Asda Little Angels 'Go Eco Baby’ nappies

**** IMPORTANT - please see here for product recall information as of July 2010 ****

I've been testing various products from the Asda Little Angels 'Go Eco Baby' range and I have to say, they are totally unremarkable and don't stand out in any way from any of my usual brands ... which is absolutely amazing as they cost a fraction of the price ! As Pierre is my third baby, I think I've probably tried pretty much all of the big name brands at one time or another, either through buying them or through testing out the free samples in various Bounty and Emma's Diary packs, and they do all offer very high quality products. Some of them do offer little pluses - such as the Pampers Baby Dry nappies with their unique "soaks up wee but also liquid baby poo" lining - but after the first few weeks, when you compare the prices of supermarket own brands with the big name brands, it's very tempting to test out the cheaper alternatives.

I must admit, I came to the Asda baby range expecting them to be cheap copies of the originals, unable to live up to the high standards. Well, they certainly are cheap copies, being much lighter on the pocket, but the quality is amazingly good. As good as many of the much more expensive products in fact.

Nappies are always tricky. The cheap ones often leak, the attachments don't stick, they're not absorbent enough so baby gets nappy rash and you feel really guilty and go back to the expensive brands ... Well, I have to admit, on two occasions, these nappies did leak and Pierre ended up with poo on his body suit, so it's easy to say "ahhh rubbish cheapie nappies, you get what you pay for". But I had exactly the same problem with Pampers the week before so I think it's more down to Pierre doing a few huge mega-poos after his change of routine and diet (I've gone back to work so he's on to mixed feeds at the childminder's now) rather than any failing of the nappy design. The Little Angels nappies passed the test with flying colours for all the usual problems listed above and the design of the nappy and the packaging are as cute and eyecatching as any of the more expensive brands.

I love the eco-friendly mentality too. (Alright, I know, it's not as green as using washable nappies but every little helps !) The website says : "Go eco baby ! Little Angels eco nappies use unique plant derived materials. All pulp used is from sustainable and managed forests, protecting the planet for your little angel. Dermatologically tested & hypoallergenic. 100% biodegradable backsheet. Contains some natural super absorbent particles."

The biggest advantage has to be the price though. The RRP is £5.68 but if you go to the asda online store, they're only £3.75 a pack and are actually on offer until the end of next year so you can get 3 packs for £10. That's a huge saving, especially when you consider how many nappies you actually get through in the first few years of a baby's life. The cost per nappy depends on the size - each pack costs the same but the number of nappies in the pack varies so the minis currently work out at 8.9p per nappy, midis are 11p each, maxis are 12.5p and junior are 14.4p each. I'll leave it to you to check the other big brands price per nappy breakdowns but I don't think you'll find much cheaper.

So I'd definitely say, Go eco baby ! - both ecological and economical. Can't say fairer than that !

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £5.68

online price : £3.75 per pack (currently on offer, 3 packs for £10)