The variety of disposable diapers on the market is mind-boggling. If you decide to use disposable diapers instead of cloth diapers, it can be difficult to determine which brand of disposable diapers is best and which ones are more likely to leak or tear. We understand, because we’ve been in similar situations. Considering how often you need to change diapers, as well as the cost of frequent purchases, choosing a quality diaper that fits your needs and budget can make your day more comfortable, or at least drier and cleaner.
We’ve tested over 60 disposable diapers since 2012. In this review, we test and compare 15 of the best. With over a decade of lab testing diapers, we have the unique knowledge to tell the good from the bad, and everything in between. We subject every diaper to multiple absorbency tests in our own lab and test them on real babies.
After extensive lab testing and real-world use, Hello Bello Premium diapers are our favorites. These reasonably priced diapers absorb and retain moisture well to help prevent diaper rash.
If you want to buy cheaper, Huggies Snug & Dry is a well-known brand with affordable prices. This product is highly absorbent and has a cute design on the outer packaging. It is easy to buy in stores and online.
The world of diapers is vast and varied, but we’ve got you covered. From diaper pails that prevent odors to travel-worthy diaper bags, we’ve got the pro tips. Plus, check out our top picks for reusable baby wipes that are gentle on your baby’s skin. If you’d rather stick with regular baby wipes, we’ve tested those, too.
Parasol Clear Dry diapers are high-end diapers that come with a hefty price tag. These diapers earned a perfect 10 for absorbency and performed impressively in numerous tests. “I was impressed with how quickly this diaper absorbed liquid,” said our lab tester. We loved its superior seal and cloth lining. This diaper is chlorine-, fragrance-, lotion-, and latex-free, making it very eco-friendly. It has the highly respected Nordic Swan ecolabel, PEFC forest sustainability certification, PETA cruelty-free certification, and is vegan.
This diaper is one of the more expensive ones in this review, and while its superior features may justify the higher price, it may not be the best choice for those on a budget. One parent who tested it commented, “I wish it was cheaper because I love everything about it.” If you’re on a budget and don’t mind compromising on eco-friendly standards, the Huggies Snug & Dry diaper is a solid choice. It’s less expensive but still absorbs water well and prevents leaks. The Hello Bello Premium will also help you save money and performed impressively in our absorbency tests. Additionally, Parasol diapers are not easy to find outside of online retailers. If you want or need diapers to buy with groceries; then these diapers are not the right choice for you. Again, Huggies or Hello Bello can usually be found at grocery stores or your local Walmart. But if you want the highest absorbency diaper in the pack, one that beats the average in every way, and price is no object, then Parasol is the diaper for you.
Hello Bello Premium is an affordable, high-performance diaper that’s easy to buy in stores, online, or through a subscription. This impressive diaper performed better than the competition in our absorbency and leakage tests, absorbing water quickly, holding more moisture, and transferring less water to the test strips. These relatively affordable diapers are durable and comfortable enough to meet the needs of most babies. Our lab tester said, “I really like these diapers and think they’re a great fit for most families on a budget.”
While this diaper is greener and healthier for baby than many of its disposable competitors, it doesn’t offer as many benefits as some of the greener options. The Parasol Clear & Dry is a more absorbent and eco-friendly diaper, but it’s also more expensive. However, Hello Bello scores above average: It’s completely chlorine-free, its fluff pulp is sourced from sustainably managed forests, and its non-woven PLA fibers are derived from plants. We were intrigued by this diaper before we even started testing it, and we’re glad it’s proven so popular. Our lead tester Jena said, “If you want a diaper that does what it’s supposed to, is reasonably priced, and can be purchased with groceries, I think Hello Bello is a good choice.”
Huggies Snug & Dry is an affordable, well-known diaper brand that can be found at almost any baby store. It has a cute Mickey Mouse design and is comfortable and durable. Our comfort testing team found it softer and more comfortable to wear than many competing products. One of our testers commented, “I found the moving parts to be soft and flexible, so they moved with my baby.” It performed well in our absorbency and leak resistance tests, and we think most families will appreciate its functionality and convenience since it can go almost anywhere.
