Written by Louise Hall
Last Edited 7/16/25
There are many different types of diapers available! With parents having so many decisions to make, choosing which brand of diapers to purchase can seem a little overwhelming. Thankfully, I was blessed with an abundance of diapers of various brands at my baby shower, so I have tried a number of them! This is an overview of my own experience as a mom figuring out which types of diapers to purchase as I ran out of the ones gifted to me. For some context, I have a rather petite baby, about the 10th percentile in length and weight, and her waist circumference is a little smaller and her thighs a bit chubbier. Hopefully it can be a starting place for other parents looking into diaper brands for their own babies! Note that when I do a cost comparison on the different brands, it is based on boxes of size 1.
Huggies Little Snugglers – These are my absolute favorite of the things I have tried! They fit snugly around the waist with a flexible band that helps prevent blowouts, even when my baby is crawling around. The opening around the legs has similar leak guards that stretch, but they could be a little tight for chubbier legs. For a petite baby, you can definitely continue using them until the top of the weight range. I also appreciate that they are fragrance, paraben, and phthalate free! Depending on where you shop, the price can be as low as $0.21/diaper.
Kirkland Signature (Costco) – These diapers are my favorite that I have tried on a budget! They fit slightly looser around the waist, but they have a better leak guard than some other brands, so they do a decent job preventing blowouts. The material is softer than most of the other brands I’ve tried, which seems like it would be comfortable for the baby. The main downside I’ve noted is that if the baby has a really wet diaper, it will feel a bit soggy on the outside sooner than some of the other brands I’ve tried, but if you’re regularly changing the diapers, it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to me. These diapers fit true to size and are a little looser around the thighs than both Huggies and Pampers. For more petite babies, they can be worn until close to the upper end of the weight range as long as the diaper still fits properly around the thighs. Costs $0.16/diaper.
Luvs – This brand was okay, but not my absolute favorite. They were snug around the thighs and waist, but they didn’t have a leak guard around the waist, so they did better than some at preventing blow-outs, but not as good as others. The main perk for this brand is the price, being the cheapest of any that I’ve tried at $0.14/diaper.
Millie Moon – I only had a few of these as a friend had an extra package when her baby changed sizes, but I liked them! They ran large for sure, so if you have a bigger baby or an especially wiggly one, they might be a good option. What stood out to me, besides how much bigger they were, was how cute the patterns were. My only complaint was that it was hard to locate the sizing on the diapers themselves. Turns out, it’s on the pull tab of the waist band! If you’re like me and take diapers out of the boxes, make a note to check there. They advertise that they’re fragrance and elemental chlorine free. You can only buy these online or at Target, and they run $0.25/diaper.
Pampers: Swaddlers and Baby Dry – The Swaddlers were just okay in my opinion. They were snug around the thighs, but didn’t have a leak guard around the waist, so my baby was having more regular blow-outs when she wore these. They fit true to size. The Baby Dry, on the other hand, were looser and came up higher over the waist, so my baby could wear them even when she was just about ready for the next size up in other brands. This would be a good diaper for a long-waisted baby. The waist band wasn’t as snug as some of the other brands, so if she was wiggling around a bunch, she would have a blowout sooner than some brands. Both types are paraben and elemental chlorine free. Swaddlers run $0.27/diaper and Baby Dry $0.22/diaper.
Up and Up (Target) – I personally didn’t like this brand. They run small, both around the thighs and waist. The texture also wasn’t my favorite, because they seemed stiffer and less flexible than most brands. If you have a chunky baby, you would definitely want to size up. They are pretty inexpensive though at $0.15/diaper.
Diapers I will be trying eventually: Mama Bear (Amazon) – I haven’t tried Amazon’s brand of diapers yet because I was given a package a size up from what my baby is currently wearing. Other moms I know have mentioned they aren’t as good at preventing blow-outs as some other brands, but I can’t speak to this personally. They are definitely more affordable than some brands, being comparable to Kirkland Signature in pricing at $0.16/diaper.
Would try if I could afford it: Every Life Diaper Company and Honest Co. – I’ve heard good things about both of these companies, but they are definitely on the spendier side compared to other brands! Part of the reason is because they use organic materials, so babies with sensitive skin or parents who are concerned about the manufacturing processes might prefer these ones. I know that Every Life diapers run small (their website even tells you that), but they are good quality and offer a subscription service that cuts down on a percentage of the cost, bringing it down from $0.33 to $0.29/diaper. I don’t know as much about Honest Co., but the moms I know who use them say they work well and prevent the irritation that some other brands caused their babies. They run $0.33/diaper. Both of these brands are fragrance, paraben, and elemental chlorine free, and Every Life is also dye and phthalate free.
In conclusion, remember that every baby is different, and what works well for one family might not be best for yours. If you have a longer, thinner baby, Huggies, Kirkland Signature, and Luvs would be good options to consider. For larger, chubbier babies, Huggies, Pampers, and Millie Moon might be good choices. If you have a strict budget, Luvs, Up and Up, Kirkland Signature, and Mama Bear would be your most cost-effective options, and for babies with sensitive skin, finding something organic like Every Life or Honest Co. might be worth the extra cost. Don’t be afraid to try a couple of different brands until you decide which is your favorite! Best of luck finding what works for you!