In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

Kirkland Signature Supreme Review

Durable and cozy diaper with good performance for the price, but it lacks ecology and health considerations
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kirkland signature supreme disposable diaper review
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price:  $0 List
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Manufacturer:   Kirkland
By Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz  ⋅  Apr 20, 2022
61
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#7 of 17
  • Absorption - 40% 6.0
  • Leakage - 20% 7.0
  • Comfort - 15% 9.0
  • Health - 15% 3.0
  • Eco-friendly - 5% 1.0
  • Durability - 5% 9.0

The Skinny

Kirkland Signature Supreme disposable diapers are a fairly good value with better than average performance in some key metrics. This diaper is comfortable and durable, translating to even more savings by avoiding the throwaway faulty diapers we saw with some of the competition. The signature offers better than average absorption and leak prevention in our tests. These diapers don't offer much in environmental concerns or being free of known potential skin irritants. Still, if you want a reliable diaper that won't break the bank and you have fewer worries about irritants and eco-health, then the Kirkland diaper may be the right choice for you.
REASONS TO BUY
Durable
Comfy
Lower price
Good leak protection
REASONS TO AVOID
Not eco-friendly
No considerations for health
Editor's Note: we performed an update on this diaper review on April 20, 2022, with new details on the award winners and those we recommend.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Best Value Award    
Price Check Price at Amazon$0.24 List
$0.19 each at Amazon
Check Price at AmazonCheck Price at Amazon$0.19 List
$0.20 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Pros Durable, comfy, lower price, good leak protectionDurable, comfortable for baby, affordableComfortable, durable, fewer leaks, lower priceComfortable, durableAffordable, comfortable, durable
Cons Not eco-friendly, no considerations for healthAverage absorbency, less eco-friendlyNot eco-friendly, poor absorption, disappointing health attributesPoor absorption, more leaks, not eco-friendlyNot very absorbent, runs small, no considerations for health or environment
Bottom Line Durable and cozy diaper with good performance for the price, but it lacks ecology and health considerationsA durable diaper that has some health and comfort benefits without breaking the bankInexpensive, cozy option but poor absorption, ecology, and health performance create an overall disappointing diaperA comfortable option that fails to provide enough absorption and leak protection, even at the lower priceIt may be the cheapest diaper, but it is disappointing in the key diaper functions of absorbency and leak protection
Rating Categories Kirkland Signature... Mama Bear Gentle Touch Huggies Snug & Dry Target Up & Up Luvs
Absorption (40%)
6.0
6.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
Leakage (20%)
7.0
7.0
5.0
2.0
5.0
Comfort (15%)
9.0
7.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
Health (15%)
3.0
7.0
1
4.0
1
Eco-friendly (5%)
1
4.0
1
2.0
2.0
Durability (5%)
9.0
9.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
Specs Kirkland Signature... Mama Bear Gentle Touch Huggies Snug & Dry Target Up & Up Luvs
Type of Diaper Traditional Traditional Traditional Traditional Traditional
Chlorine-Free Not Listed Elemental
Chlorine-free
Not Listed Elemental
Chlorine-free
Elemental
Chlorine-free
Perfume-Free Yes Yes Not Listed Yes Not Listed
Biodegradable No No No No No
Contains SAP Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Miscellaneous Materials Details
Wetness Indicator Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Stretchable Side Wings Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Stretchable Back Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Eco-awards

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Costco Company, a wholesale retail store, owns the Kirkland brand. This private-label brand strives to bring quality products to consumers at a price-saving value. The Kirkland Signature label is on about 20% of the products offered at Costco, and they strive to provide products that are equal to or better than the name brand options so they can better control the quality of products and help drive down the price on national brands at the same time. You can find the Kirkland label on various items, from diapers to dog food and everything in between.

Performance Comparison


kirkland signature supreme disposable diaper review - absorption tests on the kirkland diapers indicated it absorbs...
Absorption tests on the Kirkland diapers indicated it absorbs liquids quickly so baby can stay drier.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Absorption


This diaper earned a decent score for absorption. Its slightly above-average results were consistent across repeated tests indicating a level of attention to consistency in the manufacturing process we didn't see in all of the best disposable diaper competition.


The Kirkland diaper has a small amount of moisture transfer to the filter paper, but the amount is minimal compared to the competition. Less transfer is better because it means the diaper is good at locking moisture away, which helps prevent leaking and keeps your baby's skin drier.

kirkland signature supreme disposable diaper review - the kirkland diaper absorbed quite a bit of urine between changes...
The Kirkland diaper absorbed quite a bit of urine between changes without falling apart or leaking.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Dry skin means less potential for irritation or diaper rash as a result of chronic wetness. Our testers felt the diaper was better for daytime wetting as it struggled with significant overnight wetting, which resulted in some leaking.

kirkland signature supreme disposable diaper review - only a small amount of mock urine made it to our leakage pan but...
Only a small amount of mock urine made it to our leakage pan but online reviewers felt this diaper may leak more than the higher priced competition.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Leakage


The Kirkland diaper has slightly above-average performance when it comes to leakage.


