Cynical Parent
Diaper wipes are one of those things where I would have thought (before having a child) that you can just buy any kind and they’ll be fine.
They’re just wipes, after all.
Having been through a variety of brands and types, I can say with certainty that the type of wipes matter, a lot.
Without getting too graphic (in case you’re eating while reading this), I’ll just say that the smoother and softer wipes tend to be a lot more gentle, especially when you really need to do a lot of wiping.
It becomes even more important when your baby has sensitive skin. So what are the best diaper wipes for sensitive skin?
I’ll explain.
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
Shopping for Baby Wipes (and the different types available)
Before we look specifically at the best diaper wipes for sensitive skin, let’s run through the different things to consider when shopping for wipes in general.
Cheap vs. Expensive Baby Wipes
As you start looking around for baby wipes, you’ll probably notice that there are a lot of different types of wipes out there.
Trust me when I say, it’s very tempting to just buy the cheapest one available. After all, these are just disposable wipes that only have one use.
Please, don’t make this mistake.
We’ve bought the cheap generic wipes before, and while they still work, there was clearly a difference to our baby. The texture wasn’t as smooth, and the baby was left with a much redder bottom (which then required us to use diaper cream).
I’m not saying you should just pick the most expensive wipes and buy those, but shop around. If you’re smart about it (and can track down the right coupons), you’ll find that the higher quality wipes are often not much more expensive than the cheap ones.
Buying in Bulk
If your budget allows you to buy in bulk, it’s the smartest thing you can do.
Buying in bulk is what will allow you to get the best diaper wipes for sensitive skin (which tend to be more expensive) without spending a lot per wipe.
What’s considered a good price “per wipe”?
In our experience, we’ve found that a good price is $0.02 per wipe. If you’re buying in bulk, there’s no reason to pay more than this.
For pretty much everything nowadays, we always buy our recurring baby stuff through Amazon’s Subscribe and Save store.
It basically allows you to save 15% on everything (and often 20% on diapers), provided you buy 5 items or more (otherwise the discount is only 5%). We always use this when refilling our diaper wipes.
It generally requires you to buy in bulk, but in the long run, this is how you will be able to save money and still buy the higher quality stuff.
Scented vs. Unscented
Choosing wipes with a fragrance often just comes down to personal preference.
However, if your baby does have sensitive skin, you may want to stick with unscented wipes, as the fragrance can sometimes be a source of irritation.
Because we go with diaper wipes for sensitive skin, we generally don’t have scented. It’s really not a big deal.
Once your baby’s poop begins to really smell, all the scented wipes in the world aren’t going to help. 🙂
Brand Name vs. Generic
While I’m a big fan of generic products for most things in life, I tend to stay away from them when it comes to diapers and wipes.
Similar to the discussion above on cheap vs. expensive, it’s often not worth the savings to buy generic unless you’ve tried it out and you like it.
Obviously if your baby isn’t sensitive and you like a particular type of generic wipes, go for it.
However, in my experience, if you buy in bulk and you can take advantage of coupons (or Amazon’s subscribe and save), you can get the good quality brand name stuff for the same price as generic (or maybe just slightly more expensive).
It doesn’t hurt to try different kinds and see which one you like best though.
Best Diaper Wipes for Sensitive Skin in 2017
When it comes to the best diaper wipes for sensitive skin, here’s our pick:
Nothing too fancy, but we’ve simply found these to be the best for our daughter. They’re soft, perfume free, and they don’t seem to ever cause irritation.
As mentioned above, we always buy these through Amazon’s Subscribe & Save, and the cost is always $0.02/wipe (at least, as of the time we are writing this).
According to Pampers, these wipes are:
- The #1 Choice of Hospitals (based on hospital sales data)
- The #1 Sensitive Wipe (based on U.S./Canada “Sensitive” nationally branded sales)
I’m not usually one to read too much into rankings like these that are put out by the companies themselves (obviously they’re going to cite facts that support the image of the product), but these seem pretty legit.
We always buy the refill packs (this one comes with 7 refill packs, a total of 448 wipes) because they cost less.
You really don’t need a wipes container if you don’t already have one.
We use the wipes straight from the refill packs without a container, and it’s no problem. There’s a sticky adhesive covering on each one so you can easily close it back up (so the wipes won’t dry out).
Anyway, click here if you want to read more about the Pampers Sensitive Wipes.
Best Diaper Wipes for Sensitive Skin: A Frugal Alternative
I know I was preaching earlier about not buying the cheapest wipes available, but I figured I should at least share a more cost-effective alternative that is still made for sensitive babies.
Amazon actually has their own generic brand of sensitive baby wipes: Amazon Elements Baby Wipes
With Subscribe & Save, the cost still comes out to $0.02 per wipe, but it’s actually slightly less expensive than the Pampers.
At time of writing, you can get 720 wipes for $14.87 ($0.0207 per wipe) vs. the Pampers 448 wipes for $10.17 ($0.0227 per wipe).
Small difference, but if you are on a budget, the savings can add up over time.
Reviewers have noted that these seem to be just as good as the Pampers wipes; the only drawback is that they sometimes stick together and have to be pulled apart.
That’s it for sensitive wipes…now go make your baby happy.
A lot of people don’t need sensitive wipes, but honestly, they probably make your baby happier (or at least, feel less discomfort).
If your budget allows for it, they’re worth getting in my opinion. Our daughter isn’t particularly sensitive, but in the cases where we needed to wipe a little bit harder, having sensitive wipes made a big difference.
What are your favorite diaper wipes for sensitive skin? Leave a comment below!
