Unlike other huggies vs pampers review you have read, this article will be more focused on the quality of the diapers, rather than the price of the diapers. The reason is because you want to buy something that works. Think of it this way.
If you bought crappy diapers, and your baby leaks through two to three times more, then it’s more work for you. You will use more diapers and do extra laundry which requires even more money in the long run.
Absorbency
According to babygearlab, in terms of absorbency, Pampers is one of their top three choices. By what standards did they use to test their diapers? Their method of testing of diapers isn’t based entirely on squirting water directly into a diaper. They squirt real pee, or pee like fluid intot their diapers. If you think that’s not too different from testing with plain water then you are wrong.
They “pee” on their diapers. Most disposable diapers nowadays contains a safe ingredient known as super absorbent polymer (SAP). The material SAP, normally absorb 800 times its own weight in terms of purely distilled water, according to this research.
However, since urine or pee is actually salt water, and other substances mixed in, the absorption is reduced to only 30 times it’s own weight. The reasons is because salt itself has the ability to hold water. Since the salt in the “urine solution” is gripping on to the water molecules, then the SAP won’t easily be able to absorb the urine as compared to absorbing regular water.
They roll a baby onto wet diapers. Not literally rolling a live baby onto wet diapers squirted with urine imitation. They use a heavy rock to roll on a wet diaper in all directions, then they check the rock for wetness. This is done because a baby moves around a lot, and that is bound to influence the distribution of urine in the diaper.
With this intensive testing pampers actually scored high.
However, Huggies didn’t do so well under intensive testing. According to babygearlab, huggies scored the lowest in terms of absorbency. However, better absorbency doesn’t necessarily mean it will be compatible with your baby.
Rashes
Pampers Amazon Reviews
According to Amazon reviews, only one person out of 5000 reviews complained about a diaper rash when using Pamper Swaddlers. All diapers brands have consumers complaining about diaper rashes, but to only have one complaint out of that many reviews is pretty rare. There is a reason why almost all hospitals trust Pampers.
It’s simply very safe compared to most of the competition out there. Since hospitals don’t want to be held responsible for using crappy diapers that hurts babies. They use high quality diapers like Pampers instead.
On the other hand, Huggies had a lot more complaints with rashes. Huggies diapers are thinner, and less absorbent. If a wet diaper stays in constant contact with your baby’s skin, the moisture and warmth will allow bacteria to flourish and cause redness and rashes. It might even cause a yeast infection. In order to avoid that, you will have to change your baby’s diapers more often when using Huggies.
Normally all diapers cause rashes if you leave them on your baby for too long. One of the main goals of choosing diapers is to find diapers that don’t require as much changing while keeping your baby’s skin safe.
Leakage and compatibility
Just because a diaper is more absorbent doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t leak as much. Most parents claim that what often cause leakage depends on the shape of the baby. This is one of the reasons why Pampers can’t solve the problem for everybody either.
Most parents believes that Pampers are meant for babies with big butts and thin thighs. What happens is that parents who use Pampers on their babies with small butt and thick thighs find leaks, and there are red strain marks on their babies’ thighs. This happens because the diaper wrap too tightly around their babies’ legs and result in redness.
On the other hands other parents believes that Huggies are meant for babies with small butts and thick thighs. This is the reason why when babies with thin thighs use Huggies, parents find poop leaking out the thighs. Sometimes it’s worth purchasing your diapers in small quantities to test it out first instead of buying in bulk.
Which One Is Softer?
Pampers and Huggies are both very soft diapers. Both companies have dedicated a lot of effort into making their diapers as soft as possible.
Pampers makes their diapers blanket like soft. It literally feels like cloth. That’s why their diapers also feel oxygenated without suffocating your baby’s butt.
Huggies have soft quilt on the inside. However, it’s a little unclear whether the material is breathable on the outside, because most parents claim that the outside is a little rough.
Are The Materials Safe?
Pampers and Huggies make use of superabsorbent polymer, SAP in their diapers. These are bead looking things when they absorb water. Many people are concerned that these are toxic. However, they are relatively safe. In fact, it’s also used in food according to Wikipedia.
Umbilical Cord Cut Out
The old days of folding down the flaps are gone. Both Huggies and Pampers have the umbilical cord cut included in their diapers. For Pampers, they have that available in Pampers Swaddlers, and Huggies have that for their Huggies Little Snugglers.
