Over the last few weeks my toddler has been using the Pura nappies and wipes – here’s what we thought of them
As a household, we’ve got through enough nappies and disposable wipes over the last 18 months to create our own monster fatberg. I wouldn’t be surprised if, as a family, we’ve accidentally created a new toddler-sized hole in the Ozone layer.
While some parents turn to eco-friendly reusable nappies – which you bung in the washing machine rather than chucking into landfill – there’s a whole heap of reasons why my husband and I didn’t want to go down that avenue. Namely poo in the washing machine. No, thank you.
So when I heard about Pura’s nappies, some of my raging mum guilt was… not exactly abated, but definitely tamed. Pura is all about reducing environmental impact, and boasts that only its plant-based materials ever touch your baby’s sensitive skin.
Even its packaging is eco-conscious: instead of wrapping its nappies in single-use plastic, Pura has developed recyclable paper packs in which to keep its products. It also claims that it has replaced all its oil-based plastics with plant-based materials, “such as the organic cotton in our back sheet and the totally chlorine-free wood pulp from sustainably managed forests in the super absorbent core”.
And to add to its green credentials, Pura says its nappies are produced in a carbon-neutral plant, powered by green electricity and with no production waste sent to landfill.
So how do Pura’s nappies actually perform?
Pura nappy review
The company says its nappies can last up to 12 hours leak-free – with smaller sizes 1 and 2 featuring a wetness indicator strip on the front of the nappy.
We tested out the size 5 nappies and pullups on my 18-month-old daughter, who loves nothing more than a good wriggle-jiggle while she’s being changed.
While the Pura nappies lasted well in the daytime thanks to more frequent changes, overnight was a slightly different story. We experienced a couple of leakages (including one Code Brown that had breached its boundaries) in the mornings from where the nappy hadn’t quite contained everything.
Having said that, there are plenty of other nappy brands out there that claim they’re totally leak-proof but are very much not (hello, newborn poonamis). The Pura nappies did manage to absorb a lot of wees overnight, allowing my daughter (and us!) to sleep through without any discomfort.
And while she’s prone to occasional nappy rash (damn you, teething), the Pura nappies were gentle enough on her skin not to flare up the soreness. The brand says its nappies are made without fragrance, lotion, parabens, natural rubber latex and phthalates – ideal for little ones with extra-sensitive skin.
There is an option to subscribe and save on Amazon, saving 10% off a monthly box, which includes 120 nappies.
Pura wipes review
Oh gosh, the horror when you reach the end of yet another pack of wet wipes and send up a small prayer of apology to the environment. We get through thousands of wipes – not just while changing nappies, but for cleaning up spills, wiping sticky hands and faces, and sluicing down anything that has had a chubby snot-covered hand swiped past it.
So again, it was heartening to hear that Pura has put some thought into making its wipes less harsh on the environment by creating some made from biodegradable plant fibres.
Its packaging has recently been reformatted to reduce plastic by 15% and it is now all fully recyclable. The wipes themselves are made from 99% water with organic aloe vera added to soothe sensitive baby skin, and there is no fragrance, alcohol, parabens or chlorine involved in the manufacturing process.
So how do they hold up against other brands of wipes? There is a tendency for them to dry out if you leave the pack unsealed for too long – as we found out the hard way while dealing with a particularly noxious nappy.
But the gentleness of the Pura wipes whisked away anything nasty while soothing my daughter’s skin – and the interwoven clean wipes inside the pack doubled up as a handy toy to keep her amused while I was down at the business end.
If you like to bulk buy, there is currently an offer on Amazon to get a monthly box of 620 wipes reduced by 38%.
Pura nappies and wipes are available online at Amazon and from supermarkets including Morrisons and Asda.