The Best Diapers

While researching this guide, we conducted more than five hours of interviews with four diaper industry experts. Rick Jezzi, a diaper industry consultant who worked for Kimberly-Clark (maker of Huggies and other diaper brands) for 10 years, told us about the materials and technologies of disposable diapers. Pricie Hanna, an absorbent hygiene and nonwoven materials consultant, spoke to us about performance and design differences between popular US diaper brands, many of which we tested for this guide. Two other consultants, who also run an absorbent hygiene testing laboratory, gave detailed explanations about the most important performance criteria and how to test them. (We commissioned this lab to test diapers for this guide. Due to their professional relationships with some of the companies whose diapers we tested, they requested we not name them or the lab.)

To learn about disposable diapers and diaper rash, we spoke with Dr. Bruce Brod, a dermatologist at Penn Medicine who specializes in pediatric dermatitis.

We read independent reviews of disposable diapers from BabyGearLab and Reviews.com, scanned hundreds of user reviews of popular diaper brands on Amazon, Target, Walmart, and other retailers, and surveyed parents on our staff about their experiences with different diaper brands.

I am the research editor for Wirecutter and have written guides to baby formula, baby bottles, and nursing pillows, among others. As a mom of three kids under 5, I’ve changed an incalculable number of diapers, trying out both cloth and more than a dozen brands of disposables.

A baby in the US is likely to go through 5,000 to 6,000 disposable diapers before becoming potty-trained. If you’re about to have your first baby, or if you aren’t completely satisfied with the performance or price of the diapers you currently use, it’s worth finding a brand that meets your needs and budget.

A diaper has a simple job—absorb pee and contain poop—but in order to do it, it uses a variety of construction techniques, such as pleating and laminating, as well as materials, including nonwoven and waterproof fabrics, cellulose fibers, and superabsorbent polymers. A diaper that doesn’t perform well may leak onto clothing, bedding, or you. Or it may stay wet against your baby’s skin, which can cause discomfort, skin irritation, and/or diaper rash. “The main causative factor [of diaper rash] is chronic moisture and occlusion" — when wetness is trapped against the skin – Brod told us.

A poorly performing diaper also means you’ll have to use more diapers, adding expense, effort, and waste. Disposable diapers can be a significant expense. A recent Tampa Bay Times article investigating the financial burden that diapers pose for families reported that a year’s supply of midrange diapers can cost more than $1,000. Our price analysis of diapers available online revealed that depending on the brand—premium, discount, or “eco-friendly”—and whether purchased in bulk, diapers could cost between $250 and $750 per year. (The Tampa Bay Times coverage focused on families that may not have the resources to buy diapers in bulk or online, which can reduce the per diaper cost significantly.)

While about 95 percent of babies in the US use disposable diapers, reusable cloth diapers are another option that can be less expensive. (We've written a separate blog post about the pros and cons of both diapering methods.)

We started by making a list of the most popular diapers on Amazon, Target, Walmart, BuyBuy Baby, and other retailers. We ended up with some 30 models made by 20 companies.

More than 80 percent of the diapers sold in the US are manufactured by Procter & Gamble—maker of Pampers and Luvs brand diapers—and Kimberly-Clark, which makes Huggies and some private-label diapers, including Amazon’s Mama Bear brand and Costco’s Kirkland diapers. For this guide, we only considered diapers that can be purchased online and, in most cases, also at national chains like Target, Walmart, Costco, and Kmart.

Almost all the disposable diapers that we found use the following design features to stay dry and prevent leaks:

• Backsheet: This is the outer casing of the diaper, which is made from a waterproof plastic film (usually polyethylene). The backsheet prevents liquid in the diaper from leaking out.
• Topsheet: This is the inner surface of the diaper, which touches the baby’s skin and is made from nonwoven fabric. The topsheet absorbs liquid and wicks moisture away from the baby’s skin.
• Distribution layer and absorbent core: Between the topsheet and backsheet are several layers of material that distribute, absorb, and hold on to liquid. The first layer, directly under the topsheet, is called the distribution layer, which helps the liquid spread evenly through the core, sometimes using channeling (or grooves that direct the flow). The absorbent core is made from cellulose fluff pulp and sodium polyacrylate, a superabsorbent polymer (SAP). Fluff pulp absorbs liquid quickly but also releases it quickly, like a sponge. SAP, small granules that become gel-like when wet, absorb liquid more slowly, but hold on to it better.

