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The Great Diaper Debate.

So.

Levi is now 7 weeks old and we are still testing out diapers to find what works best. We have three different kinds that we switch between and I just can't decide what I like best.

First off, we have Pampers. I like Pampers because of the "thin factor". They are thin and not bulky- even when filled. They are also mostly white, with the exception of a few cartoon characters at the waist line. This is great because when Levi wears white, you can't see Disney characters peeking through his clothes. Also, they have the yellow vertical line that turns green when wet. Genius! Something I do not like about Pampers is they seem to turn to cotton when worn for more than an hour. It's real weird. Pampers have a very good scent, and that is a definite plus.
Thumbs Up: Thin, Smell Good, White, Yellow/Green Line
Thumbs Down: Turn to cotton

Then we have Huggies. Huggies seem to absorb and hold the best and most, but they get very bulky when filled. It's kind of good that they get bulky because I can always tell when he's wet, though, and I don't have to unfasten everything to look for a line. They are thicker and fluffier so it makes me feel like they do a better job holding everything in. I've never had a leak with a Huggie (scratch that, Levi has never had a leak with a Huggie - ha!). Huggies don't smell the best. Actually, they smell like cardboard and as soon as Levi goes tinkle, I can smell it. Like immediately. Also, they have cartoon characters covering the entire diaper, so you can always see them through light colored clothing.
Thumbs Up: Super Absorbent, No Leakage, Easy To Know When Wet
Thumbs Down: Smell, Cartoon Characters, Bulky

Lastly, we have Luvs. I recently found a package of Luvs in my closet that someone had bought for me, so I tested them out on The Weebs. Luvs by FAR smell the BEST. Man, oh man, they smell like Heaven and even when he soaks them, they still smell good. They always make him smell like he has just hopped out of the tub. They are thin, white (with a blue inside), and they seem to be better designed for little boys. The straps don't seem as sturdy as Pampers or Huggies, but I've never had a problem with them. They aren't as "user friendly", because the little velcro-ey part is kind of hard to find. You can't find Luvs as easy as Pampers or Huggies. Places like Babies R Us do not even sell them (how very strange)! They are very absorbent even though they are thin. You never hear much about Luvs. Pampers and Huggies seem to outshine them. Poor Luvs. If only people knew how good they smell...
Thumbs Up: SMELL, Absorbent, White, Thin
Thumbs Down: Hard To Find, Not User-Friendly

So. There you have it. The Great Diaper Debate. What's a girl to do? Maybe I should just continue using all three like I've been doing. Who says you have to stick with one? You can call me The Mom of Many Diapers.

Thoughts? Experiences?
I am a modern day homemaker with a passion for family, cooking, celebrating, decorating, travel, and memory making! The Lord has blessed me with the desires of my heart in my husband and our two sons. We recently built our dream home and cultivating a loving and happy haven for my family is where I find so much joy.

Comments

  1. I have always preferred Pampers...because they're the softest and I'm assuming they are the most comfortable for Rylie! :) I did not like how big and bulky Huggies were and I thought Luvs diapers were too stiff.

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  2. We use Pampers and we've been really happy with them. They were leaking at first, but turns out it was because we were using the wrong size (rookie mistake!). Now that we have the right size, we're back on track.

    By the way, I never knew about that green/yellow line! You just rocked my world, lady!

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  3. I've always prefered pampers too. They seem "cottony" but also the most comfortable for the baby who has to wear them constantly. And really, only the Pampers swaddlers are super soft and cottony. Once you stop using swaddlers they aren't like that.

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  4. I may confuse you even more because I'm recommending a diaper that costs 1/2 of what all the name brands do. Target brand diapers. My husband bought them when our baby was 2 weeks old and I thought "oh, great...generic diapers". I haven't used anything since. She never leaks through and they last during her 12 hour sleeps too. One person told me they are not as good for boys (I guess the pee goes in a different direction?) but others who have boys love them too. They are literally half the price of pampers/huggies. Worth a shot!

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  5. I worked at a daycare for a year and a half and pampers were by FAR my favorite diapers. They just fit better. When the babies are little and not moving much, it doesn't really matter, but once they start crawling/walking, it matters a lot!! Pampers fit closer to the body, and you can re fasten them if they happen to get loose or something. I agree with Luvs being too stiff. I plan on hopefully cloth diapering (you know, when I eventually get pregnant :) ), but I think pampers will be my go-to diapers!

