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Baby Registry: Best Diapers and Diapering Supplies

by Kim Arrington Johnson
written by Kim Arrington Johnson

Diapering Supplies

Disposable Diapers  

Diapers are typically the #1 or #2 biggest expense in your baby budget. The key to choosing the right diaper for your baby is balancing per diaper cost with fit and minimal leaks. Newborns will typically go through 10-12 diapers per day, while older babies use six to eight per day. How many diapers will you need in the first year? An average eight to 10 diapers per day x 365 days per year = 2920 to 3650 diapers a year. If each diaper takes approximately two minutes to change, changing nine diapers per day for one year equals 109.5 hours, or 4.5 days of diaper changing!

Where Do You Get Cheap Diapers?

Amazon Family

You can sign up for Amazon Family and get one free month of Prime Membership and up to 20% on diapers. If you already are a Prime member, sign up is free, and you will receive 15% off diapers automatically with the additional 5% coming with a “Subscribe & Save” option selected, or a recurring order. Don’t forget to browse Amazon Coupons for diapers and wipes.

Target

Get a total of 15% off baby subscriptions when you use your Target RED Card. Otherwise, get free shipping and 5% off any Baby subscription without a RED card. Check Target Coupons for diapers and wipes.

Walmart

The Bullies of Bentonville do a really good job at getting the lowest prices for you from diaper suppliers. The only thing that you have to watch for with Walmart is this… Walmart has such high volumes with certain suppliers that major companies will often produce a cheaper product just for Walmart (to keep everyone in the supply chain happy.)

Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s (beware of smaller sizes and over-buying)

Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s, and warehouse stores are great for buying diapers when your baby just sized up or entered a new size (with coupons.) However, beware of buying too many diapers, especially in smaller sizes. Babies grow quickly, and your unit cost per diaper savings goes away when you buy huge boxes of diapers that baby has outgrown.

Eco Tip

Eco-Diapers, Not Miracle Diapers

It’s true. Disposable diapers take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills. However, before you walk out of Whole Foods with your brown eco-diapers thinking that you are saving the planet, consider this statement from the Seventh Generation web site: “All disposable diapers, including Seventh Generation’s, rely on man-made materials to deliver the high-level performance that parents expect of modern diapers. These materials are mostly petroleum-derived and are not renewable, which adversely impacts the environmental footprint associated with these products.”

Companies on the eco-diaper scene, such as The Honest Company and gDiapers inserts, may have eco-style; however, they also contain Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP), just like Pampers and Huggies. Most SAP used today is petroleum derived. So while I do commend eco-companies for trying to be more environmentally responsible, parents should be aware that eco-diapers charge a hefty premium, yet they do not solve the biggest environmental problem with diapers.

What makes a green diaper green vs. a traditional diaper?

  • Chlorine-free
  • Perfume-free
  • Dye-free
  • Latex-free
  • (Partially) biodegradable

Just know that making a diaper chlorine- and fragrance-free is a great step toward protecting baby from trace amounts of dioxin and phthalates, but that diaper will still be sitting in a landfill centuries from now. Even if eco-diapers and eco-inserts blend their SAP with wheat/starch, fluffed wood pulp, and other materials, they are still SAP diapers.

For more info on the diaper industry and diaper pricing practices, read our article the Diaper Download.

Brand recommendations:

Best Disposables for Newborns

Pampers Swaddlers ($0.21-0.26 each, depending on size).

These are softer than Huggies, with a long runway of soft material up the back vs. an elastic band and a pocket to “catch” runny messes.

Pros:

  • Swaddlers are what many hospitals use (in the green and yellow pack)
  • Three sizes fit babies up to 18 pounds
  • Extra padding in back (great for inactive “back is best” babies)
  • Has a fold-down section for navel area in newborn size
  • Sign up on the company web site for digital coupons, or for coupons to be sent to your home

Cons:

  • More expensive than store-brand or private label diapers
  • Not available in larger sizes
  • Some parents do not like the powdery smell of Pampers
  • Signing up for coupons comes with the price of sharing your personal information

Huggies Little Snugglers ($0.22-0.34 each).