Diapers also have fasteners (resealable tape that lets you close, adjust, and open the diaper) and elastic (stretchy material around the leg cuffs, along the sides, and often along the back of the waistband). Fasteners and elastic help the diaper fit your baby snugly, allow your baby to wiggle and move comfortably, and prevent pee and poop from escaping.

Based on all our research, conversations with experts, and discussion with other parents, we identified a few key things that all diapers must do well:

• Hold enough liquid: The diaper’s core must be able to absorb and retain enough liquid that you won’t have to change the baby’s diaper every time they pee. (A baby between 12 and 18 months old, weighing around 24 pounds, produces about 60 milliliters, or about ¼ cup, each time they pee.)
• Keep the baby’s skin dry: The topsheet must wick away liquid into the absorbent core quickly so that the baby’s skin doesn’t stay in prolonged contact with wetness. Additionally, the absorbent core can’t simply behave like a sponge and release liquid under compression, but must retain the liquid, even under pressure from the baby’s weight and movement.
• Prevent leaks: The diaper’s backsheet must prevent pee and liquid poop from seeping out from the absorbent core and leaking onto clothing, bedding, the carseat, or you. The elastic leg cuffs, waistband, and fasteners must prevent pee and liquid poop from leaking out before it can be absorbed into the core, and prevent solid poop from escaping.

Some brands make diapers labeled “sensitive” or “hypoallergenic,” claiming that they are free from potential allergens and thus safer for a baby’s skin. Brod told us that while some babies do develop allergic skin reactions (allergic contact dermatitis) to disposable diapers, you can’t rely on the diaper’s labeling alone to decide what to buy.

“There’s really no standard for products that are marketed as ‘all natural’ or ‘hypoallergenic,’” Brod told us. “Those [terms] are marketing devices.” Though the FDA does regulate some absorbent hygiene products, such as tampons, as medical devices, it does not regulate disposable diapers. In a 2016 study, Brod and his co-authors identified common ingredients in disposable diapers, wipes, and ointments that can cause allergic contact dermatitis. For diapers, these include rubber (a component of the diaper’s elastic waistband and leg cuffs), fragrances and perfumes, and adhesives.

“I would also caution consumers to not necessarily be lulled into a product because it’s listed as ‘all natural’ or ‘botanical,’ [because they may include ingredients that] are also often common allergens on the skin,” Brod told us. The 2016 study listed several essential oils and plant-derived ingredients used in diapering products that are known to cause allergic contact dermatitis. We didn’t specifically seek out sensitive or hypoallergenic diapers in our testing. If you suspect your baby has an allergic reaction to their diaper, talk to your pediatrician or dermatologist. Differentiating between diaper rash (irritant diaper dermatitis), which is caused by moisture and irritation from pee and poop, and allergic contact dermatitis, which is a reaction to a specific substance, is complicated.

Some brands sell overnight diapers, which are advertised as being more absorbent than standard diapers, keeping a baby dry for up to 12 hours so they won’t need a diaper change at night. We didn’t test overnight diapers for this guide, because they are more expensive and tend to have worse user reviews.

We narrowed our initial list of 30 diapers by focusing on the most popular brands on retailers’ sites, those with the most positive user reviews, and diapers that had performed well in comparative testing done by other editorial outlets. This led us to 15 diapers we decided to test:

• Amazon Mama Bear
• Bambo Nature
• Cuties
• The Honest Company
• Huggies Little Movers
• Huggies Little Snugglers
• Kirkland Signature Supreme
• Luvs Ultra Leakguards
• Naty by Nature Babycare
• Pampers Baby-Dry
• Pampers Cruisers
• Pampers Swaddlers
• Parent’s Choice
• Seventh Generation Free & Clear
• Up & Up

We hired an independent diaper testing lab to evaluate the 15 diapers for the three key performance factors outlined above: how much they absorb, how dry they stay, and how well they prevent leaks.

