Which is Best Huggies Or Pampers?

Raising a kid is hard enough without having to worry about nappy rash and leaks during the newborn and toddler phase. There are so many life-altering decision to make and new parents are constantly second-guessing themselves. Is my child getting enough nutrition? Are they developing correctly? Should I start to enrol them for school? 

Worrying about the thing that catches your kids poop should not be on this list! Pampers and Huggies are South African's top choices when it comes to preferred poop catches. These nappies are said to be the crème de la crème of nappies and perform in ways other brands cannot come close to matching. Having tested all sorts of diapers on my kid over the past few months, here's my take on the Pampers vs Huggies saga. 

The Battle Of The Best Diaper: Pampers vs Huggies 

My kid has been growing at an alarming rate and we been speeding through those bags of nappies and progressing in size like pregnant mom bursting out of her yoga pants! What I've learnt so far is:

• The size guide in kgs is not accurate at all. Kids might be well within the recommended range but s/he might be bursting out of the nappy. 
• Pampers and Huggies have very different fits and performance. Although they are both leading brands, they take care of some needs and don't score 100% in all the performance categories. 

As in every developmental aspect of a child's life, each child performs differently, and each child's nappy requirements are different. I will be assessing these brands nappy performance on the following criteria:

1. Comfort
2. Fit
3. Absorbancy & Protection
4. Odour Masking Agents
5. Price
6. Aesthetics

To find the best match for your issue, follow the guide below.

1. Comfort 

Comfort is a key player in the nappy wars. Both brands are pretty much on par. The dry comfort ranges from both Huggies and Pampers are the most cushioned. pretty padded and soft on the baby's skin. While Pampers Premium and Huggies Gold are less padded than their dry comfort counterparts. These high-end nappies are pretty soft though so whichever you choose, you'll be sure that your little babies bums will be nicely padded.

Best Match: Huggies and Pampers Dry-comfort nappies.

2. Fit

Fit is equally important if you looking for minimal leaks from your nappy. Usually, the kgs threshold is a good indicator for nappy fit. But this doesn't always hold true to its words. Like all humans, babies come in different shapes and sizes. Some have rounder tummies, some have big thighs. So you want to make sure the nappy gets good coverage to avoid body parts and secretion from spilling out. 

Pampers seem to be like the skinny jeans of nappies, streamline and while everyone can fit in them, it doesn't mean they fit well. Huggies on your other hand are more like boyfriend jeans; they comfy and well-positioned, an there is room for everything.

Huggies also has extra side flaps and an elasticated waist to adjust to all shapes and sizes. The Elasticated waist especially helps with poop overflow in those early months for babies with loose runny poop (a.ka.a. Breast-fed babies). So if your baby has a fuller figure or just a cute little chubster, Huggies has got to be your best bet.

Best Match: Huggies wins, giving a better for all shapes and sizes.

3. Absorbancy

If your baby is super soaker, which let's face it most of them are, you need a nappy that can hold capacity. Without a doubt, the dry comfort range has the best capacity. Premium nappies may be softer, but if your baby sleeps through the night then the best way to keep them dry is the dry comfort range. And in this case, Pampers has a slightly better product. The grade is pretty much on par, but Pampers is a little bit better.

Best Match: Pampers Dry-comfort

4. Odour Masking Agents

Nobody likes a smelly nappy, especially if it's not all that full. Some nappies release a slightly weird smell, but as long as it doesn't smell of poops and pee's we all good right? Papers nappies seem to have the best odour masking agents hands down. Huggies leaves a slight urine smell lingering in the air, even while the nappy isn't that full.

Best Match: Pampers

5. Price

Life is expenses especially when you throwing a couple of kids in the mix. If you still want the best but looking to save a buck or two, then Huggies is your best choice. Huggies is slightly cheaper than Pampers, but if you really want to save I suggest you buy them in bulk.

Pro Tip: I have done my homework Baby City hands down has the best priced nappies consistently. They sell bulk packs of both Huggies and Pampers at unbeatable prices throughout the year. You wont get a better deal, unless you willing to drive up and down to chase down specials at various stores.