These can be helpful for bigger eaters, leakers, and poop-up-the-backers. However, test different brands for fit. You may love one brand for your first child and then figure out that another brand is better for the next.

Pros:

  • Little Snugglers are designed to “catch” runny messes with a pocket
  • Elastic strap in back tries to keep in the “runny mess”
  • Huggies are more available in big-name warehouse stores.
  • Sign up on the company web site for digital coupons, or for coupons to be sent to your home

Cons:

  • More expensive than store-brand diapers
  • May not mold as well around the legs as softer Pampers
  • The elastic band in back may irritate sensitive skin
  • Signing up for coupons comes with the price of sharing your personal information 

Best Disposables for Older Babies

Best Overnight or 12-Hour Disposables

  • Huggies Overnites ($0.32-0.43 each). Want to decrease your chances of waking in the middle of the night with a leak? Bring on the Overnites, which are well worth their cost.
  • Pampers Baby Dry ($0.18-0.26 each). These diapers are really thin, yet 10-12 hours later your baby’s diaper remains packed, but not leaky. The tabs on these diapers are also very flexible, expanding and contracting as baby sleeps.

Best Eco-Friendlier Disposables

Nature Babycare Diapers ($0.37) each.

Pros:

  • Good performance for absorption and leakage
  • Won the BabyGearLab Editors’ Choice award in 2018
  • Diaper has an allergy certification and is totally chlorine free (TCF) and latex free
  • These diapers use FSC TCF pulp, bio-based plastics, and GM-free corn to be mostly mostly biodegradable and compostable

Cons:

  • Not quite as durable as competitors (due compostable materials?)
  • Complaints online about durability
  • Some complain about the stickiness of the closure tabs, too

Bambo Nature Diapers ($0.38-0.48) each.

This brand receives praise for excellent construction and performance from an eco-diaper, in addition to stricter adherence to eco-friendly practices.

Pros:

  • The company claims they are 80% compostable
  • They have less SAP; it is replaced with wheat starch and acrylic polymers
  • Least amount of SAP among popular eco-diapers
  • No phthalates, heavy metals, chlorine, or AZO-pigments
  • Excellent overnight absorbency

Cons:

  • They are twice the cost of regular diapers.
    • The back of the diaper is not stretchable.
  • These diapers use sodium polyacrylate (SAP) for absorption

Earth’s Best TenderCare Chlorine Free Diapers ($0.26-0.36 each).

This is a Best Value eco-brand, and it is available in most mainstream stores.

Pros:

  • They are latex, dye, and perfume free.
  • Some parents prefer to support companies trying to be sustainable.
  • One of the most affordable eco-brands
  • These receive some of the best reviews for not leaking among eco-brands.

Cons:

  • There are reports of rashes among multiple review sources.
  • These diapers contain corn and wheat, which can be allergens for some babies.
  • These diapers use sodium polyacrylate (SAP) for absorption.

Eco-Friendlier Disposables (Needs Improvement)

Seventh Generation Free and Clear Diapers ($0.25-0.38 each).

This well-known, widely available green brand has a track record from parent reviewers and diaper testers that is less than stellar but improving, due to complaints of leaks and low absorption.

Pros:

  • The wood pulp used in these diapers is harvested from sustainably managed forests.
  • No fragrances, latex, petroleum-based lotions, or chlorine processing
  • Excellent brand recognition and availability
  • Reasonably priced for an eco-diaper

Cons:

  • These diapers are dyed a brownish-tan color to make consumers think they are all natural or biodegradable in appearance. Seventh Generation states on its website, “We use brown pigments to help distinguish Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Diapers from others in the marketplace that are bleached with chlorine-containing substances.” Note: The actual color of diapers is translucent like a milk jug.
  • Parent reviews are mixed for absorption and leaks.
  • These diapers use sodium polyacrylate (SAP) for absorption

Money Saving Tips

Diaper Pricing Unveiled (always look for per diaper pricing)

