Best overnight diapers

Wet diapers are part of life with a baby. But when wetness and discomfort start stealing your baby’s precious sleep (not to mention your own!), it can be a real problem.

If you’re constantly waking up to find your child’s diaper has leaked or have little bedsheets and pajamas filling up your laundry basket every day, it’s probably time to consider overnight diapers.

What are overnight diapers?

Overnight diapers are designed to keep your baby dry for longer periods of time. While they frequently look the same as regular daytime diapers, these diapers are built with extra-absorbent materials and leak guards so your little one will be able to last the entire night without a diaper change.

When do you need overnight diapers?

As your baby starts to sleep longer (it will happen!), and you don’t need to wake them for feeds, you’ll probably start to notice their diaper no longer can hold all the nighttime pee.

If you find yourself regularly changing your child’s jammies and sheets because they soaked through their diaper, it’s a pretty clear sign that you’re ready for overnight diapers.

While many diaper brands don’t start offering overnight diapers until size 3, if you find you need a little extra absorbency before then, you can use booster pads in your regular daytime diapers to help you get through the night without leaks.

What to look for in overnight diapers

When searching for the perfect overnight diaper, you’ll want to consider a variety of factors:

  • Cost. Overnight diapers are almost always more expensive than regular diapers. However, overnight diapers should cut down on the need to wash all those wet pajamas and sheets.
  • Materials. Overnight diapers can be made from a range of materials, from cloth and bamboo to wood pulp and synthetics. You’ll want to make sure that you’re comfortable with whatever materials (or chemicals) are present.
  • Absorbency. In order to make it through the night, make sure your diaper has multiple layers of absorbent material — and some leak guards! If the brand you choose isn’t holding your little one’s pee all night, you may want to keep experimenting with other overnight diapers.
  • Fit. If the overnight diaper doesn’t fit right, you may find yourself with a lot of leaks. Look for brands with adjustable tabs, a wide range of sizes, and any additional features that ensure a comfortable fit for your baby.
  • Skin reactions. If your baby has sensitivities, be sure to check the diaper’s materials before use. Rashes or irritation means it’s time to try another diaper brand.

How we chose the best overnight diapers

When deciding on the best overnight diapers, we used the same factors we know matter to you: price, absorbency, and materials. We know that parents are the best judges when it comes to diaper performance, so we also heavily factored in parent reviews.

Pricing guide

  • $ = under $.30 per diaper
  • $$ = $.30–$.50 per diaper
  • $$$ = over $.50 per diaper

Healthline Parenthood’s picks of the best overnight diapers

Best overnight disposable diapers

Pampers Baby-Dry

Pampers Baby-Dry
  • Price: $$
  • Pros: available at lots of stores, Skin Health Alliance-approved, and can buy in bulk for a price reduction
  • Cons: not the most environmentally friendly and not organic
  • Material: hypoallergenic, free of parabens and latex
  • Absorbency: up to 12 hours with LockAway Channels and Dual Leak-Guard Barriers
  • Best for: parents already using Pamper diapers on their baby during the day

These diapers from Pampers hit nearly all of the marks. Not only do they come in a wide range of sizes (so important for finding that perfect fit), but they claim to keep baby dry for up to 12 hours with LockAway Channels and Dual Leak-Guard Barriers in sizes 1-6.

While these diapers aren’t necessarily an eco-friendly or organic overnight diaper option, they get praise from parents for the amount of pee they can hold. They’re also easy to find at most big retail stores and can be purchased in bulk for a considerable price reduction.

Best overnight cloth diapers

AlvaBaby Cloth Diapers

  • Price: typically around $6 per cloth diaper
  • Pros: you can add or subtract inserts for customized absorbency, lots of snaps make the sizing customizable, and over time these can be cheaper than disposable diapers
  • Cons: you’ll need to spend time washing, and the upfront cost is higher (especially if you decide not to continue using cloth diapers)
  • Material: cloth (polyester, microfiber)
  • Absorbency: customizable depending on the number of inserts you choose to use
  • Best for: those who want to use cloth diapers on their baby

The exteriors of these cloth diapers are made from leak-preventing polyester, while the inside contains two places to hold absorbent microfiber cloth inserts. This means you can customize the absorbency to your needs and add more for overnight protection.

There are no shortage of snaps on these diapers, so you can continue to find the perfect fit as your child grows. And, although cloth diapers are an investment in the beginning, they can end up saving you money in the long run.

The downside: These don’t necessarily save you on the laundry front. And a few parents note that while these are sturdy, they’re not necessarily leak-proof for overnight use. For your best bet, one mom recommends these five-layer charcoal bamboo inserts from the same brand over the inserts that come with the diapers.

