After Testing 21 Top Brands, Here Are The Best Diapers
After extensively testing nearly two dozen brands of top-rated diapers, we found several clear winners. The Huggies Little Snugglers and Huggies Little Movers were simply the best diapers overall, as they consistently proved the most reliable at preventing leaks while fitting kids of all sizes the best. Our co-authors put 21 of the best-rated and most popular diaper brands through a series of at-home lab tests to measure how well each diaper held liquid. After eliminating the poor performers, a panel of parents evaluated the diapers during real-world use with their babies and toddlers. The nine kids on our panel range from just 2 weeks old to 4 years old, so we could get a full picture of how these diapers suit kids of different ages and genders.
We put 21 of the most popular diapers through a series of tests to find the very best.
The following is a list of all the winners from the testing process:
- Best Diaper Overall: Huggies Little Snugglers, Huggies Little Movers
- Best Value Diaper: Kirkland Signature Diapers
- Best Eco-Friendly Diaper: Bambo Nature Dream Diapers
- Best Diaper For Sensitive Skin: HealthyBaby Diapers
- Best Diaper For Newborns: Coterie The Diaper
- Most Giftable Diaper: The Honest Company Clean Conscious Diapers
Parents spend a lot of time, money and energy on diapering, so we wanted to dig into finding the best diapers to lessen that load for parents. We’ve also done extensive testing on the best overnight diapers, so if you’re looking for a solution to nighttime leaks, you may want to consider that list as well.
Huggies Little Snugglers (for younger babies) and Huggies Little Movers (for older babies and toddlers) are popular diapers for a good reason. We found them to be consistently good for all the kids in the testing lineup, ranging from newborns to preschoolers. They contained poop blowouts with almost 100% consistency (just a few snuck into the mix), didn’t leak, lasted well overnight on both babies and more active toddlers, had a flexible waistband that allowed for a snug fit and met expectations in terms of cost.
Absorbent And Comfortable With Few Drawbacks
During our at-home absorbency test, the Huggies diapers performed well. We were able to put 2 cups of water into the Huggies diapers before they started to leak. They also tended to soak up liquid slowly, which indicated they hold up longer before leaking. (Some diapers were immediately satiated during absorbency tests, and those diapers leaked earlier on in the process.) Huggies relies on fairly standard diaper materials for absorbency—namely, wood pulp and plastics—but the brand says the diapers are hypoallergenic (meaning they are fragrance-free, paraben-free, lotion-free and have no elemental chlorine bleach).
You may notice that Huggies diapers feel damp, basically saturated with liquid, before they start to actively leak. This is a good sign for fit (no leaks means no gaps), but a few parents noticed that their kids were a bit moist overnight.
Excellent Fit For Fewer Leaks
In terms of fit, the Huggies are remarkably consistent for kids with different body shapes and sizes. This is likely because the straps around the waist are thinner but more flexible than those of the other diapers we tested (this is called “tensile strength”), so you can cinch the diaper tightly around your child’s waist. One mom noted that this diaper was one of the few that fit her daughter, who’s in the 90th percentile for height and weight, and another mom called it “perfectly snug.” Huggies seem to fit true to size.
There are few downsides to the Huggies diapers, except that they’re disposable and not made with the most sustainable materials on the market. But this is also true for most of the other diapers we tested. When it comes to flexibility, versatility and minimal leaking, Huggies diapers can’t be beat. If you want to know more, read our full Huggies Diaper review.
Co-author Jenni Gritters says she used Kirkland Signature Diapers for years, and her round of testing reaffirmed what she already knew: “They’re neither the best nor the worst option out there. But for the price, they do a solid job of keeping your child dry.”
‘Completely Serviceable’ And Totally Affordable
All of our parent testers ranked the Kirkland diapers either first, second or third on their list of best diapers, noting that the kids didn’t experience leaks, although a few of them (including one of the older toddlers) were soggy after a night of sleep. Several moms praised the stretchy waistband, which has more give than the Huggies and allows for a secure fit.
Kirkland diapers fit on par with Huggies diapers, true to size without much sag. If you think these two diapers seem similar, you’re not wrong: Both are made by Kimberly-Clark, which also makes Kleenex, among other products. Each diaper has moderately wide tabs plus a wetness indicator, which can sometimes be faulty. This didn’t bother us, though, because as most parents know, you can usually tell, or smell, when they need a change.
Costco’s diapers are fragrance free, which is a bonus, and produced without elemental chlorine. The rest is fairly standard fare, including wood pulp, superabsorbent polymer (SAP) and also some dyes to print colors and designs on the diapers.
In the absorbency test, the Kirkland diapers were solidly middle-of-the-road. They absorbed liquid for about 5 minutes and then just stopped, seeming to have reached max capacity. This tells us that these diapers will need to be changed more often than some of the others, which is expected given the budget price. Kirkland diapers are quite reasonable, at about $0.20 each, although you’ll need to be a Costco member to take advantage of the extra low price. Amazon sells the same diapers for a slightly higher cost. As your kid gets bigger, the price of the diapers gets incrementally higher.
Ideal For Sensitive Skin
“My toddler son has sensitive skin, and he always gets diaper rashes when we switch him to a non-Kirkland brand of pull-ups,” says Gritters. “I’d attribute this to the fact that Kirkland diapers are hypoallergenic and lotion and fragrance free.” Other moms noticed the same: no diaper rashes to be found when testing. That said, a few online reviewers mentioned rashes.
One of our diaper testers summed up the Kirkland diapers best: “They’re completely serviceable; nothing special but also nothing bad about them as far as our experience goes.” If you want to know more, read our full Kirkland Signature Diaper review.
