There comes a time in every parent’s life when you make the big move. That’s right, I’m talking about moving up to overnight diapers to stop those constant diaper changes until dawn. For sanity’s sake, I’m hoping the little one is able to sleep for longer durations by now. I remember trying so many different diaper brands but I always kept going back to Pampers Baby Dry. It really was a winner for me.
Huggies Overnites were often recommended to me and they did their job at times, but for some reason, my daughter always found them uncomfortable and scratchy. And more often than not, there were leaks!
The horror of diaper leakages and constantly changing PJs and sheets stays with you for a long time. I’ve honestly learned a lot about the nighttime routine, way more than I ever thought I would need to know.
Now if I had to choose between the top overnight diapers, I will look at the below factors:
- Absorbency
- Skin protection and comfort
- Strong yet soft fasteners
- Wetness indicator
- Size
- Cuteness factor
How does the actual absorption work?
Diapers have become an absolute baby essential in today’s world thanks to science and a lot of tired parents. The basic composition behind diapers has come a really long way thanks to a filling made with plastic polymer polypropylene. That is what comes in direct contact with the baby’s skin and helps protect against wetness.
The fluid flows down to the next layer through the pulp-based tissue layer and into the core which contains an absorbent polymer to draw and contain the fluid. That pretty much means that a ‘plasticky’ based layer keeps the fluids from seeping out while an absorbing layer keeps the liquids in place. Both layers work together to help maintain the ‘feeling of dryness’.
What features does the diaper have?
Absorption
Pampers Baby Dry claims to be 3 times drier than a regular diaper due to 3 extra layers. It’s mostly tallied off 3-4 diaper size. Overall the diapers are supposed to provide 12 hours of protection.
Huggies Overnite have a Leak Lock System that also provides 12 hours of protection by… well essentially locking in the leaks!
Both diapers have an external layer of the ‘plasticky’ formulation that prevents the contents of the diapers from wrecking your sheets and clothes. That’s what helps in locking and preventing external leaks.
I’ve had a few ‘leaks’ with both. My baby had to have milk right before sleeping, which may have had something to do with it, but in all honesty, the diapers do not last a full 12 hours at night. At times I was lucky with 8-10 hours, and if the diaper does get full before that, any added pee would definitely lead to leakage. Many other moms I know have faced similar issues, especially with Huggies.
Overall I think Pampers has a slight edge over Huggies although I still think as parents we will need to take some preventive actions to avoid leaks.
I’ve used a couple of tricks to help stop the leaking time in my baby’s life; one is going up a size for a bedtime diaper. More so since I understood that it also depends on a few reasons including:
- How much the baby has had to drink
- If you’ve changed the diaper right before the baby slept
- How warm or cold the baby is feeling
Skin protection and comfort
Your baby will be wearing a diaper all day and all night so protecting that delicate skin and providing comfort is definitely a top priority.
Pampers Dry has a soft comfortable lining as well as a stretchy waistband that allows your baby to move about without the diaper shifting. That works so well! I’ve used this diaper during the day as well and no complaints whatsoever.
It’s not a chemical-free diaper so some of the skin protectants include alcohol, petroleum, fragrance. Mainly speaking they should not harm your baby unless it’s something your child is specifically allergic to. Generally, the chemicals in diapers do not pose any harm to your child.
Huggies has a similar waistband (Snugfit) and layers that make it easy for the baby to move. It fits and contours itself to the body. The diaper composition is very similar to what Pampers does as far as I know and no skin irritants are found in it either.
My daughter was constantly pulling on her diaper whenever she did wear Overnites, so something always bothered her about the band. In my experience, I’ve found Pampers Dry to be a lot softer and more comfortable than Overnites.
Strong yet soft fasteners
Okay, so this is an important one. Babies and toddlers are super smart. They figure out things so easily that it’s not even funny. Same thing with the diaper tabs or fasteners. If the adhesive is not strong enough you will find a lot of diaper ‘surprises” on the sheets, floors, etc any surface the baby can get to.
Needless to say, you do not want fasteners that can be pulled open by your child. Both Pampers Dry and Huggies Overnites have pretty sturdy tabs that are stretchy and easy to snap open or close by adults. The ‘stickiness’ element is pretty strong with both so that’s one thing that will help keep your peace of mind.
Wetness Indicator
I’ve always been a fan of the wetness indicator lines. Most newborn diapers have this in place which is always a hot favorite amongst parents.
Pampers Baby Dry has a color-changing wetness indicator for the smaller diaper sizes (NB through 2). It helps out immensely if you don’t know or cannot tell by feeling the diaper if it’s full. I know I’ve thrown or changed way too many diapers that were not full and felt horrible about the wastage.
For bigger Baby Dry sizes there is no such indicator, so it’s great for smaller babies. Also, I’ve noticed that the color does not change if it’s just poop (unless it’s a blowout!).
Huggies Overnites has a wetness indicator on sizes 3 to 6.
Size
Huggies Overnite Diapers begin with size 3 and go up to size 6. That would mean weight starting from about 16 lbs to up to 35 lbs. So not really suitable for a newborn.
Pampers Baby Dry starts off with a newborn size and goes up to size 6, which means it works for weight starting at about 10 lb to up to 35 lbs. That grants greater access to a wider baby audience; from a small newborn to your growing toddler. Pamper totally scored well on sizing.
Cuteness factor
Okay, so I have to admit I sometimes tried out different diaper brands due to their adorable prints and cutsie design. They make your child look even more adorable than they already are. Total photo-op moments!
Both Baby Dry and Overnites win here too. With Sesame Street characters on Pampers and Disney’s Mickey on Huggies, it all comes down to total preference. Overall they are both adorable looking.
Quick Summary
Overall if I were to summarize which 12-hour protection diaper was better, here’s what I would be looking at:
- Absorbency – Pampers Dry has a slight edge over Overnites
- Skin protection and comfort – Very close call but my personal experience gave Pampers an added nudge
- Strong yet soft fasteners – Both diapers scored well here
- Wetness indicator – Huggies has it for bigger sizes, Pampers has it in smaller sizes
- Size – Pampers clearly won since it allows for great weight limits as well as sizing.
- Cuteness factor – Both diapers scored well here
Customer Reviews
Moms have very differing views when it comes to diapers especially since their own experience speaks volumes. Here’s what the reviews say:
Pampers Baby Dry:4.5 stars 12,548 reviews – Target.com
4.5 stars 13,081 reviews – Walmart.com
4.4 stars 12,371 reviews – Walgreens.com
4.5 stars 7,191 reviews – kmart.com
Huggies Overnites:4.7 stars 4,234 reviews – Target.com
4.7 stars 4,646 reviews – Walmart.com
4.6 stars 4,538 reviews – Walgreens.com
4.5 stars 33 reviews – kmart.com
Which best nighttime diaper did we rate higher on our Best Diaper list? Click to find out.
My Recommendation
Despite the focus on the diapers for a long 12-hour protection overnight, these diapers can certainly be used during the day. They help out a lot during long car rides and road trips. Or instances where you know you may not have immediate access to a changing table. Baby Dry and Overnites do not restrict any movement so your child can run and play all day while wearing these diapers.
Price-wise, both Pampers Dry and Huggies Overnite are comparable especially since they both allow and have coupons available all the time.
Comfort and absorption wise Pampers Dry has a slight edge over Huggies Overnites. And it is one of the most important factors to keep in mind with diapers. Not only that but Pampers allows for more versatility when it comes to diaper sizing that includes bigger, smaller babies and toddlers.
Overall I recommend Pampers Baby Dry for complete peace of mind and a dry comfortable baby whether it’s during the day or night.