There’s no mention of eco-friendliness or sensitivity in the description of this diaper. Huggies doesn’t divulge a word about its ingredients and also hides important information like fragrances, dyes, lotions, and latex. We will say that there’s a strong odor when you open the package, so we’re guessing some kind of fragrance has been added. Additionally, Huggies doesn’t disclose how its diapers are made or what concessions (if any) it makes for the planet and the environment. Our tester said, “We prefer a transparent ingredient list and worry that babies with sensitive skin may be exposed to irritants you don’t want them to be exposed to.” For those considering Huggies, Hello Bello Premium may be a good choice. It’s absorbent and more transparent about its ingredients and materials, so it may be a good middle ground that meets your needs without breaking the bank. While this diaper doesn’t do much good for the planet or your baby’s delicate skin, we think it’s effective enough that its low price and ease of purchase make it worth considering if you’re looking for convenience and money-savings.
Eco by Naty is a great eco-friendly diaper that impressed us in both our lab and baby testing. With its advanced eco-friendly features, it’s probably the closest you can get to cloth diapers without all the extra work. Naty and its diapers are working to set a new eco-standard for diapers, while keeping your baby’s health first. The best part? Not only is it eco-friendly, but it scored top marks in our testing because it transfers virtually no moisture to the strips. Our tester said, “I’m glad I found a disposable diaper that’s both great and eco-friendly.” Another option that’s both super absorbent and eco-friendly is the Parasol Clear and Dry, which is a little cheaper.
For parents on a budget, this diaper may not be the best choice, as it’s priced higher than many of its competitors. It’s also relatively flimsy, its outer cover isn’t as durable as many of its competitors, and it has a poor durability rating. Our lab tester said, “I was disappointed with the durability of the outer cover, as it was about as strong as tissue paper.” The Hello Bello Premium is more durable than the Naty, and it’s less expensive. It’s also highly absorbent, and it’s very clear in terms of materials and composition. But if your budget allows and you care about the planet, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more effective and eco-friendly disposable diaper.
Dyper bamboo diapers are a unique option because you can send them back to the company for composting. The diapers are durable and more comfortable than regular diapers, which is impressive considering their compostable design. These diapers are dye/ink, fragrance, and lotion free and are made without the use of chlorine. Dyper offers a composting program to help keep diapers out of landfills. Their “Redyper” program offers recycling in 21 major cities in the United States, or you can send your used diapers back to the company for an additional fee. The program uses an industrial composting process to speed up the natural decomposition process. They control temperature, aeration, carbon, and nitrogen levels to ensure aerobic bacteria thrive and ultimately complete the composting process within 14 weeks. Pickup costs are $10-$15 per item, plus the cost of compostable bags. Our tester said: “I’m worried that most parents won’t go to the extra work and expense required to compost these diapers. It feels more like a marketing gimmick than a practical use.”
This diaper isn’t very absorbent and has poor leak testing, but if you’re looking to keep your diapers out of a landfill, it’s acceptable. But our tester warned us, “You may need to buy more of this brand because you’ll need to change them more often given the poor absorbency test results.” The compostable part is also a bit of a hassle, since they can’t just be thrown in the compost pile, and we wonder what the carbon footprint of transporting the diapers and returning them to the composting area is. If you’re looking for a greener option and aren’t willing to invest in the “recycling” system required by the Dyper, the Naty’s Eco may be a better investment for your baby and your time. Overall, the Dyper didn’t score well in the all-important absorbency test, but we suspect some people will be happy to overlook that, knowing their diapers are going somewhere other than a landfill.
Our BabyGearLab team has been professionally testing disposable diapers and other popular baby products since 2013. With years of experience raising and caring for children outside the lab, we are confident in our knowledge and experience with diapers and diaper-related products.
Since 2012, we have purchased, tested, and used over 60 different types of disposable diapers. Our testing provides a comprehensive, multi-point analysis of each product’s effectiveness, ranking them on everything from absorbency to durability. We evaluate effectiveness, comfort, leakage, and many other aspects of a product by testing it on multiple babies in multiple families.
