I’ve heard many moms rave about Luvs being comparable to the more expensive Huggies or Pampers diapers, so my initial expectations were high.  Perhaps I set myself up for failure by having my expectations high for this brand, but I must say I was slightly disappointed by my findings.  I gave it a fair chance though.  My son wore these through four diaper changes during the experiment.

• Absorbency – The pour test proved Luvs to be comparable to Pampers in it’s quickness to pull wetness away from babies skin.  It was more absorbent in the front than the back, which makes sense when you think about where most of the liquid is going to be.  However this might be an issue if my son ever gets sick and has diarrhea.  While wearing the diapers I did notice his bottom seemed a little damp to the touch even though the diaper felt dry.  It could be his sweat, but none the less, it seemed to do a poor job keeping moisture from building up and staying on his bottom.
• Leakage – No leakage was observed outside of the diaper while he was wearing them, but clean up was a bit of a mess.  Where Huggies and White Cloud seemed to contain his bowel movements effectively, when changing the Luvs diapers it got everywhere.  I had to used more wipes and clean a bigger area.  It got into the folds and creases of his legs and skin.  At first I thought he was simply using the bathroom more, but after using them through four diaper changes I realized the amount hadn’t changed, it just seemed to spread more easily in this diaper.
• Comfort – They looked, felt, and sounded like plastic sheets.  Inside and out.  They were the thinnest diapers in the group, with very little padding.  There were red marks around his legs and waist and he seemed uncomfortable while wearing them.  Squirming and kicking his legs.   His diaper rash got worse while wearing the Luvs and cleared up after changing to a different brand.  While he might have had an upset stomach, he seemed to settle down when I switch on to the next brand of diapers.
• Fit – Extra roomy in the bottom area, (almost too much room) and it fit snugly around his waist.  The leg holes seemed smaller than the other brands though, and looked like they were too tight.  These seemed wider than the Huggies and White Cloud brand, covering more area but limiting his movement when combined with the smaller leg openings.
• Features – When I first pulled out a Luvs diaper, I noticed it smelled really good.  Like baby powder, only better.  I counted this as a plus until his diaper rash.  Whatever makes the diaper smell good could also be contributing to the rash.  Probably not a good bet for newborns or babies with sensitive skin.  I also found it harder to tell if he needed his diaper changed.  The other brands bulk up due to absorbing all the moisture, so it’s easy to tell he needs changed just by the look or feel.  I found myself needing to look into the diaper or take it all the way off to see if it needed changed.
• Cost – A little more than the generic brands, but still much less than the name brands.

While many moms will continue to give Luvs diapers rave reviews, I have to say that for me and my son they just don’t cut it.  Every baby is different, and some might have no problems with this brand.  Perhaps I’ll try again when my son is older and his skin is less sensitive, but for now I’m going to stick with other brands.

Only one more brand to go in the experiment so stay tuned!