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  6. I didn't use Pampers for either of my boys simply because of the cost. They are far and away the highest priced disposable diapers out there. I used both Huggies and Luvs and liked them for different reasons. Huggies has an overnight diaper for size 3 and up, which was an absolute GODSEND, as both my boys were champion pee-ers at night. I noticed the same thing you did, that Huggies absorbency is great. They do get very big, but that's to be expected when they absorb so much. Luvs were my go-to diaper for a long time. I always found them at Walmart, and Family Dollar ran regular sales as well. Overall, though, I have to agree with Jenn. Check out the store brands. The Walmart premium brand is really good, but that Target brand is outstanding. Did the job as well as Luvs every time. In the end, I was buying store brand diapers for daytime and Huggies Overnites for sleeping.

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  7. I don't have kids, but I would say to do what's best for you and Levi. Frankly, if you like all three you could buy based on price. If one is on sale one week, get that one. Good luck diaper hunting.

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  8. I have been hearing Huggies for boys and Pampers for girls. I have a ton of Pampers as a result.

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  9. With my first son, who is 8 now, I used luvs. They worked the best for him and they were inexpensive compared to the other brands. Now I have a 12 month old baby boy and he is a pampers baby all the way! I tried all 3 brands at the beginning and pampers just seemed to be the best for him! A couple of months ago, I started buying my diapers at diapers.com. There is no sales tax and no shipping if you spend over $49. They sell bigger boxes than I have ever been able to find in the store, so I buy 2 huge boxes and they last a while. I never knew about the green/yellow line either!

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  10. Why don't you browse this site:

    http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/

    or Kellyscloset.com

    or cottonbabies.com

    to see the alternatives to disposible?

    There are some super cute prints and fabrics I think you'd love. And the ick factor is way easier to manage!

    I'm only going to use Swaddlers until the black gross poop starts happening and then I will switch to cloth!

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  11. Okay--I totally agree with you that Huggies expose the urine smell immediately! Gross!! But, we use them because they are cheaper than Pampers and they work. I still love Pampers the best, though!

    Luvs ... meh. Caleb leaked almost every time he used them, so I tossed them. But every baby is different, so if they work for you, more power to ya! Does Target carry them? I thought they did. Hmm ...

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  12. Babies R Us may not stock Luvs because they are the less expensive option...places like that have to pull a large profit per item because the store is so specialized. There is naturally a higher profit margin built in to the more expensive products. I say if the Luvs work for you, why pay more? I think Target sells them.
    As for bulky diapers - cloth diapers are the worst! They look SO uncomfortable for poor baby.

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  13. I have looked at your pros and cons, and it seems like Luvs outweighs the other two! It seems as if they're only not user-friendly if you've never used them, and you have, so that knocks that part out. And I think they always have them at Walmart!

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  14. I love Luvs! My son is wearing huggies right now because of sizing issues (luvs 5s are too small and rip and the 6s are too big). Huggies are more expensive than luvs but def not as high as pampers. I have used generic target and walmart diapers as well and I liked those too. The cheaper the better in the diaper department! I get luvs at walmart (target has them too but they are more $).

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  15. Can't offer any diaper advice, but that comparison of sonogram and real pictures is unbelievable. What a sweet blessing!

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  16. I found that for my baby boy Huggies worked the best. They were the ONLY thing he didn't leak through. As he got older I made the switch to Pampers and they worked great.

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  17. Okay, this has been our diaper progression:

    We decided we would start out trying the least expensive diapers, and if they didn't work, we would upgrade. So, Walmart brand (Parent's Choice) and Target brand (now called Up and Up) came first. Parent's Choice always leaked; Target brand was awesome. Well, awesome until Brock reached size 3, then those started leaking, too. But I would definitely recommend trying the Target brand if you're not opposed to generic, as they worked great in sizes 1 and 2. When Brock hit size 3 and the Target brand was out, we tried Luvs. They are the cheapest of the name brands and have worked great. They carry them at Target and you can get them in the big boxes, which means they're even cheaper per diaper than the smaller packages. Oh, one thing to pay attention to with the Luvs, though--some have the bear hug sides and some don't. The bear hug sides have definitely worked the best for us.

