Choosing Best Diapers for Babies – All you need to Know!
Diaper plays an important role in the life of children as well as parents. From the time we hold our newborn to around 2-3 years of his/her age, diapers play a vital role. As you are aware, it is extremely important to choose the best diapers for our baby to keep him away from additional problems like diaper rash, allergy, etc. Nowadays, diapers are not limited to children only, Adult diapers too are in huge demand. Adult diapers are quite popular among old age people and even among patients in hospitals. Diaperware.com will guide you to choose the best diaper as per your requirements. We provide you best deals on diapers.
Honestly speaking, we spend a huge amount on diapers, till our child completes potty training. It is almost not possible to look after your child without providing them with good quality, comfortable diapers. Choose quality diapers for children is extremely important because failing to do so may lead to skin problems in the diaper area of your baby. As you are aware, baby skin is extremely soft and any hard material may lead to rash and additional problems.
Here are the top problems faced due to the usage of low-quality diapers:
Allergic Reactions: Low-priced diapers are usually of low quality. In order to cut costs, some manufacturers use 3rd-grade fibers, dyes, and other chemicals. These can damage the skin of your child and may lead to allergic reactions.
Diaper Rash: Diaper rash is redness that appears in the diaper area of a child’s body. This problem is very common and almost all pediatricians advise diaper rash creams that take care of this problem. Choosing a good diaper significantly decreases the chances of diaper rash appearance.
Types of Diapers available
There are various types of diapers available on market. Let’s find out
Disposable Diapers:
These are the most popular ones. As the name suggests, these are “use and throw” types. After a certain amount of time, you need to dispose of these types of diapers. Although these are convenient, they are usually costly. It is estimated that parents spend around $2500 on diapers till the child learns potty training.
A disposable diaper is made up of an absorbent pad sandwiched between two non-woven fabric sheets. Typically, the pad is composed of chemical crystals which are capable of absorbing up to a few hundred times their weight in liquid and retaining it in gel form. This assists in preventing liquid from coming into contact with your baby’s skin. This means that you can leave a baby in a disposable diaper longer than you can in a cloth diaper without causing discomfort. The majority of disposable diapers are capable of absorbing significantly more liquid than a child is likely to produce in a single-use. Naturally, you’ll notice differences in fit, absorbency, and leakage control between brands. The primary advancement in disposables over the last few years has been their thickness, which is supposed to result in less waste for landfills.
These diapers come in various sizes according to baby weights. Usually, manufacturers label them as XS (extra small), S (Small), L (Large), XL (Extra Large), XXL (Extra Extra Large). More details regarding choosing the correct size are explained later on.
Benefits of Disposable diapers:
Convenient:
They make life easier. Disposable diapers are more convenient to use than cloth diapers. Apart from being widely available in a variety of specialty stores, they are also available for purchase online. Another advantage is that you can simply discard them in the trash after removing them, as opposed to cloth diapers, which must be soaked and washed.
Quick Changing:
Disposable diapers are easy to change. It takes less than a minute to change a used diaper, so it is very convenient.
Huge Variety to Choose from :
Disposable diapers are available in various variations. You can choose from normal to premium.
Disadvantages of Disposable Diapers
Pretty Expensive :
Disposable diapers turn out to be costly in the longer run. On average, a family spends around $2500 till the baby is potty trained.
Skin Rash & Allergies :
As mentioned in the beginning, some low-quality diapers can cause skin rash and allergies.
Cloth Diapers for Babies
Cloth-based diapers are reusable diapers that are made of soft cloth. The materials used are usually cotton fleece, flannel, terry, wool, etc. Nowadays organic diapers made from bamboo are quite popular. However, they are quite costly as compared to normal cloth diapers.
You can use diaper inserts with your cloth diapers to maintain hygiene. These diaper inserts too are available in various varieties. Some are washable (reusable) while others are for one-time use only. From an economic point of view, cloth diapers are very reasonable. There are various types of cloth diapers available like all in one diaper, contour diaper, folded & unfolded diaper.
Benefits of Cloth Diapers
Baby Skin Friendly :
The primary advantage of cloth diapers is their skin-friendly material. Dioxins, sodium polyacrylates, chlorine, dyes, and fragrances are all found in disposable diapers. While there are no current medical studies demonstrating that disposable diapers cause health problems. Even so, one cannot rule out the possibility. Numerous chemical substances have been discovered in disposable diapers at levels well above the recommended safe levels.
