Kirkland Diapers vs Huggies Diapers
Kirkland diapers vs Huggies diapers: How does the store brand from Costco, one of the biggest wholesale stores, stack up to a hugely popular name brand? We’ll go through the key differences and similarities for both brands, complete with testing! This guide will help you understand the differences between Kirkland Signature Supreme diapers and Huggies.
Kirkland diapers are similar to Huggies. Both are very absorbent and fit snugly to hold in the mess. But Kirkland diapers don’t have a pocketed waistband, absorb 30% less, and bunch up more when they are wet. That being said, they work really well for many babies!
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To sum up the ridiculous amount of research and data I’ve collected after using over 200 diapers from each brand:
- Huggies are great if you want every bit of protection for your baby
- The pocketed waistband prevents blowouts- Kirkland diapers don’t have this!
- Huggies absorb 30% more than Kirkland
- Huggies are reasonably priced on Amazon – click here for the best price!
- That being said, Kirkland diapers are awesome!
Of course, since I’m a nerd, this post is full of comparison pictures and testing of Kirkland diapers vs Huggies diapers for size, fit, absorbency, construction, and more. So keep reading if you want the nitty gritty report!
Secret Tip: Who makes Kirkland diapers? Who makes Huggies Diapers?
First, before comparing the two types of diapers, let’s start at the very beginning, all the way back at the diaper factories. Who makes Kirkland diapers? And who makes Huggies diapers? The answer surprised me! Kimberly Clark manufactures both Huggies and Kirkland diapers! (source)
For years, Costco asked Kimberly Clark and Procter and Gamble (who makes Pampers) to develop a private label diaper that they could sell under the Kirkland brand name. And Kimberly Clark agreed! That’s why Costco sells Huggies and not Pampers- due to their agreement with Kimberly Clark.
Related post: Considering Pampers instead of Huggies? Click here for my review of Pampers versus Kirkland diapers.
Secret Tip: Kirkland Supreme Diapers are old versions of Huggies
So knowing who makes Kirkland diapers makes this comparison a lot easier! According to several different websites, Kirkland diapers are the previous generation of Huggies diapers (source 1, 2, 3)! Up front, that tells us that if you are comparing Kirkland diapers vs Huggies diapers, they’re already pretty similar! And you’ll see shortly that they sure look almost identical! Reading Costco diaper reviews, you’ll see parents claim that Kirkland diapers are just as good as Huggies. And now you know why!
Costco’s Kirkland Signature Supreme Diapers vs Huggies Little Snugglers
The other thing I’d like to clear up is what brands we are reviewing here. I’m comparing Kirkland Signature Supreme diapers to Huggies Little Snugglers. Those are quite a mouthful, so I’ll simply call them Kirkland vs Huggies from here on out.
Kirkland is Costco’s store brand. Huggies is a premium diaper brand that is neck and neck with Pampers for brand-name recognition. Many hospitals use Huggies on newborns. Now that we have some background, on to our comparison of Kirkland diapers vs Huggies diapers!
Diaper Tabs: Tie – they are nearly identical!
Tab Sturdiness: Tie
I unfastened and refastened the tabs on a Kirkland diaper and Huggies diaper ten times, and both still held well. 2021 Update: Kirkland diapers are now less durable than Huggies! When I refasten the tabs, the area where I fasten them tends to rip- even after removing them just once! The area where I fastened the diaper looked a little raggedy, but both brands still held up just fine. The material feels the same on both types of tabs.
Tab Fastening Power: Tie
Both Huggies diapers have what they refer to as “double grip strips” or “secondary fasteners” to help hold the diapers on. That means that in addition to the normal velcro- like diaper tab, they also have a purple area on the outside of the diaper waistband to hold the tabs in place- check out the picture below. The secondary fasteners don’t feel sticky to the touch, but the diaper material sticks to them very well.
Update for 2021: Kirkland diapers no longer have purple double grip strips!
This gets more and more important the older your baby gets- they’ll be more likely to try to take the diaper off or be crawling around doing something that might make it come off! Every little thing that helps it stay on is a plus!
Diaper Pattern & Design: Huggies
You might think the prints on the diaper don’t make the diaper better or worse. But surprisingly, they do in a few ways. First, the Kirkland diapers have a a bright red circle with the diaper size right in the middle of the back of the waistband. When you’re changing your baby’s diapers, you can see it through the diaper. I always think the diaper leaked or something got on the back of the diaper when I notice it.
Both Kirkland and Huggies diapers have a size up indicator letting you know when your child is ready for a bigger diaper. Check out the image below- understanding when to go up a diaper size will prevent leaks, blowouts, and make your baby more comfortable.
