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Bulk Diapers
If you have the joy of caring for a little niblet, it makes sense for you to save by purchasing bulk diapers. The question is what method works best for you, and just what kind of diaper are you looking for? Armed with the information on these pages, you will be in good shape to buy what you need, and find the best possible price.
If you change your infant say 10 times a day, and then it drops to say 6 times a day as they grow, you might go through over 250 diapers a month during the first year, on average. With a typical price of around 20-25 cents each, that’s $60 per month for the cheapest disposable diapers—more during the first few months. So purchasing bulk diapers is just one way to reduce living costs for your growing family. You’ll pay a lot more for a reusable cloth diaper with outer lining, but it will pay off over time.
Types of Diapers. It seems you have the choice of going with conventional disposable diapers (manufacturers have improved in techniques to be less harmful of the environmentas we note below); or you can go with reusable cloth diapers. Of course, the cost depends in part on the type of diaper you choose. In the old days, the only choice was the soft cloth diaper, which Mom either washed herself or sent out to a laundry service. Then came along the disposable diapers, which have been very popular for many years.
Nowadays we can purchase the disposables, including some that are environmentally friendly (such as the Seventh Generation diapers and GroVia BioDiaper), and also find updated cloth diapers. Some of these are very stylish, with biodegradable refills that go inside the snazzy outer cloth covering (like gDiapers). And of course there are conventional cloth diapers (one advantage to the old standby cloth diaper is that it is smooth and easy on Little Junior’s skin; but many of the disposable diapers are also easy on the skin also).
There continues to be a debate about disposable vs. reusable cloth diapers, with the later proponents taking the high ground against the environmental and comfort issues associated with disposables by some. Again, there has been much progress made by the likes of Pampers and Huggies in reducing nasty substances during manufacture and in the diaper material.
Some argue that the super-absorbency of the disposables means parents wait longer between changes, which exposes Junior to unfriendly substances longer than if a cloth diaper is used. This does not have to be of course, if Mom and Dad check often and know how to spot a fully utilized diaper.
It is not essential to buy a fancy diaper system as described elsewhere in this website, although they certainly have their advantages. It is still possible to purchase simple cotton cloth diapers that you fold yourself; these can be found in bulk quantities at a lot of online and local stores very inexpensively. These diapers can last years and make great rags when they start to wear out. You can also purchase a cheap waterproof liner.
The old-fashioned way is less flexible than the new systems, but by folding the diaper differently you can accommodate the baby as she or he grows. You don’t get the fancy, colorful outer designs but there might be a hidden advantage to this; your toddler might be more motivated to go through potty training if he is less excited about the bulky old diaper he’s wearing.
Typical Costs for Diapers. Speaking of costs, based on our research, the cost range for disposable bulk diapers does seem to run from around $0.17 to $0.28 each, depending on the type, how many you buy and where you get them. So if you’re paying less than 20 cents each (including tax and delivery, if any), that’s doing pretty well. If you’re paying over 25 cents each, you might want to do some more looking.
Reusable cloth diapers are way more expensive to begin with; pricing runs widely from around $6 to $20 each; sometimes cloth diapers can be purchased in bulk as well to save some money.
Sizes. Bulk Diapers are available in various quantities; of course we’d expect a bulk purchase would involve a large quantity. Some come in groups of over 270 diapers per case; others might come in packs of say 3 dozen diapers.
What to look for. When buying bulk diapers online, you’ll want to read carefully the details, at least the first time you purchase from a supplier. Once you know what you’re getting in a reorder, you just need the item ID number or SKU. Also, online merchants often offer free shipping over a certain order size.
Some companies will let you automatically renew the order on a regular basis. However, you don’t want to buy too many in a particular size, if your child could grow into the next size in the near future. You could increase the order size to get free shipping if you buy a case of the next size—if that makes sense for you.
You might be able to avoid sales tax with some merchants. Finally, once you have pretty well decided on your bulk diapers purchase, you might hit Google with the product name and the word “coupons” or “discounts” to see if there are websites that have discount codes you can use.
The Bottom Line. First you must decide what type of diaper you wish to use; if in doubt, buy a smaller package of disposables and maybe one or two of the reusable diapers for a comparison test. Once you've made that decision, you're ready to think about savings.
For some people, buying diapers at a big warehouse store is the way to go. But you may find that the price is just about as good, or even better, if you do a bit of online research and find a good source for bulk diapers. It’s not exactly as expensive as medical insurance, but the cost for diapers is not trivial and it’s worth finding the best deals, especially if it means the box gets delivered to your door for free.