Best diapers of 2021-CNET

2021-12-14 09:15:00 By : Ms. Lily luo

We help you solve the trouble of choosing a good diaper.

In the first year alone, your baby will change from 2,500 to 3,000 diapers, which means you need to set aside a considerable amount of change for your newborn to do their business. Many factors, from the sensitivity of your baby's skin to the extent to which you try to limit your carbon footprint, will accurately affect the amount of money you spend.

Although these are important things to consider, your first task is to find a diaper that is right for your baby-a diaper that does not leak urine, fits well, and usually does what the diaper should do. After nearly a month of diaper testing, I found that almost all reasonably priced diapers can solve the problem in stores or major online retailers such as Amazon. The best diapers in this category, which experts in the diaper industry call economic market segments, actually boil down to personal preference.

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Carlos Richer, CEO of Diaper Testing International, said: “When you compare diapers and the absorbent cores are roughly the same, you will only see appearance features, such as patterns and fashion.” Diaper softness is another characteristic that appeals to parents, but softness Degree has little effect on the comfort of the baby. According to Richer, the quality of the diaper absorbent core has the greatest impact on comfort, and you won’t see a major difference in absorbency until you reach the high end of the price range (50 cents per diaper and above). 

We hope to test some super quality diapers as soon as possible to see if their performance is really different. But for now, here are the more affordable diapers on the market. All prices listed are the lowest size and price for a complete box of diapers.

And, if you are a novice parent who wants to make your life easier, we will provide advice on baby food delivery services, apps, breast pumps, and even instructions to help your baby fall asleep quickly.

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Huggies is a diaper brand that my family has been using for the past three years, dating back to the birth of my son. They are soft, reliable, and will not go bankrupt. After trying other brands, we chose Huggies early in our parenting journey. That being said, it is impossible to review them without prejudice. 

All parents go through almost the same trial and error process to find the diaper they like. At the beginning, you will pack packs of different diapers (hopefully given to you when your baby is bathing) until you find the best diaper for your baby. This test is very similar to the first few weeks of my newborn son, except this time we have the opportunity to better evaluate and analyze the performance of each diaper, because my 11-month-old daughter has a bowel movement every five minutes-oh my Oh my goodness-there are stages everywhere. 

Huggies once again stood out as a strong competitor. They suit her very well, never leak or explode, and perform well overnight. Her skin is always wet in the morning and occasionally becomes red from prolonged contact with urine. I don't know where the company got their 12-hour protection statement, but in my experience, none of them have fulfilled their promise to stay dry for such a long time.  

Huggies has two main regular diaper series: Little Snugglers (maximum size 4) and Little Movers. For this test, we sampled Little Snugglers. The belt was stretched and firmly fixed, and the leg hole was just around the thigh of my little girl. It fits well, but it looks a little loose in case it disturbs you. In general, after sampling most of the games, I still like Huggies. Just know that as a famous brand, they are not the cheapest on the market (6 yards from 24 cents to 61 cents).

Mama Bear is Amazon's own diaper brand, consistent with the e-commerce giant's MO, only online private brands provide competitive products at relatively low prices-plus the convenience of Prime shipping. 

There is nothing to see in the diaper itself. The two styles in my bag are pure white and dot printing. But there are some features that can earn Mama Bear some style points. There is a strip of high friction material on the front flap of the diaper, which helps it stay in place when you wrap the rear flap to secure it. The Velcro label sticks to the diaper so firmly that it takes some effort to remove it.

Other than that, Mama Bear is as basic as diapers. Like many other brands, Mama Bear has a humidity indicator strip in the middle, although it does not always change color, even if the diaper is obviously wet enough to be changed. Although it feels a bit plastic, the outer layer is said to be breathable. They are perfect for my daughter's size 4 and only make her look a little puffy butt. The leg holes around the thigh seemed tight enough, but she did have a slight burst. 

The absorption seems to be comparable to other economical diapers I tested, although her skin is often wet after changing. It must be said that Mama Bear has no statement about the sustainability or eco-friendliness of its products, which may mean that it has nothing to offer in terms of greenness. However, if you don't care about this and don't mind the lack of cute prints, then Mama Bear's 4 yards sell for 21 cents each, which is great value for money.

Since Honest Diapers is much more expensive than other major brands, you would expect a significant improvement in quality and performance to justify paying the extra cash. But instead, you will get a good diaper. At first glance, the inside of the diaper appears to handle liquids better than the other diapers I tested, with the channels running almost the entire length of the diaper. But in fact, these diapers still leaked twice, and my daughter's skin was always visibly moist after changing overnight.

It seems that the price you pay is appearance. Honest diapers have a variety of prints to choose from, some are limited editions or only seasonally available. This makes them the most interesting of all diapers I have tested so far. But how much does it matter when you roll it up (usually filled with stool) and throw it in the trash can? These diapers are also the best fit. The chiseled buttocks are close to my daughter's buttocks, and there is almost no sagging or swelling. But this symmetry may come at a price. My daughter had a three-way blowout in the Honest diaper (from the back up and the two leg holes out)-the most chaotic event in the test so far-I suspect this may be related to the stool having nowhere to go.