As for the prints, the Kirkland Signature Supreme diapers have bright and fun animal- themed prints, with two different designs in each box. The size 3 diapers have a monkey. The Huggies currently have a more subtle Winnie the Pooh design in blue, red and gray.
Related post: Want more info on Huggies Diapers? Learn about the differences between Huggies Little Movers and Little Snugglers in my post here!
Wetness Indicators: Tie
Both Kirkland and Huggies have yellow lines that turn blue to show when there is moisture in the diaper. They both appear to be the same length and thickness, so I rate this a tie.
Outside Feel: Tie
Both feel about the same, pretty soft!
Fit: Huggies are better
Both Kirkland and Huggies have really great elastic around the legs and waist, so they fit a wide variety of babies very well. My baby has very fat legs and I’ve never had a leak out the legs with either of these brands. (Related post: Suffering from diaper leaks and blowouts? Read my tips here! )
Related post: Compare Target and Costco’s diapers in my post here!
Bulkiness: Tie
How do Kirkland vs Huggies compare for bulkiness? Unfortunately, both brands tend to sag down between your baby’s legs. Personally, I think it makes more room to contain poop, but they do look pretty saggy. Other brands, like Pampers, fit more snugly around the butt. (Read my comparison of Pampers and Huggies here!)
Leg Cuffs: Tie
The leg cuffs on both brands are identical. They both hold snugly against your baby’s legs!
Waistband: Huggies
Both diapers have great elastic waistbands that hold the diaper on snugly.
However, the waistbands between Kirkland and Huggies are different. Kirkland has elastic that holds the diaper on snugly. Huggies has the same elastic and is like a little pocket. It will catch and prevent diaper blowouts up the back. It will save you from washing outfits and sheets. To me, having this extra protection from Huggies is worth the very slightly higher price!
Best Absorbency: Huggies
Now, I’ve never had a leak due to a diaper being too full of pee. But, of course, I wanted to test the absorbancy of Kirkland vs Huggies diapers.
So, I added some blue food coloring to water, and added water to each type of diaper, one tablespoon at a time (one tablespoon is about 15 ml). This isn’t totally accurate since who knows just where in the diaper your baby is peeing, so I’m open to suggestions for a better test if you have ideas!
The Kirkland diaper held 63 tablespoons of water! That’s about 4 cups, which is 32 ounces or a quarter of a gallon! For the metric users out there, that’s 930 ml,or nearly a liter of water. It’s nearly 2 full Solo cups worth!
The Huggies diaper kept going! I was able to add 83 tablespoons, which is 5.25 cups, about 42 ounces, or about ⅓ of a gallon! Again, for the metric users, that’s 1474 ml.The Huggies diapers held about 32% more than the Kirkland diapers.
That’s amazing to me that the diapers can hold that much volume!
As for the dryness, I patted the diapers with a paper towel throughout the test. As the diapers got fuller, they absorbed the water more slowly, so they were more likely to be a little damp. But even after 36 tablespoons of water (over 2 cups), after waiting for one hour, the paper towel came away dry from both types of diapers. That means that even if your baby pees a lot during the night and you don’t change them right away, their skin will stay dry. Dry skin means less diaper rash.
So at the end of the day, both diapers hold a ton of liquid, which is great! But Huggies holds about 32% more.
Related post: Like wholesale clubs? Check out our BJ’s diaper review
Huggies and Kirkland Diaper Ingredients
Huggies are not manufactured using elemental chlorine bleaching, and do not contain latex or fragrances.
Kirkland diapers packaging only mentions that they are hypoallergenic and do not contain natural rubber latex. This information was not readily available on Costco’s website, but you can read it on the back of the box.
Therefore, Huggies wins this round. They have clearer labeling about their ingredients that is more accessible to parents and their diapers have fewer potentially harmful or irritating chemicals.
Where are Kirkland diapers made? Where are Huggies made?
Kimberly Clark makes both Huggies and Kirkland Supreme diapers. Both brands are made in the United States. This information is also available on the diaper packages.
To sum it up: How are Kirkland diapers vs Huggies diapers different?
If the two diaper brands are almost the same, what are the big differences?
- Huggies have a pocketed elastic waistband. Kirkland waistbands are just elastic
- Huggies have cuter patterns and designs but both diapers have size up indicators.
- Huggies hold about 32% more liquid than Kirkland.
- When they are wet, Huggies tend to stay flatter and Kirkland tend to curl up
Now that we know how the properties of Kirkland diapers vs Huggies diapers compare, let’s look at what most parents are concerned about: the price!
=Related Post: Have a Sam’s Club membership? Find out if Member’s Mark diapers are right for you!=
Frequently Asked Questions
In the Huggies vs Kirkland diapers debate, parents have tons of questions! Let’s try to answer a few here.
Does Huggies make Kirkland diapers?
