A baby will get through around 5,000 nappies between birth and potty training – and that will cost you somewhere between £100 and £750, depending on which brand and type you choose. More than you thought, right?
But of course, it’s not just about price. Some nappies might be more prone to leaking than others, or less effective at locking away moisture. How easy are they to put on? Might they bring your baby out in a rash? How environmentally friendly are they? There are plenty of questions and considerations when it comes to choosing the right nappies. And in truth, what works for some children might not be right for others, so you might need to try a few different brands before you find the perfect nappy for your baby. Our buyer’s guide and recommendations below, however, will set you on the right track.
How to choose the best nappies
Do I need to worry about leaks?
Nappies shouldn’t normally leak, but it’s a fact of life that fluids can, from time to time, leak out either through the leg holes or around the waist. How often, and how seriously, it happens depends on two factors. The more absorbent the materials in the nappy are, the more moisture they’ll suck up, meaning there’s less to leak out. Then there’s the effectiveness of the elasticated lining is at forming a barrier between your baby’s skin and the nappy. If it’s a good fit this should keep leaks to a minimum – although you won’t find a nappy that can deal with diarrhoea so don’t expect too much.
How well do nappies lock away moisture?
Most disposable nappies contain superabsorbent polymer beads embedded into the material which touches your baby. These beads can absorb many hundreds of times their weight in moisture, allowing babies to wander around with a “wet nappy” without being in contact with the moisture itself. Biodegradable nappies tend to use organic products as the main absorbent instead, as superabsorbent polymer takes hundreds of years to break down.
How easy are nappies to put on?
We looked at the newborn versions of each nappy; all of them follow the traditional design whereby you lie the baby on its back, lift up its legs, slide the nappy under and then affix the tabs to the left and right of the front to finish the job. We found very little difference between the brands, although the Aldi nappies seemed to be slightly less floppy than the others, making them easier to get on your baby.
Can nappies actually cause a rash?
This is a more nuanced question then you might imagine. It’s widely accepted that disposable nappies can take hundreds of years to break down – and there are also concerns about chemicals and excrement being released into the groundwater. But all that has to be balanced against the environmental cost of washing reusables. If you want to be a true friend of the environment, you really have to wash your reusables at no higher than 40°C, and then air-dry (not tumble-dry) them – otherwise it’s argued that the extra energy you use makes them just as harmful as disposables.
The best nappies to buy
1. Eco by Naty: Best eco-friendly disposables
£16 for 104 nappies / 15p per nappy, Buy Now from Amazon
Naty is one of the leading eco-brands, and indeed is often the only one you’ll find in supermarkets. Its nappies perform well, are easy to fit, have no chemicals and are biodegradable. In fact, if you cut of the fixing tabs and the leg elastics, you can put them on your compost heap, or in your council compost bin. As with most reusables, the cost is comparatively high – but if you want your baby to grow up in the best possible world it’s arguably a price worth paying.
2. Pampers Premium Protection New Baby Sensitive: Best for sensitive skin
£14 for 74 nappies / 19p per nappy, Buy Now from Amazon
Pampers’ are some of the most absorbent nappies on the market; many good brands are cheaper, but Pampers do a superb job of soaking up huge amounts of urine and keeping your baby dry. They’re easy to fit, with tape tabs that can be sealed and resealed as many times as you want – useful for checking whether a change is needed or not! They’re super-soft to the touch and very comfortable for babies to wear, and also feature an indicator so you can see at a glance when they get wet. A final plus point is the easy-open packet – you just pull at the plastic where indicated, which can be very useful in an emergency!
3. Aldi Mamia New-Born: Best budget buy
£0.99 for 24 nappies / 4p per nappy, Buy from Aldi
Aldi’s New-Born range are fantastic value. They cost less than a quarter of the price of the Pampers New Baby range, yet give their rivals a real run in terms of performance. The nappies fit very well, hold moisture away from the skin effectively, are re-sealable and super-soft, and even feature an indicator line just like Pampers to show moisture absorption. Their nice shape fits snugly around your baby, and in our tests they proved very effective at preventing leaks either above the waist or between the legs.
4. Boots Baby Newborn: Best mid-range option
£3.50 for 44 nappies / 7p per nappy, Buy now from Boots
Although not as cheap as Aldi, these nappies still represent excellent value for money. They offer a nice snug fit, with stretchy sides and a very soft lining, and are very effective at preventing leaks. They also have a cut-out section to fit around the newborn’s umbilical cord until it breaks off after a few weeks. That’s a nice touch, as first-time parents can find it quite worrisome to see this tender bit of skin getting rubbed against a nappy. They’re hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested, too.
5. Bambino Mio Reusable Nappy Set: Best reusable nappies
£71.11/ 5p per nappy*, Buy Now from Amazon
There are numerous reusable nappy brands out there now, but this one may be the pick of the bunch. It’s a one-size nappy that will take your child through to potty-training age, and features a main nappy with an attractive and hard-wearing exterior and a super-soft lining on the inside. The absorbent element is the removable core, which is inserted behind the soft nappy material. This set comes with a pack of 50 nappy liners: you place a fresh one in the nappy each time you change your baby, and larger multipacks can be ordered once you’ve used these up.
Key details - Includes six nappies, 50 liners and 100g sachet of Miofresh nappy cleanser; *Costs based on this nappy set, plus 19 multipacks of 160 liners and two multipacks of Miofresh Laundry Cleanser (nb. Washing costs not included)
6. Tesco Loves Baby Newborn: Another great-value option
£2.30 / 5p per nappy, Buy now from Tesco
Tesco’s own-brand nappies are a good all-round design with a comfy fit. There’s a gap for your baby’s umbilical cord and quite large frills around the leg, so you can see at a glance that it’s correctly fitted. The fixing tabs are coloured, making them easy to spot when putting a new pair on at night, and there’s also an integral wetness indicator so you’ll know right away when they’re wet.