Which diaper brands are best at preventing leaks, blow-outs and diaper rash

ByNydia Han and Heather Grubola WPVI logo
Monday, September 11, 2023
Which are the best? Consumer Reports tests 10 popular diaper brands
Which are the best? Consumer Reports tests 10 popular diaper brands

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Parents know diapers are necessary, but expensive. And you want to make sure the diapers you put on your baby work.

Consumer Reports recently tested 10 popular brands to find out which diapers are best at preventing leaks, blow-outs, and diaper rash.

With twins, Alex Flowers knows all too well how expensive diapers can be.

"It was a relief for us financially when our kids were able to potty train and we didn't have to buy diapers anymore," she said.

The popular brands tested by Consumer Reports range in price from 11 cents to 51 cents a piece.

Testers squirted small amounts of saline onto each diaper and looked at absorption, how quickly the diaper soaked up the liquid, and dryness, how well it held the liquid.

"We found a huge range in performance," said Angela Lashbrook from Consumer Reports.

At the top of the ratings was luxury brand Coterie, which aced both the absorption and dryness tests.

"Those are the diapers you're seeing all over Instagram. They're super trendy, they're very elegant looking," she said. "Downside is they're the most expensive we tested at 51 cents each."

Seventh Generation also scored near the top of CR's ratings, but they're pricey, too, at 35 cents a piece.

"There are more budget-friendly alternatives that scored well too."

Amazon's Mama Bear and Walmart's Parents Choice are good options for well-under 20 cents per diaper. Well-known brands like Huggies, Pampers, Luvs, and Kirkland are all recommended as well, landing in the middle of CR's ratings.

But two companies didn't fare well.

"So that was diaper spelled d-y-p-e-r, they make a kind of diaper called Simply Kind. And also the Honest Company," said Lashbrook.

Both were at the bottom of CR's ratings, doing okay in CR's dryness test, but not in the absorption test.

"That means a bigger risk of leaks - something no parent wants," said Lashbrook.

Consumer Reports says all 10 diapers passed its safety testing, which screened for heavy metals and phthalates.

Coterie says its diapers are made from cleaner ingredients and are free of more than 200 chemicals, claims that Consumer Reports did not independently verify. Seventh Generation also claims to be environmentally friendly.