Cloth or Disposable Diapers For Newborn – What is the Best Choice?

The choice between cloth or disposable diapers for newborn is one that may interest, confuse or even intimidate you. Besides cost, there are factors like environmental impact, health concerns and convenience to consider. The guide below aims to provide the pros and cons of each option to help you make an informed decision about which diapers to use on your baby

Cloth diapers vs Disposable diapers

There are no right or wrong answer for you to make a call on this. However, if you look at the 4 main factors mentioned, we do have a clear winner on this debate.

Cloth diapers cause less environmental impact like increasing landfills. It decreases the chances of diaper rash compared to disposable diapers. Furthermore, it is more cost-effective to use from the start till your baby is toilet trained.

Disposable diapers though provide you with the most convenience as you can use and throw anywhere you like. You save a lot of time and utility bills washing and rewashing mountains of cloth diapers. 

Cloth Diapers

There are many cloth diapering options available today. Old-fashioned pins and cloth squares are still used occasionally, but there are also a few convenient newer options in the market. With some cloth diapering systems, there are several parts and accessories which includes the diaper, cover and liner.

Some liners are disposable and biodegradable while others are reusable. You can rinse and wash the diapers yourself or find a diaper laundering service in your area. Some services pick up your dirty diapers, wash them and drop off the clean set. These services may or may not require you to rinse the diapers before pickup.

Cloth Diapers Pros

• They do not add to landfill
• Cloth diapered babies tend to potty train sooner. The main reason is that they feel the wetness more than babies wearing disposables
• Less frequent diaper rashes as they don’t contain chemicals and more breathable than disposables
• The investment can be used for more than one child or you can even sell it away when not in use
• Can be recycled as household rags after babies are done with them
• It is easier to monitor a baby’s urine output using cloth diapers
• Many studies have shown that washing and reusing cloth diapers have the lowest environmental impact while being the most cost-effective.

Cloth Diapers Cons

• Laundering diapers uses energy and water
• You may need to change the baby more often compared to disposables
• If you hope to find a diaper service, it may be difficult to find even for larger cities
• Soiled diapers need to sit in a diaper pail until they are washed. The odors can be very strong especially after 6 months when the baby takes on solids.
• Even with diaper service, you still may need to spend time on rinsing the diapers
• Can leak more frequently than disposables. However, this can be solved if you choose the right size and fit for your baby
• Inconvenience to bring them on travels as you cannot throw them away
• Leaks on clothing may mean more overall laundry, skyrocketing your electricity bills and detergent costs
• Startup costs can be higher for a start when compared against disposables

How many cloth diapers do you use in a day

For newborns, they typically use around 11 – 12 cloth diapers a day. From 6 months onwards, the usage should drop to around 7 – 9 cloth diapers a day. It is recommended to buy more pieces as a backup so you have time to wash and reuse them.

Do you really save money using cloth diapers

Startup costs are normally higher than with disposables at the start but you will save money over the long run. It is estimated that average disposables spending can hit around $2.5k or more till the time your baby started potty training. (Source)

You save hundreds of dollars washing and reusing cloth diapers. You can even reuse those cloth diapers for your second child or more which means more savings.

Which brand of cloth diapers is best

This will depend on your requirements. For your convenience, I have compiled a list of cloth diapers brands that can fulfil your every need.

• Lil Bums – Best Cloth Diapers Starter Kit

• Mama Koala – Best Pocket Cloth Diapers

• Gerber – Best Organic Pre Fold Cloth Diapers 

• Gerber – Best Flat Fold Cloth Diapers

• Naturally Nature – Best Biodegradable Diaper Liners

• Thirsties – Best Cloth Diaper Cover

• Snappi – Best Cloth Diaper Fasteners

Disposable Diapers

These diapers are designed for leak protection and convenience. Diaper sizes are broken down by age and weight. You try several brands until you find the best one for your baby.

Additional options like eco-friendly, bleach-free and organic options are available for premium cost. You may also like to check out the Best Diaper Backpack That Fit Every Parent Needs.

Disposable Diapers Pros

• Convenient as you can just throw after use

• Travelling is easier than using cloth diapers
• Leak less often compared to cloth diapers

Disposable Diapers Cons

• More frequent diaper rash due to the chemicals, poor breathability and longer time spent in disposable diapers.

• Most options are not biodegradable and fill up landfills which can sit for 500 years

• Can get expensive and cost more than $2500 until your child is toilet-trained
• Can delay potty training as little ones cannot tell when they’re wet when wearing disposables
• Manufacturing process of disposable diapers has more environmental impact compared to cloth diapers

What chemicals are in disposable diapers

Sodium polycarbonate is a super absorbent chemical compound that is used frequently in the fillers of many disposable diapers. The leftover of acrylic acid of producing sodium polycarbonate may cause a rash when contacts with skin.

Which Diaper is the Most Absorbent

There are studies being tested out on various disposable diaper brands and Huggies brand diaper came out to be the most absorbent. The main reason is that they have thicker padding compared to other brands. (Source).

Based on my experience, it is also my best choice for a disposable diaper. Check out the one I used for my kids here.

Conclusion for Cloth or Disposable Diapers for Newborn

As you can see, there goes a lot into making a healthy and green choice for your newborn. However, even though the message of going green is exploding, it doesn’t mean you have to worry sick for your choices.

Choose the option that makes the most sense for you and your family. Do you use a cloth or disposable diapers for newborn? Share your comments below.