Varieties and Features
For Pampers: (This came directly from the Amazon site)
Pampers Swaddlers
- Soft and breathable
- Has wetness indicator that changes color
- Special absorb away liner that keeps baby’s skin dry
- Available size N – 6
Pampers Cruisers
- Unique 3 Way Fit for waist, legs, and butt for baby movement
- Flexible leg cuff to prevent leaks
- Soft stretchy sides to adapt with baby’s movements
- Prevents sags
- Available size 3-7
- Highly don’t recommend the cruisers though because they are poorly made.
Pampers Baby Dry
- Has wetness indicator that changes color (for sizes N – 2 only)
- Three layers of absorbency, which is one extra compared to normal diapers
- Soft inside and out
- Size availabe 1 – 6
Pampers Baby Dry + Extra Protection
- Same as Pampers Baby Dry with extra protection zones
- available size 3 – 6
Pampers Easy Ups Training Pants for Girls
- Easy removal like an underwear
- You can also tear it off in emergencies
- Cartoon print is dora the explorer
- Has wetness indicator (the dora character fades)
- Available size 4 – 6
Pampers Easy Ups Training Pants for Boys
- Same thing as the girl version, but the cartoon print is thomas the tank engine
Pampers UnderJams Absorbent Night Wear for Girls
- For older kids (58-85 lbs), so if you already fully potty trained your kid, this one shouldn’t be necessary
- Basically a pullup that imitates an underwear
Pampers UnderJams Absorbent Night Wear for Boys
- Same thing as the girl version
Pampers Splashers Swim Diapers for Boys and Girls
- Use for the swimming pool
- Does not swell up when swimming
Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive Diapers
- Same thing as pampers swaddlers, but meant fo children prone to get rashes
Pampers Premium Care
For Huggies:
Huggies Little Snugglers
- Has wetness indicator
- Back waistband
- Soft and breathable
- Available size P – 5
Huggies Little Snugglers Plus
- An extra absorbent layer on top of Huggies Little Snugglers
Huggies Little Movers
- Grips onto your baby while she moves
- Meant for babies that can already crawl
- Available size 3 – 6
Huggies Little Movers Plus
- An extra layer in addition to Huggies Little Movers (not available on amazon yet)
Huggies Little Movers Diaper Pants
- Potty training pants that slips on an off like an underwear
- Stretch grips like the Huggies Little Movers to allow movement while preventing leaks
- Available size 3-6
Huggies Overnites
- Available size 3 – 6
- Snug waistband keeps the diaper from moving while baby is tossing and turning
Huggies Snug and Dry
- Triple layer protection
- Quick absorbing layer to keep baby dry
- Available size 1-6
Huggies Snug and Dry Ultra
- Can only purchase at Walmart
- quilted liner locks away wetness better than Huggies Little Snugglers
Huggies Little Mover Diaper Pants Gender Specific
- Stretchy waistbands, and sides for comfort
- Slip on like training pants while absorbing like a diaper
- Available size 3 – 6
Huggies Little Swimmers Disposable Swimpants
- Use for swimming
- Prevent swelling from pool water
Huggies Pull-Ups Training Pants For Boys
- Disney graphics fade when wet
- Easy on and off for potty training
- Protections zone specifically for boys
- Available size 2T – 5T
Huggies Pull-Ups Training Pants for girls
- Disney graphics fade when wet
- Easy on and off for potty training
- Protections zone specifically for girls
- Available size 2T – 5T
Where to Get Them?
You can get them at Amazon online.
Interestingly in Australia, Huggies are the number one nappy of choice and you very rarely see Pampers in the major stores here. Yet, your review seems to put Pampers as better than Huggies! I am going to get me some Pampers! Just wondering how do they compare costwise?
Cheers, Kris
Yea actually most of my friends recommend pampers. They simply swear by them. Even most of the hospitals here wrap their newborns with it. To be honest, I say most hospitals because there might be one or two who don’t follow the trend, but you can pretty much say that everybody uses pampers here.
I love pampers for my granddaughter. She is very wiggly at five months, so I know she will be very active. I like the information here on your site.
This is an interesting topic. I like how informative your article is. I have a nephew and he is only 1 year old and I like to help her mom to choos the best diaper for him. This is the best comparison I seen. But I think it only depends on what the best for the baby. I have some questions. Whats the best between the two? How much is it? whats the best for the money?
I would say that pampers is better between the two. Depending on where you purchase it, pampers might be cheaper also. As for the price, it depends on what pack size you are purchasing. The bigger the pack, the cheaper it is. However, sometimes you don’t need too many diapers for a certain size, because babies outgrow diapers quickly. That’s one of the reasons why I didn’t discuss prices.
Excellent information my nappy changing days was in the old days where you had to fold it over.