Best Match: Huggies

6. Aesthetics & Cuteness

This is really a subjective matter, but in the broader scheme of nappy performance design and aesthetics are not really a deciding factor. If you into Disney, then Huggies has you covered with Mickey and Minnie Mouse prints. Pampers has these cute little animal characters which remind me a bit of Beatrix Potter's characters from her Peter Rabbit books.

Pampers premium and Huggies newborn have a wetness indicator built into it. But unless you got dropped on the head as a baby (in which case you should not be raising one) it won't take you long to figure out when a nappy is full, even for new moms. Don't let marketing feed on your insecurities, you got this mommy.

Best Match: Both Huggies and Pampers are a win!

Score: Huggies 4/6, Pampers 4/6

Here's What The Rest of South Africa's Nappy Wranglers Have To Say

With Pampers and Huggies both scoring 4/6, you just have to access these nappies on the criteria you struggle with to get the best fit for you. But from the above research, it seems that Huggies is the most flexible nappy in terms of catering for all shapes and sizes. But don't take my word for it, here's what more experienced nappy wranglers have to say.

Depends On The Baby

"With my personal experience I found Huggies leaked with my son and Pampers was our go to, however with our daughter it was the opposite, she leaks with Pampers but does very well with Huggies."

~ Cara, Cape Town.

The Price Is Right With Huggies

"Not a mommy but an Auntie 11 times over who has changed a lot of nappies.... Pampers are fine but expensive and offered in WAY too many different options. Huggies are more affordable and good quality!"

~ Lelané, Newark, Delaware.

"I prefer huggies. Pampers is normally a little more expensive but i cant say that it performed better. Huggies also is more likely to go on sale. But we bought pampers for a long time thinking it was a better brand with my first child. But my second kid is a huggies girl and even pnp noname baby"

~ Shafieqah, Cape Town

Leaks & Smells

"I preferred huggies gold for my baby girl. There is an elasticated band above the bum that prevented poop from seeping out. With Pampers she used to leak through allllll the time"

~ Masooda, Goodwood, Cape Town.

"Ive used many brands and came back to pampers. Pampers premium is good. Budget wise pampers is worth it. Ive used huggies gold ,and when they changed to the unisex red box i found a strong urine smell when my daughter wore it."

~ Mrs. Parker, Cape Town.

"A mom of a 14 month old, have tried both Pampers and Huggies. The newborn huggies leaked for us but the other sizes were great! Pampers just had an odd scent to me, hence our preference is Huggies

Eco-Friedly Option

"Without wanting to sound like a goody 2 shoes but, non-disposable nappies are also really awesome, if you’re doing a blog about nappies. I’ve used Huggies and pampers and now non disposables which are better for the environment and look really cute as well. U get them at biddykins at R75 each. They adjust as the child grows . My baby has much less skin reactions than my other kids had with both brands. And it’s quite simple to use."

~ Shihaam A., Cape Town

Husbands Who Know Their Place

"We prefer pampers because my wife prefers pampers for some unquantifiable reason ...if it were up to me it would be whichever is cheapest."

~ Andrew, Cape Town

Is It Huggies Or Pampers For You?

Which is your goto brand? Huggies or Pampers? Have your say in the comments below and tell us about your experience and which brand is best for you and your baby. 

Are you looking to promote your business?

if you have a South African businesses focused on Moms and babies you can create your free business listing on nichemarket. The more information you provide about your business, the easier it will be for your customers to find you online. 

Registering with nichemarket is easy; all you will need to do is head over to our sign up form and follow the instructions. If you require a more detailed guide on how to create your profile or your listing, then we highly recommend you check out the following articles.

• How to create a nichemarketer profile
• How to create a nichemarket business listing

Recommended reading

If you enjoyed this post and have time to spare why not check out these related posts and dive deeper down the rabbit hole that is parenting.

• Loyalty And Rewards Programs for South African Moms To Milk
• Pregnancy & Baby Freebies To Try Before You Buy
• Specifics of Using Humidifier for Baby
• How To Select A Mattress For A Pregnant Woman
• How Real Career Moms Cope With It All
• 7 Amazing Tips for Surviving Your Baby's First Haircut
• Breastfeeding and Expressing at Work in South Africa

Tags: parent advice, nappies, diapers, newborns