The effectiveness of disposable nappies is assessed using more than 29 independent tests. The most important test metric is absorption efficiency, which accounts for 40% of the overall score and is the metric with the most weight in the assessment at this time. Our absorbency rating is based on the average of three dedicated tests, including the average of three lab tests using our proprietary simulated urine. Our in-house testing involves pouring 100ml of simulated urine onto each nappie and conducting a series of weighed and unweighted tests to simulate the action of a child wearing a wet nappie. This review also uses real-world data from our small group of testers, including product observations from multiple testers.
We use a combination of hands-on and lab testing to measure qualities like absorbency, leakage, and durability for analysis and testing. Our results were generally consistent with what we observed when using the diapers on real babies in our lab and online studies. Diapers that perform poorly in leakage tests are likely to leak in real life, and vice versa. Together, we’ve spent hundreds of hours testing these diapers to their limits and collecting real-world user opinions and experiences. This comprehensive analysis gives us a more complete picture of the best disposable diapers on the market. Because diapers change and are updated like car models, we’ve noticed that the rankings change regularly, with some previously top-ranked options dropping to the bottom and some lower-rated items moving up. These design changes mean regular updates and ongoing testing by our in-house lab technicians.
Dr. Juliet Spurrier, a mother of two, leads the BabyGearLab Safety Standards and Product Selection Team. She is a board-certified pediatrician and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). She uses her expertise in infant and child health to guide our testing. The research review was overseen by Wendy Schmitz, Senior Review Editor and a mother of two, and Bob Wofford, Senior Review Analyst and father of seven. They have logged hundreds of hours of in-depth research and know the world of disposable diapers like the back of their hand. Bob helped develop the first-ever comprehensive process for simultaneously monitoring absorption and leakage. Senior Review Analyst Gina Bradshaw provides our latest updates, conducting extensive testing across the entire product line and testing more diapers than ever before.
Over the years, we have purchased and tested over 60 diapers and included 15 of them in this group. Our ratings are based on a combination of daily use on real babies’ bottoms and testing conducted in our internal labs. We also conduct in-depth research, collect relevant data and observations, and compare each diaper with its competitors to help you find the best diaper for your baby.
When choosing diapers, we carefully consider all possible options and intentionally cover a wide range of styles, brands and price ranges. We want to provide comprehensive information about diapers. We compared Green Diapers to traditional disposable diapers.
Finding value in a disposable product is not easy. After a few hours of wear, each diaper inevitably ends up in the trash. Disposable diapers cost approximately $0.14 to $0.59 each. If you stop and think about how many diapers your baby goes through, that 44 cent difference is a lot of money. Little by little, it adds up. Little by little, it adds up. Depending on your budget, the overall cost may be the main factor. However, we strongly recommend that you consider that the quality and absorbency of each diaper will affect your average daily diaper usage. In fact, slightly more expensive diapers may actually reduce your costs in the long run, since you will likely use fewer of them.
The best-performing diapers in this review ranged from $0.20 to $0.59. These diapers are highly absorbent and leak-resistant, meaning you’ll need fewer diapers and save money. If you’re looking for great absorbency and comfort without sacrificing eco-friendliness, Hello Bello Premium is reasonably priced and readily available in stores and online. Subscriptions will lower the price even further. This diaper performed well in our testing and offers a variety of options for different diapering needs. If you’re looking for affordable, easy-to-buy diapers from a reputable brand, Huggies Snug & Dry diapers are worth a look.
Absorbency is the most important criterion for the effectiveness of any diaper. High absorbency reduces diaper rash, leaks and the frequency of diaper changes. To reflect this importance, we focused on this indicator in our testing and conducted in-depth analysis. We conduct field and laboratory tests of absorbency properties. Each diaper was tested three times individually, and the final result was the average of the three tests.
The photos above compare the highest absorbency diapers in the group (left) and the lowest absorbency diapers (center and right).
The best diapers were Parasol and Naty’s Eco, followed by Hello Bello Premium and Huggies Little Snugglers. In our tests, these diapers absorbed liquid quickly and retained moisture so that the test filter paper remained dry. These two features help keep baby’s skin dry and potentially prevent diaper rash.
