If your baby is ready for splishing and splashing, you’re gonna need a good swim diaper. Unlike regular diapers, swim diapers like Pampers Splashers and Huggies Little Swimmers won’t become super heavy when they’re in the water, letting your baby swim and play to their heart’s content while keeping the poop at bay.
Pampers and Huggies are two of the most popular diaper brands. Both offer special swim diapers, sure to keep your baby protected on their journey from swimming beginner to a teeny tiny Michael Phelps.
But which one should you choose? Here’s everything you need to know about Pampers Splashers and Huggies Little Swimmers!
What’s the difference between Pampers Splashers and Huggies Little Swimmers? What are the similarities?
| Huggies Little Swimmers | Pampers Splashers | |
| Free of | Fragrances, lotions, elemental chlorine | Elemental chlorine |
| Features | Stretchy side panels, leak guard, fun designs | Leak guard, stretchy waistband, fun designs |
| Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 on average | 4.8 out of 5 on average |
| Price | About 50 cents per diaper | About 50 cents per diaper |
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Huggies Little Swimmers Review
Huggies Little Swimmers diapers are Huggies’ only diaper suitable for swimming. Let’s take a closer look at this variety.
Features
Huggies Little Swimmers have plenty of fancy features to ensure your little one has a great swimming experience. They have a leak guard to keep everything in the diaper, stretchy side panels to let your baby move freely in the water, ‘unique absorbent material’, and bright, fun designs.
Materials
It’s great that Huggies makes its diaper materials so readily available – they’re all clearly stated on the company’s website – but it’s a shame most varieties don’t have any eco-credentials.
Huggies Little Swimmers diapers are made of various plastics, wood fluff pulp, adhesives, and dyes. The great news is that they’re free of fragrances, lotions, rubber latex, and elemental chlorine. Fragrances and lotions are completely unnecessary additions to diapers and can cause skin irritation, so it’s brilliant that they don’t make an appearance in Little Swimmers.
Chlorine might be used to tackle bacteria in the swimming pool, but did you know that you’ll find it in a lot of diapers too?
The problem is, it’s terrible for the environment, so it’s best to choose totally chlorine-free diapers if you can. Elemental chlorine-free is the next best thing, which is what Huggies Little Swimmers have.
Huggies Little Swimmers Size Chart
Huggies Little Swimmers are available in sizes S, M, and L. You’ll find a size to suit babies from 16-32+lbs, so they’re not suitable for younger babies.
| Size | Weight |
| S | 16-26lbs |
| M | 24-34lbs |
| L | 32+lbs |
Reviews
Reviews for Huggies Little Swimmers diapers are absolutely glowing. They average 4.8 out of 5 in over 2500 reviews, so it’s safe to say they’re tried, tested, and loved. Parents love their stretchy waistband, snug fit, and cute designs… probably more than the little ones, actually.
Price
You’ll probably find Huggies Little Swimmers in most grocery stores and, of course, on Amazon. Amazon’s a great place to get your baby diapers because you can get up to 20% off baby food and diaper subscriptions with the Amazon Family Program. It’s free to join for Prime members and it also gives you access to exclusive discounts and parenting tips.
A pack of 36 M diapers will set you back just under 18 bucks – or 50 cents per diaper. A pack of L diapers will set you back slightly more – 53 cents per diaper.
Swim diapers do tend to cost a little more than regular disposable diapers, but it’s not a bad price.
The good, the bad, the bottom line
| The Good | The Bad |
| ✔ Great reviews ✔ Leak guards ✔ Fits like swimwear ✔ Adjustable waistband ✔ Features Disney designs ✔ Free of fragrances, lotions, elemental chlorine, and latex ✔ Not a bad price ✔ Widely available | ☹ No real eco-credentials |
The bottom line
There’s no question that Huggies Little Swimmers diapers will keep your baby protected in the water whilst they’re splishing and splashing to their heart’s content. They have great reviews, they’re not a bad price and you can save even more with Amazon’s Family Program.
Pampers Splashers Review
Pampers Splashers is another super popular variety of diapers. How do they compare to Huggies Little Swimmers?
Pampers Splashers Features
The features of Pampers Splashers and Huggies Little Swimmers are pretty similar. Like Little Swimmers, Splashers have leak-guard barriers to keep the messes at bay, a stretchy waistband for comfort, and cute designs. They also have easy tear sides for quick changing.
Pampers Splashers Materials
Like Huggies, Pampers makes its ingredients readily available online. It’s important to know what’s in your baby’s diaper because some materials can have adverse health effects or irritate your baby’s skin. Fragrances and lotions in particular aren’t great for some babies’ skin, so they’re best avoided if possible.
While Huggies Little Swimmers diapers are free of fragrances and lotions, it doesn’t look like Pampers Splashers avoid these ingredients. They also use various plastics, elemental chlorine-free fluff pulp, inks, adhesives, and elastics. It’s great that they’re elemental chlorine-free, but it’s a shame they’re not totally chlorine-free.
Pampers Splashers Size Chart
Pampers Splashers are suitable for babies from 13lbs-40lbs and are available in sizes S, M and L.
| Size | Weight |
| S | 13-24lbs |
| M | 20-33lbs |
| L | 31-40lbs |
Reviews
Like Huggies Little Swimmers, Pampers Splashers have fantastic reviews; they average 4.8 out of 5 in over 1200 reviews, with over 85% of the reviews giving the diapers 5 stars. Users say they keep the messes at bay, are soft on the baby’s skin, and are super flexible.
