In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive Review

Generally average diaper with poor absorption
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pampers swaddlers sensitive disposable diaper review
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price:  $0 List
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Manufacturer:   Pampers
By Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz  ⋅  Jul 28, 2017
48
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Absorption - 40% 4.0
  • Leakage - 20% 5.0
  • Comfort - 15% 7.0
  • Health - 15% 4.0
  • Eco-friendly - 5% 4.0
  • Durability - 5% 7.0

The Skinny

Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive diapers are soft with friendly closure tabs and cuffs. The diaper has added aloe lotion to the inner liner to help calm irritated skin and a wetness indicator, so you know when to change the diaper. Unfortunately, this diaper did not score well in our tests for leakage or absorption with an inconsistency in test results that indicate poor quality control from diaper to diaper. We also didn't like the lack of consideration for health and eco-friendliness with the use of chlorine and lack of disclosure when it comes to how the diaper is made and what is used. Overall, the higher price and below average scores make this a diaper we don't recommend.
REASONS TO BUY
Durable
Soft
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor leakage and absorption
Update — July 2020
Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive diapers have been discontinued. Pampers Pure is another sensitive skin friendly option from Pampers.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Pampers is a popular company owned by Proctor and Gamble and is known for making diapers and wipes. Pampers is commonly found in hospitals and is often the first diaper babies wear after birth. Proctor and Gamble was one of the first to develop the disposable diaper. They were first developed by a chemical engineer working for Proctor and Gamble named Victor Mills. In the 1950s, he began working on the disposable diaper and as the years went by, the company added tape closure tabs, elastic legs, and refastening tabs, and they made the diapers thinner with gelling material.

Performance Comparison


pampers swaddlers sensitive disposable diaper review - swaddlers sensitive has a soft inner layer that rests against baby's...
Swaddlers Sensitive has a soft inner layer that rests against baby's skin.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Likes


Swaddlers Sensitive diapers only scored above average for durability and average for comfort with all other metrics coming below average. This makes the Sensitive a product without much to like because it is generally average.

pampers swaddlers sensitive disposable diaper review - the closure tabs and cuffs on the swaddlers sensitive are very skin...
The closure tabs and cuffs on the Swaddlers Sensitive are very skin friendly.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

This diaper is fairly comfortable with non-abrasive tabs and cuffs. The fabric is soft, though not as soft as some other products we looked at. The diaper is relatively smooth at the motion points, but the elastic on the back is only about average.

pampers swaddlers sensitive disposable diaper review - the absorption test results for the swaddlers sensitive diapers were...
The absorption test results for the Swaddlers Sensitive diapers were inconsistent, with some indicating less moisture transfer and others excessive transfer.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Dislikes


Swaddlers Sensitive scored slightly higher for leakage than other diapers from the same brand. However, they still came out below average and were not that impressive given that there were some diapers that didn't leak at all.

It scored lower in our absorption tests. Part of the problem with absorption was an inconsistent result across multiple diapers from the same and different packs. This indicates a possible quality control issue where some of the diapers locked moisture away fairly well while others did not. Either way, moisture on the test sheet indicates that the diaper could leave moisture next to baby's skin, leading to diaper rashes.

pampers swaddlers sensitive disposable diaper review - the pampers swaddlers sensitive had significant leakage in our...
The Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive had significant leakage in our tests, but the absorption tests were inconsistent with some good and some bad results.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The Swaddlers Sensitive diapers had a very low score for health and eco-friendliness, keeping in line with their non-sensitive counterparts. Pampers has a vague disclosure on how their diapers are made, and the main difference in the Sensitive version is the added aloe that the regular version does not have. Given that some babies can be sensitive to any additional additives it is a strange decision to call the aloe version "sensitive". These diapers are not free of lotion, chlorine, dye, or perfumes, and it does not have an allergy certification.

pampers swaddlers sensitive disposable diaper review - pampers swaddlers sensitive is a soft diaper with wetness indicator.
Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive is a soft diaper with wetness indicator.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Conclusion


The Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive is similar to Pampers Swaddlers but with added aloe to the inner liner that is supposed to help sensitive skin. This diaper is a little on the spendy side and didn't score above average in any metric but durability where it came in one point above average. This product earned disappointing scores for leakage and absorption, which are the two most important functions of a diaper. If it leaks or doesn't absorb liquids then it isn't doing its job as a diaper.

Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz