Three Best Reusable Swim Diapers of 2024

By April Duffy •  Updated: 02/24/24 •  7 min read

I’ve written at length about the “hack” of using a cloth diaper cover for a reusable swim diaper and why it’s a bad idea at the pool (spoiler alert, not only will it get damaged, but won’t hold the poop in!), so if you’re wondering if you can use regular cloth diapers for swimming, click here.

But while swim diapers are a necessity, not all reusable swim diapers are created equally.

In this article, I’ll reveal the three reusable swim diapers you can actually trust, as well as what to look for in a reliable swim diaper and why.

But if reading is not your thing, here are the TLDR links to the three best swim diapers you can get in 2024:

Best Reusable Swim Diaper
 
 
4.5
4.0
3.5
14.99
16.00 (CAD)
N/A
  • Made of soft, stretchy bathing suit material that allows water to escape.
  • No absorbency to weigh down your baby while swimming.
  • Interior mesh layer with elasticized legs that helps contain solids.
  • Adjustable waist and leg snaps that open along the sides.
  • Several cute prints and solid colors to choose from.
  • Made of two layers of soft micro-mesh that hold onto solids very well.
  • No absorbency at all.
  • Adjustable with only two size options, so you will only need to size-up once.
  • Comes with a cute matching carry bag.
  • No PUL and no absorbency.
  • Soft woven polyester lining.
  • Price point is slightly below the competition.
  • Sold by Amazon.
  • Four size options, so while it will fit very well, you will need to size up as your baby grows.
  • Difficult to find (Canadian brand).
  • Only four solid colors available.
  • Price seems to be increasing regularly.
  • No adjustability.
  • Several sizes are available meaning you'll need to buy the next size often.
  • Confusing sizing.
Best Reusable Swim Diaper
4.5
14.99
  • Made of soft, stretchy bathing suit material that allows water to escape.
  • No absorbency to weigh down your baby while swimming.
  • Interior mesh layer with elasticized legs that helps contain solids.
  • Adjustable waist and leg snaps that open along the sides.
  • Several cute prints and solid colors to choose from.
  • Four size options, so while it will fit very well, you will need to size up as your baby grows.
4.0
16.00 (CAD)
  • Made of two layers of soft micro-mesh that hold onto solids very well.
  • No absorbency at all.
  • Adjustable with only two size options, so you will only need to size-up once.
  • Comes with a cute matching carry bag.
  • Difficult to find (Canadian brand).
  • Only four solid colors available.
3.5
N/A
  • No PUL and no absorbency.
  • Soft woven polyester lining.
  • Price point is slightly below the competition.
  • Sold by Amazon.
  • Price seems to be increasing regularly.
  • No adjustability.
  • Several sizes are available meaning you'll need to buy the next size often.
  • Confusing sizing.

Top Five Things to Look for In a Reusable Swim Diaper

When shopping for reusable swim diapers, it’s important to look for the following:

1) NO PUL Fabric

A reusable swim diaper made from PUL material — and there are more and more making their way onto the marketplace and unfortunately, many other online resources recommend them without having tested them — will act just like a diaper cover in the pool. This is because it’s essentially the same thing — a PUL diaper with no inserts, elastics at the leg, and an adjustable waist.

The problem with using PUL swim diapers or regular cloth diaper covers is that they will bloat and fill with water when submerged. Then, when you lift baby out of the pool, this excess water needs to come out, and it does so by gushing out the leg gaps or out the top of the diaper, taking any accidents with it.

Thoughtfully made swim diapers let the water pass through their fabric freely. This is done both for safety (water is heavy and can weigh down your baby) and because this is the best way to hold onto solids when the diaper is submerged.

Yes, this means that urine also passes through a reusable swim diaper, as it does in a disposable swim diaper (which is also not water-resistant like PUL is). There’s just no way around this because using any kind of absorbency to soak up urine would instantly soak up pool water, making it useless anyway, and again, weighing down your baby and making it unsafe. 

In short, a reliable baby swim diaper should be made from breathable fabrics that are not waterproof but instead allow water to flow out of them through their entire surface area.

Now listen, I get it, lots of people recommend PUL swim diapers, lots of large cloth diaper brands make their reusable swim diapers with PUL, and lots have people have used them without a problem. How could that be? Well, the truth is, it’s just not common

2) A Mesh Lining

Some swim diaper brands will brag about their soft polyester or cotton linings, but this is actually what you don’t want. Soft fabric linings are usually slightly absorbent, holding water and increasing the likelihood of a leak.

What you actually want is a mesh lining in your reusable baby swim diaper . Mesh will allow the water to pass through it and will cling to your baby’s skin and any waste that may need to be contained.

