Luvs Review
The Skinny
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Luvs | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ||||
Price | $0.19 List $0.20 at Amazon | $0.24 List $0.20 each at Amazon | Check Price at Amazon | Check Price at Amazon | Check Price at Amazon |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Affordable, comfortable, durable | Durable, comfortable for baby, affordable | Durable, comfy, lower price, good leak protection | Comfortable, durable, fewer leaks, lower price | Comfortable, durable |
Cons | Not very absorbent, runs small, no considerations for health or environment | Average absorbency, less eco-friendly | Not eco-friendly, no considerations for health | Not eco-friendly, poor absorption, disappointing health attributes | Poor absorption, more leaks, not eco-friendly |
Bottom Line | It may be the cheapest diaper, but it is disappointing in the key diaper functions of absorbency and leak protection | A durable diaper that has some health and comfort benefits without breaking the bank | Durable and cozy diaper with good performance for the price, but it lacks ecology and health considerations | Inexpensive, cozy option but poor absorption, ecology, and health performance create an overall disappointing diaper | A comfortable option that fails to provide enough absorption and leak protection, even at the lower price |
Rating Categories | Luvs | Mama Bear Gentle Touch | Kirkland Signature... | Huggies Snug & Dry | Target Up & Up |
Absorption (40%) | |||||
Leakage (20%) | |||||
Comfort (15%) | |||||
Health (15%) | |||||
Eco-friendly (5%) | |||||
Durability (5%) | |||||
Specs | Luvs | Mama Bear Gentle Touch | Kirkland Signature... | Huggies Snug & Dry | Target Up & Up |
Type of Diaper | Traditional | Traditional | Traditional | Traditional | Traditional |
Chlorine-Free | Elemental Chlorine-free |
Elemental Chlorine-free |
Not Listed | Not Listed | Elemental Chlorine-free |
Perfume-Free | Not Listed | Yes | Yes | Not Listed | Yes |
Biodegradable | No | No | No | No | No |
Contains SAP | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Miscellaneous Materials Details | |||||
Wetness Indicator | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Stretchable Side Wings | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Stretchable Back | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Eco-awards |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Luvs is owned by Proctor and Gamble, which also makes Pampers diapers. Luvs' idea is that it is possible to find a great diaper that works well without paying more. Luvs offers a money-back guarantee if you are not happy with their diaper compared to another brand you've used. Luvs believes that once you are an experienced parent, you'll choose Luvs over other brands because it offers the same quality and functionality while saving you money.
Performance Comparison
Likes
Our favorite part about Luvs diapers is the comfort factor. The inner liner is smooth and lightweight. It has almost no texture that could cause chafing or irritation. All elastics and gussets feel gentle on the skin and are not restricting. Compared with some other diapers, Luvs diapers are thinner and made with less material, leading to a less bulky feel, which some babies prefer. These diapers fit better under clothing and might be less restricting for your little one.
Another attractive feature of choosing the Luvs brand is the price. It is one of the cheapest options we tested, making it a desirable choice for parents on a tight budget. However, we urge you to consider that the number of diapers you use overall may increase with Luvs compared to slightly more expensive brands as they are less absorbent than much of the competition.
Dislikes
After completing all of our tests, Luvs left us not in love. With one of the lowest absorbency scores and an unimpressive leakage score, we do not trust these diapers to withstand an extra heavy wetting or to contain a blowout. The lack of wicking properties means that your baby will be sitting with wet material directly against their skin, which can cause irritation and rashes. To avoid this, users often complain about having to put on a new diaper more frequently than with other brands, often encountering leaks if the diaper is not changed soon enough. Luvs left a large puddle of uncaptured mock urine during our leak tests because the diaper could not absorb the liquid quickly enough.
The amount of leaks you deal with is dependent on your child's potty habits; however, the consensus is that these diapers may not be the best option for nighttime or long car rides and could result in wet clothes, bedding, and car seat.
The final metrics that we evaluate are health and eco-friendliness; Luvs did not do well in either category. While they do not list any dyes or perfumes, the diapers have a print all over and a fragrance so strong that you can smell it even before opening the package. Aside from touting latex-free materials, Luvs does not fully disclose their list of ingredients, which leaves buyers guessing at the contents, and we would prefer that they be more transparent about what they put into their diapers. They are elemental chlorine-free (ECF), which prevents dioxins, but we prefer diapers to be totally chlorine-free. Other than being ECF, they don't claim to make an effort to be biodegradable and using renewable resources during production.
Should You Buy the Luvs?
When making a final decision, we do not recommend using Luvs as your primary disposable diaper. If you are in a bind and need something baseline affordable, these will do the job. However, to prevent leaks and blowouts, remember to change diapers sooner than you think you need to, and you may end up using more diapers, raising the overall cost. If you are looking for a better-functioning diaper that will save you money in the long run, we recommend looking elsewhere.
What Other Disposable Diaper Should You Consider?
Mama Bear Gentle Touch is a budget-friendly option that costs a few cents more per diaper but offers so much more in performance we think you might use fewer diapers, thus, saving money over the Luvs product. Mama Bear has higher performance for absorption and leakage with significantly more considerations for the baby's health in our tests. We think parents on a tighter budget will love everything about Mama Bear and find the pennies more per diaper well worth the added cost for the absorption and leak protection alone.
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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