It’s the debate heard `round the world—and no, we’re not talking about the presidential debate of 2020. We’re talking about the debate of which diaper brand is the best. And while there are a lot of contenders in this battle, let’s talk about two of the leading brands on the market: Huggies vs. Pampers with an honorable mention for Kudos, our favorite eco-friendly diaper.
When you become a mom, you’re not only looking for products that work for your baby, but products that work for you as well. Some moms use Pampers diapers and swear by them. Others are Huggies Little Movers fans for life. We gathered thoughts from two moms—one is a Huggies lover, while the other swears by Pampers. We also got some thoughts from a mom who tried Kudos, a new brand in the diaper game. Here’s what they had to say about each brand of diaper.
How They Stack Up
Brand
Huggies
Pampers
Kudos
Sizes
• Preemies through size 6
• Sizing tabs available to let you know when to size up
• Preemies through to size 7
• Sizing tabs available to let you know when to size up
• 1-2 (newborns - 6 months)
• 3 (6-18 months)
• 4-6 (18-36+ months)
Features
• Wetness indicator
• Tabs
• Stretch material
• Dry Touch liner
• Pocketed waist back
• paraben-free
• Wetness indicators
• Tabs
• Stretch material
• 0% chlorine bleaching
• 0% latex parabens
• Wetness indicators
• Tabs and Stretch Material
• DoubleDry technology
• 100% cotton
• No chlorine, lotions, fragrances, parabens or phthalates
Fit
Snug, stays on when baby moves
Snug, stays on when baby moves
Snug, stays on when baby moves
Availability
Costco, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Shoppers Drug Mart
Amazon, Target, Walmart, Buy Buy Baby,
Bed Bath & Beyond, Rite Aid, CVS,
Walgreens, Shoppers Drug Mart
Available at mykudos.com and specialty baby stores
Products
• Little Snugglers (newborns)
• Little Movers (older infants/toddlers)
• Snug & Dry (leak lock)
• Overnites (overnight diapers)
• Pull Ups (training pants)
• Goodnites (bedwetting)
• Swaddlers, Baby Dry (newborns)
• Cruisers, Baby Dry (older infants/toddlers)
• Easy Up (training pants)
• Underjams (bedwetting)
• Based on size, choose from different prints designed to follow your baby’s cognitive development
Company Details
• 1st appearance in 1978
• owned by Kimberly-Clark
• 1st appearance in 1961
• owned by Procter & Gamble
• Started by MIT engineers and moms to ensure that all babies get the best for their bums
The Good
• Huggies Rewards program: earn points
for gift cards, Huggies products, toys from Melissa & Doug
• No Baby Unhugged program: provide diapers
and wipes to families in need
• Pampers Rewards program: earn points purchasing Pampers
branded products and redeem for toys, products
and experiences on their app
• Pampers UNICEF partnership: providing
Tetanus shots to newborns in developing countries
• Plastic-free
• No parabens, latex or fragrances
• Committed to the environment and reducing the amount of waste caused by diapers
• Green packaging
Experience Using the Products: Keeping Baby Dry
Huggies Mom: The Huggies Plus gave our Mom tester the best bang for her buck. She loved them for her baby and was in awe of their leak protection.
Pampers Mom: However, our Pampers-loving mom found that while there isn’t a big difference between the two brands for wet diapers, there is a big difference for dirty diapers. Having tried both brands of diapers, she found that consistently, her babies seemed to have dirty diaper blowouts much more frequently with Huggies. Especially if your baby is of the chubbier variety, Huggies just didn’t seem to cut it and led to a lot of up-the-back poop explosions.
Best Fit: Huggies Plus
Huggies Mom: While Pampers are less bulky in between the legs, Huggies Plus has a snugger fit against the back. Mom liked the fact that “explosions” were contained in the diaper and did not get on her baby or their clothes. The protective barrier minimized the amount of outfit changes she had to perform throughout the day. Of course, she still had to change her baby’s diaper but she didn’t have to change their clothes.
An added bonus of Huggies Plus is that the newborn size comes with a cut out for the umbilical cord to prevent rubbing and discomfort. If newborns could talk, we’re sure they’d complain about their soon-to-be belly buttons rubbing against their diapers. On the other hand, she felt that that Pampers where so loose around her kid’s backside that if they were sitting up straight, she was able to see straight down the diaper to her baby’s bum.
Pampers Mom: Our Pampers mom definitely had the opposite experience—the fit of the Huggies diapers was not conducive to holding in dirty diapers at all. But, again, it may depend on the shape of your own baby’s bottom, so don’t be afraid to try both brands and see which works better for your little one.
Safest Materials: Kudos
If you’re looking for the safest material possible (for baby and the planet!) in a disposable diaper, you should definitely consider Kudos diapers. These diapers are breathable, hypoallergenic, and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified to be free of the top 100 most harmful chemicals – the gold standard when it comes to safety. They’re also made with 4x more plant-based components and are the only diapers with DoubleDry technology, featuring two absorption layers instead of one. Besides the added leak protection and wetness indicator, the main selling point of Kudos is that only 100% doctor-recommended cotton touches your baby’s skin. In fact, it was this combination of their 100% cotton liner and patent-pending DoubleDry tech that earned the Kudos team of former MIT and P&G engineers the industry’s top innovation award – Kudos is the first ever diaper company to receive the award. We definitely recommend Kudos for the safest diapers on the market. If you’re a parent concerned about the ingredients in your baby’s diaper, both Huggies and Pampers don’t stack up to Kudos diapers.