Companies hook customers with newborn prices and then ramp up prices steeply. Private label size 3 diapers are roughly $0.20 per diaper, Pampers and Huggies premiums are $0.22-0.25 per diaper, Seventh Generation/Earth’s Best are around $0.30 per diaper, and Honest Company/Nature BabyCare/gDiapers are $0.40+ per diaper. I chose to compare size 3 prices because newborn diapers have much tighter price competition and distribution among brands. For example, pricing for a newborn diaper from The Honest Company is going to be right in the middle of the pack between mainstream and eco-brands. This company is smartly and aggressively offering free trial kits, stylish bundles (with stars, plaids, and little rocker skulls), and lower prices for newborn diapers to hook new parents. However, as baby grows out of newborn sizes (typically in a few weeks), the prices quickly ramp up. By sizes 3 to 6, the Honest Company is leading the most expensive brands, paying $.40-$.88 per diaper, depending on the size and type of diaper. Honest offerings at Target stores aren’t any cheaper: $.47/diaper for size 3, $.51/diaper for size 5, and $.74 for a 4T/5T training pant. I commend Honest Company for being a legitimately eco-friendly business. But those prices add up.

Cloth Diapers

You may also be considering cloth diapers as an eco-friendly, chemical-free alternative to disposables, or landfill diapers. To help you think through this decision, let’s analyze some of the pros and cons of cloth diapers.

Pros:

  • Better for the environment
  • Healthier for baby: There are no chemicals against baby’s skin, such as dioxin (a by-product of the bleaching process with chlorine), tributyltin (a toxin linked to hormonal problems in humans and animals), and sodium polyacrylate or SAP (this supposedly non-toxic gel found in nearly all diapers was removed from tampons, due to a link to Toxic Shock Syndrome).84
  • No more pins: cloth diapers now come in cute colors with Velcro straps or snaps.
  • Cloth diapers are more affordable and more convenient than ever.
  • If you do not enjoy washing diapers, you can have a service do it for you, although it nullifies the cost and energy savings of cloth.
  • A diaper sprayer that attaches to your toilet plumbing can make cleaning the mess off cloth diapers doable.

Cons:

  • Cloth diapers with stool must be rinsed in the toilet. Disposable users should actually do this too, although few do.
  • Parents must be okay with regular laundry duty.
  • Parents must be okay with poop on their hands and in the washing machine.
  • Many day cares do not allow cloth diapers.
  • Travel is more difficult because you must carry soiled diapers with you.
  • Runny stool can be messy with cloth, if fit is an issue.

Types of Cloth Diapers

Best for frugal parents/most economical: Prefolds + diaper covers

These diapers must be changed as soon as baby gets wet. You may place a stay dry liner, usually made of fleece, on top of the prefold to keep baby drier between changes.

Best for parents reluctant to try cloth /best for day care /easiest to use: All-in-One Diapers

All-in-one cloth diapers are perhaps your best argument for a day care center to accept cloth diapers–no stuffing required. AIO diapers have absorbent material already sewn into the waterproof cover, and they can essentially be treated like a disposable diaper (with the one difference that the diaper is tossed in a wet bag to wash later rather than disposed of in the trash). The downside to this convenience is cost, although they do come in one-size varieties with adjustable snaps.

Most popular/most convenient: Pocket Diapers

Pocket diapers, or stuffing diapers, are the most popular type of cloth diapers today because no extra cover is required, and they are more affordable than All-in-One diapers. A pocket diaper has an opening (located along the edge that touches baby’s back) that allows an absorbent pre-cut insert or foldable diaper to be placed in a pocket between the diaper’s waterproof outer shell and an inner layer that touches baby’s skin. A pocket diaper may be a one-size diaper or one that comes in different sizes (newborn, S/M/L); it also comes with Velcro or snap closures. For nighttime, you can add super absorbent hemp inserts for extra protection.

Compromise: Using Cloth and Eco-diapers

If you find yourself stuck in the middle of the cloth debate (caring about the environment and health of your baby, but not ready to commit to 100% cloth), there is a compromise solution. Do a mix of both: use cloth diapers at home and eco-friendly alternatives, such as hybrid diapers or eco-diapers, for travel and day care. Note: Hybrid diapers are biodegradable, flushable inserts that fit into an outer diaper cover, such as gDiapers and Kushies. Inserts with stool on them get flushed down the toilet, while wet ones can be flushed or added to a compost pile. However, reviews from parents say the inserts clog the toilet.

