Which Diaper is More Absorbent, Huggies or Pampers?

(1) Attleboro, Massachusetts

* These authors made equal contributions

https://doi.org/10.59720/13-005
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Our experiment’s purpose is to find which newborn diaper, Huggies Little Snugglers or Pampers Swaddlers, absorbs more simulated urine (5% salt water). The Pampers diaper is composed of an average of 3.97 g of sodium polyacrylate, linked on a thin thread, and an average of 0.71 g of cotton. Huggies has an average of 1.88 g of fine powdery sodium polyacrylate and an average of 6.97 g of cotton. Huggies has about 10 times the amount of cotton that Pampers has, while Pampers has only 2 times the amount of sodium polyacrylate that Huggies has. Based on the amount of sodium polyacrylate which absorbs 30 times its own weight in urine and the amount of cotton which absorbs 27 times its own weight, we predicted that Huggies would absorb more simulated urine. We added 1 mL of 5% salt water at a time until the indicator on each diaper was full. When the indicator signaled it was full, Huggies absorbed an extra 33 mL of 5% salt water compared to Pampers. When the diaper reached its leaking point in a vertical position, Pampers absorbed an average of 83 mL before leaking and Huggies absorbed an average of 130.5 mL. This shows Huggies absorbed 48 mL more of 5% salt water than Pampers. Both diapers absorbed more than 58 mL, the amount a newborn can urinate between each feeding. We believe the amount of cotton, the powdery sodium polyacrylate, the engineering design of the diaper, and other factors made Huggies more effective. So there you go parents! Huggies is more absorbent than Pampers.

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