Remember last week I told you I'd be taking the Luvs challenge? I'm a loyal Pampers user but, inspired by the Luvs Take a Stand campaign, I decided to switch things up a bit and try out the Big Three brands: Pampers, Huggies and Luvs. I wanted to review and compare these brands to make a truly informed decision about my son's diapers, and I'm back to share my experience with you!
The three diapers I reviewed were Pampers Cruisers, Huggies Snug 'N Dry, and Luvs. All diapers were size 4, as Nate is roughly 23 lbs. There were 6 factors I considered in conducting my reviews: color/design, softness, flexibility, absorbency, fit and price.
Pampers
We have been using Pampers since the day Nate was born. In the hospital, they gave us samples of Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive and we were pleased with them, so we continued using the Swaddlers when we returned home. Swaddlers is only available through size 2, so we switched to the Cruisers line when we moved on to size 3.
Color/Design: Pampers Cruisers have a variety of Sesame Street characters displayed prominently on the front and back, and are accented with a light purple and green trim. I prefer the yellow trim of the Swaddlers but it's superficial and hardly worth mentioning.
Softness: One of the features I love most about Pampers Cruisers is the soft exterior. It's almost cloth-like in feel, which appeals to me since I originally wanted to go the cloth route (hubby and caretakers resisted).
Flexibility: The tabs are flexible for a comfortable fit around the waist, but of the three brands, I found them to have the least amount of give.
Absorbency: The second feature I love most about Cruisers is the absorbent inner liner. Each diaper has a mesh liner inside to wick moisture away from baby's bottom. This was especially important in the early days of runny breastmilk poo. Nate has never once gotten diaper rash and I think a lot of that has to do with this liner. The only issue I've noticed is that if Nate has a particularly heavy, wet night, it can seep through and become damp on the outside of the diaper.
Fit: Pampers Cruisers have a very nice, clean fit. There is very little bulk or sag to them. They can withstand hours of crawling, running and climbing and still stay in place. There is a tiny gap when Nate bends over but we haven't had a leak or blowout at all in these diapers.
Price: At our local grocery store, we pay $19.99 for 64 diapers, which equates to 31 cents per diaper.
Huggies
My sister-in-law swears by Huggies Snug 'N Dry for her 11-month old son. I had never given them a try so she generously gave me some from her stash to try out.
Color/Design: The Snug 'N Dry have Mickey Mouse characters displayed on the front and back, with multicolor pastel blocks and blue and green trim. The overall look of the diaper is more subdued than the bold colors of Cruisers.
Softness: The Snug 'N Dry were soft to the touch but I thought the Pampers were a bit softer.
Flexibility: Huggies Snug 'N Dry have a unique, smocked extender in the waist in addition to adjustable tabs. This allowed for more flexibility around the waist than the Pampers.
Absorbency: The inside lining of the Huggies is soft and cushioned, although there is no mesh. I found its absorbency to be similar to Pampers - no leaks whatsoever.
Fit: I was bummed with the fit of this diaper. The Snug 'N Dry did not fit Nate well at all. It was boxy and bulky on his slim body. The ruffles stuck way out of his onesies and was unattractive overall. I think the fit may be better for chubbier babies but for my little string bean, it just didn't work as well as Pampers. Perhaps the Huggies Little Movers or eco-friendly Pure & Natural lines would be better alternatives.
Luvs
Like many first-time moms, I thought I had to spend more money to get higher quality and performance. I thought that spending less money on diapers would mean more accidents and more laundry. But I didn't know anyone using them so upon hearing about the Take a Stand initiative, I decided it was no better time to take the plunge. With their money-back guarantee, I had nothing to lose!
Color/Design: Luvs diapers have a simple Blues Clues character strip on the front but are white elsewhere. I personally like a cleaner, more plain diaper rather than one that looks as if Noggin spewed all over it.
Softness: Luvs was soft, but I found it to be the least soft of the three diapers we tried. It had an ever-so-slight plasticy feel to it. It was also the most thin diaper of the three. The powder scent was a bit more potent than the other brands, but still delightfully fresh.
Flexibility: The tabs on the Luvs were extremeley flexible. I could almost stretch them entirely around Nate's waist (but I didn't!).
Absorbency: Luvs has an absorbent blue strip in the interior of the diaper, as well as around the legs for extra protection. There was no mesh like with Pampers but it seemed well-cushioned inside. We had no leaks at all using this diaper day and night. Even after a particularly wet night, we experienced no leaks and no moisure on the outside. It was totally contained. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised that such a thin diaper could hold as much as it did!
Fit: The fit of Luvs mimicked Pampers. It was slim, with no bulk and very little gap in the back. But bonus - there were no purple ruffles peeking out of the bottom of his onesies!
Bottom Line: You heard it here first, folks. I am officially a Luvs convert! Sure, Pampers Cruisers are softer, but considering its minimalist design, slim fit, awesome absorbency and unbeatable price, it would be silly to choose anything else but Luvs. For the newborn blowout days, I still think I prefer the Pampers Swaddlers with the mesh liner but once baby starts solids, I think switching to Luvs is the most cost-effective choice.
I guess it's true what they say: you live, learn, then get Luvs.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review are purely mine. Your experience and thoughts may differ. I was not paid or seduced in any way to provide a positive review for any of the brands mentioned.
1 comments:
Luvs are my favorites too! Then Pampers.
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