The lab we commissioned has tested diaper performance on behalf of dozens of manufacturers and brands. The lab has also carried out its own research, with focus groups, babies, and adults, in order to create a rubric for testing, analyzing, and comparing how diapers perform relative to one another and to extrapolate how lab results translate to real-world performance.

All tests used 23 °C, 0.9 percent saline water, which simulates the salinity of urine (the amount of salt in a liquid affects how it is absorbed). We tested size 4 diapers, which typically fit babies weighing between 22 and 37 pounds, and is the most commonly purchased diaper size in the US. We sent 20 samples of each diaper to the lab. Tests were repeated between three and five times to check for variability. The lab tested the diapers’ performance in four areas:

Total absorbency: First, each diaper was submerged in synthetic urine for 10 minutes, and then weighed to see how much it absorbed. The diaper was then spun in a centrifuge for one minute and reweighed. This showed how much liquid the diaper’s absorbent core can retain under force. The lab told us that this second measurement is a good estimate of how much total pee the diaper will hold during normal use.

Speed of absorption: The technician placed a specially sized cylinder onto the topsheet, poured in 120 mL of liquid, and measured how long it took for the diaper to absorb it. (An average 12- to 18-month-old would urinate about 60 mL at a time, so this represents a very heavy wetting—or “insult,” as it’s technically referred to in the lab.) This test shows how quickly the diaper will absorb pee, which is important both to prevent leaking and for the baby’s comfort and skin health. The test was repeated three times.

Surface dryness: After the diaper absorbed the 120 mL of liquid, the technician measured the dryness of the topsheet. The technician placed filter paper on the surface and applied a 2.3-kilogram (about 5-pound) weight, simulating the pressure of a baby sitting on the diaper. The amount of liquid absorbed back into the filter paper models how much moisture the baby will feel when sitting in the wet diaper. This test was repeated three times.

Leak resistance: The technician continuously dripped liquid into the right and left leg cuffs of each diaper and measured how long it took for the liquid to begin seeping out—ideally, the cuffs should prevent liquid from escaping long enough for the pad to absorb the insult.

We compared the testing results with user reviews on sites like Amazon to check if parents’ real-world experiences matched with the lab’s findings. A Wirecutter editor also used some of the diaper brands on her toddler over the course of several weeks.

Almost all the diapers we tested performed very well on certain tests. Every single diaper we tested earned a perfect score on the first dryness test, because they released such minute amounts of liquid back to the surface that the lab told us it would be imperceptible to a baby. In the absorption tests, after spinning in the centrifuge, all diapers held on to at least 240 grams of liquid (about 1 cup), which is about four wettings for a 12- to 18-month-old baby.

We did not test specifically for fit. Babies come in many shapes and sizes, and some diaper designs may fit some babies better than others. All the diapers we tested are adjustable, but some brands have more elastic in the waistband and leg cuffs than others. The width of the back and front panels can also vary, and some diapers have a higher rise than others. When laid flat, most of the diapers we looked at are rectangular, but some brands have a contoured shape, with a roomier waistband and narrower midsection (the part between the baby’s legs). In our research and discussion with other parents, we found that fit is one of the most important factors in preventing poop leakage, aka “blowouts,” but we didn’t find conclusive evidence that any one characteristic—such as stretchier back elastic or a certain cut—works better for all babies.

We also didn’t carry out tests that specifically gauge how well the diapers absorb or hold on to poop; one of the experts at the laboratory told us that they have not yet discovered or designed a testing protocol that satisfactorily evaluates how well a diaper does this. It’s reasonable to assume that no matter how sophisticated and well-performing, no diaper insulates against all poop disasters; the blowout-proof diaper simply does not exist.

After carefully considering testing results, user reviews, and side-by-side comparisons, we’ve concluded that Parent’s Choice and Up & Up diapers offer the best overall combination of performance and value. In total absorption, speed of absorption, and dryness, each performed as well as or better than diapers that cost much more. The Parent’s Choice and Up & Up diapers aren’t exactly the same, but because they excelled in all metrics, and are similarly priced and widely available, we feel confident recommending both.

The Parent’s Choice and Up & Up brands were among the top performers in all tests. The Parent’s Choice diapers are the second-most absorbent diapers overall of the 15 brands we tested, retaining 371 grams, or 12.5 ounces, of liquid in the centrifuge test. (Up & Up diapers absorbed slightly less, at 327 grams, or 11 ounces.) The average amount absorbed by the diapers we tested was 309 grams, about 10.5 ounces.