The results show that the regular and green diapers are almost identical in absorbency, with three green diapers and two regular diapers leading in absorbency. We are happy to be able to purchase diapers that have a good reputation and are made with eco-friendliness in mind. The lowest scores for absorbency were given to Babyganics Triple Dry and Luvs. Both diapers are not able to absorb liquid quickly and are more likely to leak moisture onto the baby’s skin than other competitors. Moisture on the skin is a factor in causing rashes and the need to use diaper cream.
We tested a wide range of products from both brands, including Pampers Baby diapers, Pampers Baby Dry diapers, Pampers Pure diapers, Huggies Snuggle diapers, and Huggies Rexroth diapers. Both brands have excellent products. Pampers Pure diapers are by far the best of the Pampers brand, and Huggies Snuggle diapers are among the best absorbent of both brands. We give Huggies Rexona diapers our Best Buy award because they are reasonably priced, have above-average quality, and can be found almost anywhere.
If you’re undecided between Pampers and Huggies, we recommend you go with Pampers Pure or Huggies Rexona. Both brands scored pretty similarly for absorbency, but Pampers does a better job of keeping your baby healthy, giving it the edge over Rexona. However, if you’re looking to pick the best or most absorbent diapers for your little one, we recommend you take a look at all the top-rated diapers and award-winning products. Why? Because there’s a lot about these brands that you might not be familiar with. More absorbent, more eco-friendly, and better for sensitive skin. For example, Hello Bello Premium works just as well, but it’s a little kinder to the planet and your baby.
In short, yes and no. While we haven’t found any significant differences between the two products since we started testing them a decade ago, our testing results suggest that the brand-name products perform about the same or worse now, but have performed better in the past. Kirkland diapers have been quite impressive in the past, but the latest Kirkland Signature model appears to be inferior to the version we tested, and we no longer recommend it.
Prices for diapers vary between brands, and we can’t give a general statement because it all depends on the diapers themselves. However, whether it’s a major supermarket or not, many well-known diaper brands rank relatively low among similar products. If you’re looking for a truly premium option, it may be time to move away from popular or well-known diaper brands.
Leakage concerns involve looking at the tightness of the diaper to ensure that urine and other substances stay where they belong and do not leak onto clothing or other items outside the diaper. Rapid absorption is a factor in leaks because quickly absorbed liquid cannot escape, but elastic in the legs, gussets, and overall construction also play a role.
The diapers with the best leakage ratings were Parasol, Huggies Little Snugglers, Hello Bello Premium, and Pampers Pure. The diapers with the lowest leakage ratings were Target Up & Up and Babyganics Triple Dry. Dyper Bamboo also scored poorly for leakage. When absorbency and leakage prevention were combined, Babyganics diapers were among the worst performers in their category. The top performers were Parasol and Hello Bello.
Comfort may not be your top priority when choosing a diaper, but your baby will be wearing diapers every day, so comfort is critical. Legs that are too tight or bands that are too tight can cause unnecessary skin irritation and cause your baby to become fussy.
Parasol Free and Clear were found to be the most comfortable diapers based on parallel assessments and internal laboratory tests. Huggies diapers and Pampers diapers also received good ratings. Naty received the lowest score for comfort. The diaper feels like paper, which, in our opinion, confirms its biodegradability, but does not provide any comfort for the baby.
Disposable diapers aren’t designed to last forever, but if they don’t last even a few hours or fall apart when wet, they’re useless and could cost you more in the long run. We analyzed these diapers for adhesive, fastener quality, resealability, and more to find the ones that last the longest.
The most common complaint from users is problems with the tab. Either the tab falls off before you put the diaper on your baby, or the tab does not stick when you check the diaper or roll it up to throw it away. If this problem occurs before your baby puts the diaper on, the diaper will be unusable.
The second most common complaint is diapers that leak or fall apart when wet. Some of these may be the result of user error, such as wearing the diaper for too long, while others may be due to design issues with the biodegradable materials. We believe that the issue with pull tabs is more serious, as they make the diaper unusable, which increases the cost of each diaper. The latter can usually be avoided by changing your baby’s diaper regularly.