This diaper did particularly well in our run-off test, with only a small amount of mock urine dripping into the pan. This test result means that the diaper absorbs liquids quickly, resulting in a lower potential for leaks in the real world. However, in our online research, this diaper has a more significant percentage of complaints concerning leaks than some of the competition. Leaking isn't a significant issue, but there is a greater occurrence than the higher scoring diapers. For the price, however, this diaper impresses with its combination of higher leakage and absorption scores than other similarly priced options.

kirkland signature supreme disposable diaper review - kirkland diapers are super soft with skin friendly elastic, motion...
Kirkland diapers are super soft with skin friendly elastic, motion points, tabs, and cuffs.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Comfort


Kirkland earned one of the highest scores for this metric. This diaper managed to pull off something somewhat rare by being comfortable and durable (see below).


This diaper has a soft backing and an inner liner that feels more like actual fabric than most diapers we tested. However, it shines in the elastic and motion points that have a smooth and skin-friendly feel. Even the closure tabs and cuffs feel less abrasive than most of the diaper competition, giving this diaper a cozy fit and feel.

kirkland signature supreme disposable diaper review - given the amount of time little ones wear their diaper, it is...
Given the amount of time little ones wear their diaper, it is important to consider what the diaper is made of and what it is missing.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Health


Kirkland did not score well for health, in part because they don't provide a disclosure list of what is in the diaper or what they avoid using.


Many of the store brand or discount diapers seem to be forgoing any consideration for known irritants. Still, we think being free of these common additives is a step in the right direction that all brands should be making for babies' health and skin. This diaper does not indicate if it is free of chlorine, something most diapers are moving towards to avoid the impact on the environment and the development of dioxins. For health, this diaper only mentions being perfume-free; it says nothing about lotion, dyes, latex, or chlorine, which is a disappointment.

kirkland signature supreme disposable diaper review - we experienced some skin rashes around the waistband of the kirkland...
We experienced some skin rashes around the waistband of the Kirkland with one tester.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The potential for one or more of these known irritants to be in the diaper could be why one of our testers had an adverse skin reaction to the waistband of the Kirkland. It would be difficult to say what caused the rash without more information, but moisture is unlikely given the location.

Ecological


Like most store brand diapers, the Kirkland product doesn't offer much to be environmentally friendly, scoring near the bottom of the group.


Unfortunately, Kirkland does not offer even a partial disclosure of the manufacturing process of these diapers. Given that most companies love to brag about their environmental benefits, we assume this means they've made no effort to improve the overall impact of this diaper on the Earth. Considering that no disposable diaper is great for the environment, we prefer to see companies at least making an effort to improve their products with the Earth in mind. This diaper does not appear to be chlorine-free, nor is it made with renewable or sustainable resources or plant-based plastics. While you can recycle the box it comes in, it doesn't use recycled materials in its packaging. Some advances it could try would be using bamboo or corn-based resources, improving the potential for biodegradability, and incorporating recycled materials into its design or packaging. For a more Earth-friendly configuration, some diapers have moved to compostable materials and bamboo covers and liners.

kirkland signature supreme disposable diaper review - the kirkland diaper is very durable with no reviews or testers...
The Kirkland diaper is very durable with no reviews or testers experiencing any issues with faulty tabs or leaking SAP.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Durability


With one of the highest scores for durability, the Kirkland diaper beat out many other options.


We did not have any issues or problems with faulty tabs or falling apart during testing. There were no SAP leaks or tearing back fabric. Users online had similar results, with 0 of 137 reviews we read discussing any problems with durability.

kirkland signature supreme disposable diaper review - the kirkland is a durable diaper that withstands a busy baby.
The Kirkland is a durable diaper that withstands a busy baby.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Being durable and comfortable is a rarity in the world of diapers and something to consider. Some of the other diapers we tested have repeated durability issues resulting in a certain percentage of diapers being unusable, which increases the overall cost of the diapers and the annoyance factor.

Should You Buy the Kirkland Supreme?


This diaper is budget-friendly and has a combined absorption and leak performance that is great for the price. With the comfort and durability we saw in this product, it is hard to dismiss this diaper if your budget is tight. However, if you have concerns about the environment or potential irritants sitting next to your baby's skin, this may not be your diaper. While Kirkland brand diapers do not check all the boxes of a desirable disposable diaper, they offer something that is somewhat rare in this group and could be on the shortlist for many families to consider.

What Other Disposable Diaper Should You Consider?


If you are drawn to Kirkland due to price, Mama Bear Gentle Touch should be one on your shortlist to consider. This diaper is often less expensive and scored higher overall in our testing. It has the same performance for absorption and leakage as the Kirkland diaper, and it offers more for eco-friendliness and health for little ones. So if budget is a consideration, but you hate to sacrifice health and the environment for the sake of price, Mama Bear is the better choice, in our opinion.

Manufacturer Video



Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz
 

Honest, objective reviews. Led by a Pediatrician.

BabyGearLab was founded by a Pediatrician Mom with a mission to provide a reliable, independent, source of information to new parents. Our experts have tested thousands of baby and kids products to share key performance, health, and safety findings. We spend tens of thousands of dollars crash testing car seats to inform our ratings. And, we combine our review work with gobs of expert parenting advice. To assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing by people who care.

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