Up & Up diapers were the second-fastest absorbing diapers overall, beaten only by Pampers Swaddlers and Pampers Cruisers, our upgrade picks. Parent’s Choice diapers were slower to absorb, but still beat out several more expensive diapers.

Parent’s Choice diapers outperformed most other diapers in the dryness test. All diapers we tested stayed dry after the first “insult” of 120 mL of simulated urine, only releasing an undetectable amount (less than 1 gram) of liquid back to the surface. By the second application, however, only seven diapers, including the Parent’s Choice brand, stayed below the threshold that the experts at the lab told us a baby could likely feel (Up & Up was slightly higher, at about 1.3 gram, but still significantly lower than several more expensive diapers).

Parent’s Choice diapers are among the roomiest of the diapers we tested, with a larger waist circumference than most. Up & Up diapers are about 2 inches smaller around than the Parent’s Choice, but about the same length. The two diapers have different fasteners and side panels, but we didn’t notice any differences in the amount of stretch or grip. Parent’s Choice diapers are unique among the diapers we looked at for printing “BACK” on the back of the diaper—a feature that some parents, even those with plenty of diapering experience under their belts, may appreciate. Like most disposable diapers, Parent’s Choice and Up & Up diapers have wetness indicators (a color-changing strip that shows when the diaper is wet).

Both Parent’s Choice and Up & Up diapers have strong user reviews and when compared side by side, look and feel very similar. They’re the cheapest diapers we came across in our research: When purchased in bulk, Parent’s Choice diapers cost about 11¢ per diaper and Up & Up cost 14¢. Considering that they perform as well or better than diapers that cost 25¢ or more per diaper, using either of our picks could save at least $500 (over our upgrade picks, Pampers Swaddlers and Pampers Cruisers) and as much as $1,200 (over the most expensive diapers we tested) during the course of your baby’s diapering years.

Consultant Hanna told us that both Parent’s Choice and Up & Up diapers can be considered “top-of-the-line private-label products,” and that “the performance gap between [them] and top-of-the-line name-brand products”—like Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers—“is getting closer and closer.”

Both Parent’s Choice and Up & Up diapers have less elastic in the back waistband and are a bit less stretchy than some of the other diapers we tested. If you don’t like the way these fit your kid, you may want to consider getting one of our upgrade picks. Both Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers are stretchier than our main picks, and the latter is also longer overall and provides somewhat more coverage.

In our lab tests, Pampers Swaddlers and Pampers Cruisers (which are designed for bigger babies and available only in size 3 and up) absorbed liquid faster overall than any other diaper we tested, and stayed as dry or drier than the competition. Both types of Pampers diapers have the softest-feeling topsheet and the stretchiest side panels of any diaper we tested, which an expert told us helps them fit more snugly and comfortably. They’re the best-rated and among the most popular diapers on Amazon, but cost twice as much as our main picks.

In the first round of tests for absorption speed, Swaddlers and Cruisers both absorbed 120 mL of liquid in around 30 seconds; only Up & Up diapers, our main pick, and one other brand absorbed the liquid faster (and only by a few seconds). But both Swaddlers and Cruisers absorbed the second and third wettings extremely speedily—in less than 15 seconds, more than 10 seconds faster than the next fastest-absorbing diapers. Consultant Hanna and the experts who carried out the testing told us that Pampers’s speedy absorption is due to channeling (grooves) beneath the topsheet, which draws and distributes the fluid quickly.

Both Swaddlers and Cruisers were also among the driest diapers we tested: After both the first and second wettings, their absorbent cores released imperceptible amounts of liquid back to the surface of the topsheet.

Cruisers are longer than Swaddlers (by about 0.6 inch for size 4) and most of the other diapers we tested, including our top picks, which may offer a bit more coverage for babies when they bend and move.