GroVia Buttah O.N.E. Reusable Baby Cloth Diaper

  • Price: averages $25.95 per diaper
  • Pros: includes both hook and loop and snap-closure options, comes in a wide range of colors, and has two different absorbency pad options
  • Cons: expensive upfront option and requires a lot of laundering
  • Material: cloth (polyester, microfiber, cotton)
  • Absorbency: includes one large and one small snap-in soaker for customization
  • Best for: tose who like options with their cloth diaper

This cloth diaper can be customized in a range of ways. First, this diaper offers both hook and loop and snap-closure options to get the right fit. Then, it has both a large and small soaker pad to choose from depending on how much absorption is needed. It also comes in a range of colors, so you can coordinate with your little one’s wardrobe (or your mood).

It will require laundering and has a high price tag upfront, but since it fits children between 10 and 35+ pounds, it can help save money in the long run. Users also commented on how soft this diaper was.

Best eco-friendly overnight diapers

Honest Overnights

  • Price: $$
  • Pros: uses eco-friendly absorbent materials, subscription service is offered, and hypoallergenic
  • Cons: not the cheapest option and not available at as many stores as other options
  • Material: sustainably harvested fluff pulp and plant-derived materials
  • Absorbency: up tp 12 hours
  • Best for: those who want an environmentally friendly disposable option

If you’re looking for absorbent, comfortable, cute, and adjustable disposable diapers that are designed with the environment in mind, Honest Overnights tick a lot of boxes.

Using wheat, corn, and sustainably harvested wood pulp, these diapers are designed with a more eco-friendly absorbent core than many other overnight diapers on the market. (While Seventh Generation’s Overnight Diapers are considered more eco-friendly, parents have commented that they just aren’t as absorbent.)

Additionally, if you have a sensitive-skinned little one, the layers in Honest Overnights that actually come in contact with your baby’s skin are made from soft, plant-based materials with no fragrances, lotions, or latex.

DYPER Bamboo Baby Diapers

  • Price: $$$
  • Pros: hypoallergenic, subscription service is available, and compostable options exist
  • Cons: not the most budget-friendly and sizing is a bit tricky/different than other brands
  • Material: free of chlorine, latex, alcohol, perfumes, lotions, parabens, sulphates, and phthalates
  • Absorbency: comes from the Bamboo Viscose
  • Best for: those who want a compostable option

DYPER diapers stand out for the compostable options they offer. While the brand says that the bamboo diapers can be composted at home as long as there is no fecal matter and that compost isn’t used for food gardens, they also recognize that this isn’t possible for everyone. So, parents can also choose to sign up for REDYPER through TerraCycle and the diapers will be picked up.

The diapers themselves are hypoallergenic and made of Bamboo Viscose. They can be purchased in one-off packs or as part of a subscription service. 

Some users suggest starting out with a small pack to confirm the sizing you’ll want, since the sizes are different from other brands and can be tricky.

Best overnight diapers for heavy wetters

Huggies Overnites

  • Price: $$
  • Pros: available at a wide range of stores, hypoallergenic, and have extra sticky tabs thanks to the Double Grip Strips
  • Cons: not the most environmentally friendly option and no sizes under 3
  • Material: no fragrances, chlorine, or latex
  • Absorbency: up to 12 hours with Dry Touch Liner and Double Leak Guards 
  • Best for: heavy nighttime wetters

These diapers from Huggies get rave reviews from parents for being super-absorbent and lasting through the night for even the heaviest wetters.

The tabs are extra grippy to make it easy to achieve the perfect fit, and the quilted inner liner claims to lock wetness away from your baby’s skin for up to 12 hours. They’re also made without fragrances, chlorine, or latex.

Best budget-friendly overnight diapers

Luvs Triple Leakguards

  • Price: $
  • Pros: budget-friendly, includes Triple Leakguards, and available at a wide range of stores
  • Cons: not the most eco-friendly option and there have been quality control issues
  • Material: no parabens or latex
  • Absorbency: up to 12 hours with Triple Leakguards and Nightlock Technology
  • Best for: those looking for a budget-friendly overnight option

Designed to be budget-friendly (frequently priced at about 30 percent of the cost of other overnight diapers), these diapers (formerly marketed as Ultra Leakguards) don’t compromise on absorbency. Many parents say they’re effective and live up to their claims that they’ll absorb 12 hours worth of pee.

However, it’s worth mentioning that there are some unhappy Luvs customers online, complaining that quality control has been an issue for them. And while the price is definitely better for your wallet, the materials and packaging aren’t winners in the eco-friendly or skin-sensitivity departments.

