SAN ANTONIO – If you’re going to spend a lot of money, you want to make sure the diapers work. Consumer Reports recently tested 10 popular brands to determine which diapers are the most absorbent and which 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, helping keep your baby dry.
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.
But the downside is they’re the most expensive tested, at 51 cents each.
Seventh Generation, another diaper that claims to be environmentally friendly, also scored near the top of the ratings. But they’re also pricey, at 35 cents each, which can add up fast.
The good news is there are more budget-friendly alternatives that scored well, too. For example, CR found Amazon’s Mama Bear and Walmart’s Parents Choice are good options for less than 20 cents a diaper.
Well-known brands like Huggies, Pampers, Luvs, and Kirkland Signature are all recommended, landing in the middle of CR’s ratings.
At the bottom are Dyper and The Honest Company diapers. Although they did OK in the dryness test, that’s not the case for the absorption test, which means a bigger risk of leaks.
Consumer Reports says all 10 diapers passed its safety testing, which screened for heavy metals and phthalates.