Cost: Cloth vs. Disposables

It can be difficult to assess the true cost of cloth vs. disposable diapering since many variable factors go into these calculations, such as cost of supplies, laundry service, electricity, water, etc. For example, if you’re a style-conscious parent buying limited print all-in-one cloths, such as bumGenius’ Albert or Audrey diapers (inspired by Albert Einstein and Audrey Hepburn), you’re not going to save $2,000 cloth diapering, as favorite eco-websites claim. Therefore, in a cost-benefit analysis for one child, the cloth vs. disposable debate may be “a wash” on dollar cost, with the long-term environmental savings going to cloth. Pass a full set of cloth diapers and inserts on to a younger sibling, and the scale tips to cloth. Bottom line: Disposable diapers are easy to clean and they’re convenient. That’s why 90-95% of U.S. parents use them. However, with the option of all-in-one diapers, flushable inserts, and eco-diapers for travel and day care, cloth diapers can work for busy, environmentally conscious parents.

The best advice for cloth diapers is to never buy too many of one kind up front. Try a sample of different brands because they all fit differently.

Brand Recommendations:

bumGenius One Size Cloth Diaper ($20-25/diaper)

Pocket, All-in-One, and Hybrid versions

Pros:

  • Fits from birth to potty training
  • Adjustable enough to be used with siblings in diapers
  • Snap-down front to adjust size (most parents prefer the longevity of snaps to Velcro)
  • Diapers are bundled with two inserts: a newborn insert and a one-size insert for older babies up to 35 pound

Cons:

  • Fasteners wear out over time
  • May not work for heavier babies
  • You may need separate newborn diapers for babies under seven pounds

Rumparooz G2 One Size Pocket Diaper ($15/diaper)

Pros:

  • One diaper for four sizes
  • Fits birth to potty training (6-35 lb)
  • BabyGearLab Best Overall Cloth Diaper
  • Dual inner gussets (inner row of elastic for leaks)

Cons:

  • Double gusset can be bulky
  • Elasticity can wear out over time
  • More expensive up front

Best Hybrid Cloth Diapers

gDiapers 

(reusable gPants cover with option to use prefolds, cotton inserts, or disposable inserts)

Price: $16-22/gPants + $5.50/cotton insert, $0.39/disposable insert)

Pros:

  • Style and versatility
  • Easy for multiple caregivers to use because they fasten like disposables
  • Product is widely available online and in mainstream stores, such as Walmart, Amazon, and Target

Cons:

  • Marketed for convenience, but the shell, pouch and inserts should be washed separately
  • You can’t put the liner in the dryer so the diaper must be disassembled
  • Diapers do not come with inserts (must buy separately)
  • Diapers must be purchased for each size (try Flips Hybrid diapers for a Best Value hybrid one size)
  • Disposable inserts are expensive