I used to hate catching the scab, personally, my baby was much happier in pampers and to help with the cost we brought two packs every week during the pregnancy.
I guess their both just as good but try them out your baby will tell you what they like
Babies get really fussy when their diapers are wet or soiled. My baby girl is reacting the same way. However, she only cries I forgot to change her for a very long time (five hours). Sometimes I simply forget, but pampers still do a very good job. No rashes so far.
Folding the front tab over is still practiced in the hospital because they stock up on size 1 pampers. Those diapers are too big so they have no choice but to fold it.
It’s true that you have to let your baby “test the diaper out” before you can figure out what to get for them. Anyway, thank you for the read.
Your article is interesting and well researched. Twenty years ago I would only use Huggies because my children had more rashes with Pampers. It sounds like Pampers have come a long way. I would love to know what the relative cost difference is.
To be honest with you, pampers and huggies are almost the same price. Maybe just a few dollar off for each large boxes. I am not sure how pampers were twenty years ago, but their swaddlers is good now. Check it out again.
I thought this was a very interesting article comparing what are arguably the two most popular brands of diapers. I’m sure this will resonate with many many people out there who are at a bit of a loss when it comes to many of the details surrounding new parenthood.
I’ve visited your site before and I must say that it is extremely apparent that you truly care about helping others. That is a great quality to have and I know that it will benefit you well in the future!
Wishing you all the best!
Thank you man. I do try to help people have less of a hard time by showing them what they really need to know. Glad you appreciate it.
Wow, I’ve never seen such a detailed review of diapers! I’ve got a baby boy on the way and I’m trying to decide which to go with; Pampers or Huggies. After reading your review, I’m starting to lean towards Pampers though. Does one of these brands seem to do better with male babies? Or do they both equally absorb in the areas they need to absorb for baby boys? thanks!
There’s a rumor on the internet that Huggies work for boys and pampers work for girls. I have no idea why. I only have a girl so far and pampers work great. So at least I can confirm half of the theory.
When I first started reading your article, I though really, one diaper verses another diaper? But going through this read I can honestly say I get it. So yes you have to look a different factors and your likes and dislikes, but mostly you have to take into consideration the comfort and happiness of your baby. I have to say that I did learn a few things from this, especially the issue of rolling a rock around on a wet diaper.
Anyways, this site is very informative, and although I do not have little ones I will certainly pass this information along to moms that do have babies.
Thanks,
Angela
Thank you. Yea, the rolling rock is the intensive diaper testing. It goes to show how powerful pampers actually are.
I appreciated the post as my only child is about to have a baby in November…my first grand baby! The topic of Huggies versus Pampers has come up a few times in our house and this post really helps to focus on what brand to buy. Thanks for the information!
Congratulations on your grand baby. Glad this article helped you.
I have found that, with my kids, I prefer pampers until they are walking, and then I prefer Huggies little movers. The reason is that the Huggies have 2 extra pieces of Velcro on the outer edges of the diaper. With both of my kids, the diaper tended to work inward at the edges, to the point that it could fall off and would leak… All. The. Time. Generally, I do think that pampers are superior, but that little feature has converted me to Huggies once they are walking!
I always thought the idea of velcro was ingenius because when you are rubbing waterproof lubricant on your baby’s butt, your “greasy hands” will prevent you from using the stickies on the diapers. Velcros prevents that problem.
Hi
Had to laugh at your (unintentional?) pun at the start of your review “If you bought crappy diapers”.
Thanks for the very informative review.
Hi
Had a chuckle at your (unintentional?) pun at the start of your review. If you bought crappy diapers. Lots of very interesting info about how they test rate these diapers to compare them. I also wasn’t aware of just how many options there were to choose from throughout the age groups. Thanks for the very informative review.
Baby gear lab does a lot of powerful testing. A lot of parents on youtube will literally just pour regular water into diapers to test their absorbency. That’s not good enough. You have to roll a rock over it to imitate a real baby. Glad you enjoyed the read.
Great article! I can see your knowledge about both products, I know that this review is making so happy many parents around the world because you know, this is an information that we can’t find in a easy way on internet or in the newspaper and we need someone to say us, that’s you here.
Great quality content, thanks for share this information.
I try to do thorough research so people don’t have to tear their hair and search everywhere for information. Thank for the appreciation.
This is one thorough review of Huggies and Pampers. Judging from this review, they both have their pros and cons, but both have overall quality. I suppose it all boils down to a question of preference or choice. The other option is, why not buy both? Great job on the review
You can definitely buy both but the problem is that babies grow. If you buy too much, then your baby might outgrow the size you bought and you officially wasted your money. However, I am not saying that you can’t make use of leftover diapers. Check it out here on what to do with leftover diapers in that case.
