When you become a parent, one of the first big questions is always about diapers: which brand and model is best? How much do you spend? Is it really worth relying on the most famous brands? To help with the choice is the new Altroconsumo test, the results of which reserve more than a few surprises.
The experts selected size 4 unisex disposable diapers, the best-selling in Italy, used approximately from 6 months to 2 and a half years, purchased and analyzed between November and December 2025. The test is updated approximately every 18 months, eliminating off-market products and adding new references, including panty versions, private labels and discount products.
The worst: what to avoid
Before finding out who wins, it is worth starting from the bottom of the ranking, because the worst results reserve some unpleasant surprises. The product that obtains the lowest score overall is Cottony by NaturaSì (44 points, low quality), which in addition to disappointing in terms of performance costs a good 746 euros a year – almost as much as Pampers Progressi, which however are positioned at the opposite end of the ranking. A quality-price ratio that is difficult to justify.
Just above are the Assorbello Dry Fit Maxi and the Coop Crescendo Everyday 4 Maxi, both at 49 points and low quality. In the case of Coop it is a partial surprise, because other versions of the same brand defend themselves better, but this basic line does not exceed sufficiency.
Among the medium quality products, the performance of Huggies stands out negatively, placing two models in this range: the Little Movers (52 points) and above all the Extra Care Panties (51 points), which with an annual cost of 786 euros is among the most expensive of the entire test despite mediocre results. In the same range are the Mama Bear Nappies Ultra Dry (55 points, 368 euros per year) and the Piccolino Baby by MD (57 points).
The complete ranking: from worst to best
Cottony (NaturaSì) Maxi Tg4 diapers – score 44, low quality – annual cost €746, average price €14.30
Dry Fit Maxi absorbent – score 49, low quality – annual cost €422, average price €5.20
Coop Crescendo Everyday 4 Maxi — score 49, low quality — annual cost €280, average price €4.99
Huggies Extra Care Panties — score 51, average quality — annual cost €786, average price €13.99
Huggies Little Movers — score 52, average quality — annual cost €390, average price €13.37
Mama Bear Nappies Ultra Dry — score 55, average quality — annual cost €368, average price €21.19
Piccolino Baby (MD) 4 Maxi — score 57, average quality — annual cost €270, average price €7.77
Pee&Poo (Prenatal/Bimbostore) Maxi Size 4 Ultra Comfort – score 63, average quality – annual cost €384, average price €9.99
Esselunga Maxi Diapers – score 64, average quality – annual cost €182, average price €6.99
Coop Crescendo Advance 4 Maxi Panties – score 65, good quality – annual cost €427, average price €5.56
Carrefour My Baby Ultra Dry — score 66, good quality — annual cost €206, average price €6.49
Coop Crescendo Green 4 Maxi — score 66, good quality — annual cost €380, average price €5.99
Huggies Extra Care — score 68, good quality — average price €13.48
Lupilu (Lidl) Premium 4 Maxi — score 68, good quality — annual cost €201, average price €6.89
Hello Baby (Eurospin) Maxi diapers — score 69, good quality — annual cost €204, average price €5.59
Conad Diapers Maxi — score 70, good quality — annual cost €237, average price €4.55
Mamia (Aldi) Premium Maxi Diapers — score 70, good quality, best buy — annual cost €191, average price €10.99
Coop Crescendo Advance 4 Maxi — score 71, good quality — annual cost €347, average price €5.23
Bennet 4 Maxi — score 72, good quality — annual cost €256, average price €4.99
Pampers Baby-Dry Più Asciutto — score 72, good quality — annual cost €681, average price €15.87
Lillydoo N° 4 — score 76, excellent quality — annual cost €642, average price €11.00
Pampers Baby-Dry Panties — score 77, excellent quality — annual cost €525, average price €16.54
Pampers Progressi — score 78, excellent quality, better than the test — annual cost €749, average price €21.54
Pampers Progressi Panties – score 79, excellent quality – annual cost €786, average price €20.45
Pampers or Huggies: what to choose?
Looking at the numbers, Pampers confirms itself as the best performing brand. The Progressi models (both in the classic and panty versions) and Baby-Dry dominate the top of the ranking, with excellent quality in all three variants tested.
The test identifies Baby-Dry as the choice with the best quality-price ratio of the brand. Although offering performance that is only slightly inferior to Progressi, this line guarantees concrete savings: you spend 10% less for the Velcro version and over 40% less for the panty version. The main difference lies in the technical characteristics: if the Progressi stand out for their softer coating and wetness indicator, the Baby-Dry focus on a high absorption capacity of up to 12 hours and a larger adhesive area.
Huggies, on the other hand, shows more mixed results: the Extra Care with side tears defends itself well with a score of 68 and good quality, but the panty version of the same model slips to 51, while the Little Movers stops at 52. It’s not a total failure, but it’s certainly not the comparison the brand would have hoped for.
The real revelation of the test, however, is another: if the goal is to save money without giving up a satisfactory result, diapers from large retailers deserve a much more careful look than parents are used to giving them. Aldi’s Mamia, crowned best purchase with an annual cost of just 191 euros, demonstrates that you don’t need to spend four times as much to have a reliable product. Bennet, Conad, Hello Baby by Eurospin and Lupilu by Lidl are also positioned in the “good quality” range with annual costs that remain well under 260 euros, compared to the almost 750 euros that are spent opting for Pampers Progressi. A fact to reflect on, especially considering how many diapers are changed over the course of almost three years of a child’s life.
How the test was conducted
It is worth understanding how this type of survey works, because it is not a simple expert opinion or a superficial comparison between packages.
The laboratory tests accounted for 55% of the final score and measured precise aspects: surface humidity (20%), absorption capacity (15%), lateral leaks (15%) and breathability (5%). Technicians simulate both daytime and nighttime use, pouring increasing amounts of synthetic urine to test the limits of each product.
The remaining 45% of the score is assigned on the basis of practical tests conducted by real families: the diapers are distributed anonymously and parents evaluate them on a scale from 1 to 9, judging ease of use, comfort, perceived absorbent capacity and the presence of any irritation or redness.
Finally, each product is also analyzed in terms of its annual cost, calculated on an average of 4 diapers per day.
