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==Types==
===Disposable===
[[File:Baby diaper.jpg|thumb|right|160px|A baby wearing a disposable diaper]]
The first waterproof diaper cover was invented in 1946 by [[Marion Donovan]], a professional-turned-housewife who wanted to ensure her children's clothing and bedding remained dry while they slept.<ref>{{citation | last = Blattman | first = Elissa | title = Three Every-day Items Invented by Women | publisher = National Women's History Museum | year = 2013 | url = https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/three-every-day-items-invented-women}}</ref> She also invented the first paper diapers. Still, executives did not invest in this idea, and it was consequently scrapped for over ten years until Procter & Gamble used Donovan's design ideas to create [[Pampers]]. Another disposable diaper design was created by [[Valerie Hunter Gordon]] and patented in 1948.<ref>{{cite web|title=The History of Paddi|publisher=paddi.org.uk|url=http://www.paddi.org.uk/Paddi-History.php|access-date=August 1, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404192409/http://www.paddi.org.uk/Paddi-History.php|archive-date=April 4, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=BBC – Radio4|title=Home truth – Nappy days|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hometruths/20050228_nappy_inventor.shtml|access-date=October 20, 2011}}</ref>

Ever since their introduction, product innovations have included the use of [[superabsorbent polymer]]s, resealable tapes, and [[Elastomer|elasticised]] waistbands. They are now much thinner and much more absorbent. The product range has recently been extended to the children's toilet-training phase with the introduction of training pants and pant diapers, which are now classified as undergarments.

Modern disposable baby diapers and incontinence products have a layered construction that allows urine to transfer to and be distributed within an absorbent core, where it is locked in.<ref>{{cite web|title=How disposable diaper is made|publisher=How Products Are Made|url=http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Disposable-Diaper.html|access-date=March 17, 2008}}</ref> Basic layers are an outer shell of breathable [[polyethylene]] film or a nonwoven and film composite which prevents wetness and soil transfer, an inner absorbent layer of a mixture of [[air-laid paper]] and [[superabsorbent polymer]]s for wetness, and a layer nearest the skin of [[Nonwoven fabric|nonwoven material]] with a distribution layer directly beneath which will transfer wetness to the absorbent layer. Some popular brands of disposable baby diapers feature layers of colorful film that decorate the diapers with cute, kid-friendly designs, such as animals or characters from movies and TV shows, while other brands are plain white.

Other common features of disposable diapers include one or more pairs of either adhesive or mechanical fastening tapes to keep the diaper securely fastened. Some diapers have refastenable tapes, allowing for adjustments to fit or reapplication after inspection. Elasticized fabric single and double [[gusset]]s around the leg and waist areas aid in fitting and in containing urine or stool that has not been absorbed. Baby diapers now have [[wetness indicator]]s, which consist of a moisture-sensitive ink printed in the front of the diaper as either a fading design or a color-changing line to alert the carer or user that the diaper is wet.<ref>{{cite web|title=What are the components used on a typical disposable diaper|publisher=Diaper Industry Source|url=http://www.disposablediaper.net/faq.asp?1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723094916/http://www.disposablediaper.net/faq.asp?1 |archive-date=July 23, 2011}}</ref>
A disposable diaper may also include an inner fabric layer designed to hold moisture against the skin for a brief period before it is absorbed, alerting a toilet-training or bedwetting user that they have urinated. Some brands also have a quick-absorbing layer that pulls urine and soft stool away from the baby's skin, which is helpful to parents, especially after they have put their little one to bed, so diapers don't need to be changed in the middle of the night. Most materials in the diaper are held together with a [[hot-melt adhesive]], which is applied as a spray or in multiple lines. An elastic hot melt is also used to help with pad integrity when the diaper is wet.

Some disposable diapers include fragrance, lotions, or [[essential oil]]s to help mask the smell of a soiled diaper or protect the skin. Care of disposable diapers is minimal, consisting primarily of keeping them dry before use and disposing of them in a garbage receptacle when soiled. Stool is supposed to be deposited in the toilet, but is generally put in the garbage with the rest of the diaper.