Consultant Hanna told us that the side panels (or “ears,” in diaper manufacturing parlance—where the tape attaches to the diaper) of both Swaddlers and Cruisers have “the highest stretch and recovery performance of any of the diapers,” which could contribute to a comfortable but snug fit. Swaddlers and Cruisers were the only diapers we tested that have no elastic or pleating in the waistband; Hanna told us that this is because the super-stretchy side panels allow Swaddlers and Cruisers to fit a variety of babies’ bodies closely without needing to use pleating or elastic in the waistband. The smooth waistband could make the diaper more comfortable by avoiding friction or irritation, and help achieve a smoother, snugger fit. We found Swaddlers and Cruisers to be equally stretchy, and they have similar waist circumferences (which are average in size compared with the other diapers we tested).

Swaddlers have a mesh topsheet, which Pampers claims helps absorb pee and liquid poop better than solid topsheets, like Cruisers and our main picks have. The Swaddlers topsheet does feel a bit softer than that of the Cruisers, but the difference is minor; both topsheets are slightly softer feeling than those of Parent’s Choice and Up & Up diapers. Unlike Swaddlers, Cruisers don’t have a wetness indicator, but many parents may not consider that a necessity.

Swaddlers and Cruisers are the best-rated diapers on Amazon, with a 4.3-star rating over several thousand reviews. At 25¢ per diaper, they aren’t the most expensive diaper we tested, but they’re about twice as expensive as our main picks.

Many parents are interested in diapers that are “eco-friendly.” We tested four diaper brands that advertise themselves as using more sustainable materials and manufacturing processes than other brands: The Honest Company, Seventh Generation, Bambo Nature, and Naty by Nature Babycare. With the exception of Naty by Nature Babycare, these diapers performed similarly to our top picks in the laboratory tests we commissioned. But they’re two to three times more expensive per diaper, and it’s tricky to objectively compare the brands’ different ecological claims and certifications. We’re planning to discuss eco-friendly diapers more in depth in a separate article, but here’s what we’ve found in our research and testing so far:

Honest Company, Seventh Generation, and Bambo diapers all performed well in our laboratory testing—mostly on a par with conventional brands like our main picks, Walmart’s Parent’s Choice and Target’s Up & Up, and in some tests, a bit better. (We dismissed Naty for weaker performance.) These diapers cost, on average, 37¢ to 42¢ per diaper. That’s significantly more expensive than our upgrade picks, but they didn't perform quite as well as those and don't have as strong user reviews. In Amazon reviews, parents complain about leaking, poor absorbency, and poor fit, and Wirecutter editors have also encountered the same issues specifically with Honest Company and Naty diapers.

Unlike with toilet paper, paper towels, or tampons, we couldn’t compare eco-friendly diaper brands based on a single common criterion, like being made from recycled paper or organic cotton. Honest Company, Seventh Generation, and Bambo diapers each have different, possibly equally legitimate, claims to eco-friendliness. None of the eco-friendly diapers we tested claims to be compostable or biodegradable—no mainstream diaper is, and organic matter often doesn't biodegrade in landfills anyway.

So it comes down to the sourcing and production of the diapers. To take it brand by brand:

• The Honest Company uses some plant-based plastics and polymers and other naturally sourced ingredients in its diapers, but it does not have any independent certifications from major sustainability or environmental organizations.
• Seventh Generation diapers are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (which “ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits”) and Rainforest Alliance (which guarantees that the materials used are grown and harvested on farms and in forests employing sustainable practices).
• Bambo diapers are certified by the Nordic Ecolabel (which ensures that products meet strict requirements for environmental impact, chemical use, and sustainable development), Forest Stewardship Council, and Ecocert (which certifies that products are made with over 95 percent naturally sourced ingredients).
• Naty by Nature certifications include those of the Forest Stewardship Council and OK Biobased by Vincotte (for being made from 40 to 60 percent bio-based materials).

Beyond the materials sourcing, we considered sustainability and life-cycle questions of disposable diapers overall, which are complicated and heavily dependent on what you focus on. Is it important how the diapers are made? How they are disposed of? Is how many diapers are used the major factor in considering environmental impact? We learned in our reporting that Procter & Gamble, for example, is developing recyclable diapers. Some experts say this solution is more realistic for limiting the impact of disposable diapers long term than the nonrecyclable eco-friendly kind that is commonly used. You could even argue that Pampers diapers are the better choice for an eco-minded person, because that company may be better poised and capitalized to make a difference on a large scale. Or you could argue that Pampers diapers (or another of our top performers) represent a choice as good or better than the diapers marketed as being eco-friendly, because they absorb more and stay drier, so it’s possible you'll use fewer diapers. There’s a strong argument that cloth diapers are the most sustainable choice, but that isn’t a perfectly straightforward decision environmentally either as our guide to cloth diapers lays out in detail.