The Honest Company likes to display its green certificate in marketing, but some of the environmental protection features it touts are doubtful. An example is the "plant-based" polylactic acid outer layer, which may come from plants but is still a plastic that will not degrade for hundreds of years. The No. 4 diaper is 43 cents per piece. Honest is overpriced and not much better than any other diapers on this list (if any). 

Pampers was founded in 1961 and has been a major player in the disposable diaper game for 60 years. Your parents, even their parents, are likely to be wearing Pampers. The brand that has long been a household name has given the brand a huge market advantage, and to a large extent, Pampers’ reputation is earned by providing reasonable quality at a reasonable price.  

Pampers performed well in the test. The elastic band forms a tight seal at the waist while still providing sufficient comfort. The Velcro tags are easily separated from the rear flaps and are blue-green, a feature that my visually impaired father-in-law appreciates because it makes them easier to see compared to white on white. The leg holes fit my daughter's thighs a bit loosely, but I didn't notice any leakage. Although these testers belonged to the Pampers baby dry cleaning series, the diapers were kept overnight, although it kept her skin moisturized in the morning.

Pampers are good value for money (32 cents each for size 4), but I just can't get rid of their baby powder-like smell. According to Pampers, this perfume "does not cause skin irritation or irritation", but it is a bit too strong for me. Pampers Pure series does not contain fragrance, but is more expensive, 33-60 cents per diaper. In terms of ingredients, Pampers stated that it uses elemental chlorine-free fluff pulp from certified sources under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.   

These diapers have a lot in common with Pampers-this is no coincidence. Luvs and Pampers are both owned by P&G. The former is a budget brand. But looking at Luvs and Pampers Baby Dry together, it's hard to tell where they cut costs.

The waistband is actually the same as Pampers, with the same elastic back flap and easy-to-peel fastener labels. As you might expect, this means that the fit is roughly the same, which means it’s very good. Even using the X-Acto knife to peek at the top sheet, my untrained eyes did not notice a noticeable difference. Both seem to have the same amount of fluff pulp and three rows of superabsorbent polymer gels. I haven't tried Pampers' Swaddlers or Cruisers series, so I can't say whether they are similar. 

In my book, one difference between Luvs and Pampers is that Luvs has no fragrance! I also appreciate the brand’s more simplified product line-there is only one Luvs diaper, nothing more. However, I can see that if Luvs is not suitable for your baby, this may be a disadvantage. But if they do, you will save a lot of money compared to Pampers, because each diaper only costs 12-24 cents.

Because Costco offers substantial discounts on its products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand, the identity of the Kirkland manufacturer is usually kept secret to prevent them from diluting other more expensive brands. It is said that Kirkland Signature diapers are made by Kimberly-Clark, the personal care giant behind Huggies diapers. 

Looking at the two side by side, it is easy to find some similarities. Both have elastic elastic waistbands and long buckles with Velcro hooks. Kirkland also has a poo bag, which is the hallmark of Huggies. In my baby, they are roughly the same as the Huggies I am used to. However, I noticed that Kirklands tends to get wet after using it for one night, and it emits a strong smell of urine through my daughter's pajamas. Sometimes the outside of the diaper gets damp. They do not necessarily leak, but they did not perform as well as others in the test.

Although we can only speculate, the cost savings may come from the less robust absorbent core. However, you will see the money saved by switching to Kirkland, which you may be willing to bear. Kirkland Signature diapers cost 17-33 cents per diaper, depending on the size. But like most things at Costco, you have to buy in bulk to get this price (and become a member). A box of 4s size diapers contains 198 diapers, enough for my 3-year-old child to play hide and seek in it. 

Costco has not made much statement about the sustainability of its diapers, but it does state that at least 20% of the materials are plant-based.

Choosing a store brand instead of a famous brand feels like a gamble. Will you get essentially the same thing for less money, or will you get what you paid for? Target's Up & Up brand offers a product that works well at a price of 10-25 cents per diaper. They performed the expected functions well in this test, but in the long run, are they worth it? This is difficult for me to say. 

Apart from budget options, this diaper will not be mistaken for anything else. Just treating them back-to-back with the other diapers I tested, they felt very weak. Although this pattern is rich in color, it looks simple and versatile (I have a whale printed on it), and the outer layer feels malleable and cheap. But once I got over this, I found that Up & Ups is perfect for my baby, thanks to the elastic waistband with accordion-like flaps, which is easy to tighten while still allowing her room to move. I used these diapers without leaking, although they did smell a strong smell of urine after changing overnight. My daughter’s skin was wet in the morning, but none of the diapers I tested allowed her to dry out overnight. 

