Hello, i'm finally reporting back as I think my baby has gone to sleep for long enough to let me type my reply!
I was testing the newborn sized nappies on my son who was 3 - 4 weeks old at the time, plus the sensitive wipes.
Q1 What was your overall impression of Aldi nappies? Did they fit your baby/child? How did they feel?
I was expecting these to be a bit naff because they are a value brand, but I was pleasantly surprised. The outside of the nappy felt a bit more plasticy than my usual brand, but the inside was lovely and soft. No sharp edges or corners, and the elastic bit around the legs felt very soft too. The picture on the nappies was cute.
The fit was good, I was able to get them on snugly despite the best efforts of my son to kick his legs around during change times. Overall I was very impressed, not what I was expecting at all - in fact a lot better.
Q2 How did they compare with other nappies you've used? Did they do the job they were intended for? Any leaks?
They worked really well - no leaks and coped well with the runny breastmilk poo. My son isn't big enough yet for those huge explosion nappies but these contained everything very well. Particuarly I was pleased not to have any urine leaks - my usual brand had leaked a couple of times overnight in the first couple of weeks because the fit was not tight enough around his skinny legs. The Aldi nappies didn't have the same problem.
Q3 What did you think of the nappy packaging? Was it easy or difficult to open? What about the information on the packaging?
The packaging was good - nice fresh looking colours (yellow and greeny blue) with the usual picture of doting mother smiling down at a tiny infant, plus the "how it works" bit on the back explaining all the features. Clearly displays the size, the number of nappies in the pack, and the brand. The pack was very easy to open - it has one of those tear down ends - and happily the tear down bit did not work its way more open throughout the week and let all the remaining nappies fall out, which is a bugbear of mine. Well done, full marks for functional and pleasant packaging!
Q4 How did you find the wipes to use? Did you notice any difference between the normal and sensitive skin wipes? Did you find you had to use more, less or the same amount of wipes as you usually do?
This was the first time I used wipes on my newborn, I've been using cotton wool with warm water the rest of the time. I tested the sensitive wipes, which felt really fresh and soothing on my hand. They were a generous size, larger than you really need for a newborn but the right sort of size for an older baby or toddler. Unfortunately my son hated the wipes - after a few days we worked out it was because they were damp but not warm, and he hated the cold feeling as his bum was wiped. I have gone back to using cotton wool for the time being. If I was going to use wipes with a newborn I would be sure to keep them somewhere warm - on top of the radiator perhaps - to avoid the same problem. The wipes did work well though, and I found I only needed 1 or 2 each time rather than about 10 cotton wool balls.
Q5 Is there anything about the nappies, wipes, appearance or packaging that you think could be improved? If so, what?
I liked the nappy packaging and thought it was very clear. Personally I would prefer a slightly less cheesy mum and baby picture, but that might not be to everyone's tastes.
For the wipe packaging, I thought the fold down lid was quite hard to open. I liked the way the inner package made a zig zag edge when opened, so you could see whether it was a new pack or not (i.e. that noone in the shop had opened it first, or that you hadn't opened it then forgotten about it for 6 months). The pack looked quite busy, I think perhaps if the printing on top of the lid went to the edges more so that it looks more a part of the whole design that would help. The lid on my pack was stuck on slightly too far to the left so the little bunny character was chopped in 2 - poor rabbit! But overall the pack worked and it was clear how many wipes were inside and that it was the "sensitive" version so it does the job.
Q6 We've included some info on how much Aldi nappies cost below - do you think that they're good value for money or not? Why? And how about the wipes - do you think they're good value or not?
I had to read the prices a couple of times because I think they are very good value. The quality is a lot better than then price suggests, compared to other brands. I would say that about the nappies and the wipes.
Q7 Do you think you'll use the nappies again? What about the wipes? If so, why? If not, why not?
I probably won't, but only because we get our shopping delivered and this brand is not available from our delivery supermarket. Otherwise I definitely would! Why waste money paying more for a different brand that is not any better? If I ever have an hour or two spare I would be tempted to pop over to the local Aldi and have a look around as I wonder if there are more bargains like these hiding inside! If I made a trip I would bulk buy a couple of weeks worth of nappies.
Q8 If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend Aldi nappies to other parents of children or babies in nappies? If so, why? If not, why not? And would you recommend the wipes?
Yes, I would recommend these, but unfortunately our nearest Aldi store is a bit of a trek.
Thanks for the opportunity to try these, it opened my eyes to the quality possible with value brands!