How Much Money Do You Save Using Reusable Nappies?

8 October 2024

Welcoming a baby is such a happy, exciting time but the cost can cause stress for new parents. From carseats to highchairs, cots to prams, babies come with big one off expenses that can add up fast.

One of the most significant ongoing costs many families face is the price of disposable nappies. Babies go through thousands of nappies from birth to potty training. One way to save money while still keeping your little one clean and comfortable is to use reusable nappies. Not only can they help your finances, but they are an eco-friendly alternative to disposables.

I cloth bummed my youngest son from a few months old. I started off with just a couple of reusable nappies and carried on using disposables too, then as I got my routine figured out I added more. I found it really easy to manage even with twin 5 yr olds and the chaos they bring.

Let’s break down how much you could potentially save by making the switch.

Breakdown of Costs for Disposable Nappies

Disposable nappies are the go-to for many families because they appear more convenient, but this comes at a cost. On average, a baby will use around 4 to 8 nappies per day, depending on their age - newborns go through 10 a day for the first few weeks. If we estimate that you’re using six nappies daily, and the cost of a supermarket disposable nappy is approximately £0.14 per nappy, you’re spending roughly £0.84 per day.

Let’s take a closer look at the breakdown of costs for disposable nappies:

Daily Cost: £0.84

Monthly Cost: £25.20

Yearly Cost: £302.40

That’s over £300 per year just for nappies. Now consider the fact that babies are usually in nappies for about two and a half to three years. That means you could be looking at around £750 - £900 in total costs, and that’s before factoring in extras like:

Baby Wipes

A pack of wipes can cost around £1-£2, and most parents go through two packs or more per week. This could add another £100 per year.

Bin Bags / Nappy Disposal Bags

Nappy sacks might cost around £0.02 each, which seems negligible, but over time, this can add up to about £10-£20 per year.

Type of Disposable Nappy

If you wanted an eco friendly, ethically made disposable nappy you will be spending alot more per nappy. Be wary of companies that claim to be biodegradable, there are normally many steps including home composting for this to be achieved.

In total, disposable nappies and their accompanying accessories can easily cost over £1,000 for a single child. And let’s not forget the environmental impact: millions of nappies are sent to landfills each year, where they take hundreds of years to decompose. The cost to your babies health needs to be weighed up too, super absorbent polymers, and harsh chemicals have been found in disposable nappies that may cause rashes and irritation.

Breakdown of Costs for Reusable Nappies

At first glance, the cost of reusable nappies might seem steep. After all, a single all in one or pocket reusable nappy can cost anywhere from £10 to £25, depending on the brand and type. However, because they’re washable and reusable, cloth diapers can be used over and over again, which drastically reduces the long-term cost. You can also keep costs much lower if you keep your reusable diaper system simple - more on this later.

Here’s how the costs for reusable nappies break down:

Upfront Cost

For a full set of 20-25 nappies (enough to wash every 2-3 days), you’re looking at an initial investment of £200 to £300. This can be reduced greatly following our tips below.

Daily Cost

Once you have your set, you’ll be reusing them every day, so your ongoing cost is effectively £0.

Monthly Cost

If you spread the upfront cost over the first year, it averages to around £16 - £42 per month.

Yearly Cost

After the initial purchase, your costs drop significantly and could be zero for subsequent children if you keep your nappies. The only recurring expenses will be for laundry and a few extras, like:

Washing Costs

Washing reusable nappies 2-3 times per week will add to your water and electricity bill, but it’s typically only around £1-£2 per week, or £50-£80 per year.

Accessories

You might also need items like a nappy pail (£10-£12), and wet bags for storing used nappies when out and about (£5-£15).

Over three years, even with these additional costs, reusable nappies will still be significantly cheaper than disposables. And if you plan to use them for more than one child, your savings multiply, as the nappies can often be reused for siblings.

"We are very impressed with this product. Absorbant, no leaks and fits my 2-yr-old very comfortably. The lining of the shell was almost dry to the touch after a whole night in the nappy. Wish these had been available when my son was first born." Trustpilot review

Tips to keep the cost of reusable nappies low

Look for deals and shop around - Cheeky wipes run monthly offers that regularly include cloth nappies, we have a trial nappy if you want to dip a toe into the cloth world and The Nappy Gurus site has pocket nappies as low as £6

Council nappy schemes

Lots of UK councils run real nappy scheme incentives giving you a voucher for between £25-£70 to spend on cloth nappies and accessories. If your local council isn't listed, get in touch with them to see if they run a scheme

Choose flats and wraps

you don't need to spend £20+ on a single nappy, keep it simple like our Grandparents did with terry towelling squares folded and pinned under a waterproof nappy cover for the cheapest cloth nappy system

Buy preloved

There are lots of social media forums and selling platforms to buy or sell second hand reusable diapers. This allows you to test out a brand without committing lots of money. It also allows you to bulk out your stash whilst saving money. You can follow our guide to strip washing nappies.

Mix it up

You can use modern cloth nappies with the occasional disposables thrown in while you build your stash, this spreads the cost for you

Choose reusable wipes - You can save the cost of buying multiple packs of disposable wipes week in week out by opting for a washable cloth wipes kit.

Savings Over Time

Total Cost of Disposable Nappies

Around £1,000 for three years.

Total Cost of Reusable Nappies

Approximately £300 - £400 for three years, including laundry and accessories. If you choose expensive all in one nappies the overall cost will be more than if you choose simple, plain, cheaper reusable diapers.

So, how much do you save using reusable nappies?

By using reusable nappies, you could save between £600 to £900 for your first child, and the savings could be even greater if you have more than one child and reuse the nappies. Plus, by choosing reusables, you’ll be significantly reducing your household waste, sending less to landfill, helping to protect the environment for your child’s future.

Conclusion

Though the upfront investment is higher, the long-term savings and benefits make reusable nappies a worthwhile choice for many families. The key is to weigh the convenience of disposables against the financial and ecological advantages of reusables. There is no law that says you can't keep disposables around for emergencies or days when you are overwhelmed but using reusables between newborn and toilet training can save you money.

Have you made the switch to cloth nappies? Or are you considering it? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

If you were interested in cloth but nervous to commit, our happiness guarantee allows you to buy and try a nappy with the reassurance that if it doesn't work for you and your baby it can be returned for a refund - don't worry, the nappy won't go to waste, I will send it on to one of our charities.

If you have any questions or want more tips on saving money with eco-friendly parenting choices, feel free to get in touch or explore more of our blog posts.

If you would like more information, please email the team or find us on the website chat function. We all use the products ourselves and LOVE to chat pee poo and periods. Nothing is TMI and we all love to overshare based on our own experiences.

About the Author: Kirstin on our customer services team loves spending her days helping customers with their reusable period product needs and advising cloth nappy using families. Kirstin lives with her three teenagers and loves walking, cycling and sea swimming year round in our beautiful bay.