They suit her well, but they are a little puffy. Perhaps because of this, Up & Ups provides the best coverage for the test, hiding her hips most of the time. They are effective and if your most important thing is to seek savings, they will provide you with a good service. However, it should be noted that there are very few green certificates in the ingredient list.

Seventh Generation has established itself as an ecologically conscious brand, touting the use of plant-based ingredients in its products and emphasizing recycling. With disposable diapers, there is only so much you can do today to reduce its environmental hazards, but Seventh Generation is at least working hard. 

The company stated that the fluff pulp used in its diapers is sustainably harvested and has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The seventh-generation diapers have also passed the 30% bio-based certification of the United States Department of Agriculture, which means that they are made from a certain amount of plant-derived materials. 

It is great to be made from natural ingredients, but how do they deal with the baby's natural body functions? It turns out, the same as everyone else. We did not encounter any leaks or blowouts in the test and found that the fit is very good. The waistband is elastic and the leg holes fit tightly on my daughter's plump thighs. One disadvantage is that there is no humidity indicator, so unless you change your baby regularly, you can only rely on your feelings. Like the others on this list, overnight use pushes these diapers to the limit. Once again, there was no leakage, but her skin was always moist and sometimes cold.

If you believe in the company's green mission, the price of Seventh Generation is 32-56 cents per diaper. The fact is that you are still using disposable diapers at the end of the day, no matter where the material comes from, it will still stay in the landfill and will not decompose for hundreds of years. The company is at least transparent about its non-biodegradable diapers. 

I tested every baby diaper on my daughter for two days and two nights. She changes six diapers a day on average and has regular bowel movements. As I mentioned above, we are a Huggies family. But it just so happens that my daughter was ready to change her size at the beginning of the test, so although my wife and I have a lot of experience with size 3 Huggies, size 4 Huggies are brand new to us. We The time spent on them is the same as the other diapers on this list. 

I evaluated each diaper according to the following criteria:

Entering this test, I think the answer to this question is clear. But like the diaper itself, this problem has many levels. For example, it is important to first understand what makes babies feel uncomfortable when wearing diapers. Once again, this is Carlos Richell of the International Diaper Test: 

"There are some misunderstandings as to why babies cry in the middle of the night when they are not even hungry. Babies cry not because their diapers leaked - they don't care about it. They cry because they are cold. Urine is hot on the diapers, but It gets cold after 15-30 minutes, because it reaches room temperature, let’s say it’s 70 degrees. When the liquid in the diaper reaches 70 degrees, what happens when you squeeze it. Will the diaper wet your skin with a little pressure? So what’s happening here Yes, once your diaper gets wet to the surface, it transfers the moisture to the baby’s skin... You can’t fall asleep when you reach room temperature when you allow urine. It’s impossible.”

Richer went on to explain that this phenomenon of liquid contact with the skin is evaluated by what is called a rewetting test. In this test, a certain amount of synthetic urine (not water, because urine contains salt, which is not a good simulant of urine) is poured into a diaper. Then, apply pressure to simulate the baby's weight, and place filter paper on top to observe whether the surface is wet or dry. This is different from the retention test, which measures the ability of the absorbent core to retain urine when placed in a centrifuge. The retention test gives you an idea of ​​the overall capacity of the diaper and how long it can last between changes. On the other hand, the remoisturization test can give you an idea of ​​how dry your baby feels and how much urine is in contact with the skin.

"When you talk about comfort, the most important parameter you have is rewetting," Richer said. "Re-wet has a very unpleasant correlation. The higher it is, the more diaper rashes you will have, because long-term exposure to moisture will destroy the skin and make it prone to rashes and infections."

So how can you prevent this? The sad truth is that this is very difficult on an economic level. The diapers in this category are designed based on templates or ingredient formulations, depending on the price of the diaper. This provides manufacturers with a certain amount of materials, including superabsorbent polymers and ADL, or acquisition distribution layer, a special type of nonwoven material that can quickly guide urine into the core while also providing wicking , Which helps prevent moisture from entering the top order. 

However, in the end, diapers are made at a price, and there is only so much you can do. The best way to ensure comfort and fight diaper rash is to change diapers regularly.

The diaper industry has noticed a shift in attitudes towards reducing waste, reducing carbon footprint and responsibly sourced renewable materials. Many companies claim to be environmentally friendly, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Currently, no disposable diapers are truly compostable or recyclable. Dyper has a program where you can pay a fee to send manure footballs to a commercial composting facility. However, this requires the addition of certain elements to the compost mixture to eliminate the production of methane gas and dilute the salinity of the diaper core.

Richer believes that in the near future, we will see far fewer diapers sent to landfills. Instead, we may see a mix of industrial aerobic composting and industrial recycling, as well as facilities that can sterilize, shred, and sort diaper components for reuse. If practical and energy-efficient, this sounds like a great alternative to sending thousands of tons of diapers to the dump.

The information contained in this article is for educational and information purposes only, not as health or medical advice. If you have any questions about your medical condition or health goals, please consult a doctor or other qualified health provider.