This is a big topic, deserving more discussion than I’m willing to devote to it here. There are many factors one could consider in choosing the right diaper, but only three that I have found to be important: fit, effectiveness, and price. The other factors which I have a difficult time accepting as important: brand, eco-friendliness, comfort, and coupons. I’m sure I missed a point here or there, but bear with me.
What’s important?
For me, it comes down to containing a mess (for lack of a better word), and that is where the fit and function of a diaper are important. I don’t want to go into lots of detail about the fit or function of a diaper. Does the diaper keep the baby dry or not, and does it keep the mess off of you or not? If the answer is yes, to both concerns, then you have a winner.
What is not important?
1. Brand – Do you really think that Target brand diapers are manufactured by Target? For that matter, do you really think that any store-brand diaper comes from anywhere other than a major diaper manufacturer? I don’t have all the facts, about which manufacture makes which store-brand diaper, but what I’m sure of is that all diapers come from one of a few national-brand diaper factories.
2. Eco-Friendly – Honestly, if you are going to go green with your diapers, the only acceptable solution is cloth. Otherwise, who are you kidding? Disposable diapers end up in landfills. Do the research yourself, but eco-friendly diapers do not break down in landfills any faster than non-green versions (which is never), and they use as much energy to produce. The bottom line – you are going to pay more because you THINK the environment is better off.
3. Comfort – It is noble of you to think that somehow your baby is going to be more comfortable sitting in its own excrement in one diaper over another.
4. Coupons – This one is interesting. I have found that no matter how great the coupon makes the deal sound, it is still not cheaper than buying store-brand diapers, even the on-line coupons.
Do the math yourself. If you have a cell phone, you possess a calculator. The next time you are in a store, divide the price of the pack of diapers by the number of diapers to determine the price per diaper. My quick research yielded the following.
Target Brand .14 - .17/diaper
Warehouse Brand .19 - .21/diaper
Pampers/Huggies .23 - .34/diaper
Eco-Friendly .31 - .39/diaper
Estimates for the number of diapers used per baby for the first 3 years vary widely (between 5000 and 9000). Using the above cost per diaper comparing National Brands to the Target brand, parents could save between $1000.00 and $1800.00. Believe it or not if you were to choose cloth diapers for the “green” factor, the cost falls towards the low end of the national brand spectrum. Locally, the Dy-Dee diaper service (www.dy-dee.com) quoted me a price that was competitive to Pampers and Huggies, but since the cost varies by location, I don’t feel it would be fair to share the quote.
I sincerely hope this helps.
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