Best overnight pull-ups for toddlers

Goodnites Bedwetting Underwear

  • Price: $$$
  • Pros: easy to pull up and down for potty training, specially formulated for the urine flow of male and female bodies, and feel less like diapers for older kid’s confidence
  • Cons: not the most budget-friendly option and S/M is a combined size
  • Material: not advertised
  • Absorbency: includes 5-Layer Protection and Double Leg Barriers
  • Best for: potty training toddlers

If your toddler is currently potty training or just not ready to go all night without a diaper, these bedtime undies will keep them dry while feeling like a big kid. The stretchy sides allow for easy pulling up and down if your little one has to go in the middle of the night, and leg barriers keep pee in if they have an overnight incident.

The best feature? These are formulated specially to fit male and female bodies, with more absorbency in the key places urine flows. They also come in discreet packaging that makes them feel less like diapers, which will help boost your toddler’s confidence.

Best booster pads

Sposie Booster Pads

  • Price: $$
  • Pros: can work with almost any diaper or training pant, hypoallergenic, and made of cruelty-free materials
  • Cons: extra cost in addition to their regular diaper and adds extra environmental waste
  • Material: latex-free
  • Absorbency: doubles up the absorbency of your regular diaper (up to 8 ounces of fluid)
  • Best for: giving your child’s regular diaper a bit of extra absorbency

If your little one is leaking through their overnight diaper, or you think their daytime diaper could make it through the night with just a little extra support, a booster pad may be the way to go.

Sposie Booster Pads can be added to almost any type of diaper or training pant, so you don’t need to worry about fit. Free of fragrance, latex, and chlorine, these booster pads claim to absorb up to 8 ounces. The only real downsides to booster pads? The extra work on your end to insert them and the added toll they take on the environment.

Best overnight diaper splurge

Coterie Diapers

  • Price: $$$
  • Pros: available in a wide range of sizes, hypoallergenic, and subscription purchasing option available
  • Cons: a less budget-friendly option and not available at the same stores as other options
  • Material: free of fragrance, lotion, latex, rubber, dyes, alcohol, heavy metals, parabens, phthalates, chlorine bleaching, and optical brighteners
  • Absorbency: absorbent core made of sodium polyacrylate and chlorine-free wood pulp from sustainably managed forests
  • Best for: those willing to splurge for a softer, more absorbent diaper

If you’re willing to spend a little extra money for a soft and very absorbent diaper, Coterie offers an apparel level material with 3D advanced webbing for extra plushness. The diapers are available in newborn to size 6, so there’s a size for every little one.

The company does not do any animal testing, and the diapers are hypoallergenic. The absorbent core is even made from materials from sustainably managed forests.

One thing to keep in mind is that these aren’t available in many of the stores where you’d normally find diapers, so you may want to take advantage of the subscription purchasing option.

Best for bedwetters

Goodnites Disposable Bed Mats

  • Price: $$$
  • Pros: no need to worry about different fits, uses the same technology as Goodnites Bedwetting Underwear, and includes adhesive strips help to keep the mat in place overnight
  • Cons: not the most budget-friendly option and you’ll still need to wash urine-soaked clothing
  • Material: not advertised
  • Absorbency: uses the same technology as Goodnites Overnight Bedwetting Underwear
  • Best for: older children who are mostly potty trained, but have occasional accidents

If your child is getting older and mostly potty trained, they may balk at the idea of wearing a diaper to bed. The solution? A disposable bed mat.

Made with the same absorbent technology as Goodnites Overnight Bedwetting Underwear, these disposable mats are designed to fit perfectly on a twin-sized bed. They include adhesive strips to help keep it in place overnight, and as a bonus, they are an eligible HSA/FSA purchase. 

One thing to note is that it is recommended to use this product on 100 percent cotton or flannel sheets. You’ll also want to be prepared for washing urine-soaked clothing, since unlike a diaper or training pants, this mat won’t protect against that. 

How these products compare

Wondering how the different overnight diaper options above compare? We made a chart so it’s easier for you to decide!

