Have you tried generic diapers?

So we did it today! We bought a big box of Costco diapers- 200 to be exact. Since I have never used them before, I thought I would review them here. I would love to hear your experience with generic diapers as well.Mr. O and I had waited a little too long to buy diapers and found ourselves in a bit of a jam. We had about 3 or 4 more diapers left which would get us through today. Due to blue laws, we weren’t able to shop at Target and instead found ourselves at Costco. Costco, for whatever reason, only carries two types of diapers, Huggies and Kirkland (the Costco brand). We have never used either brand with Becca and therefore found ourselves in a predicament.

Which brand do we buy?!?! Which will be more reliable? Diapers are one of those products you don’t want to mess around with or you will have a mess on your hands. As a result, we have stuck pretty exclusively with Pampers (Swaddlers and then Baby Dry). But here we were, we needed diapers and Pampers wasn’t an option. I am such a loyal Pampers fan that I floated the idea of heading over to CVS or Walgreens to get my beloved Pampers. But we were here, the diapers were here and diapers are diapers, right? Right?! After much discussion, we opted to go with Kirkland (the Costco brand). I’d heard they were ‘pretty good’ and they were the cheaper of the two choices.

So here’s my analysis of the two brands:

Kirkland vs. Pampers Baby Dry

	Kirkland Signature Premium Diapers(Costco Brand Diapers)	Pampers Baby Dry
Size	3: 16-28lbs	3: 16-28lbs
Count and Price	200 diapers for $34.89 ($.17 per diaper)	126 diapers, $36.99 ($.29 each)
Decoration	Tiger cub	Elmo

Feel of the diaper	When folded, the Pampers diaper is wider and feels ‘thinner’ then the Kirkland diaper. The Kirkland and Pampers diaper have a similar feel. Although the Kirkland actually feels a little ‘softer’.
Back of diaper	The Kirkland diaper has more ‘elastic’ in its back band. This means that it starts smaller and expands further than the Pampers diaper. It seems as if this would help the Kirkland diaper accommodate different body types and sizes better.
Front of diaper	The front of the two diapers is a similar size. The Pampers diaper has an additional tab on each side. This may accommodate the lack of elastic on the back of the diaper.
Leg Band	Both diapers have two leg bands on each side. The inside band on the Pampers brand appears to be a little longer which might help which might help keep things in a little better (we shall see!).
Diaper pad	The pad in the Pampers brand is slightly wider and has a green/yellow tint to it. The Kirkland brand is clearly white with no tint and is a little longer than the Pampers brand.

First Day: So far, so good! Becca has had two diaper changes and the Kirkland have held up. She will be wearing it overnight so that will be a good test for them. However, the big test is still ahead. Will it hold when it really matters or will we have a ‘blow-out’ on our hands? Keep your fingers crossed and I will keep you updated!

Update: She slept from 10-6:45 *yeah* and the diapers did well. She only had pee overnight (which is pretty typical) but the diaper was pretty full and held up.

Day 2: Good news and bad news. Let’s start with the bad new. Little Becca had a blow-out which required a change of her pants and her top. Unfortunately, she was unaware of the scientific study I was undergoing and did it while her grandma was in charge. Therefore, I am not clear on whether this was beyond what Pampers Dry would have handled or not.

The good news- Becca had another ‘poo-poo’ moment and this time the Kirkland diapers easily contained it all.

Day 3: The diaper held up overnight again. It also handled another poop diaper. So far, these diapers seem to be pretty equal to the Pampers Dry. I have heard Pampers Cruisers are better than the Pampers Dry. So I might try them the next time I buy Pampers.

Day 4: The diaper once again held overnight. It was an extremely full diaper (including poop) but it all was contained.

Week 1: I still only have good news to report. I have actually had less diaper accidents with the Kirkland than with the Pampers Baby Dry.

Week 2: Another successful week with Kirkland. We only had one minor leak due to a “blow-out”. With the Baby Dry, it was pretty typical to have to change outfits at least once.

Week 3: Still really liking Kirkland! They have definitely stood up over time! We have had no ‘leaky’ diapers this week!!! Ironically, I was just given some pampers cruisers and will now have those to compare to the Kirkland.

Case 1: Well, we finished the first case and bought a new one. Overall, we still continue to be satisfied with the diapers.

Recommendation: After using one case of these diapers and starting the second, I would definitely recommend them. They are as good (if not better) than Pampers Baby Dry. In fact, I would recommend these over Pampers Baby Dry. In the future, I might try the Pampers Cruisers (if I had a coupon) but as of now we have become a Kirkland Signature Premium Diapers family. I will continue to give occasional updates as appropriate.

It’s now January, 2008 and we continue to be satisfied with the diapers. They are definitely worth giving a try.

Two Years later, 2/16/09, I continue to receive comments on this post.  I also continue to use the costco diapers.  Recently, I used a few of the pampers which did well.  However, I still prefer the price, convenience and reliability of the Kirkland.  I also rely on the wipes.  I can’t recommend them enough.  As we get closer to potty training (ugh!) I am really going to miss these diapers.

M. Kate