Most Comfortable: Pampers
Huggies Mom: Huggies Plus has the better fit, but Mom found her baby was more comfortable in Pampers. Sure, her baby couldn’t express their comfort with words, but the diaper was less bulky and allowed for more movement. The technology behind their super absorbent four layers of protection allowed the diaper to be super thin, while as they claim, to “absorb 3x more than the leading brand.” Also, for tots with sensitive skin Pampers does not use chlorine bleaching or latex when crafting their diapers.
Pampers Mom: No real complaints here—even our Pampers-preferred mom found that both brands of diapers are equally as comfortable for baby bums. One note, however: Pampers does seem to offer more slightly slim profile diapers, if that’s something important to you.
Best Range of Sizes: Pampers
When it comes to expanded size, Pampers definitely wins this category. Huggies only offers diapers up to size 6, while Pampers goes up to size 7. This may not be a deal-breaker for some families, but if you have a baby on the higher end of the growth chart, you may really need those larger-sized diapers.
Features
Many of the features of the two diaper brands are similar, but here’s how they break down:
Huggies:
• Wetness indicator
• Tabs
• Stretch material
• Dry Touch liner
• Pocketed waist back
• Paraben-free
Pampers:
• Wetness indicators
• Tabs
• Stretch material
• 0% chlorine bleaching
• 0% latex parabens
Availability
Both Huggies and Pampers are widely available at all common stores, as well as Amazon, but there is one notable exception to be aware of: Costco does not carry Pampers, so if you’re hoping to grab your Pampers diaper with your weekly grocery haul, you’ll have to shop elsewhere.
Huggies can be found at:
Costco, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Shoppers Drug Mart
Pampers can be found at:
Amazon, Target, Walmart, Buy Buy Baby, Bed Bath & Beyond, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Shoppers Drug Mart
Products
Wondering what products are available with each diaper type? Here’s a breakdown.
Huggies:
• Little Snugglers (newborns)
• Little Movers (older infants/toddlers)
• Snug & Dry (leak lock)
• Overnites (overnight diapers)
• Pull Ups (training pants)
• Goodnites (bedwetting)
Pampers:
• Swaddlers, Baby Dry (newborns)
• Cruisers, Baby Dry (older infants/toddlers)
• Easy Up (training pants)
• Underjams (bedwetting)
Reward Programs
When you’re buying as many diapers as you need to get through the baby and toddler years, you’re going to need a lot of diapers. So although it might seem like a simple thing, a good rewards program can really add up. Here’s how the rewards programs through Huggies and Pampers compare:
Huggies Rewards program:
• You can earn points for gift cards, Huggies products, or toys from Melissa & Doug
• No Baby Unhugged program: provide diapers and wipes to families in need
Pampers Rewards program:
• You can earn points purchasing Pampers-branded products and redeem for toys, products and experiences on their app
• Pampers UNICEF partnership: provides Tetanus shots to newborns in developing countries
Longevity: Huggies Overnites
Huggies Mom: Our Mom found Huggies held up best overnight. With her son, she noticed that when he peed in his sleep, the Pampers would fill up quickly and become so packed and heavy that the diaper would curl, making for a very wet and uncomfortable baby. With their higher waist, the Huggies diaper was able to prevent leakage and keep her child drier than with the Pampers brand.
Pampers Mom: Our Pampers mom had the opposite experience—Pampers always kept her babies’ dry, even overnight. The one exception she would note is that Pampers Swaddlers definitely do not hold up as well as overnight, but that’s because they are meant for the newborn stage, when your baby isn’t sleeping through the night yet.
Huggies vs. Pampers (With An Honorable Mention): Mom’s Final Verdict
For the parent of the child who is always on the go, and is looking for the fit that allows their baby to move freely and avoid diaper rash, Huggies diapers may be the way to go.
For the parent of the child with sensitive skin or an allergy to latex, you might want to consider Pampers diapers. And if you have a chubby baby, Pampers tends to offer superior coverage for preventing blowouts as well as expanded sizing in some of their diaper lines. And if you’re curious, according to data from Statista, more mom chose Pampers over Huggies to stock their diaper bags with, although Huggies is a close runner-up.
Although we are huge fans of Huggies and Pampers, if you’re looking for a safe, sustainable brand of diapers, we recommend Kudos. These diapers are made from 100% cotton sourced from farmers in the United States.
Mom Pro Diapering Tips:
- If the newborn size of either brand is too big for your baby, place the tabs in a V formation rather than straight across for a perfect fit.
- Size up when your child is two pounds shy of the recommended weight indicator.
- If you notice your baby is having a lot of diaper blow-outs, it’s probably time to move up the next size, or try a different brand.
- Your baby may need a different brand as they grow and their shape changes, so don’t be afraid to switch brands if you find one diaper isn’t working for you. Pampers may work best in the newborn stage, while you find Huggies is a better fit once they’re on the move and crawling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I change my newborn’s diaper?
Poopy diapers should be changed the moment that special smell tickles your nostrils. Leaving your baby in a dirty diaper for extended periods of times puts them at risk for a diaper rash.
Which diaper brand is best for newborns?
It comes down to personal preference. We suggest testing out Huggies and Pampers and seeing which one works best for your baby. However, if your baby has sensitive skin, Pampers is probably a better choice.