Absorbent For Some, But Not All
Our testers were entirely split on the effectiveness of Bambo Nature Dream Diapers. Several (notably, those with girls) loved the Bambo for its absorbency, light and thin structure and all-night dryness. But the others hated the Bambo diapers (notably, all the parents of boys), finding them to be leaky and too narrow.
What it comes down to is fit: This diaper is narrower than the others. If your child doesn’t have the right fit, poop and pee will seep out the sides. This is (obviously) terribly annoying and not worth the price of admission, especially because these are not the cheapest diapers we tried, at $0.46 a pop. But if you like Bambo Nature’s mission, it may be worth trying its diapers. When in doubt, size up.
Bambo’s diapers were the best performers in our absorbency tests, which was slightly shocking given that some testers reported leaks. But this just speaks to needing to find the right fit for your baby. These diapers held more than 2 cups of water without leaking, but we did observe that the fill was a bit unbalanced; they seemed to absorb more in the front portion, which could lead to leaking for some.
The Bambo Nature Dream Diapers performed better than any of the other more eco-minded diapers.
A Sustainable Mindset
Speaking of mission, disposable diapers are controversial; they fill our landfills and do not break down quickly. A number of brands are trying to fix this. Bambo Nature relies on a sustainable supplier for the materials used in its diapers including a wood pulp gathered from sustainable forestry methods where additional trees are planted to replace those harvested. The supplier also relies on wind power and more energy-efficient machinery. No chlorine, fragrances, dyes, phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde or other concerning chemicals are added to its diapers, making them gentle on sensitive skin. Its supplier claims to recycle 95% of its production waste.
They’re produced in Denmark, and the company is transparent about the manufacturing processes, too. Bambo Nature diapers do still contain SAP and some plastics, which form the basics of any disposable diaper, but they’re made without all those additional non-desirables and with a more environmentally friendly mindset. This has earned them the seal of approval from several allergy focused organizations, including the The Asthma & Allergy Nordic label. If you prioritize sustainable purchasing—and can afford the steeper price tag—the Bambo Nature Dream Diapers tested better (for most of us) than other diapers marketed as more natural picks.
One of the trickiest parts of finding a diaper for kids with sensitive skin is that companies don’t always disclose the ingredients that go into their products. Baby diapers are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), according to Sydney Swanson, a scientist and analyst with the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The CPSC doesn’t require diaper manufacturers to publish a list of ingredients, although it does require that diapers are tested for lead.
That lack of information can leave caregivers of little ones with sensitive and eczema-prone skin wondering about which diapers may be safe for their kiddos. That’s why we were so excited to try HealthyBaby Diapers, which publishes a full and comprehensive list of ingredients that go into their products. They’re also the first diapers to be verified as free from a list of concerning chemicals by the EWG.
Thin, Soft And Super Absorbent
Not only are HealthyBaby Diapers free from parabens, phthalates, fragrances, optical brighteners, chlorine, latex and lotions, but their lightweight construction is also very absorbent. These diapers soaked up 1.5 cups during an at-home test in which we immersed the diapers in a bowl of water for 10 minutes—considerably more than several competitors we tested for sensitive skin, including Parasol, Terra and The Honest Company.
HealthyBaby Diapers were among my favorites for hot summer days and travel. Their thin, lightweight design makes it easy to stuff six or seven of them into a diaper bag. They’re also soft, with a feel that reminds me of Bambo Diapers (our eco-friendly pick).
One tester complained that these diapers felt a bit slippery when trying to get them on her wiggly little one. Another noted that they experienced a blowout and two leaks with these diapers during naps and in the car seat. Still, most of our testers were impressed by the diapers’ effectiveness. “I’m a big fan of these diapers and would buy them again,” wrote one mom on our testing panel. “I have in fact recommended them to other parents.”
Parent testers were impressed by HealthyBaby’s certifications, as well as the diapers’ real-world … [+]
Plain And Undyed, Without A Wetness Indicator
HealthyBaby Diapers start at size 1 (6 to 12 pounds) and go up to size 6 (27-plus pounds). They don’t feature any patterns or designs. A couple of testers noted that they missed the wetness indicator on these diapers, which the brand has eliminated as it seeks to find an alternative to quaternary ammonium compounds, which can irritate skin and has been linked to other health concerns, according to the EWG.
As with many premium diapers, HealthyBaby Diapers tend to be on the pricier side. You can save some money by ordering them directly from the brand and/or signing up for a subscription. You may also want to check out The Honest Company Clean Conscious Diapers, our pick for the most giftable diapers, which are also free from skin irritants like fragrance, chlorine, parabens and latex.
Folks are divided on Coterie: Celebrities have referred to them as the “Rolls-Royce of diapers,” while some parents wonder whether they’re really worth the fuss (and high price tag). Infants’ skin is thinner and more vulnerable than adults, which leads some caregivers to seek out diapers that eliminate common irritants.
Coterie’s The Diaper is free of many concerning chemicals and features a cloud-like construction that our testers repeatedly called “soft” and “cottony.” Coterie is also available in a full range of sizes, so if you fall in love with these diapers when your baby is tiny, you can use them all the way through the toddler years.
A Deluxe Diaper That’s Gentle On Newborn Skin
Coterie diapers are free of fragrance, lotion, latex, rubber, dyes, alcohol, heavy metals, parabens, phthalates, pesticides, chlorine bleach, VOCs or optical brighteners. “Although my newborn has not had skin reactions from diapers so far, I feel good knowing he’s wearing a cleanly made, soft diaper,” wrote the mom of a 2-and-a-half-week-old baby on our testing panel.
“In an at-home leak test, in which I added 2 tablespoons of water to each diaper, noting