The longest lasting diapers we tested were Parasol Clear and Dry, Pampers Baby Dry, Huggies Little Snugglers, Hello Bello Premium, Dyper Bamboo, Bambo Nature, and Mama Bear Gentle Touch. The least durable diaper was Naty’s Eco diaper, as it has some flaws, is prone to tearing, and the diaper cover can easily rip if left wet for too long between diaper changes. While Naty didn’t score highly on this score, we still think they’re worth considering, as they’re eco-friendly and health-conscious, and are excellent in terms of moisture absorption and leak resistance.
Environmental health is a combination of factors primarily influenced by the manufacturing process and the addition/exclusion of dyes, fragrances, lotions or chemicals that cause color change indicating wetness of the diaper.
Many babies are sensitive to chemicals, and we are careful to minimise unnecessary exposure to chemicals, especially on sensitive skin. With effective additive-free diapers on the market, we think this is worth considering when choosing the right diaper for your baby. Even if it is just reducing the risk of diaper rash, it is worth taking seriously.
In our comparison charts, we include what manufacturers advertise on their packaging or websites. We prefer brands that are transparent so we don’t have to dig deep or send emails to find out the details. We believe that parents have the right to know what their baby’s diapers are made of and how they are made, and they shouldn’t have to waste time trying to figure it out. We prefer diapers that are free of added fragrances, lotions, latex, and dyes. We also prefer diapers that are made using chlorine-free manufacturing methods.
Disposable diapers are perhaps one of the products with the greatest environmental impact during a child’s early years. An estimated 90% of babies in the United States use disposable diapers, and with 4 million babies born each year, that’s more than 6,000 diapers per child. Given these numbers, the environmental impact of diapers ending up in landfills is enormous.
Choosing between using traditional nappies and eco-friendly nappies isn’t always easy. Many people still believe that green nappies can’t match the effectiveness of traditional disposable nappies. However, our analysis shows that this long-held assumption is largely untrue. Modern eco-friendly nappies generally outperform traditional nappies in absorbency and most other metrics, which is why they take the lead in our range. Wonderful!
To ensure sustainability, we looked at how the diapers are made, whether they are made from renewable or recycled resources, and whether they are biodegradable. Remember, no diaper will deteriorate in a plastic bag in a landfill due to weather conditions, so we remind you to be realistic about your expectations and how you plan to dispose of the diapers. While many diapers are now marketed as compostable, this is different from backyard composting and must be taken to a facility that specializes in diaper composting.
If you decide to buy disposable diapers, you still have to do some thinking to choose from among dozens of options. Given the number of options and the popularity of each, it can be a daunting process. But we want to make it easier for you, so in addition to providing test results, we also provide some buying tips and a few questions to ask yourself before buying.
Traditional nappies used to struggle to match eco-friendly nappies for absorbency and leak prevention. However, in testing over the past few years, we have seen green nappies come out on top in these key areas. For us, green nappies have many benefits. However, green disposable nappies are more expensive and harder to find in stores. Which option you choose may depend on your budget and shopping style. If you shop online, this may be an easy decision, as some subscriptions and promotions will help you control your overall spend and give you more choice. If you prefer the temporary convenience of in-store shopping, you may be limited to what’s on the shelves, which are often dominated by traditional products.
Absorbency is the number one selling point of diapers, and we believe that choosing a diaper with excellent absorbency and leakage protection is key to choosing the right option for you. Luckily, there are both traditional high-absorbency diapers and eco-friendly diapers on the market, so there’s no need to compromise.
In the first year of life alone, your baby will go through about 2,500 diapers. If that number scares you, break it down to about 10-12 diapers per day for the first 2-3 months, and about 6 diapers per day for the next year. By the second year, the frequency of diaper changes will slow to about 3-4 times per day and continue into the third year as potty training is required and diaper changing habits change. Even after potty training, most children will use 1-2 nighttime diapers per day for naps and overnights for the next year.