Are There Any Baby Brand Diapers Out There That Are Plastic Still?

[Diaperlover3]

I was just wondering if there's any baby diaper companies out there that still make a baby diaper that has the plastic cover like all the diapers used to be in the 80's and 90's? It seems like all the major diaper companies like pampers, huggies, luvs, etc now use a cloth diaper cover for some reason. Does anyone know why this switch occured in the last ten years since it seemed like the plastic covered diapers worked just fine? I would think they would be more expensive to manufacturer as well, but maybe I'm wrong? Is the diaper with the cloth cover more absorbent than the plastic covered diapers? If anyone can enlighten me on this topic it would be very appreciated and if you can tell me of a baby diaper company out there that still makes the plasic diaper that would be awesome. Thanks

[sarah_ab]

actually the 'cloth' outside is still plastic.... its just a super fine shred..... sorta like the socks they make out of recycled plastic

but i know what you mean ..... i haven't seen any baby diapers that come with the full plastic crinkly like outside covering in a loooonnnggg time....

[Angela Bauer]

Over the years here in DD we have discussed what is known about the various diaper manufacturers reasoning switching to non-adhesive hook & loop or reduced adhesive tabs, both of which are only practical with the "cloth-like" outer covering. That is all plastic, with a super thing inner layer and the outer layer which can be made from recycled plastics.

Originally the marketing reason for pioneer "cloth-like" was research showing many mothers disliked the sensation of the classic poly-plastic against the skin of their arms while carrying babies. So at first cloth-like was a way for manufacturers to justify higher prices. As the years rolled by all the modern features, such as super absorbent polymer (SAP) gel flakes were first used in cloth-like. Along the way manufacturers discovered that cloth-like disposables have a far greater shelf-life. A seriously limiting factor of poly-plastic with sticky tapes is how quickly the adhesive dries out and no long sticks. That is a non issue with hook & loop tabs.

Velcro is a brand name, when those patents lapsed the generic term hook & loop was coined.

Another problem with poly-plastic is that when diapers are compressed for packaging and shipment, the least little dirt on the outside from manufacturing causes pin holes. This is a far smaller problem with cloth-like. Eventually diaper manufacturers found parents will buy more than one style of baby diaper for different uses. In the old days there were "over night" styles which were simply thicker than the other styles. Cloth-like is flexible enough and slightly stretchy, allowing design of "action diapers" such as Pampers Cruisers.

Disposable pull-on diapers are only practical using cloth-like.

The primary downside to cloth-like for manufacturers is that it clings to sheets and bedding, which pulls gaps when the wearer moves in bed. The primary advantage to classic poly-plastic is that it slides across bedding without cling. This is a most important consideration with adult diapers. Incontinent adults generally do not wear snap-crotch body suits in bed, which are needed to keep cloth-like from leaking due to gaps. Nearly all babies do wear a garment, often a Onesies, to support their diapers in bed.

For this reason major makers of adult diapers for the institutional trade, such as Attends and Abena, offer both cloth-like and classic poly-plastic. Please note that adult poly-plastic diapers are packaged with much less compression than cloth-like. I purchase Attends Youth Briefs, a classic poly-plastic product going back to 1878, for those times I need smooth outer layer with sticky tapes. Those are shipped in cases of 96 without inner bags, so the Youth briefs never get compressed. I wear them when away from home at which time I do not want to have to wear a Onesises.

Some manufacturers do make and sell poly-plastic baby diapers outside North America.

I was just wondering if there's any baby diaper companies out there that still make a baby diaper that has the plastic cover like all the diapers used to be in the 80's and 90's? It seems like all the major diaper companies like pampers, huggies, luvs, etc now use a cloth diaper cover for some reason. Does anyone know why this switch occured in the last ten years since it seemed like the plastic covered diapers worked just fine? I would think they would be more expensive to manufacturer as well, but maybe I'm wrong? Is the diaper with the cloth cover more absorbent than the plastic covered diapers? If anyone can enlighten me on this topic it would be very appreciated and if you can tell me of a baby diaper company out there that still makes the plasic diaper that would be awesome. Thanks

[diaperbrownie]

I wish I had been born in the era of plastic baby diapers. I have NEVER known what they felt like and never worn one. It's always been for me, what they are now.

