Another quick opinion on diapers…

I stated in one of my earlier postings that Pampers diapers performed the best when compared to Huggies Snug & Dry and BJs Berkley & Jensen brands.

Well, I guess folks at BJ’s were reading my post? Due to high gas and food prices, we decided to try BJ’s Berkley & Jensen diapers again and we were pleasantly surprised. Rather than simply tell you “I like it”, I would like to take some time to go over my conclusion in detail.

Disposable diaper components

Believe it or not, there are numerous sites that contain almost-too-much-information on disposable diaper. If you are inclined to read, these are good sites to start with:

· http://disposablediaper.net/faq.asp?1

· http://www.babynaturale.com/whindidi.html

In order to make my case little bit easier, I’ve drawn a simple diaper diagram with various parts indicated:

 

Product Info (from the diaper carton)

BJ’s Berkley & Jensen baby diapers

• · Size 4 (22 to 37 lbs)
• · Hypoallergenic – perfume and dye-free to help protect and care for baby’s sensitive skin
• · Double Leg Gathers – designed to provide excellent day and night protection against leakage
• · Ultra Thin Absorbent Care – hourglass shaped and helps draw wetness away from baby’s skin
• · Stretchable – resealable grip tabs ad stretchable waistband help customize the fit to your baby for netter leakage protection
• · Moisture Guard Layer – pulls in wetness and keeps it away from baby’s delicate skin
• · 156 diapers
• · Three, 52ct packs
• · UPC 400000206820

Huggies – Snug and Dry baby diapers

• · Size 4 (22 to 37 lbs)
• · Contain mild cosmetic ingredients to help keep skin soft and healthy-looking (Petrolatum, Ozokerite)
• · Contain safe, absorbent particles that gel when wet. If you notice a small amount of gel-like material on your baby’s skin, it can be removed with a baby wipe or damp washcloth.
• · 176 diapers
• · Two, 88ct packs
• · UPC 036000524895

Pampers Cruisers baby diapers

• · Size 4 (22 to 37 lbs)
• · Go Baby Grips for Non-stop fit
• · 140 diapers
• · Two, 70ct packs
• · UPC 037000095156

Side-by-Side comparisons

A – Front elastic waist band

 

Winner: Berkley & Jensen

Comments: Surprisingly Pampers and Huggies did not have this feature. I would have imagined this was an important feature, especially for boys.

B – Enclosure (receiving tabs)

Winner: Berkley & Jensen

Comments: Berkley & Jensen diapers had the widest receiving tabs. It’s my opinion that these wide tabs gave me additional flexibility to secure diapers properly.

C – Elastic bands for legs

 

Winner: Tie between Berkley & Jensen and Pampers

Comments: All had dual elastic band layers. Berkley & Jensen and Pampers both had 5 elastic strands (total); Huggies had 4 strands (total).

D – Enclosure (Velcro tabs)

 

Winner: Berkley & Jensen

Comments: Again, Berkley & Jensen diapers had the widest Velcro tab, providing the most amount of (unofficial) gripping or holding power. Although Huggies Velcro tab had nearly identical surface area, it did not seem to have enough “receiving tab” surface area to maximize the holding power. Pampers used a different approach by using a different Velcro material as well as utilizing a narrow strip of adhesives. In my opinion, Pampers had the weakest holding power. In addition, 23 out of 140 diapers had defective Velcro tabs where the entire tab separated from diaper when force was exerted. Totally unacceptable in my opinion.

E – Rear elastic waist band

Winner: Huggies

Comments: Huggies had the widest, most flexible rear elastic band. Berkley & Jensen came very close at second. Pampers did not include any elastic bands for either the front or back sides.

 

F – Absorbent material

Winner: Tie between Berkley & Jensen and Pampers

Comments: Although Pampers’ material seemed superior due to thicker materials as well as it’s cool looking mesh layer, both Berkley & Jensen and Pampers performed similarly during my unscientific tests:

1.      I pouring 2 oz of water, using my son’s feeding bottles for exact measurement and noted the absorbency rate; and

2.      I tested water holding power by pressing down a piece of dry paper towel on top of the wet diapers.

From what I observed, the absorbency rate was pretty much the same.  However, when the paper towel test was conducted, Huggies “gave up” some water whereas Berkley & Jensen and Pampers diapers did not.

G  – Logos

 

Winner: Berkley & Jensen

Comments: Both Huggies and Pampers must pay licensing fees to use Disney and Sesame characters in their products, respectively.  Berkley & Jensen wisely chose NOT to take the same path, saving us money.  After all, diapers are hardly seen by anyone else and they go into trash fairly quickly so why throw money away on admittedly cute, but expensive cartoon pictures?

Pricing Comparisons

I purchased Berkley & Jensen, Huggies and Pampers diapers within a span of 1 month at the same BJ’s location in New Jersey.  Arguments can be made that there are manufacturer coupons available for Huggies and Pampers, making the final price cheaper than what is mentioned here. So, if you can find some available coupons, please adjust your final cost.

Manu	Count	Price	Price Per Diaper	7 diapers a day	1 year cost	Difference
B & J	156	23.99	0.15	1.08	392
Huggies	176	36.99	0.21	1.47	536	-144
Pampers	140	36.99	0.26	1.85	673	-281

Conclusion

So what is the end result?  From my un-scientific tests and field experience, I whole heartedly recommend the Berkley & Jensen diapers over the other two brands for its superior performance and price.  Even after factoring in the BJ’s membership price ($45 per family per year) and some coupons for Huggies and/or Pampers, I think you can agree that Berkley & Jensen diapers will cost less at the end.  Don’t get suckered into slick advertising and pay for those cute Mickey Mouse and Elmo on a throw away product!  Save some money now!

Disclosure

As I stated repeatedly before, my testing methods and results are NOT SCIENTIFIC.  They are simply my PERSONAL opinion based on use.

I do not financially benefit from promoting a specific product mentioned in this article

If you have any money savings ideas you would like to share, please post!