Price
The price of Pampers Splashers is similar to that of Huggies Little Swimmers. A pack of 18 size M Splashers diapers will set you back 50 cents a diaper, pretty much the same as Huggies.
The good, the bad, the bottom line
| The Good | The Bad |
| ✔ Not a bad price ✔ Great reviews ✔ Leak guards ✔ Stretchy waistband ✔ Easy-tear sides ✔ Widely available | ☹ Pampers doesn’t state that they’re free of lotions and fragrances ☹ Not totally chlorine-free |
The bottom line
Pampers Splashers and Huggies Little Swimmers are clearly very similar when it comes to their features, price, and reviews. Both are capable of keeping your baby’s messes from escaping and both are at a similar price. It’s just a shame that Pampers doesn’t state that their swim diapers are free of lotions and fragrances, so I assume they’re used.
FAQ about disposable swim diapers:
1. Which swim diapers are the best?
Huggies Little Swimmers and Pampers Splashers are very similar. They both have similar features and great reviews and they’re pretty much the same price. One of the only differences between them is the ingredients. While Huggies Little Swimmers are free of fragrances and lotions, the same can’t be said for Pampers Splashers.
Because fragrances and lotions can irritate your baby’s skin, I’d say Huggies Little Swimmers are the better swim diaper.
2. Do Pampers Splashers go over the diaper?
You don’t need to put your baby in a regular diaper and a swim diaper – the swim diaper alone will do the job. They’re specially designed not to swell in water like regular disposables would, so your baby will be able to move freely and be comfortable in the pool.
3. What is the difference between diapers and swimmers?
Regular disposable diapers are designed to soak up all water and messes. Swimmers, on the other hand, repel the water on the outside, while keeping the poop at bay on the inside. Regular disposables will swell up in the water as they attempt to soak it all up, but swim diapers are specifically designed to let your baby move freely in the water.
4. Can I use little swimmers as diapers?
You can’t really use swim diapers as regular diapers, mainly because they’re not gonna be as effective as regular diapers. This is because they’re only really designed to keep the poop at bay, not all the pee too. It’s probably best to stick to regular diapers for outside of the water and, if you have any leftovers that no longer fit your baby, give them to a friend or even to charity.
5. Do swim diapers stop pee?
Swim diapers don’t stop the pee from escaping. Luckily, swimming pools are specially treated with chlorine to deal with escaping pee, so you don’t need to worry. Their main purpose is to stop the poop from escaping.
6. Do swim diapers hold poop?
Swim diapers are usually pretty good at keeping the poop from escaping into the water, but they’re by no means leak-proof. Swim diapers only delay potentially-harmful germs like Cryptosporidium, which can cause diarrhea, for a few minutes before it could make its way into the water.
7. How often should I change my baby when swimming?
It’s super important to change your baby frequently when they’re wearing swim diapers. They should be checked and possibly changed every hour, away from the poolside and from others to reduce the chance of contamination.
What are Alternatives to Pampers splashers and Huggies little swimmers?
Of course, there are lots of choices when it comes to swim diapers. Those who want to make more eco-friendly choices, especially considering how terrible plastic disposable diapers are, might want to steer clear of Huggies and Pampers. Neither company makes much of an effort to produce environmentally-friendly products, apart from their ever-so-slightly greener offerings, Huggies Special Delivery and Pampers Pure Protection.
So what are the best swim diapers?
Little Toes is one of my favorite diaper companies. They produce bamboo, biodegradable, and super eco-conscious diapers that are great for your baby’s skin and for the planet. And they also produce swim diapers, or as Little Toes calls them, swimmy diapers. These disposable diapers feature double seal protection and they’re free of harmful additives, chlorine, alcohol, and latex.
Another great brand is Babyganics. Although they’re not gold medal-winning in the eco-friendly stakes like Little Toes, Babyganics still make some effort to avoid harmful chemicals. Babyganics’ disposable swim pants feature a sun-sensing design that changes to indicate prolonged UV exposure. They also offer UPF 50+ protection.
When it comes to looking after the planet, it’s always worth considering reusable swim diapers. Some of my favorites include the Nageuret swim diaper, made from a premium breathable waterproof cloth fabric and with a 1-year money-back guarantee, and Alvababy swim diapers, which are adjustable in size, so it’s suitable for babies from newborn to 3 years.
Read Next: What Are The Best Reusable Swim Diapers On The Market?
Conclusion
When your baby’s ready to take on the water, you’re gonna need an effective swim diaper. There are so many on the market but, unsurprisingly, Huggies Little Swimmers and Pampers Splashers are two of the most popular varieties. But which is best?
They both have similar features, are at a similar price, and have great reviews. The only real difference between the varieties is that Huggies Little Swimmers avoids fragrances and lotions. But that’s enough to make me think Huggies is the superior diaper. Added fragrances and lotions have the potential to irritate the skin, so I’d go for Little Swimmers over Splashers.
Little Toes swim diapers is another one of my favorites – the company is super environmentally conscious – and reusable swim diapers are also a great option. No matter which variety you choose, make sure you change your baby regularly when they’re in the pool. The last thing you want is an escaping poop… and it’s the last thing everyone else in the pool will want to.
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