So sad...

[diaperbrownie]

I wish I had been born in the era of plastic baby diapers. I have NEVER known what they felt like and never worn one. It's always been for me, what they are now.

So sad...

[Diaperlover3]

Wow Angela, that is a very detailed response and you seem to know what your talking about; thank you. Maybe someday the poly-plastic baby diaper will make a comeback; seems like things always go in cycles so one can always hope. Diaperbrownie if you are 27 years old you would have been right in the prime time peiod of the plastic diaper, I am 27 also which means you would have been in diapers in the mid 80's when all diapers were poly-plastic and they didn't really start going to the cloth cover until the very late 90's.

[babykeiff]

Another reason, which Angela didn't list is the cost factor.

In a poly-plastic diaper, the plastic backing is three times the thickness to that of a cloth-like diaper. Since the cloth is the same size as if not thinner than the cover sheet of a diaper, the cost price to manufacture per unit a cloth-like diaper is significantly less than to manufacture a poly-plastic diaper. The strength of holding a cloth-like diaper together is the combined strength of the thin plastic backing and the cloth like cover. This means that the total thickness of the cloth-like cover and the plastic backing can be much thinner than that of the weaker poly-plastic cover alone. Sice the cost of manufacture of poly-plastic is more expensive than to manufacture the cloth cover (poly-plastic is a synthetic materiel from oil and recycled plastics while the cloth cover is paper based) the less uses = the cheaper the diaper per unit.

Also, since less poly-plastic is used, the product is more biodegradable = extra selling point. However, disposable diapers are NOT classed as reusable / recyclable items.

[lil1inlongbeach]

I wish I had been born in the era of plastic baby diapers. I have NEVER known what they felt like and never worn one. It's always been for me, what they are now.

So sad...

Umm, you say that you're 27. My nieces are around the same age as you and they definitely wore plastic backed disposable diapers. When Pampers size 6 came out about 13 years ago they were plastic backed. So unless your mom put you in cloth you wore plastic backed diapers as a baby/toddler. Cloth outing didn't come out until after the size 6s first came out. I most definitely remember them being plastic backed as I bought some when I finally found a store that carried them.

[leo72976]

There is actually a company that has once again started to produce plastic diapers in the US. The new diapers are a brand called Cool Diaps. I bought several packs the other day and they are great! They are not as stretchy as a size 6 but the are very thick and very soft. I wish they would have the baby scent like pampers used to have though. Give them a try and see if you like them.

[diaperbrownie]

My comment has caused confusion. I honestly don't remember my life from 8 or so years and earlier. So whatever diapers I wore, I don't remember it. Hmm, I probably should have made it clear that I've never worn a plastic backed diaper that I remember. Yea, it's possible I did, highly possible. But I don't remember it.

[wetatnight]

I prefer the plastic backed diapers my self and when i have tried the cloth like cover ones they seam to become losse from sweating and the wettness goes through the cloth like covers and the velcro tabs don't always stay fastened.

I don't know of ant American baby diapers that have plastic covers on them anymore but I wish they would go back to them.

[DailyDi]

There is actually a company that has once again started to produce plastic diapers in the US. The new diapers are a brand called Cool Diaps. I bought several packs the other day and they are great! They are not as stretchy as a size 6 but the are very thick and very soft. I wish they would have the baby scent like pampers used to have though. Give them a try and see if you like them.

This

At select Babies R Us stores, or online at babiesrus.com for $8.99 a bag. Cool designs, nice soft plastic backing.

[Mischa]

Char has said the generic diapers she gets as bladder pads/boosters are plastic-backed down in Kangarooland

[jediaper]

This

At select Babies R Us stores, or online at babiesrus.com for $8.99 a bag. Cool designs, nice soft plastic backing.

YAY the Babies R Us near me carried them. I bought 2 packages. they definitely wont even come close to fitting but they should good for stuffers and for "play time"

[lambcannon]

As long as I can get plastic diapers for my butt, don't care about the toddlers--let them form focus groups or something.

[Guest little_jonny]

i know two places that have plastic diapers. one is a dollar store at my mal that sale them in size 3 or 4 and are plastic, and at the same mall, the sears bathroom has a changing station and a diaper dispensor for a dollar that are also plastic