When I first learned I was pregnant, one thing I realized very quickly is that babies are expensive. They need a place to sleep (and for me that meant upgrading to a larger apartment —oof), clothes, furniture, childcare, and yes, diapers. I spent a lot of time researching diaper brands ahead of my daughter’s birth, and was shocked by how expensive some diaper brands and models were. Many hours later (and one week before my due date), I pulled the trigger and bought Pampers Swaddlers, a relatively inexpensive model of Pampers that seemed like it would get the job done. Read on to find out exactly how effective Pampers Swaddlers really are and how they stack up compared to other leading diaper brands and models.
Design: Standard and to the point, with a few flaws
Pamper Swaddlers don’t come with any bells or whistles. While other diaper brands and even other Pampers models boast natural materials and extra coverage, Pampers Swaddlers diapers simply promise to be effective. And for the most part, they are. They have a wetness indicator strip, which in my opinion is the most important feature on any diaper. They have a little design, too, but it’s nothing too eye-catching—just cute and clearly made for a baby. I did have a few gripes with the overall design of Pampers Swaddlers, especially when I started testing other diapers and had a point of comparison. First, they’re on the smaller side, meaning they provide less coverage all around. The back doesn’t come up as high as the back on other diapers do (hello, outfit-ruining blowouts), and they don’t provide as much coverage on the sides, either. Another problem? The two edges that fasten to the front of the diaper often get twisted. While my daughter has come to like diaper changes a lot more recently, when she was first born she hated them. Having to waste precious seconds untwisting a diaper while my daughter screamed her head off in my sleep-deprived face absolutely killed me.
Materials: No-frills and a little bit irritating
As I researched diapers, I quickly learned that materials are something diaper brands use as a selling point: eco-friendly, non-irritating, all-natural, bleach-free, aloe liner, plant-based, the list goes on and on. Pampers Swaddlers are soft to the touch and do have air channels that can reach the skin, which keeps babies dry and well-ventilated, but that’s about it. Again, they’re on the more inexpensive side, so this makes sense—you get what you pay for. But as someone who prioritizes natural materials (especially with my underwear, pads, and tampons), it did set off a few alarm bells when I thought about the fact that I wasn’t putting my baby in diapers made of more natural materials—especially because they’re so close to her sensitive skin. I do find Pampers Swaddlers to be me more irritating than other diaper brands I’ve tried. My daughter hasn’t gotten a diaper rash, but her skin does get red and irritated-looking after she wears Pampers Swaddlers for a while. I’ve tried fastening the diaper less tightly, but this tends to mean a less easily-contained blowout. And any parent knows that’s a nightmare.
Absorbency: Impressive
Like I mentioned, Pampers Swaddlers are a little smaller than other diaper brands and models I’ve tried (and to be clear, all of them claim to be the same size!) but their absorbency is impressive. We were lucky enough to get a baby who started sleeping nine hours at a time when she was just 6 weeks old, and one of the first things I worried about was her diaper. Would it be able to absorb all the pee that comes with her liquid diet over such a long period of time? The answer (thankfully) was yes. Pampers Swaddlers did a top-notch job of absorbing her pee all night long, meaning she woke up dry and comfortable and I could get as many hours of sleep in a row as she was getting. The diapers are just as absorbent when it comes to poop, too, which is mostly liquid. Of course, no amount of absorbency can contain a blowout that leaks out of the back or the sides—but that’s another story.
Price: Very reasonable
The price was one of the main things that drew me to Pampers Swaddlers in the first place, and although I have a few problems with this diaper model as a whole, I maintain that they’re a good deal. If you buy a box of 198, you can find them for as low as 24 cents a diaper. The price varies slightly depending on the size. When you’re going through eight or more diapers a day, an inexpensive diaper is nothing to sneeze at.
Competition: Other diapers win
Why Trust Verywell Family
Leigh Weingus is a lifestyle writer specializing in health, wellness, and parenting content. She’s reviewed and tested multiple diapers for Verywell Family. Pampers Swaddlers are not for the parents who want to get a little extra “oomph” out of their diapers. They won’t do much to protect the environment or your baby’s skin from irritation and they won’t prevent massive blowouts, but they will save you some money.
