Luvs vs Huggies Diaper Review | Complete with in-depth testing

Luvs vs Huggies Diaper Review | Complete with in-depth testing

How do Luvs vs Huggies diapers stack up against each other? As a parent, you know diapers are an important and expensive part of your life! But are Huggies worth the extra money? Or are the more wallet-friendly Luvs any good?

So I’ve done in-depth testing of both types of diapers to help you decide what’s best for your family. 

The short version? Luvs are much cheaper than Huggies but lack features that some parents find useful.

Luvs vs Huggies Diaper Design

front of luvs diaper review
Front of Luvs diaper. The yellow wetness indicator can be hard to see with the busy purple diaper pattern

Huggies vs Luvs diaper design might not seem very important but the outside of a diaper actually can be helpful! 

Huggies have cartoon characters. And Luvs have lots of colorful patterns. 

Personally, I thought all the patterns on Luvs made it harder to see the wetness indicator. But I love the funny sayings on the back of Luvs!

luvs diaper review - back of diaper
Back of Luvs diaper

Diaper Tabs

Luvs diaper interior (back side)
Luvs have bright purple diaper tabs and a small strip of adhesive on each tab

Now we will compare Luvs vs Huggies diaper fasteners or tabs. Huggies diaper tabs are sticky all over. And Luvs just have a small strip of adhesive. That being said, the Luvs stayed on my active 2 year old just fine! 

Huggies Little Movers (size 3 and up) have a purple grippy strip in addition to the regular fasteners. But Luvs do not. Again, I don’t notice a difference in how well either diaper stayed on.

Size up indicators

How do you know when it’s time to go up a diaper size? Some brands, like Huggies have convenient size up indicators. Once the diaper tabs land in this area, it’s time to think about going up a size.

But Luvs don’t have size up indicators. 

Are they totally necessary? No. You can also tell if diapers are getting too small of they leave red marks or are leaking. 

What sizes do Luvs and Huggies diapers come in?

Luvs Diaper Size Chart

The sizing for Luvs diapers is as follows:
Newborn — Up to 10 pounds
*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

Huggies Diaper Size Chart

The sizing for Huggies diapers is as follows:
Preemie — Up to 6 pounds
Newborn — Up to 10 pounds
*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
*Size 7 — 41+ pounds

Wetness Indicators 

Both Huggies and Luvs have wetness indicators that work equally well to show when the diaper gets wet.

Outside Feel

The outside of Luvs feel like plastic. The outside of Huggies feel more like cloth and are much softer.

Scent

Luvs are scented and Huggies are not. And Luvs have a pretty strong scent. Personally, I prefer unscented diapers.

Fit

Bulkiness 

Luvs are much thinner than Huggies but they still bunch up a bit between my daughter’s legs. Huggies are bulky and bunch up more than Luvs.

Since Luvs are thinner, they are less obvious under your baby’s clothes. 

Leg Cuffs

Both diapers have good leg cuffs that hold in messes! I didn’t notice a difference between the two brands.

Waistband

Huggies have an elastic waistband, while Luvs do not. If your baby is prone to diaper leaks, I recommend Huggies to help contain messes!

Best Absorbency 

Testing on a baby

Huggies are much more absorbent than Luvs. My daughter pees a lot at night and Huggies have no problem soaking it all up. They get a little baggy but otherwise hold up well. 

I tried Luvs during the day, and they got all soggy, and bunched up. 

Luvs have less of a barrier to keep moisture away from a baby’s skin. That means that if your child is prone to diaper rash or has sensitive skin, I recommend Huggies instead of Luvs.

Testing in the lab

Luvs diaper during absorbency testing
Luvs diaper partway through absorbency testing. It felt wet to the touch right away, unlike Huggies!

Ok,  the lab is actually my kitchen. But it’s easier to do a direct comparison this way!

I put food coloring in water and lay the two diapers side by side on the counter. Then, I pour water on the diapers, one quarter of a cup at a time. Finally, I check to see how much total water each diaper absorbs and when they feel wet to the touch. 

For this test, I used Size 5 Luvs vs Huggies Little Movers.

=Related post: Want to know if Huggies Little Snugglers versus Little Movers are right for your child? Read my in-depth review!=

=Or check out our Huggies Little Movers Diaper Review!=

The Luvs felt wet to the touch more quickly than the Huggies. After only 1 cup of water, the Luvs diaper already felt wet. But the Huggies felt dry for 4 entire cups of water! That is to say, your child may feel the wetness or be more prone to diaper rash with Luvs. Huggies will keep your child feeling much drier.

Luvs absorbed 6.5 cups of water before they wouldn’t take another drop! But the Huggies just kept going, all the way to 7.5 cups! The Huggies absorbed 15% more than the Luvs. If your child pees a lot, especially overnight, I recommend Huggies. Or, if you prefer, you could use Luvs during the day and Huggies at night for the extra absorbency.

Huggies and Luvs Ingredients 

Both Luvs and Huggies are free from latex, parabens, and dioxin.

Luvs do contain fragrance and Huggies do not. 

Luvs diaper ingredients
  • Top sheet (inside lining): both Huggies and Luvs use polypropylene and polyethylene 
  • Backsheet (outside cover): Luvs and Huggies use polypropylene and polyethylene
  • Absorbent core: both Huggies and Luvs use wood cellulose and SAP (sodium polyacrylate) to absorb moisture. 
  • Waistband and leg cuffs: elastic goes into Huggies and Luvs
  • Fasteners: Huggies have adhesive fasteners and Luvs use velcro fasteners 
  • Lotion: Luvs contain aloe and Huggies do not. 

Where are Luvs and Huggies made? 

luvs vs huggies diaper review made in the USA

Both Huggies and Luvs are manufactured in the United States. 

Proctor and Gamble makes Luvs, and they also make Pampers. 

On the other hand, Kimberly Clark makes Huggies! 

=Related post: Want to upgrade from Luvs to Pampers? Compare Pampers versus Huggies diapers!=

Best Price

Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

I checked several different stores including Walmart, Target, and Amazon. Huggies cost about 50% more than Luvs. 

Related posts: Looking for other low-cost diapers?

Wrap up- Luvs vs Huggies Diapers

luvs vs huggies diaper review

To sum up what we learned comparing Luvs vs Huggies:

  • Luvs are about half the price of Huggies
  • Huggies have more features than Luvs, like size up indicators, an elastic pocketed waistband, and extra grippy tape to hold the diaper on.
  • Huggies are softer than Luvs
  • Luvs are scented and Huggies are not
  • Huggies are 15% more absorbent than Luvs, and do a better job keeping moisture away from your child’s skin

Related post: In-depth review of Luvs Diapers

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