    Good luck figuring it all out--you're definitely getting plenty of advice!! :)

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  18. Well, I have two in diapers (that 3 year old of mine refuses to use the potty) and we're a Luvs family. Mostly because they're the cheapest. However, I do stick with Pampers Swaddlers for the newborn phase because they're soft and super absorbent and I'm paranoid about brand new baby skin. But I've heard that Huggies works better for boys for some reason.

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  19. P.S. Huggies makes the best wipes! They're nice and thick and you can get them in cucumber melon scent!

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  20. At first I used Pampers...but after I started getting tons of coupons for Huggies and being able to buy them in bulk from Sam's Club...I switched to Huggies and love them!
    I also think Huggies wipes are the best too

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  21. We only used disposables for the first 3 months, BUT Pampers were definitely my fave! They smell fantastic, were trim, and seemed to fit my skinny baby the best!

    By the way, only the newborn size has the yellow/green line. As soon as he needs a bigger size, you loose that fantastic signal!

    Megan

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  22. I love your post! I don't have any babies yet, so I can't help ya out. But, did you ever think before you had Levi that you would be posting about diapers?!?! I love reading blogs from ladies who just had babies. Ya never know what you'll learn--it's great!:) Thanks for sharing!

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  23. I guess it really depends on the baby, but Isaiah cannot wear Huggies because every one I have put on him has leaked! I LOVE Pampers, the Swaddlers and the Baby Dry ones are great. Haven't tried Luvs yet, but I also have a bag in the closet I am going to have to tear into soon. Anothe brand I really like is the White Cloud brand. They fit really snug and do not leak.

    By the way, I absolutely loved the Pampers Swaddlers because of the green line (especially as a new mommy!), but I read that the line is only on the hospital-grade ones. I don't think they sell the "lined ones" in stores...at least I cannot find them.

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  24. hey girl, we use the huggies natural care and they are awesome my son is almost 15 months now and we have used a lot of different diapers, and these are by far my very fav! they are so soft and they seem to be the most comfortable for him, and they never leak and hold a lot of pee!
    you should try them!

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  25. 1. Going by the pleasing looks of the plain white pampers is not a long-term plus, because only the Swaddlers are plain white, and Swaddlers only go up to size 2-3 (yes, it's a half size, halfway between a regular size 2 and regular size 3). The next ones up, whether you go to Pampers Baby Dry or Pampers Cruisers, both have lots of Sesame Street characters covering them.
    2. I am only this familiar with Pampers because I have two little GIRLS. Apparently you haven't heard about the girl/boy, Pampers/Huggies rule? Pampers are the best diaper for girls because they are the most absorbent right in the middle of the diaper, where most of the wet goes with a girl. Huggies are the best diaper for boys because they are the most absorbent in the front. Get the picture?
    3. I actually think the "smelling-the-pee-right-away" thing with the Huggies would be a good thing for a new mom. Usually a newborn pees such a small amount that you can't tell for quite a while that they've actually gone. But this is what leads to diaper rash (and sometimes even infection)--leaving the kid sitting in a wet diaper for too long. So if the Huggies let you know right away when he's gone, and the smell is nasty so you want to change him right away, that's much better for the baby!
    4. I've never used Luvs or the Target brand diapers mentioned by another commenter, so I don't know about those. I just trusted the girl/boy, Pampers/Huggies rule and we've always loved the Pampers for our girls (M--now 3 years old and well out of diapers, and E--8 months old and nowhere near out of diapers :) ).

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  26. You know...every baby is different, and even withing the same family you may prefer different brands for different children. I have 7 kids, and I have used all three of the brands you mention. It seemed that Luv's worked best for two of my boys but seemed to leak on my daughters. My other boy uses Huggies and even though they don't smell good like the others, for him they work best (he is a champion pee-er and they are the only ones that contain it all!). I found that Pampers worked best on my daughters. It really is so different for each baby! But there is nothing wrong with being the mom of many diapers! LOL.

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  27. Maybe I'm a little unorthodox, but I loved variety in my diapering. If I could keep the grocery list down, I would splurge for either Pampers or Huggies, whoever had the better deal or cuter design. I agree that Target diapers are great (as well as the pull-ups), but I always used the Swaddlers on my itty bitty babies. There was just something about them that made me feel like a good mom. :) And just to clarify for those that seemed a little confused, I think the green/yellow line is a fairly new thing. (At least new to me, I am sad/happy to report that all of mine are out of diapers now and have been for over a year. They grow up so fast!)

