Are diapers gender specific: a clear and quick answer

The problem of whether a baby’s diaper is gender-specific or gender-neutral is relevant for all people who become parents for the first time. In this article, we will find out whether boy and girl diapers differ and how to choose the right cloth diapers for a child.

Gender-specific diapers vs. unisex diapers: where is the truth?

Are modern diapers gender-neutral? Actually, in most cases, they are. If you are wondering why certain diapers have gender-specific tags, then the answer is simple: it is just a marketing trick.

Nowadays, a few brands selling cloth diapers position themselves on the market as gender specific and therefore care about the health of your baby and the convenience of using and changing their diapers.

However, it is crucial to note that there are still some factors that deserve attention while you are choosing a new diaper, as they directly influence their absorbency function.

Let’s consider the most important of them.

What factors should you pay attention to while choosing a diaper?

Some key factors influence how a diaper will “deal with” your children. They include the following aspects:

1. Fit and size of the diaper and the anatomy of the child.
2. Weight of the child.
3. Absorbency amount and speed.
4. Diaper’s absorbent materials.

Diaper size and fit may be considered one of the main factors that should be considered while buying disposable diapers. According to some research in this sphere, the most appropriate diaper for a boy is one that is high-waisted.

Due to anatomical reasons, more absorbency is provided by this kind of diaper than by low-waisted ones. In the latter, they tend to leak, especially if a boy sleeps on his stomach.

As for girls, the situation is quite the opposite, and due to their anatomy, it would be the best option to buy a diaper that fits snugly around their legs. At the same time, it doesn’t really matter whether the diaper is high-waisted or low-waisted.

The baby’s weight is also an important point. Depending on the weight, it can become more clear for you what brand to choose, as the amount of pee and poo within one or several times differs. Despite the average indicators, each healthy baby has its own weight, bigger or smaller than what is usually stated, so take this factor into account as well.

The next point is simple: the more absorbency, the better. It is especially crucial during the night, as because of the leaks, babies can wake themselves up, so don’t underestimate this point while choosing the right option.

It is stated that more absorbency is provided by diapers of the Pampers and Huggies.

Moreover, every diaper has its own absorbency speed. The best diaper is one that can not only absorb the pee quickly but also spread it over the whole diaper, so it wouldn’t leak. This point is more relevant to the boys due to their anatomy (their urine is mainly concentrated in one spot of the diaper).

In addition to what was stated above, we can’t deny the fact that disposable diapers in larger sizes absorb better than any other diaper. However, don’t make your choice relying only on these characteristics, as the diaper’s fit is still a more important factor.

The absorbent material that was used to design the disposable diapers is one more essential point. Some materials may not be good for your child’s sensitive skin.

Even though some diapers can absorb the liquid pretty well, their use may lead to skin irritation. Therefore, be careful while buying them and make sure that the product has positive reviews from other parents.

READ ALSO: How to put on a pull up diaper: an easy guide

How the “pee points” may influence your choice of a diaper?

What are so-called “pee points”? They are the spots where your baby’s pee gets more often and where the absorption function of the diaper is most needed. Pee points can be easily seen by parents using a cloth diaper.

Modern brands make their diapers taking into account where the pee points are located: for boys, it is in the front, and for girls, it is in the middle. Thus, certain brands (for example, Pampers Easy Ups and Huggies Pull-Ups) make sure that extra absorbency is provided in these spots.

The truth about boy and girl cloth diapers

If you think that there is a big difference between boy and girl cloth diapers, then it is time to debunk this myth. A cloth diaper works pretty well for both boys and girls.

As we have stated above, babies of different sexes have their own pee spots (in the front or the middle), so it is the only point that is worth attention while choosing a cloth diaper. If the diapers have extra absorbency quality in these spots, it doesn’t matter whether they were originally made for girls or boys.

Are swim diapers gender-neutral?

The situation with swim diapers is the same as with the other types of diapers, they are gender-neutral. As swim diapers are only used to “catch” the poop of babies while they are swimming in the pool, there is no difference if you use a diaper for a boy or a girl.

Why are diapers positioned as unisex on the market?

First and foremost, there is simply no need to distinguish between boy and girl diapers. As we have found out, most of them are gender-neutral. The current diaper market operates quite well without brands making statements that their product is gender specific and therefore unique (not always, though).

The second reason for this so-called trend is that it is more profitable for brands to call themselves gender-neutral.

Thus, their production and distribution costs are much lower than they would be if the brands claimed to be gender specific.

As we can see, being unisex is both convenient and profitable for modern brands producing diapers. As we have a great variety of them, you can choose any of them depending on the features that are important to you.

What diaper brands should I choose?

According to the research results, one of the most reliable brands is Pampers, which presents its high-quality overnight diapers on the market. Pampers Swaddlers overnights would be especially appropriate for baby girls as they fit more snugly around their legs than any other brands’ diapers, so the risks of leaks are much lower.

If you are interested in purchasing little boys’ diapers, it is recommended to look for Huggies Pull-Ups, as they have similar characteristics appropriate for the boys’ anatomy and their pee points.

In the case of sensitive skin, a good option will be such brands as Seventh Generation and Hello Bello, which use soft materials that don’t irritate the baby’s skin.

Anyway, you are free to choose any other brand of disposable diapers, as there are plenty of good options presented on the market, so the choice may be made based on both your budget and preferences.

FAQ

Let’s consider the most frequently asked questions about boy and girl diapers and answer them, making sure you are fully informed about the topic.

In conclusion

Overall, now you know all the essential information about gender aspects of disposable and cloth diapers, if gender-specific diapers exist, and what diapers are the best on the current market. There is not much difference between girls’ and boys’ diapers, except for the pee points.

We hope this article has helped you choose the right diaper for boys and girls. As most diaper brands make their products comfortable for both sexes, you are free to choose any brand you want.