The way you described the process of evaluation on absorbency was fascinating. It was much more informative than using statistics that only compare the cost. While overall, it looks like Pampers is better, I did like you cautioned to try them in small quantities since baby size may have an impact on fit. My question is how to pick one style? There are so many and it can be overwhelming. Do you suggest using different styles for different situations?
Don’t be confused by the pampers “styles”. It’s all for different purposes. The golden rule is to use pampers swaddlers all the way. They have different sizes and it has a wetness indicator. I think it’s perfect. The others like pampers baby dry, and pampers baby dry max aren’t that different. They claim to be extra absorbent, but I have read horrible reviews about them. Stick to swaddlers as a general rule. The only exception would the little swimmers. They are meant for you to use in the swimming pool so you get no leaks and no “swollen” diapers. Check it out and enjoy.
I think this is a very good article sharing information about the pampers and removing confusions among the parents. you explained really well about pampers which is of good use for most of them who want to buy pampers but are confused..
Keep up the good job and review more products like this.
Thank you for the appreciation. I will do my best.
I personally like Huggies better because they just fit better. Even when my boys have blowouts and big bladders, things are just held in more consistently. The little snugglers are the only diapers that I like to put on my newborns because when they’re just so tiny, have a snug but comfy fit is so important. If the diaper is too big pee can just leak everywhere. How does the cost compare between these two brands? I usually buy Huggies or the Kirkland brand of diapers at Costco because Huggies makes the Kirkland brand. Getting them wholesale is great too. Do you have a review here on cloth diapers? Thanks.
Sorry I focus on disposable diapers. You aren’t the first person to ask me that. I might consider it, but that would mean doubling the work for my wife so let me think about it. By the way I am glad the the little snugglers worked for you. It all depends on the shape of your baby.
I love Huggies, compared to Pampers. Pampers are very confusing as a brand. Huggies is a strong brand and I have not seen. When I buy nappies, and they say Huggies, I know the quality to expect. But with Pampers it depends on the shop, I am buying the nappies. Pampers has a lot of counterfeits, and I just don’t know if they are really branded by Pampers.
Huggies win for me every time
Getting real pampers isn’t difficult. Just purchase it directly off of amazon. Don’t buy from any regular seller because they might really trick you.
WOW. What a detailed review of both Pampers and Huggies. Plus you gave me a little lesson on “urine/pee” that I didn’t know.
I have to say that I swear by the Pampers Swaddlers as I have two grand babies (2 yr. old and a 1 year old.) who are both using the swaddlers. We tried another brand for the 2 year old and she had a rash within one diaper change.
We have the Pampers on autoship every month so we never run out. Hopefully we will be down to 1 in diapers here shortly. 🙂
Thanks again for such an in depth review of these two big named brands.
Be Blessed,
Audrey
You two grand babies? Congratulations. Yea I guess you changed brands because pampers is slightly more expensive, but they are really good quality that’s why. You are probably doing a subscribe and save with amazon family. I know a lot of people that loves it because the service delivers diapers consistently every month and you get an awesome discount.
Great review! I wish I’d read this when my son was born! He was tiny and we found neither Pampers or Huggies were any good for him. He got instant nappy rash with Pampers and leaked in Huggies.
That said I know a lot of people who swear by both brands. It’s really interesting what you have to say about the shape of the baby and rings true for me. We ended up using a supermarket brand but did try Huggies Little Swimmers for my son and they’re spot on….no complaints there!
You got rashes with pampers. That also depends on the type of pampers you used. Pampers dry max had this problem before. Pampers swaddlers didn’t have too many people complaining about it. My baby now is using pampers swaddlers and I haven’t seen a rash yet. Nevertheless it could’ve been something else like not changing your baby’s diaper in time.
so from the sound of it sounds like Pampers is the winner! We used those for our boys and then switched over to luv’s but I always thought pampers were much better quality.
Very in depth review it seems like you have thought of everything.
I even learned about SAP. cool!
You like luvs for a good reason. Luvs is made by the same company as pampers. It’s P & G company which is short for Proctor and Gamble. Luvs is the cheaper version and slightly lower quality of pampers if you want to think of it that way.
Wow, what a great comparison of Huggies and Pampers. You did a wonderful job and showing the advantages and disadvantages of both. I did not know that they sold diapers now with an umbilical cord cut out. Fixing to be a grandma, I know that I need to get back into it with what is best for babies. This was a great read!