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  28. we started with pampers swaddlers because i heard they were the best. then all of a sudden, his tummy was always wet. the pee pee was getting out of the diaper. i loved the line, too, but we decided to try something else.

    i had some pampers baby dry in the closet, so we tried those and we love them. they're super absorbent and we haven't had any trouble so i haven't tried anything else. they're a little bit bigger than the swaddlers, but i love a big diaper butt! :)

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  29. I agree with several of the other commentors:

    Try the Target brand! (now called Up & Up)

    They are MUCH cheaper. White, with light blue and green dots--in my opinion, the cutest disposables.

    Very thin, but absorbent--have never had a problem with leaks.

    They aren't scented, as far as I can tell, but that's a good thing. One less unnecessary chemical to expose sweet Levi's skin to.

    I also think Target's wipes are the best. They are much softer than all of the other brands, much like a cloth rather than a wipe. I buy the unscented and they don't have any sort of unpleasant odor.

    Hope this helps!

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  30. I say go with the Luvs..especially if they are cheaper. The more u use them the more user friendly they will become. Ha..this coming from someone that doesn't have kids.

    p.s. they sell Luvs at Walmart & Target in my town.

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  31. I have three kids(1,2, and 4 years) and we have always used Huggies. They are less expensive than Pampers and absorb better. Recently, I tried Target brand and they worked well also.

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  32. I used Luvs and loved (LOL) them. The other thing about Luvs is that they are cheaper than Pampers or Huggies. And although I try to avoid Wal-mart at all costs, Wal-mart carries Luvs (at least they do here in San Antonio).

    But, overall, I would go with the most absorbent. As I think that's the most important issue. :)

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  33. I've really been liking pampers lately, just because they're so dang soft! Someone bought me a pack of Luvs too, but they just feel like sand paper compared to luvs, so we haven't used them yet..

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  34. ps I've heard from my sil that the new t@rget brand diapers are pretty awesome but I haven't tried them yet

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  35. ps again-we also just got a huge box of 800 or so wipes from s@ms club and I really love them! They come out one at a time very easily and they're nice and thick

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  36. Not to throw another diaper into the mix but have you ever tried White Cloud (bought at Walmart)? I used them for both of my boys and they are way cheaper and hold up better on all accounts than any other diaper. Good luck!

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  37. Used Pampers with the first.

    Cloth with the second (opens a whole can of worms and lots of fun to research).

    We use BumGenius and FuzziBunz as well as some old fashioned prefolds and flats with cute Bummis covers.

    If you're going to have more than 1 baby, you'll save lots of $$$$$.

    I have some posts about using cloth on my blog, just click on the tags.

    Good luck with your decision.

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  38. I use gDiapers, and I love them. Cute, environmentally friendly, flushable, yadda yadda yadda.

    That being said, when we were using disposables, Huggies were my favorite. Well, except for the stupid Winnie the Pooh characters on them. (what's wrong with PLAIN white diapers, anyway???) That nifty yellow line business on the Pampers is only on the smallest sizes, which is lame.

    Try the Kirkland Signature ones at Costco. They're the exact same as the Huggies, but no Pooh bear. If I were to go back to disposables for whatever reason, that would be what I would use.

    But then again, I like my gDiapers too much to do anything silly like that. :)

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  39. I used Huggies the first year and kept wondering why all the blowouts??? I switched to Luvs which are cheaper and it solved the problem. I loved them.

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  40. I have only tried Huggies and Pampers. We are a Pampers family. Huggies leaked badly with my son. I'm glad you haven't had that experience yet! Plus, we get Pampers in bulk from Sam's Club. Good luck!

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  41. I have been in Australia for a couple weeks and am catching up on my blog reading....have to recommend Seventh Generation from diapers dot com. I have never had unnecessary leaks, and blow outs only occurred when the baby was in the Bumbo (which any diaper won't hold that mess in!). I also like that they are chlorine free and the absorbant gel isn't some nasty synthetic chemical. Since I work FT, I have to use disposables...and you can get coupons on their website!

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  42. so funny, i blogged this EXACT same thing a few weeks ago!

    http://tinyurl.com/m89m9f

    I hope you found your perfect fit!

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  43. This is a great article. I’ve read in many
    other places before that but
    I did not get this type of effective and
    more useful text. It is really important now to
    vary your anchors as this seems more natural to user.
    This article helped me a lot to understand information.

    ReplyDelete

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