Supplies for Cloth Diapering

  • Cloth diapers: A newborn needs 12+ cloth diapers for changes every one to three hours, while a solid cloth collection (for moms who are slower with the laundry) may have 20-25 diapers. Baby shower gifts can be helpful to any budget; however, you may want to wait until baby is here before you invest big bucks on a single cloth brand. Try several different brands and assess which are most convenient for you to wash and fit best on your baby.
  • Wipes: Reusable cotton wipes can either be immersed in a wipes solution and placed in a wipes warmer or dispenser, or sprayed with a spray bottle of solution at your changing station. GroVia ($0.91 each) makes popular cloth wipes. OsoCozy Flannel ($0.63 each) baby wipes are also a top pick.
  • Wipes solution (to moisten wipes that clean baby’s bottom): some recommendations are Honest Soothing Bottom Wash ($11-13) and Diaper Lotion Potion Concentrate ($15-17).
  • Diaper pail with a waterproof liner or large zip bag: You need something to keep your dirty cloth diapers in until you can wash them. Mother-Ease Diaper Pail ($50) is an eco-friendly pail made of recycled plastic that is fairly well-reviewed, despite the price tag. It uses a natural odor control system with carbon filters and airflow. Teamoy Reusable Pail Liner for Cloth Diaper/Dirty Diapers Wet Bag ($17-19) are a washable substitute for trash bags, as they are made from a high quality PUL (polyurethane laminate) fabric with a special anti-microbial effect. Kushies ($12-14) and Planet Wise ($34) are favorite large hanging zip bags.
  • Wet bag/travel bag: This waterproof bag stores dirty diapers and soiled clothes until washing. Itzy Ritzy Travel Happens ($13-18), Planet Wise Wet Bags ($19-23), and Alvababy 2pc Cloth Diaper Wet/Dry Bags are a few among many brands of reusable bags.
  • Cloth diaper sprayer: This handy sprayer, similar to a dish sprayer on a sink, attaches to toilet plumbing with adjustable spray for cleaning off messes from cloth diapers. Bumkins ($30) and BabyMojos Two Spray Mode Cloth Diaper Sprayer Kit ($30) sprayers receive good reviews.
  • Extra inserts: Hemp is the most absorbent material for nighttime and heavy wetting.
  • A drying rack or clothesline: Maximize value from your cloth diapers by air-drying them. Let the sun bleach out stains while drying diapers on a line outside. 

Supplies for All Diapering

The following content contains affiliate links. However, if you can, prioritize hand-me-downs, re-purposed or consigned baby items.

Wipes

Try out different brands and note the ingredients on the package. All disposable baby wipes, including natural and biodegradable ones, have some type of synthetic preservative in them to prevent bacteria growth. To save money, buy wipes in bulk and transfer them to empty travel-sized pouches for the diaper bag.

Brand recommendations:

  • Best Overall:Costco’s Kirkland Signature Baby Wipes ($20 per 900 count or $0.02 each) are a budget-friendly favorite made from 100% renewable resources. They are biodegradable, hypoallergenic, and alcohol free, although they do have trace preservatives that eco-parents question. 
  • Best Mainstream Eco-Wipe: Seventh Generation Wipes ($3 per 64 count or $0.04 to $0.05 each) are chlorine and alcohol free, although they are made from a blend of wood pulp and synthetic materials polypropylene and polyethylene (rayon and polyester).
  • Best Biodegradable:* Honest Company ($32 per 576 count or $.06 each)and Nature Babycare ($25 per 700 count or $0.04 each) are hypoallergenic, alcohol and chlorine-free, and biodegradable*, using the gentlest cleansers and preservatives among disposable wipes.

Eco Tip

Biodegradable Diaper Wipes

You will almost always see an asterisk* next to biodegradable labeling for diaper wipes. In fact, Seventh Generation contends that no wipe can authentically claim to be biodegradable because biodegradable wipes do not biodegrade if they are disposed of in a landfill, which is why the brand chooses to focus on chlorine-free wipes products. Biodegradable diapers and wipes can break down in roughly 12 months using a compost tumbler or open-air composting method.

Diaper rash cream

With my sensitive-skinned children, I tried many different organic and natural creams. However, it didn’t take long to convert to good, old-fashioned Desitin for major diaper rashes, since rubbing beeswax, castor oil, and olive oil on my baby’s bottom just didn’t do the trick. If your child’s bum isn’t particularly sensitive, try a favorite eco-brand.

Brand recommendations:

Diaper pail and liners

Diaper pails have a printer and ink cartridge type business model, with the refill bags making all the money. Therefore, you must decide which option you dislike more: 1) paying for expensive, airtight refill bags, or 2) pungent poo smells in your nursery? For more sensitive noses, buy a sealed pail with patented refill bags. For less sensitive noses or eco-buffs who prefer not to wrap their landfill diapers in extra plastic, try a small trashcan with a reusable liner. Expect to empty this bag often.