Buying the right size of [[disposable]] diaper can be a little difficult for first-time parents, since different brands have different sizing standards. Baby diaper sizes are generally based on the child's weight (kg or lbs) rather than age, unlike clothing or shoes.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |title=Diaper Size Chart by Age, All Baby Diaper Sizes by Brand |url=https://www.kinderzeit.org/en/diaper-size-chart/ |access-date=December 18, 2018 |publisher=Kinderzeit.org}}</ref>

Common disposable baby diaper brands in the US include [[Huggies]], [[Pampers]], and [[Luvs]].<ref name=":2" />

====Sizing====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Diaper Size<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pampers® Swaddlers™ Diapers {{!}} Pampers |url=https://www.pampers.com/en-us/products/pampers-swaddlers-diapers |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=Web-Pampers-US-EN |language=en-US}}</ref>!! Baby Weight (lbs)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diaper Size and Weight Chart {{!}} Pampers |url=https://www.pampers.com/en-us/baby/diapering/article/diaper-size-and-weight-chart |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=Web-Pampers-US-EN |language=en-US}}</ref>!! Baby weight (kg) !! Approx Child Age
|-
| N || <10 || <4 || first few weeks only
|-
| 1 || 8-14 || 3-6 || 2–4 months
|-
| 2 || 12-18 || 5-8 || 3–6 months
|-
| 3 || 16-28 || 7-13 || 6–10 months
|-
| 4 || 22-37 || 9-17 || 7–17 months
|-
| 5 || <27 || <12 || older than 2 years
|-
| 6 || <35 || <16 || older than 3 years
|-                                    
| 7 || <41 || <19 || older than 4 years 
|-                                    
| 8 || 46+ || 21+ || older than 5 years
|}

===Cloth diaper===
{{Main|Cloth diaper}}
[[File:Cloth diaper.jpg|right|thumb|Cloth diaper filled with extra cloth]]
[[File:Rotchi.jpg|right|thumb|Baby with cloth diaper]]
Cloth diapers are reusable and can be made from natural fibers, synthetic materials, or a combination of both.<ref name="ip.com">{{cite web|title=Improved containment and convenience in a double gusset cloth diaper: Method of manufacture|url=http://www.ip.com/IPCOM/000209419|date=August 4, 2011|author=Leah S. Leverich}}</ref> They are often made from industrial [[cotton]] which may be [[bleach]]ed white or left the fiber's natural color. Other natural fiber cloth materials include [[wool]], [[bamboo]], and unbleached [[hemp]]. Artificial materials such as an internal absorbent layer of [[microfiber]] toweling or an external waterproof layer of [[polyurethane laminate]] (PUL) may be used. [[Polyester]] fleece and faux [[suedecloth]] are often used inside cloth diapers as a "stay-dry" [[Capillary action|wicking]] liner because of the non-absorbent properties of those synthetic fibers.
[[File:Safediaperclip.jpg|right|thumb|Safe Diaper Clip from the mid-1960s]]
Traditionally, cloth diapers consisted of a folded square or rectangle of cloth, fastened with [[safety pin]]s. Today, most cloth diapers are fastened with hook-and-loop tape (Velcro) or snaps.

Modern cloth diapers come in a host of shapes, including preformed cloth diapers, all-in-one diapers with waterproof exteriors, fitted diapers with covers, and pocket or "stuffable" diapers, which consist of a water-resistant outer shell with an opening for absorbent inserts.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cloth Diapering|url=http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-diap/48-cloth-diapers-simple.htm|access-date=March 17, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080330001541/http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-diap/48-cloth-diapers-simple.htm|archive-date=March 30, 2008|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Many design features of modern cloth diapers have followed directly from innovations initially developed in disposable diapers, such as the use of the hour glass shape, materials to separate moisture from skin and the use of double gussets, or an inner elastic band for better fit and containment of waste material.<ref name="ip.com" /> Several cloth diaper brands use variations of [[Procter & Gamble]]'s original 1973 patent use of a double gusset in [[Pampers]].<ref name="Double Gussets diaper patent" />

===Compostable diapers===
Compostable diapers can be made from a range of different plant-based materials. [[Dyper]] makes their compostable diapers from bamboo fibers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-20 |title=DYPER Removes Nearly 100,000 KG of Plastic Waste From Environment |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220420005621/en/DYPER-Removes-Nearly-100000-KG-of-Plastic-Waste-From-Environment |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=www.businesswire.com |language=en}}</ref>