Pull-Ups vs. Easy Ups: The Potty Training Debate

As mentioned in the above introduction, Huggies Pull-Ups and Pampers Easy Ups seem to be about the same price-wise. It is important to note, however, that it is much easier to find coupons for the Pull-Ups. Huggies frequently issues coupons in newspaper circulars and on their website. You can also sign up to receive coupons by email or regular mail. You can easily get $1.50 or $2.00 off a pack of training pants with one of their coupons. Pampers does issue some coupons, but I find that they are few and far between. So, score one for the Huggies if you are a coupon shopper and want to save some money.

The entire point of training pants is that kids are supposed to be able to use them like real underwear; pulling them down when they need to go, and pulling them back up when they are done. So how do Pull-Ups and Easy Ups compare as far as ease of use?

Although I absolutely LOVE the soft feel of the Pampers Easy Ups, I think their soft stretchiness makes them harder for kids to pull up and down. Also, many parents report that after multiple uses during the day, the Easy Ups start to tear on their soft side panels.

The Pull-Ups seem stiff and scratchy in comparison, but they slide on and off really easily, making it easier for kids to do it themselves. Sometimes the velcro-like sides come apart when trying to pull them up or down, but the sides can be resealed with the help of an adult.

(As a side note, my daughter didn't seem to care or notice that the Easy Ups were "soft" and the Pull-Ups were "stiff." She wore both without complaint.)

What about ease of use for Mom and Dad? Sometimes kids have accidents, right? It might be a wet diaper or a poopy one, but either way, they are probably not going to make it to the potty every time when they are first learning. So, you will still have to change your son or daughter some of the time. How do Easy Ups and Pull-Ups compare when Mom or Dad is doing the changing? As I mentioned above, I feel that the Pull-Ups are easier to slide up and down than the Easy Ups. I also think that the Pull Ups are easier to open in the event of a poopy or wet diaper. They have velcro-like sides that easily tear apart and can even be resealed if it was a "false alarm." The Easy Ups, on the other hand, do not have a velcro. You can physically rip them apart at the seams, but they cannot be resealed once they've been torn.

One other thing I should mention that I've noticed is that the Pampers Easy Ups seem to bulk up a lot more when wet than the Huggies Pull-Ups do. I can tell my daughter is wet because she starts waddling around with a bulging diaper if I put the Easy Ups on her. One good thing about both the Easy Ups and the Pull-Ups is that neither one seems to leak much. It is rare that we have leaks with either brand.

Huggies and Pampers actually offer several different types of training pants. The Huggies Pull-Ups are available in 3 types. Huggies Cool Alert Pull-Ups are supposed to create a cooling sensation when wet to help your child recognize when they have an accident. In my experience, most kids don't seem to notice the "cooling sensation." I know my daughter didn't. Also, I've heard reports of many kids getting rashes from these Pull-Ups. The other daytime choice is the Learning Designs Pull-Ups. These Pull-Ups have designs that fade when they get wet. They are supposed to help your child identify when they are wet because the designs are gone. I don't know that this really helped my daughter, but it was nice as a mom to be able to check at a glance to see if she was wet or not. The other type of Pull-Up that Huggies offers is a nighttime Pull-Up. These are a lot more absorbent than the regular Pull-Ups to help your child get through the night without leaks. We use these every night and it is very rare that they leak. They really hold a lot of liquid! The only drawback is that the nighttime Pull-Ups cost a bit more than the regular Pull-Ups.

The regular Pampers Easy Ups are like the Huggies Learning Designs. Like the Huggies, they have small designs that fade when wet. The Pampers version of the Huggies Cool Alert are their Feel N' Learns. Again, the idea is that when your child feels a cool sensation, they will recognize that they had an accident. You'll just have to try it to see if your child notices a difference, but most kids don't seem phased by the change. As far as a nighttime training pant, Pampers doesn't offer one. Their Easy Ups are meant to be absorbent enough for daytime or nighttime use. No need to buy a separate product for bedtime.

If your daughter adores the Disney Princesses or if your son loves the characters from the movie Cars, then your kids will be excited for Pull Ups. Each Pull-Up has designs featuring these well-loved Disney and Pixar characters. On the other hand, if your son or daughter can't get enough of Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego, then they'll love the Easy Ups. The girls will love the images of Dora and Boots, and the boys will love seeing Diego and Baby Jaguar.

I like the way Pampers does the sizing for its Easy Ups. The sizing picks up right where you left off when your son or daughter was in diapers. So if your child was already in a size 4, then he or she can continue to wear a size 4 in the Easy Ups. It's that easy. As for the Pull Ups, for some reason Huggies chose not to continue with the same sizing method as it does for its diapers. Instead the Pull-Ups are sized by age range. The sizes are as follows for each brand:

Pampers Easy Ups:

Size 4 (16-34 lbs.)
Size 5 (30-40 lbs.)
Size 6 (37+ lbs.)

Huggies Pull-Ups:

Size 2T-3T (18-34 lbs.)
Size 3T-4T (32-40 lbs.)
Size 5T (38+ lbs.)

Do you like the fresh scent smell of Pampers diapers? The Easy Ups have that same baby fresh smell. It's nice to smell after the assault of a dirty diaper on your nostrils. If you are more a fan of unscented diapers, then I'd go with the Huggies Pull-Ups. They don't have any scent that I can discern.

Both Pampers and Huggies offer rewards for purchasing their products. If you have already been saving up your Gifts to Grow points from Pampers diapers and wipes, then by sticking with Pampers Easy Ups you can continue to add to your point balance. Each pack of Easy Ups will have a Gifts to Grow code on it. Codes can be entered into the Pampers website and cashed in for some nice rewards. They have a good selection of rewards ranging from books or toys for your little one, or Starbucks gift cards and Shutterfly photo packages for you.

In an effort to keep up with Pampers, Huggies recently launched its Enjoy the Ride rewards program. It works the same as Pampers' Gifts to Grow program. You get codes in each pack of Pull-Ups and enter them in at the Huggies website. The points can be redeemed for gifts and rewards. It seems to take longer for the Huggies points to add up, and they don't have as many cool products to cash in for, but if you buy a lot of Pull-Ups it would be worth it to give it a try.

One other note about rewards: Huggies Pull-Ups packages also have Box Tops for Education points.

In this lens we've taken an in-depth look at the pros and cons of using Pampers Easy Ups versus Huggies Pull-Ups potty training pants. Hopefully you now have a better idea of how these top brands compare when it comes to pricing, ease of use, available types, character designs, sizing, scent, and rewards. So now that you know the details about these top brands, which will you choose? As for me? I love the softness and the fresh scent of the Pampers Easy Ups, and I would love to cash in on the Gifts to Grow Rewards. However, I think that ultimately Huggies Pull-Ups is my brand of choice. They are cheaper (using coupons), the velcro sides are very convenient, and they are so much easier for my daughter to pull up and down. That said, I would love to hear your opinions! Weigh in on the debate by commenting in the module below!