If you want to buy diapers with some eco-friendly credentials, it’s likely that Honest Company, Seventh Generation, and Bambo diapers will keep your baby dry and perform well enough to keep you and your baby happy. But you’ll spend a whole lot more money on them, and we have no way of saying whether these are objectively better for the environment in a way that matters enough to justify that cost.

The Honest Company diapers performed almost as well as our main picks in absorption speed and dryness. They come in the widest variety of prints, such as florals and baseball team logos (including the New York Yankees, but not the Mets), of any diaper we came across. The Honest Company diapers are the narrowest diaper we tested, and some user reviews mention that they don’t fit chubby babies as well. The company says it uses some plant-based plastics and polymers and other naturally sourced ingredients in its diapers, but it doesn’t have any independent certifications. At 42¢ per diaper, on average, they’re more expensive than our upgrade pick and don’t offer any performance advantages.

Seventh Generation diapers absorbed about as fast and stayed as dry as our main picks, and they have a similar construction. They’re among the roomier diapers we tested, with a wider waist circumference. But they’re also one of the more expensive, at around 37¢ per diaper. Seventh Generation diapers are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and Rainforest Alliance.

Bambo Nature diapers stayed as dry as our main picks and upgrade pick in the re-wet tests, but they absorbed liquid more slowly than most of the diapers we tested. Bambo diapers are average sized in both length and waist circumference compared with the other diapers we tested. They’re among the most expensive we tried, at about 40¢ per diaper. Bambo diapers are certified by the Nordic Ecolabel, Forest Stewardship Council, and Ecocert, which certifies products made with more than 95 percent naturally sourced ingredients.

Made by a company called First Quality, Cuties performed similarly to our main picks but cost a little more and don’t have a wetness indicator. They’re available only online.

Luvs Ultra Leakguards are budget diapers made by Procter & Gamble, which also makes Pampers. They’re a bit more expensive than our main picks but didn’t perform as well. The outer backsheet feels rougher and more papery than those of our main picks, and they have a forceful fragrance that some people may find overpowering. They’re longer than most of the diapers we tested, but average-sized around the waist.

Pampers Baby-Dry didn’t absorb as quickly or stay as dry as either of our main picks or Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers. They’re of average size.

Huggies Little Snugglers and Little Movers were among the worst performers on the dryness tests, releasing more liquid back to the surface after the second insult than most other diapers. They have a uniquely contoured shape, with a roomier, stretchy waistband that narrows toward the center of the diaper.

Like Huggies, Costco’s Kirkland Signature Supreme are made by Kimberly-Clark and have a similar design, with the same contoured shape and overall dimensions. They retained the least amount of liquid in the centrifuge test and were among the worst performers on the dryness tests.

Amazon’s Mama Bear diapers are made by Kimberly-Clark, which also makes Huggies and Kirkland diapers, and they had a similarly poor performance on the dryness tests. Though like those diapers they have a stretchy back waistband, the Mama Bear diapers don’t have as contoured a shape as Huggies or Kirkland diapers and are a bit smaller around the waist than those two brands.

BabyGearLab chose Naty by Nature Babycare diapers as its top pick, but Naty absorbed liquid more slowly than any other diaper in our tests. Many user reviews report defective tabs or tearing and leaking through the outer backsheet, which our at-home tester also experienced during overnight use. Naty by Nature diapers have several environmental certifications, including the Forest Stewardship Council and OK Biobased by Vincotte (for being made from 40 to 60 percent bio-based materials). They’re among the longest and narrowest of the diapers we tested, feel less stretchy, and are more expensive than our upgrade picks.

We did not test CVS Health diapers because multiple people we spoke to, including a daycare provider, don’t find that they perform as well as other mainstream diaper brands, including our picks. Many online reviewers complain that these diapers don’t absorb much or aren’t as effective at holding in poop as other brands.