This post may contain affiliate links including the Amazon Associates Program. When you make purchases through links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only endorse products I believe in.
High diaper absorbency means no leakage, no blowouts, no diaper rash, and a full night’s sleep. As a busy exec, mom of two littles in diapers, and notorious over-scheduler of our social calendar, I’m looking for baby products that make life easier, including the best diapers on the market. Because an absorbent diaper is a necessity in life, period.
TLDR: Which diapers have the best absorbency? I tested Coterie vs. Millie Moon vs. Dyper vs. Kirkland vs. Pampers Swaddlers vs. Pampers Pure vs. Healthy Baby vs. Honest vs. Freestyle vs. Hello Bello to find out.
Overwhelmed by all of the diaper-related terminology? I've got you covered.
There are so many different ingredients in diapers it can be hard to decipher what each one actually means. That's why I've created this guide that breaks down the different diaper ingredients to help you understand what's actually in your baby's diaper.
Every diaper claims to be “highly absorbent,” so my obsession with research got the best of me, and I decided to test this diaper feature myself (along with rank them on a bunch of other important criteria).
The test: pour water on each diaper, then see how quickly liquid is absorbed and feel how dry it is. I know, very clever 😆
Absorbency test
Coterie: This diaper absorbed liquid instantly and felt incredibly dry. 5/5
Millie Moon: This performed the same as I’d consider your average diaper – absorbed the liquid (not instantly like Coterie though), and feels damp on the touch. 3/5
Dyper: While this diaper absorbed quite quickly, these felt the wettest of all the options. 2/5
Kirkland: The liquid rolled on top of the diaper, resisting absorbency. Once absorbed it didn’t feel sopping wet, but it certainly didn't feel dry. 3/5
Pampers Swaddlers: Just like Kirkland, the liquid resisted absorbing into the diaper, and took even longer to settle in. These definitely feel wet. 2/5
Pampers Pure: Just like the OG of this brand, these resisted absorbency of liquid, and definitely feel wet. 2/5
Healthy Baby: This diaper absorbed fast, but felt wet still after several minutes. 3/5
Honest: This diaper absorbed slowly, got bulky when wet and the surface felt damp to the touch. 2/5
Freestyle: This diaper absorbed decently quickly, but definitely feels wet to the touch. 3/5
Hello Bello: This diaper absorbed slowly, and felt wet to the touch. 2/5
Absorbency Winner: Coterie
Clean Ingredients
Coterie: Total Chlorine Free. Latex free. Fragrance free. Lotion free. Dye free. Alcohol free. Paraben free. Phthalate free. They are the only brand to release a public Diaper Safety Report. 5/5
Millie Moon: Elemental chlorine free (pulp is bleached with chlorine dioxide, not as safe as TCF). Latex free. Fragrance free. Lotion free. 3/5
Dyper: Elemental Chlorine free (pulp is bleached with chlorine dioxide, not as safe as TCF). Latex free. Fragrance free. Lotion free. Paraben free. Phthalate free. 3/5
Kirkland: Elemental Chlorine free. Latex free. Fragrance free. Lotion free. Not a ton of transparency for anything else. 2/5
Pampers Swaddlers: Elemental Chlorine free. Latex free. Dye free. Alcohol free. Paraben free. Phthalate free. Contains fragrance and lotion! 1/5
Pampers Pure: Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF), Latex free, Fragrance free, Paraben free. Contains lotion. 2/5
Healthy Baby: Total Chlorine Free (TCF), free of parabens, phthalates, fragrances, optical brighteners, latex, and lotions. EWG verified, OEKO TEX certified, allergy certified, plastic neutral certified. 5/5
Honest: Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF), latex free, fragrance free, paraben free, phthalate free. Contains lotion. 2/5
Freestyle: Total Chlorine Free (TCF), free of fragrances, parabens, allergens, phthalates, alcohol, lotion and latex. 4/5
Hello Bello: Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF), latex free, fragrance free, lotion free, paraben free, phthalate free. 3/5
Clean Ingredient Winner: Coterie
Comfort
Coterie: OMG these are so soft! The material is like cashmere for diapers. 5/5
Millie Moon: These have a slight plasticy feel to them, like layers of tissue paper crinkling between your fingers. 3/5
Dyper: These diapers are soft, but are missing the fluffy, cloud-like feel that Coterie has. 4/5
Kirkland: These are softer than your average drug store brand, but flexibility of the material is strongly lacking. 3/5
Pampers Swaddlers: These feel exactly as you’d expect a diaper to – plastic and crinkly. 2/5
Pampers Pure: These diapers are very soft, for a big name brand. Not like the Pampers Swaddlers, but definitely not like Coterie. 4/5
Healthy Baby: These are very thin, but do have a touch of softness. 3/5
Honest: These have a crinkly paper-like feeling. They are super stretchy, which makes movement more comfortable, but it also makes it harder to lay them out flat under your baby during diaper changes. 3/5
Freestyle: These are soft on the outside, but the inside top sheet is a bit rougher. 3/5
Hello Bello: These are softer than your average diaper, but they still have a plasticy feel to them. 3/5
Comfort Winner: Coterie
Cost
Coterie: 198 diapers for $90 on monthly subscription for size 1 (8-12lb baby) = $0.45 each
Millie Moon: 108 diapers for $30 for size 1 (6-11lb baby) = $0.25 each
Dyper: 224 diapers for $80 on monthly subscription for size 2 (6-16lb baby) = $0.36 each
Kirkland: 192 diapers for $39 for size 1 (6-11lb baby) = $0.20 each
Pampers Swaddlers: 164 diapers for $43 for size 1 (8-14lb baby) = $0.26 each
Pampers Pure: 198 diapers in Size 1 = $63 ($0.32/diaper)
Healthy Baby: A subscription of 210 diapers in Size 1 = $105 ($0.50/diaper)
Honest: 78 diapers in Size 1 = $32.99 ($0.42/diaper)
Freestyle: A subscription of 204 diapers in Size 1 = $105 ($0.51/diaper) *includes 4 packs of wipes
Hello Bello: A subscription of 225 diapers in Size 1 = $69.99 ($0.31/diaper) *includes 4 packs of wipes
Cost Winner: Kirkland
And the best diaper of 2025 is…
Taking absorbency as the top criteria while also factoring in the others, Coterie is clearly worth the price as the best diaper in this lineup. Yes I know, the price of Kirkland diapers is very appealing, but you’ll use twice as many diapers compared to Coterie because of its inferior absorbency… meaning more diaper changes -> more diaper purchases (and more taking up space in your diaper bag). If you can swing it, Coterie is worth the splurge. Try them for yourself now. And be sure to check out their moisturizing wipes, too—I always have these on hand, and honestly am so impressed with them.
Get 20% off your purchase of Coterie Diapers with code: NEWMODERNMOM
Overwhelmed by all of the diaper-related terminology? I've got you covered.
There are so many different ingredients in diapers it can be hard to decipher what each one actually means. That's why I've created this guide that breaks down the different diaper ingredients to help you understand what's actually in your baby's diaper.
Author
