One of the most common questions faced by many new mommies is – which brand of diaper is most suitable for newborn? Today, there is a wide variety of brands of newborn diapers available and in different price range to suit each parent. In particular for a first time mom, you want to try the best diaper available for your precious bundle of joy. I can understand why so as I am a first time mom myself. To help other first time mommies, I have put together this guide based on the research I have done (tried and tested on my baby) and recommendations by others.

Key Features of Diaper Mommies Look For

After speaking to a group of mommies in Singapore, these are the key features for diaper which are important to us and ‘1’ being the top feature with the most votes.

1. Excellent Absorbency

A better diaper will have the ability to absorb and hold more urine and poo. And it’s common for babies to have runny poo especially first few months due to their diet is mainly liquid. My girlfriend’s baby had a runny poo and the diaper leaked when their flight took off! Her husband was carrying the baby when the mini “explosion” erupted. The poor parents couldn’t go to the restroom to change the diaper as all passengers were required to be seated during takeoff. They wished they had used a better absorbency diaper. An excellent absorbency diaper will effectively trap soft poo into the sheet and constantly drawing moisture away from the surface. This will minimize contact between skin and moisture (poo/urine). Moms are concerned in preventing baby’s bottom getting red and sore (diaper rash!) due to wet diaper.

2. Remarkable Breathability

As technology changes, the diaper these days mostly support this feature. There are gaps on the top sheet allowing air to flow freely between the diaper and your baby’s bottom which helps prevent humidity from building up inside.

3. Softness and Comfort

Mothers touch the inside surface of diaper to determine if the sheet or cushion is soft, particularly important for their baby’s dedicate skin. They are also concern if the waistband is stretchable and does not restrict their baby’s movement (but doesn’t leak due to flexibility). Certain brand diaper allows you to open and close multiple times and has a pull-up diaper feature too.

4. Wetness Indicator

Diaper today has a wetness indicator feature that tells parent it is time for a change. How smart! If you ask a mother in her 60s now, she will tell you how grateful we mothers should be these days.

A Collection of Genuine Perspectives from Mommies Who are Staying in Singapore
‘#1’ being their personal top choice

My Feedback, mother of a 11-month-old baby

#1: MamyPoko – Love the material. Material feels gentle and soft. Absorbency is great and never leak once for me. To be able to absorb the wetness is the KEY factor.

#2: GOO.N – Tried this brand and it didn’t leak for my baby.

#3: Kao Merries – I have used this diaper for night use and it worked well too.

Other feedback: Nepia diaper does not fit my baby even though the quality feels good.

Belle Teh, mother of a 3-month-old baby
#1: GOO.N (made in Japan version) – I am sold simply because it is made in Japan! There are other versions selling in Singapore that are made from other countries. Material is soft to touch compared to other brands which I’ve tried. Absorbency is GOOD!

#2: Moony – Material is soft which makes it easy to conform to the shape of baby’s butt. My baby seems ok with this brand as well. Absorbency is alright. This factor depends on every baby’s diet and amount of urine and poo.

#3: MamyPoko – A huge feature to me as a mother is my baby must feel comfortable wearing the diaper. And MamyPoko would be my third option when it comes to softness.

Other feedback: If I were to choose a #4 choice, I would choose Huggies. Tried Drypers and it leaked when I brought my baby to clinic! There is no wetness indicator on the diaper as well. Not a preferred choice for me. Most of the other brands diaper which I have tried has a wetness indicator.

Evonne Yang, mother of a 10-month-old baby
#1: MamyPoko – Absorbency is a KEY feature for me! Helps to reduce the mess from runny poo and can hold the urine and poo much longer compared to other brands I have used. I pick MamyPoko after my baby is 3-month-old.

#2: Drypers – For my newborn, I pick Drypers because it is cheaper and during this period (0-3 mths), I have to keep changing the diaper throughout the day. Average about 6-8 pieces a day. More economical to use a cheaper price tag diaper.

#3: Kao Merries – Soft and seems to have a good absorbency. But still prefer MamyPoko.

Other feedback: I have tried nappy liner but it didn’t work for my baby. A little wet and my baby scream hell! However, I have heard other mommies using nappy liners and work wonders for them.

Evan Lee, mother of a 8-month-old baby and 2-year-old toddler

#1: Huggies – This was the first diaper brand which I’ve used on my baby since it was given to me by the hospital when I delivered. My toddler did not develop any diaper rash when she was younger. The price also suits our budget and we have been using Huggies for our younger one as well.

#2: MamyPoko – As my first child grows into a toddler, I’ve changed to pull up diaper from MamyPoko as the absorbency is better and it didn’t leak for us.

#3: No other choice!

Other feedback: We switched back to Huggies after my toddler was able to wear and pull up her own pants. Personally, I very much prefer Huggies because it allows me to open and close the diaper numerous times as compared to the other brands I’ve tested. So in the case of any error in closing the diaper, I can do it again and again AND it still sticks! Our little one has been using Huggies till now without any diaper rash (Huggies Ultra). I would highly recommend this range.

Ju Chan, mother of a 5-year-old and a pair of twins at 6-month-old

#1: Nepia – Made in Japan. I’ve always trust the products from Japan for their quality. Material is soft and good fit for my babies. Diaper is thin and soft.

#2: MamyPoko – Good absorbency! No leaks! No fussy babies!

#3: Pampers – Popular brand and widely available. Did well in absorption and leaks. Not as soft to touch.
Chelsea Tan, mother of a 2-month-old baby

#1: Mamy Poko – Great absorbency and soft to touch.

#2: Huggies – Price seems reasonable. However, I go for absorbency over pricing. MamyPoko for the win!

#3: GOO.N – is my third choice simply because I have yet to try other brands. Among the four brands which I have tested, I would go for MamyPoko or Huggies.

Other feedback: Personally, I don’t like Pampers because I could smell the poo and urine within a short time frame. Therefore, it feels to me like the diaper could not absorb as well compared to the other brands I’ve tested. Importantly, Pampers is expensive! I have to keep changing diaper frequently throughout the whole day during this period so it is definitely not economical to my wallet. I have heard good reviews on GOO.N but it leaked. Maybe the size didn’t fit that time – wouldn’t mind trying again.

Joanne Tang, mother of a 2-year-old and 1-year-old
#1: MamyPoko – Excellent absorbency and softness. No leaks for me which equals to less stress!

#2:  Drypers –  Cheaper alternative to MamyPoko. But feels stiff to touch.

#3: Pampers – If I have to pick a #3 choice, I would choose this. However, I am sticking to MamyPoko for the longest time.

Other feedback: For both Pampers and Huggies, they didn’t work for my kids as the diapers did not seem to absorb as well as MamyPoko and is very small in size.

April Liang, mother of a 2-month-old baby
#1: GOO.N (made in Japan version) – because it’s cheaper! Average S$0.22 to S$0.25 per piece. I pick GOO.N for day use as it is more economical for me.
#2: Kao Merries – Feels soft and has a good absorbency. I pick Merries for night use as the diaper can hold more urine/poo during the night time. Also a preferred option if I am bringing baby out.
#3: Huggies – Simply because that’s what Gleneagles Hospital provides when I delivered there previously.

These perspectives came from part of my collection of feedback from different mommies staying in Singapore based on their own experiences. Share with us your feedback on which diaper works best for you and your baby.

Remember – there is no one size fits all. 😏