The diaper war
With the common aim to keep baby’s skin dry and healthy, three disposable diaper brands up their game in liquid-absorbing technology to woo customers, write
NEVER in my life did I think I would be an expert in disposable diapers at an age where my friends are sending their children to secondary school. But at 41, that’s what I am. My 8-month-old son Tunku Murshid Mughni is my guinea pig. Thank God that at all attempts, he comes out unscathed. There may be a little redness on the bum but nothing that a good nappy cream cannot solve.
The purchase of diapers is sheer economics. As a repeat purchase, parents must get something they can afford and match that with how tolerant the baby skin is with a certain brand.
If you are breastfeeding, then diapers will be your biggest monthly expenditure. Many go online (Lazada have pretty neat deals) or to baby fairs (where the prices are even lower and you can mix-andmatch different variants and sizes).
Diapers have their own user demographics, I have learnt. Those who have money to spare or whose babies don’t use many a day can opt for the likes of Merries and MamyPoko Air Fit, which are premium brands.
The lining is softer on the skin, and with their advanced technology, baby’s skin is always kept dry.
For the majority of us, brands like Drypers and Huggies are our best bet. My son has been using Drypers since day one, thanks to the affordable pricing of about 38 sen per piece for M size (depending where I get them).
Store brands like Tesco are said to be good too, if online reviews are anything to go by, but I have not tried them because I mainly buy online.
KIRA KIRA
The diaper battle just got stiffer the past month or so with premium label Kira Kira entering the fray via Shopee.
To me, this brand takes diapers to a whole new level. The lining is soft and thick, like cotton pods found on trees before they are spun into threads.
I could not believe how soft it is the first time I touched it. My son, of course, could not tell me how comfortable he feels but his skin says it all. There is some redness on his bottom some days but once I switched to Kira Kira, the redness completely disappears, as proof that even with long use, the part that comes in contact with his skin remains dry and cool.
Kira Kira comes with pant type for size M, and the elastic band around the stomach stretches well and fits comfortably.
The elastic around the thighs also allows for free movement for Murshid to commando crawl (he has yet to learn how to lift his butt to crawl properly) without leaving any marks on his thighs.
But the price, at RM1.03 per piece, can be the dealbreaker. Using this brand exclusively will increase our diaper expenditure threefold, which is not something good for the household budget.
But because it is just so good, my husband and I decide to use it at night or when we take him out or go travelling.
Kira Kira made me realise that premium diapers are in a league of their own and you don’t just pay the high price for nothing.
You pay for the comfort of a tiny and defenceless human being who could not verbally articulate his discomfort.
DRYPERS
Drypers also ups its game by phasing out the old version and upgrading its Wee Wee Dry range with a waist indicator for the diaper’s fit.
Vinda Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd marketing director Evelyn Chan says many parents don’t know when to change their baby’s diapers size so she hopes the indicator will help.
“The weight printed on the diaper’s packaging is just a very rough guide. Some babies have bigger tummies and bigger
thighs so these need to be taken into consideration when it comes to fit,”
While the price per unit for diapers increase along with the size, Chan says keeping the baby comfortable is important.
“We don’t like clothes or shoes that don’t fit. Diapers are even more important because aside from bathing and diaper change, babies wear them all the time.”
Understanding that newborns have particularly delicate skin, the brand has also included the Soft AbsorbDry Layers and Stool Lock System, which is a soft perforated top layer that helps manage and effectively absorb loose stool, keeping skin clean and healthy.
The Navel Care cutout design above the taping zone prevents contact and friction where the newborn baby’s umbilical cord stump is and keeps that area exposed to air.
The diapers have fresh and playful animal designs that reflect close connections between parents and babies.
These colourful designs, I was told, also make diaper changing an experience that encourages fun interactions between parents and babies.
“We listened to parents and they like the colourful print son our diapers ,” Chan says.
Drypers even has an online parenting club called the Drypers Baby Club, with over 400,000 parents in the community. Some of the members were invited for the launch.
PAMPERS
The disposable diaper brand that I grew up with made its return to the local market via Lazada last month for the brand’s Super Brand Day. The recent 9.9 sale also saw big discounts on the brand.
Lazada’s Mother and Baby category is very popular among parents and has grown rapidly since its introduction, with products for infants and children.
According to Lazada, diapers remain the top selling products, with high repurchase rates, thanks to the prices that are often lower than those at physical stores.
Lazada Malaysia chief commercial officer Sherry Tan says Pampers’ return to Malaysia is significant as the Pampers brand has long been fondly associated with diapers, with users entering “Pampers” as one of the top keywords in their searches on Lazada.
Pampers Malaysia brand manager Brandon Lim says the brand understands that one of mum and baby’s biggest frustration is wet and sagging diapers, and how this can affect babies’ ability to move and learn from their surroundings.
“So we have launched one of our best innovations, Pampers made in Japan, which comes with our propriety “Magical Pods” technology. It keep babies dry up to 12 hours, is amazingly thin, light and doesn’t sag even after a full day of play, giving babies comfort all day,”