Brand recommendations:

  • Playtex Diaper Genie ($40) controls odor but requires expensive refill bags ($7 for 270-count).
  • Baby Trend Diaper Champ ($35) uses regular kitchen bags, but may not control odor as well.
  • Ubbi Steel Odor Locking ($70-80) No special bags, refills or inserts are required with the Ubbi. STEEL LOCKS IN ODOR: Unlike plastic, steel is not porous and keeps the smell shielded inside.
  • Mother-Ease Diaper Pail ($50) is an eco-friendly pail made of recycled plastic. It uses a natural odor system with carbon filters and airflow.

Wipes dispenser (wipes warmer)

Once you purchase diaper wipes at the store, you have multiple options for dispensing: a) use the bag provided with the plastic pop-top as your dispenser; b) take the wipes out of the bag and place them into a warming box with a moist pillow inside (the warming container plugs into the wall with an AC cord); or c) take the wipes out of the bag and place them into a dispenser that does not heat. I initially thought that wipes warmers were ridiculous baby products. However, I became a believer with two winter newborns. If I were a baby, I would want warm wipes on my bottom for $20 too.

Brand recommendation:

Diapering organization station

If you have a changing table, you may want to purchase a caddy that hangs on the rail. However, if you have a pad on a dresser, organize baby’s creams and lotions with non-baby caddies or baskets.

Brand recommendations:

Diaper bag

You are going to be carrying diapers, wipes, snacks, toys, changes of clothes, and many other things in your diaper bag for years. Consider a bag that allows your torso to bear the brunt of the weight (not your neck and shoulders) and leaves your hands free, such as a cross-shoulder style, messenger bag, or backpack. Consider a unisex-style bag for use with mom, dad, and caregivers of both genders. If you desire two diaper bags, make sure that one of them is a small backpack. You will get value out of your diaper bag(s) well beyond most items in your baby registry.

Brand Recommendations:

Functional, durable: Skip-Hop

Stylish, head-turning fabrics: Petunia Pickle Bottom, JuJuBe (JuJeBe B.F.F. very functional)

Urban, sleek design: Kate Spade

Versatile, looks like a large purse: Timi and Leslie, Storksak

Sophisticated: OiOi, Marc by Marc Jacobs

Affordable, yet stylish and practical: JJ Cole Collections, Graco

Colorful, soft: Vera Bradley

Unique, Stylish, and Monogrammed: Thirty-One (via consultant)

Bag for multiples: Skip Hop Duo Double, JuJuBe Be Prepared

Man bag for dad: Diaper Dude, DadGear, Mancro Backpack, Skip Hop Backpack Black Camo

Unisex: Itzy Ritzy Diaper Bag Backpack, Maman Diaper Bag Backpack with Stroller Straps, Parker Baby Diaper Backpack

Summary of Diaper Bag Lists and Recommendations

BabyGearLab Best Diaper Bags

  • A Place for Everything: Ju-Ju-Be B.F.F.
  • Great Organization in a Light Package: Skip Hop Grand Central
  • Utilitarian Pack for Long Outings: DadGear Backpack
  • Best Bang for Your Buck: Easy to Use: Skip Hop Mainframe Wide Open
  • Best Value Backpack: Bag Nation
  • Best Value Tote: Hip Cub Original Tote
  • Great for Multiples: Ju-Ju-Be Be Prepared
  • Short Outing Messenger: Ju-Ju-Be Helix
  • High Volume Expandable Tote: Storksak Expandable Tote
  • Zip-Down Changing Pad: Petunia Pickle Bottom City Carryall
  • Eye-Catching Style: Itzy Ritzy Boss
  • Feminine Backpack in Vegan Leather: Freshly Picked
  • Budget Vegan Tote: Babymel Grace
  • Removable Feeding & Changing Pods: Pacapod Mirano
  • Roomy Versatility: TWELVElittle Foldover Tote

Mommyhood.com Best Diaper Bags

  1. Best Diaper Bag Overall: The Maman Nappy
  2. SkipHop Baby Grand Central Diaper Bag
  3. SOHO Grand Central Diaper Bag
  4. HapTim Backpack Diaper Bag
  5. Honest Company Everything Tote Diaper Bag
  6. Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack Diaper Bag
  7. Itzy Ritzy Boss Backpack Diaper Bag
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