To identify the best overnight diapers, many of which are made for 12 hours of nighttime sleep, I scoured the internet to find the most popular models. I then put 15 styles of those super-absorbent diapers through a combination of real-world and at-home “lab” testing, and sent top contenders to other caregivers to try on kids of various ages.
If your baby’s diaper is leaking in the night, consider buying one size bigger, says to Jennifer Saxton, the founder and CEO of Tot Squad, which connects parents with experts and services to help them navigate new parenthood. (So if your child typically wears size 3, try sizing up to size 4.) That’s because regular diapers generally cost less, and the next size diaper contains more absorbent material. If your child is still experiencing nighttime leaks, you may want to give one of the best overnight diapers a try.
Parents and kids rave about Luvs Disposable Baby Diapers, and it’s easy to see why. The colorful, recognizable prints (the ones I tried featured characters from Paw Patrol) make wearing a diaper and getting a change a little more appealing to babies and toddlers, and the lightweight, absorbent construction makes them especially attractive to caregivers. They aren’t strictly an overnight diaper; the brand says they’re designed for use during day and night.
Luvs were among the best diapers at preventing leaks during panel testing. They’re also the most affordable overnight diapers of the winners we tested, coming in at about half the price of Pampers and Huggies. This makes a big difference when you consider that families can spend nearly $1,000 on diapers during the first year, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. The Luvs also offer a flexible fit that moves with kiddos around the clock.
Lightweight And Super Absorbent
Luvs were among the top-performing diapers during a leak test in which I progressively added 2 tablespoons of water to each diaper to see which leaked first. Luvs soaked up 24 tablespoons (or 1.5 cups) of water before leaking. The only top diaper to absorb more liquid was Coterie, which absorbed 28 tablespoons before giving up the ghost. Luvs never leaked when a testing panel of kids ages 16 months to 3 years put them to the test—even on nights when little ones wore them for 12 hours.
Overnight diapers typically feature extra material in the absorbent core—the part of the diaper that soaks up your kid’s pee and poop—and better leak guards around the leg cuffs, according to Dr. James Treat, a pediatric dermatologist with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. You might assume that extra material would make diapers designed for 12 hours of wear bulky. Not so with the Luvs, which are thin and lightweight, making them a good pick for warm weather and travel.
A Comfortable, Flexible Fit
Several of the children in our testing panel had sensitive or eczema-prone skin, but none of them experienced skin irritation while wearing Luvs. Most testers thought they fit true to size, but I sized up for my 16-month-old, who weighs 20 pounds (he typically wears a size 3 diaper but took a size 4 in Luvs).
I like that their pliable design makes it easy for my kiddo to climb and play as we wind down in the evening or gear up for the day. The adhesive tabs you use to close the diaper are strong, though one tester wished the closure system was a bit more snug. Sizes include newborn (up to 10 pounds) up through size 7 (41-plus pounds).
I like that their pliable design makes it easy for my kiddo to climb and play as we wind down in the … [+]
One drawback is the fact that these diapers have a light fragrance and use dyes for the back-sheet patterns. Fragrances and dyes can irritate some kids’ skin, per Treat. If that’s your kiddo, check out our pick for sensitive skin. Luvs use wood pulp in the absorbent core and polypropylene plastic to achieve their top-notch absorbency; the brand says the diapers do not contain parabens or latex.
It can be tricky to find diapers without skin irritants for kids with sensitive skin. “For the most part, diapers are unregulated,” said Sydney Swanson, a healthy living science analyst with the Environmental Working Group. “They do fall under the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s jurisdiction, but they do not require testing of materials to ensure they’re free from a variety of worrisome chemicals.”
Not only is Coterie The Diaper highly absorbent, but it eliminates many chemicals that can bother kids’ skin, like chlorine bleach, phthalates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), giving caregivers peace of mind. Although The Diaper isn’t a designated overnight diaper, the brand says it offers leak protection for up to 12 hours. The Diaper is on the pricier side, but it could be worth it if you want or need to prioritize a clean, gentle overnight option.
A Clean Diaper That’s Soft On Skin
Coterie diapers are free of more than 200 chemicals, including fragrance, lotion, latex, rubber, dyes, alcohol, heavy metals, parabens, phthalates, pesticides, chlorine bleach, VOCs and optical brighteners, according to the brand. In addition to potentially irritating kids’ skin, these chemicals can be damaging to the environment. Dyes are sometimes used in a diaper’s wetness indicator, but Coterie says its wetness indicator is free from potentially harmful chemicals, including fluorinated substances, quaternary ammonium compounds and bromocresol green.
