If your kids are in diapers, listen up! This story will help you save time and money -- and keep your babies dry.
As parents know, you use a lot -- I mean a lot -- of diapers. They are necessary and expensive, so you want to make sure the ones you are buying actually work.
Diapers put to the test
Consumer Reports just tested 10 popular brands to find out which diapers are the most absorbent and which ones keep your baby feeling dry.
The testing mimics what babies do a lot of … pee. Testers looked at how fast a diaper absorbs saline and how well it holds it in -- helping keep your baby dry. The diapers Consumer Reports tested were sold as size 1.
Test results
At the top of the ratings is the luxury brand Coterie, which aced both the absorption and dryness tests. The brand boasts that its diapers are made from cleaner ingredients and are free of more than 200 chemicals, claims that Consumer Reports did not independently verify.
“Downside is they’re the most expensive we tested at 51 cents each,” said Angela Lashbrook with Consumer Reports.
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Seventh Generation, another diaper that claims to be environmentally friendly, also scored near the top of Consumer Reports’ ratings. But they’re also pricey, at 35 cents each, which can add up fast.
The good news is you don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot.
“There are more budget-friendly alternatives that scored well too,” said Lashbrook.
Good options for under 20 cents a diaper:
Recommended well-known brands that landed in the middle of Consumer Reports’ ratings:
Two diaper brands at the bottom are Dyper Simply Kind Diapers and The Honest Company Clean Conscious Diapers. Consumer Reports says although they did OK in its dryness test, that’s not the case for the absorption test.
“That means a bigger risk of leaks -- something no parent wants,” Lashbrook said.
Consumer Reports says all 10 diapers passed its safety testing which screened for heavy metals and phthalates.