Yes, Kimberly Clark, the company that makes Huggies also makes Kirkland diapers.
Are Kirkland diapers good?
Yes, Kirkland diapers are good. They are very similar to Huggies, with a few minor differences. The biggest is that Huggies have pocketed waistbands while Kirkland’s are only elastic.
Huggies Little Snugglers purple tabs- are those a thing?
Huggies Little Snugglers do not have purple tabs.
But Huggies Little Movers (sizes 3 and up) do! These help the fasteners hold the diaper in place.
Kirkland diapers do not have the purple tabs.
Are Kirkland diapers front and back easy to tell apart?
It is easy to tell the front and back of Kirkland diapers apart. Look for the flat side- this is the front. The back side has an elastic waistband and the Kirkland logo.
However, Huggies are even easier! They actually say “back” in the middle of the back of the waistband!
Do Kirkland diapers run small?
Kirkland diapers do not run small. They run true to size.
In fact, their elastic waistbands and leg cuffs mean that they fit most babies well!
Do you have a Huggies Little Movers size chart?
Huggies Little Movers diapers are available in the following sizes:
Size 3: 16-28 pounds
Size 4: 22-37 pounds
Size 5: 27+ pounds
Size 6: 35+ pounds
Size 7: 41+ pounds
Do you have a Kirkland diaper size chart?
Kirkland diapers are available in the following sizes:
Size 1: 8-14 pounds
Size 2: 12-18 pounds
Size 3: 16-28 pounds
Size 4: 22-37 pounds
Size 5: 27+ pounds
Size 6: 35+ pounds
Are Kirkland newborn diapers available?
No, Kirkland newborn diapers are not available. They start at Size 1, for babies up to 14 pounds.
I love Huggies size up indicator. Is there a Kirkland diaper size up indicator?
Yes, Kirkland diapers have a size up indicator.
When you have to fasten the diaper so that the tabs land on the colored section, it is time to move up a size.
Best price: Kirkland diapers by a very narrow margin! But Huggies are worth the slight increase!
The price depends where you buy. Huggies prices vary, depending on where you purchase them. Check the price of Huggies by clicking the links: Amazon, Target, or Costco. Costco even had a deal going on while I was writing this article – $9 off each box of Huggies, plus free shipping if you ordered them online.
Doing a quick comparison, this was only $1 more for a whole box of Huggies when compared to the same size box of Kirkland diapers. To me, it’s worth the very slightly higher price for the pocket on the back to prevent blowouts
As for Kirkland diapers, that leads us to…
Secret Tip! You can buy Kirkland diapers on Amazon
Yup. I thought I’d have to be a Costco member to buy their brand of diapers. Turns out, you can buy Kirkland diapers at a Costco store or on Costco’s website if you’re a member. Or, check the price of Kirkland Diapers on Amazon!
New Kirkland diapers 2022 – Did Costco update their diapers?
Nope, Costco’s diapers are the same in 2021 and 2022. No changes here!
New Kirkland Diapers 2021: Did Costco update their diapers?
Costco made minor changes to Kirkland diapers in 2021. They no longer have the purple double grip strips! The new diapers also seem less durable. When refastening my daughter’s diaper, that area of the waistband tears much more easily, compared to the old Kirkland diapers..
I haven’t noticed any other differences.
New Kirkland Diapers 2020: Did Costco update their diapers?
Costco rolled out their new Kirkland diapers in early 2020. The new Costco diapers look different from the older ones. However, the changes are completely cosmetic. The new Kirkland diapers released in 2020 have more modern patterns and now have size up indicators.
Conclusions: Kirkland diapers vs Huggies diapers
Personally, I’ve found that both Kirkland and Huggies diapers work great for me and my baby. Since Kirkland diapers are a little cheaper, they’re my top choice right now! However, Costco is kind of out of my way, so I do buy Huggies when I’m not able to get to Costco. What experiences have you had with Kirkland vs Huggies diapers? What other brands would you like to see reviewed?
Related Posts: Read about Pampers vs Huggies Diapers, or Disposable Diaper Comparison, or the Average Cost of Diapers per Year, or Preventing Diaper Blowouts. Or check out our in-depth Huggies Little Movers Diaper Review
PS: Bonus! A sort of defective Kirkland diaper!
I picked out a Kirkland diaper and Huggies diaper to compare the tabs, and was really confused when I looked at the Kirkland diaper! It actually had two tabs on one of the sides!
Looking more carefully, I saw the top tab was sewn into the waistband, so I couldn’t use it. But Kirkland helpfully added another tab so that there was a usable one! I actually did put this diaper on my baby and didn’t have any issues besides that it was a little weird to fasten.
Related post: More detailed reviews on the Best Diapers for Baby Diaper Blowouts!