NamePriceSizingDisposable/ClothAbsorbency
Pampers Baby-Dry$$newborn-size 6disposableup to 12 hours with LockAway Channels and Dual Leak-Guard Barriers in sizes 1-6
Alvababy Cloth Diapers with InsertsAverages $6 per diaperone size fits all (6.6-33 pounds)clothcustomizable depending on the number of inserts you choose to include
GroVia Buttah O.N.E. Reusable Baby Cloth DiaperAverages $25.95 per diaperone size fits all (10-35+ pounds)clothincludes one large and one small snap in soaker for customization
Honest Overnights$$sizes 3-6disposableup to 12 hours with sustainably harvested fluff pulp and plant-derived materials
DYPER Bamboo Baby Diapers$$$newborn-size 6disposablemade with Bamboo Viscose
Huggies Overnites$$sizes 3-6disposableup to 12 hours with Dry Touch Liner, Double Leak Guard, and Double Grip Strips 
Luvs Triple Leakguards$newborn-size 6disposableup to 12 hours with Triple Leakguards and Nightlock Technology
Goodnites Bedwetting Underwear$$$sizes 3-20disposable5-Layer Protection and Double Leg Barriers
Sposie Booster Pads$$one size for newborn-size 3, one for sizes 4-6, and one for 2T-5Tdisposable, but can be used with both cloth and disposable diapersdoubles up a normal diaper’s absorbency (up to 8 fluid ounces)
Coterie Diapers$$$newborn-size 6disposableabsorbent core made of sodium polyacrylate (SAP) and chlorine-free wood pulp from sustainably managed forests
Goodnites Disposable Bed Mats$$$2.4 feet x 2.8 feetdisposableuses the same technology as Goodnites Overnight Bedwetting Underwear

Tips for overnight diapers

What to look for in overnight diapers

The best overnight diaper for your baby will offer a snug but comfortable fit. Because different brands can have slightly different fits, you’ll want to pay attention to the weight and sizing information provided by diaper manufacturers.

You’ll also want to make sure that whatever diaper you choose has sufficient absorbent materials and that you’re comfortable with whatever chemicals or other materials are used in the diaper. When choosing the perfect overnight diaper, keep in mind if your little one has sensitive skin or any relevant allergies. In these cases, you may want to choose a hypoallergenic diaper.

Last but not least, make sure that whatever diaper you choose is within your budget. Your little one will likely be using overnight diapers for a while, and even an extra 20 cents a diaper can add up over several years!

Switching or trying out diaper brands

Wondering if you’ve found the overnight diaper of your dreams?

  • Don’t over-invest in the beginning! Before you stock up on a huge pack of overnight diapers, consider buying a smaller pack. You can always buy more later after making sure the fit works well for your baby.
  • If you’re finding yourself with a lot of leaks, consider testing out a smaller size or another brand. It could be that you need a different fit.
  • If you’ve tried several disposable diapers but are still experiencing leaks, you may want to consider a cloth diaper where you can make individualized adjustments to the leg and waist holes.
  • For children not ready for a size 3 overnight diaper or who are overflowing their overnight diaper, you may want to consider adding a booster pad for bedtime.
  • As your child ages and starts potty training, you may want to consider training pants and/or disposable bed mats. Not only can this be confidence-building for your little one, but it can make middle-of-the-night bathroom trips easier.

How to use overnight diapers

As mentioned before, many brands of diapers don’t offer overnight diapers below size 3. If your little one is sleeping long enough to fill their diaper before then, you’ll want to purchase a booster pad. These are pads with additional material to absorb more pee. These pads can be placed or affixed with adhesive inside their normal diaper.

Once your child fits in an overnight diaper, simply put it on the same way you would their daytime diaper. (For cloth diapers, you’ll want to add extra or the thickest absorption pads before bedtime.)

One thing to keep in mind is that many children are potty trained during the day before they are ready to go without a diaper at night. In these cases, they may resist putting on a diaper for bed. Overnight training pants or a disposable mattress pad might make sense in these cases. You’ll want to encourage your child to go to the bathroom before going to bed when using either of these options.

Frequently asked questions about overnight diapers

Can I use overnight diapers instead of training pants to potty train at night?

You can potty train at night using overnight diapers or training pants. There’s no one right answer!

One benefit to overnight diapers is that they tend to have more absorptive materials and won’t leave you with wet sheets to clean in the morning (or middle of the night…). On the other hand, training pants do not typically hold as much liquid, which means a child will feel more wetness and it might cause them to wake when they have an accident. This knowledge of when they’re peeing can be useful for you and also build body awareness for them.

What are prefolds, and how useful can they be?

Prefolds are cloth diapers that have three panels. They offer several extra layers in the center for more absorbency. They are typically made of natural materials and can last for multiple children. On the downside, learning how to fold one of these diapers can be intimidating for new parents. Additionally, they can be bulkier than other diapering styles.

How many reusable diapers do you need?

You’ll want to plan for at least one reusable diaper for each 10- to 12-hour overnight period, but you’ll also need additional diapers for the inevitable poop or surprise leaks. (Diapers should be changed any time a child poops to help prevent rashes and skin irritations even if the diaper can hold 10 to 12 hours of pee.)

Takeaway

If you’re tired of your baby waking up with a leaking diaper, it may be time to invest in some overnight diapers.

The time and energy they’ll help you save can be well worth spending a few more pennies — after all, there’s no value you can place on a good night’s sleep and a happy, dry baby in the morning.