With a new baby comes the many decisions of choosing the best products to use when they arrive. On that list will be choosing between cloth and disposable diapers. Maybe you already planned to go with cloth diapers. In either case, it’s important to know about all your options and the difference between them. 

Today, there are so many brands to choose from that are more eco-friendly and safe for your baby. Cloth diapers are obviously the “greenest” option but there are also a large variety of planet friendly disposable diapers as well. 

So how does a parent go about making their final purchase with so many options? Let’s first start with the pros and cons of each diaper:

Going through a list of pros and cons after doing some research can truly help you decide on choosing the best baby product, as it clearly improves your understanding of how the product will benefit you.

After you have gone through comparing the functions of the two products, you can then start considering the comfort, sizing options, and pricing of each.   

Health & Comfort

The basic functions of each diaper are the same. Making sure to change the baby’s diaper as soon as it is wet to avoid irritation or rashes. When you choose a diaper you want to pick one that won’t cause discomfort for your little one and feels gentle on the skin while fulfilling its purpose. 

Disposable diapers tend to be more breathable but they contain moisture and absorbency chemicals that can irritate some babies. Some babies might even prefer the softer feel of cloth diapers.  

Price

How much the diapers cost is also an important determining factor. Having a baby is not cheap, so saving where you can is helpful. A lot of times store brands do the same job and can save you more money. 

A typical family can spend between $2,000 and $3,000 per baby for two years on disposable diapers while cloth diapers and accessories run about $800 to $1,000 if you wash them yourself.

If you go with a cloth diaper laundering service it will run you closer to the cost of disposables around $2,500 to $2,800. But also keep in mind that you can reuse cloth diapers in the future if you decide to have another baby.

Convenience

We have come a long way from the complicated folds and scary pins moms had to deal with in the past. Cloth diapers now come with Velcro or snap closures making changing time just as quick and easy as with a disposable.

Cloth diapers also come with well-designed shapes fitted to baby, waterproof bands around the waist and legs to prevent leaks and removable linings so they work just as hard as a disposable. Just keep in mind cloth diapers aren’t quite as absorbent, so you’ll have to change them more often.

Environment

This is not as clear cut as you might think for cloth diapers vs. disposable. There are definitely pros and cons for both just on their sustainability factors alone.

Yes, disposable diapers use resources like trees and plastics during manufacturing but are then collected in landfills, which isn’t great for the planet. Most eco-friendly disposable diapers can be 40% biodegradable.

We then have cloth diapers that are reusable, avoiding adding waste to landfills.  But, consider the process of washing cloth diapers—clean water and energy are used up, and nothing but dirty water is produced. 

So in the end you will choose the option that you are most comfortable using, has the least amount of harsh chemical exposure to your baby, and has the least negative impact on the environment.