Have more questions about diapers? Check out my related posts:
- Kirkland Diaper Review
- Disposable Diaper Brand Comparison
- What’s the Average Cost of Disposable Diapers Per Year?
- How to Prevent Diaper Blowouts
- Pampers vs Huggies Diaper Reviews
- The Five Best Diaper Pails for Odor Prevention
- Healthybaby Diaper Review
I didn’t see a date on the article but a lot of this info seems pretty outdated. The Costco diapers have a lot of the same info now, such as fragrance-free, etc… and my side-by-side comparison for me just the last two months the Costco seemed to come out waaaay on top. I wonder what things have changed.
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for your comment! I initially wrote this post back in October. And I see that Costco now has a new version of diapers out. I’m planning to order some new ones pretty soon here and will update my post.
Meg
Wow!! Such a thorough comparison, this is way better than what I hoped to find online! Thank you for being so “nerdy”, it has been very helpful as well as a fun read! Keep on keeping on 🙂
Thank you for your kind words! Appreciate your comment!
Thanks for making the comparison. I look forward to your new review.
Alrighty, thank you all for your patience! I’ve updated this post based on my last 3 months using Kirkland’s new 2020 diapers!
This was soo so helpful! Thank you! Will definitely give Kirkland brand a try!!
I found that Huggies are better for my baby. The chemical smell from Kirkland is awful. Huggies do not smell that bad even though I think inside gel is the same for both.
I prefer Huggies.
Interesting, thank you for sharing your experience with Kirkland and Huggies! I did not notice a smell to either diaper, but it may be that my nose is always plugged up due to allergies!
I’d love to see a review of the Target up and up brand! We found them to be pretty comparable to pampers swaddlers but they have terrible reviews online so I wonder if something changed.
Personally, I tried Up&Up when my daughter was very young and had daily diaper blowouts. But now that she’s much bigger, that’s a great idea, I should really try them again!
Can you do a comparison using the target brand? I just read this one and it was awesome!
Absolutely! I just bought a pack of Target diapers, can’t wait to see how they compare.
I’ve used Kirkland diapers for a long time now; I used them on my son who is now four, and my daughter who is almost 15 months. I started with huggies and then once I tried the Kirkland brand, I had loved them just as much and were $10 less! I loved the fact that they had the double grip strip too! When Costco initially switched their Kirkland diapers, I found them to be of the same quality with just a different pattern. I had bought two boxes at the beginning of the pandemic since they were on sale. About a week ago, I finally bought another box. I just now used a diaper from the new box and over the course of the past several months, I feel they have definitely changed the quality. The diaper itself felt thinner and they also got rid of the double grip strip. I’ll see how these diapers hold up and depending on the outcome, I unfortunately may be switching brands which I really am not looking forward to since the price is awesome.
Oh no, it’s so frustrating when the brands change things unexpectedly! I too stocked up a few months ago and am about due for another box. I’ll save a few from the old box to compare to the new box.
In reference to the ‘no pocket’ issue. I found that technically there is a pocket if you peel apart the flap on waistband. I do this prior to putting it on most of the time. It does then function as a pocket like the huggies. Not sure how waterproof it is but it has caught some content and haven’t had any leaks just yet.
That’s a great idea, I never thought of doing that! Thank you for sharing!
I have found the same to be true. The latest box of Kirkland diapers I bought do not have the purple second strip for the tabs. They seem of inferior quality — within about 30 minutes my daughter has a bloated saggy diaper. And the diapers seem to pill and peel on the outside in a matter of minutes. I’ve used Kirkland for 2 years almost exclusively, but with the quality deterioration, I will be switching to a new brand.
I’m sorry to hear that, it’s very disappointing! I buy Kirkland diapers every 4-6 weeks, and haven’t seen this yet.
thank you Meg for this thorough comparison. it’s very helpful as I would like to switch from huggies to Kirkland. Do you mind confirming that they both have the same dimensions L x l x H? My daughter wears huggies size 6 it’s a little tight for her bottom but loose between the legs.. Will kirkland size 6 fit the same?
Thank you for your kind words, Jessy! I haven’t tried size 6 yet, but all the other sizes of Kirkland and Huggies are the exact same. The picture at the top of the post might help show this for the size 5 diapers
I just opened a pack of Kirkland size 2 diapers and comparing them to Pampers, they are much smaller by at least an inch in width and length. I’ve found this to be an issue with blowouts.
Tx you for this review and others. What about the rise. Recently a family member sent us diapers from Amazon and they ran small and overall were low rise compared to most. We prefer pampers but looking at Kirkland’s at Costco—rise?
Glad to help! Huggies and Kirkland have pretty similar rise in my experience. Both are very high rise, higher than the belly button!