The diapers are highly effective at containing waste overnight. “They did not leak! And she lets out a full pee most nights,” reported one tester. Testers were impressed with how soft Coterie diapers felt. They’re pliable, with an elastic waistband that moved well with all of my 16-month-old’s antics. A couple users also noted that the wetness indicator goes farther up the back of the diaper in comparison with competitor models, making it easier to determine when little ones need a change.
A Subscription Option
You can find Coterie products on Amazon, but it’s much easier to order them directly from the brand’s website. Their cost is on par with other premium competitor models. One way to save on Coterie diapers is to sign up for a subscription, which saves you approximately 10%.
These diapers are available in newborn sizes (up to 10 pounds) all the way up to size 7 (41-plus pounds).
Training pants and bedwetting underwear, like overnight diapers, typically have more material in the absorbent core to soak up messes at night. Coterie’s The Pant emerged as my top pick, given its soft feel, high absorbency and clean construction. As with The Diaper, The Pant is designed for use during the day and night.
Our testers loved the design of these training pants, which felt closer to underwear compared with any other diaper or pull-up-style pant we tested. They also feature a resealable waistband, so if you prefer horizontal diaper changes, that’s an option, too.
Soft, Simple Design
Potty training is a journey, and many families choose to use training pants during naps and at night as kids grow confident using the toilet. The simple design of Coterie’s The Pant is a nice alternative to underwear, as it features the same plush materials as The Diaper, and comes without skin irritants.
One tester declared these diapers have a “softer feel against the skin compared to the other brands we tested and those we’ve worn in the past.” They feature a highly elastic waistband and a resealable closure system that makes it easy to do diaper changes standing up, lying down or wiggling across the room, as my 16-month-old prefers to do. Our testers found it easy to pull The Pant up and down in between pit stops. They start at size 3 (14 to 24 pounds) and go up to size 6 (33 to 62 pounds).
Like Undies, But Super Absorbent
The Pant fits more like undies than any of the other training pants we tested. One tester noted that the shape of The Pant was more rounded (“like a bum”) compared with competitor models that tend to be tall and narrow. Kids tend to prefer training pants with recognizable characters, but the littles in our test liked the Coterie training pants just as much. “These lack the fun designs and characters that my toddlers always gravitated toward, but that didn’t deter my kindergartener,” wrote one tester.
A couple of drawbacks: It’s difficult to discern front from back with these training pants. A couple testers noted that the wetness indicator seemed unnecessary, especially for older kids. They’re also pricier than most training pants. For example, Pampers Ninjamas Nighttime Underwear, which performed well during my at-home leak and absorbency tests, cost about $0.60 per diaper for its small/medium size (38–70 pounds), whereas The Pant costs about $0.88 for a similar size. You can save money by signing up for Coterie’s subscription service.
Forums and parenting sites are filled with votes for Pampers Swaddlers Overnights. My family has used Pampers over the years, so I was curious to try this overnight version. Our testing panel loved the way these diapers functioned and fit. They strike a solid balance of absorbing moisture without being too bulky, and they run true to size. The closure is easy to adjust without ripping the diaper, even when you’re wrangling an active toddler at bedtime.
A Plush, Absorbent Overnight Diaper
Pampers Swaddlers Overnights emerged as a top contender during the at-home absorbency test, which involved immersing each diaper in a bowl of water for 10 minutes. The Swaddlers soaked up more than 60 ounces of water without breaking down or releasing the material from its absorbent core, and they were topped only by a pair of bedwetting underwear among our winners.
The Swaddlers Overnights do a good job of dispersing liquid throughout the diaper, too. “The material absorbs liquid evenly; it spreads out instead of saturating one spot,” wrote one pleased tester. Another noted that her toddler’s skin consistently felt dry.
Absorbing moisture and pulling it away from kids’ skin is helpful in preventing diaper rash (also called diaper dermatitis). Most diaper dermatitis is caused by waste being held against the skin, according to Treat. Diapers that pull feces away from kids’ skin generally do a better job of preventing rash. That said, if your child’s skin is prone to irritation, the use of fragrances and dyes may cause an allergic or irritant reaction, which is different and less common than a diaper rash.
The Swaddlers’ plush construction feels soft against skin. They run true to size and have strong adhesive tabs that are easy to reattach if you need to adjust the diaper when your child (inevitably) tries to pull it off. Sizes begin at size 3 (16 to 28 pounds) and go up to size 7 (41-plus pounds).
A Strong Scent
If you aren’t a fan of fragrances, you won’t love these diapers. One tester said she could smell them on her child from 3 feet away. “If it didn’t have fragrance, it would be perfect,” she wrote. (Our top pick, Luvs Disposable Baby Diapers, feature a more subtle scent.) The upside to a scented diaper, of course, is that it masks odors. But some kids—especially kids with sensitive skin—are bothered by fragrances, and some caregivers simply dislike the smell. Check out Coterie if you’re searching for an unscented option.