Cloth diapering reduces exposure to these chemicals and promotes airflow. Cloth diapers are made entirely of a soft cloth material that comes into contact with your baby’s skin. This also improves the comfort of cloth diapers for the baby.
Cost Efficient :
Cloth diapers are clearly more cost-efficient than disposable diapers. As cloth diapers are reusable, they turn out to be less expensive. Currently, there are various diaper inserts available that increase the life of cloth diapers.
Leakproof :
One of the primary advantages of modern cloth diapers that contributes to their ease of use is their high absorbency and leak resistance. Once you’ve mastered the art of properly fitting a modern diaper, the likelihood of leakage is slim. Closures in the style of Velcro and snap buttons make it simple to fit a cloth diaper perfectly on a baby’s bum.
Help in potty training :
Child becomes more aware of wetness in cloth diapers. So, potty training becomes easy.
Various designs to choose from :
As you know children love different colors & designs. Cloth diapers come in various colors and designs which soothe the eyes of children.
Pull-Ups :
Pull-Ups Training Pants are disposable training pants that look and fit more like regular underwear while accommodating your child’s potty training learning style. Pull-Ups training pants are designed to help children learn to use the restroom independently by allowing them to slide their pants on and off. Some premium pull-ups come with a “wetness liner”. This”wetness liner” makes the child feel cool after he/she urinates. This helps them to understand that it’s time to head to the toilet now.
Top Diaper Brands Worldwide
Let’s now find out which are the top diaper brands across the globe.
- Pampers
- Huggies
- Up & Up
- Luvs
- Mama Bear
- All Gud
- Hello Bello
Other brands are Himalaya, Mamy Poko pants, etc.
Every brand offers various types of diapers (quality-wise) in all segments. For example, Pampers offers at least 3 variants for every size. This variation is due to diaper quality. The price of diapers changes accordingly. For example, these are the variations on pampers diapers :
- Pampers Active Baby
- Pampers Premium Care
- Pampers Baby Dry
Understanding Diaper Sizes
Commonly two types of measurements are popular worldwide.
Type 1: Commonly popular is US, UK & few other countries
| Diaper Size | Baby Weight (in pounds) |
| Size N Diapers | <10 |
| Size 1 Diapers | 8-14 |
| Size 2 Diapers | 12-18 |
| Size 3 Diapers | 16-28 |
| Size 4 Diapers | 22-37 |
| Size 5 Diapers | >27 |
| Size 6 Diapers | >35 |
Type 2: Commonly popular in Asian countries
| Diaper Size | Baby Weight (in Kgs) |
| XS (Extra Small) Diaper | Up to 5 kgs |
| S (Small) Diaper | 4-8 Kgs |
| L (Large) Diaper | 9-14 Kgs |
| XL (Extra Large) Diaper | 12-17 Kgs |
| XXL (Extra Extra Large) Diaper | 15-25 Kgs |
Diaper Buying Guide 2021: Which Diapers to Choose
The existence of a large number of diaper brands and varieties can be overwhelming. As a parent, you must know which type of diaper is best for your baby and shop accordingly. Here are few things that you must note down while looking for diapers:
- Do not compromise with diaper quality for newborns at any cost : New borns have most sensitive skin. A wrong diaper may cause damage to skin and may lead to skin allergies, rash etc.
- After 5 months, you can select normal diapers of top brands : As mentioned earlier, every brand offers various types of diapers in every segment. After first 5 months, you may offer normal diapers of the best brands to your child.
- Do not go for cheap diapers, they are usually made from 3rd-grade materials which are supposed to harm your baby’s skill
- Expensive diapers are not always the best. Do check the materials being used.
- Look for diapers with good soaking capacity
- Always choose soft diapers
Common Mistakes parents do
In order to save few bucks, parents usually buy monthly or mega diaper packs. This is usually not a good decision as the child grows fastly and very soon the diaper size may change
Keep checking the baby’s diaper every now and then. It is a good habit to check the diaper for possible leakage. If you leave the diaper on for various hours, this enhances the chances of infection and rashes
Always dispose of diapers properly: Used diapers if not disposed of properly can be touched by your child which can cause harm.
Getting rid of diapers with time
Without any doubt, diapers are extremely important. However, as your baby grows you should try to reduce the number of diapers being used. No matter how much premium diaper your child is using, it is still a little uncomfortable for the child to wear it all day. Try to keep your baby diaper-free for few hours. In summers, you should try to keep your baby as much diaper-free as possible. Try to potty train your child step by step after 10 months. As a parent, your goal should be to potty train your child before 2 years.