Yea, everybody is copying the umbilical cut. It is very convenient so you don’t feel like you are wasting your money. Huggies have it also now. For pampers it’s the swaddlers that has it, and huggies it’s little snugglers that has it.
A choice of the right diaper for your baby is so important and your article has been very informative about the pros and cons of two of the leading diaper brands. It was a bit gross to find out that material in diapers are found in food we consume. How is that not dangerous?
The SAP found in diapers is not gross. It is that little packet you receive along with preserved food. It is in those packets that usually saids, “do not eat”. Even if you happen to eat it by accident, you just have to drink a lot of water to flush it out, because it sucks on your fluids on the inside. I am not saying you should eat it, but it’s not that bad.
interesting article comparing huggies to pampers, your article does seem to lean towards pampers as the better diaper.
I am not a expert on either of these products, when my sons were babies we used the old fashion clothe diapers on them which seemed to do the job okay.
I am sure these are the two most popular brands on the market today, I think people would have to try both and see which one their baby prefers the best since the baby is the one using this product.
While my kids were growing up, a long time ago, I alway wondered about that issue.
After all, which one was better? Pampers or Huggies?
I used to swing more to the Pampers side, but without any reasonable explanation. It was just that.
Your article is very thorough and makes it much more easy to choose.
Thanks!
I love how informative your page is. I have 4 kids 4 years and younger and I have used a lot of different brands of diapers. After reading through your very thorough comparison of the 2 best known brands of diapers I can see now why I am having some difficulty with leakage and rashes with the brand I am using now. I am buying the other brand next time I go to the store! Thanks so much!
I’m already cleaning up after my puppy dog so I want to minimize cleaning up after my new born. I can’t believe I’m reading all these baby products but I guess i’m entering that phase of life soon. I think you’ve made it clear that pampers out performs Huggies particular with the argument about rashes. I would rather clean up more often than see my kid with a rash.
Thanks for this detail review.
When it came to diapers Huggies was a no brainer for me. The product is by far the best baby diaper on the market, I always chose Huggies over Pampers and if I had it to do all over again the choice will still be Huggies. Even their baby wipes is superior to all other baby wipes on the market.
Great, extensive review of the 2 brands! As a mom of 2 toddlers, I have never preferred either brand. Huggies always leaked (both pee and poo) and Pampers always gave my kids a rash. I have always purchased the store’s brand, mainly Wal-Mart’s Parent’s Choice. The price difference and savings is phenomenal and I have never had an issue with leaking or rashes. They hold liquid better than any I have tried and are unbeatable in price at all age sizes! Parent’s Choice wipes are also a great deal. 800 ct wipes for $13. That’s a deal no name brand can even touch!!
As a parent I want to know what is best for my daughter. And so what is of best value. I don’t want to be buying rubbish. I have chosen Huggies as they are very absorbent. In the past I have bought cheap ones and my daughter as woken up overnight because she is wet. Huggies are therefore my choice.
Pampers are pretty good too. They are also used by most hospitals. Give that a try too.
I’m an avid fan of Pampers, here in the U.K. Huggies are no longer on general sale in fact although I’m not sure of the reasons why – do you know?
On the other hand, ive never seen Pampers swim nappies, but Huggies little swimmers ARE on general sale. Strange!
We never had any rashes with any Pampers nappies so far, the only problem we had is that the Newborn Sensitive nappies would stick to my son’s bum every time, something to do with the extra mesh layer on them. Baby dry have always been perfect for his big butt and skinny thighs 😉
Oddly enough, for both of my kids, we started out with the Huggies Little Snugglers when they were newborns, but then switched to Pampers Swaddlers once they went into size 1. Both brands were good, but for our kids, there were way less blow-outs in the Pampers brand!
Very thorough review!
We started using Huggies with our NB but after a handful of leaks, decided to try Pampers for our next purchase. We haven’t had a leak since, and will continue to use Pampers into the next sizes unless we get a different result. Price different is not worth doing the extra laundry when you don’t have time to sleep 🙂
When it comes to choosing diaper brands, Huggies vs Pampers remain as the premium names. But which one would work best for your babies? Now, it is the time for a Pampers Vs Huggies battle. Healthy competition between Huggies and Pampers are in existence since the launching of these two premium brands. Huggies is a creation of Kimberly and Clark while Pamper is produced by Proctor and Gamble.
In terms of being “healthy” maybe neither would be your best bet if other diaper brands like bambo nature got involved.
However, personally I feel that if your child doesn’t develop allergic reactions or diaper rashes or any other adverse effects then that should be pretty good already.