3) Proper Fit

Swim diapers are designed to hold accidents in, so they have to fit snugly. Getting a swim diaper that’s made to fit your baby’s weight is key. I also don’t recommend sizing up on a swim diaper because this can create leg gaps, which can lead to a poop leak. 

In general, baby swim diapers are sized based on weight just like cloth diapers, so pay attention to the manufacturer’s sizing charts and the packaging for guidance. 

4) Style

Reusable swim diapers are typically more stylish and cute than disposable swim diapers, but they also come in a few different closure styles to suit you and your baby’s needs.

For example, MotherEase swim diapers, my favorite swim diaper available today, has adjustable waist and leg snaps that open along the sides, but you can also get pull-up reusable swim diapers, like the FINIS ones I mention below.

Choosing a style that is going to be super easy for you and your little one at the pool or beach is paramount.

5) A Reasonable Price

Of course, a reusable swim diaper is going to save money better than multiple packages of Little Swimmers or just by their nature of being reusable, and adjustable (disposable swim diapers come in several sizes just like regular disposable diapers)

Reusable swim diapers typically provide a better value overall, since you may be able to use the same baby swim diaper until your child is potty-trained.

With that said, just like regular cloth diapers, a good reusable swim diaper should cost a bit more upfront. Expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $20 for a quality swim diaper that will withstand a poop accident in the water.

Luckily, you should only need one or two swim diapers (I recommend two in case you need to change baby mid-swim), unless you take your baby swimming so often that having more on hand just makes sense.

How I Narrowed It Down to The Three Best Swim Diapers

Not only have I used a ton of swim diapers (including the three brands I currently recommend for 2024) on my own daughter, but over the seven-plus years I’ve spent helping parents in the Cloth Diapers for Beginners community, I have discussed and heard opinions on what makes a swim diaper good or bad over and over again.

I don’t recommend any diapers I don’t know will be a safe investment for you, and that includes swim diapers.

So, without further ado, here are the three best swim diapers on the market in 2024:

  1. AMP Diapers – Swim Diapers
    Pros:
    • Made of two layers of soft micro-mesh that hold onto solids very well.
    • No absorbency at all.
    • Adjustable with only two size options, so you will only need to size-up once.
    • Comes with a cute matching carry bag.
    Cons:
    • Difficult to find (Canadian brand).
    • Only four solid colors available.
    Get them on AMPDiapers.com Get them at Cloth Diaper Kids
  2. Reusable Swim Diapers – Mother-ease Cloth Diapers
    Pros:
    • Made of soft, stretchy bathing suit material that allows water to escape.
    • No absorbency to weigh down your baby while swimming.
    • Interior mesh layer with elasticized legs that helps contain solids.
    • Adjustable waist and leg snaps that open along the sides.
    • Several cute prints and solid colors to choose from.
    Cons:
    • Four size options, so while it will fit very well, you will need to size up as your baby grows.
    Get it at Mother-Ease.com Now

    We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

  3. FINIS Swim Diaper
    Pros:
    • No PUL and no absorbency.
    • Soft woven polyester lining.
    • Price point is slightly below the competition.
    • Sold by Amazon.
    Cons:
    • Price seems to be increasing regularly.
    • No adjustability.
    • Several sizes are available meaning you'll need to buy the next size often.
    • Confusing sizing.
    Get it on Amazon

    We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

FAQ’s

Are reusable swim diapers worth it?

Yes! No one wants to be the one that let poop into the pool or swimming spot.

Not only is poop just plain gross, but it contains E. coli, C. difficile, Giardia, and other bacteria that can make others sick.

Often when a poop incident happens in a swimming pool the pool must be closed and treated, which means lost revenue for the facility and unhappy swimmers told to go home. This is why most pools require babies to wear swim diapers under their swimsuits for all swim lessons and related activities.

Do you put a diaper under a reusable swim diaper?

No! Regular diapers, whether cloth diapers or disposable diapers, are made to absorb liquid. If you place one in water it will immediately fill up to its maximum capacity with pool, sea, or lake water and become very heavy.

This is a safety risk as it can weigh your baby down and make it hard for them to move around.

Do reusable swim diapers hold pee?

No. A swim diaper is not intended to absorb liquid, including pee. Yeah, it means the urine will flow into the water, but luckily even swimming pools are treated with chlorine, which will neutralize and sterilize urine. Just try not to think about it.

April Duffy

April is the founder of Cloth Diapers for Beginners and author of The Cloth Diaper Wash & Care Handbook. Since 2015, April has helped well over 75,000 parents and caregivers cloth diaper their children through this website, her book, her YouTube Channel, and the Cloth Diapers for Beginners Facebook Group.