The Worst & Best Disposable Breast Pads

What are the best disposable breast pads?? Trust me when I say I’ve tried nearly all of them! I consider myself to be fairly lucky on the breastfeeding front, in that I have always had a good milk flow and strong let down, and therefore I never struggled to feed my daughter and we seem to have established breast feeding successfully second time around. However, what this has meant is that I’ve found myself in a few awkward situations, walking around with large wet patches on my tshirt and having to try and hide the fact that my breasts are leaking milk… everywhere!!!

Because of this, even before my baby was born, I had to invest in some disposable breast pads. The challenge was finding disposable breast pads that were comfortable, that stayed put in my bra, and were absorbent enough to soak up the milk that automatically sprayed out the boob that wasn’t being utilised!

Here is the Real Mums Review on 4 of the best disposable breast pads I tested – I’ve covered the Good, the Bad, and the Essentials!!

Table of Contents

THE GOOD – Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Disposable Breast Pads

Cost – Between £3 and £5 for a pack of 50 pads.

The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Disposable Breast Pads come in packs of two – making it very easy to pop a sealed packet into your handbag or changing bag when going out for the day. Described as having a special moisture trapping layer, these are relatively discreet, with a sticky pad to stick onto the inside of your bra.

Pros of Tommee Tippee Close to Nature Disposable Breast Pads:

Reasonably cheap and regularly on offer in Boots, Mothercare etc
Reasonably absorbent – I have only had one or two occasions of leakages using these pads.
Comfortable fabric, not itchy against skin.

Cons of Tommee Tippee Close to Nature Disposable Breast Pads

I found it handy that the breast pads were wrapped as a pair, but there may be occasions where you just need one, and therefore this could be seen as a negative.
The sticky pad isn’t particularly sticky, and therefore they can ride up in your bra which can be embarrassing, particularly in the summer when wearing strappy vest tops!
These would be more than adequate for someone who only leaks occasionally, however if you are a regular leaker like myself, then you may need slightly more absorbent pads to ensure no accidents occur.

THE BAD – Boots Own Disposable Breast Pads

Cost – £4.09 for 80 pads.

These Boots Own Breast pads sometimes benefit from further discounts as part of the Boots Mother and Baby Events. as well as earning extra advantage card points for Boots Parenting Club Members.
They are described as soft contoured breast pads – providing protection for your clothes from leaking milk especially just before a feed when your breasts are full or whilst breastfeeding when you have a strong let-down reflex.

Pros of Boots Own Disposable Breast Pads:

Cheaper price per unit.
Large size pad fits fully within your bra.

Cons of Boots Own Disposable Breast Pads:

Quite simply I found that the Boots Own disposable breast pads just didn’t work! Despite having the pads in my bra, I still came home with wet patches on my top. I guess the ‘you get what you pay for’ mentality is really true!
The material can be a little itchy against the skin, feeling more ‘paper-like’ and the pads are notably thinner.
No protective wrapping so the pads would get dirty if you took them out in your changing bag unless stored in a separate plastic bag or nappy bag.

THE Best Disposable Breast Pads – Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads

Of all the ones I’ve tried, I would without a doubt say that Lansinoh make the best disposable breast pads. Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads are described as having an ultra-thin but super-absorbent contour for a natural fit that won’t show under clothing. The soft, stay-dry lining is supposed to draw milk away from the skin and into the core of the pad where it is absorbed by a special polymer to prevent leakage.

Cost: Approx £5.50 for 60 pads, however significantly cheaper when purchased online (currently retailing for £3.79 on Amazon (plus postage fees).

Pros of Lansinoh Disposable Breast Pads

Not visible under clothes, discreet even when worn in the summer under strappy vest tops.
Stay put and do not ride up – two sticky pads unlike a lot of breast pads on the market – most tend to have just one.
Very absorbent- although they do become thick and heavy when full, they do not lose their shape, and don’t feel wet against your skin.
Easy to open packaging.
Shaped and contoured (curved) so seem to fit closer to the breast.
Great at night when my leaking was at its strongest.

Cons of Lansinoh Disposable Breast Pads:

More expensive than others on the market – but this is clearly an example of “you get what you pay for”.
Wrapped individually – although great from a hygiene point of view it does waste packaging – I seem to have little tabs and wrappers EVERYWHERE!
Not as readily available in high street stores or supermarkets – tend to be more easily accessible online or in larger boots stores only.

ESSENTIAL – Nuby Natural Touch Disposable Breast Pads

Nuby Natural Touch disposable breast pads are discreet and absorbant with a comfortable, contoured shape. Colour match your underwear! Their value pack includes 30 white and 20 black breast pads. The pads are individually wrapped for out and about and also feature a waterproof and soft shaped lining. The pads can be held securely with the non-slip tape.

Cost – £4.29 for 50

Pros of the Nuby Natural Touch Disposable Breast Pads:

Comfortable and curved for shape
Absorbant – did not experience any leakage with these pads, and they stayed comfortable even when full.
Despite having a waterproof edge, they did not feel scratchy or uncomfortable against my skin.

Cons of the Nuby Natural Touch Disposable Breast Pads:

The sticky pads could be a little stickier.
I don’t really understand why they need to be coloured as they don’t tend to ride up and therefore aren’t visible anyway! That said, if they did, they would be a lot more discreet when in black to match your bra.

My personal favourite, and the one I have invested in an EXTRA large pack of is the Lansinoh breast pads. Whilst my partner may continue to curse the little blue packets I appear to have spread all over our home, they do the job and do it well! 🙂

What breast pads have you tried? What do you think are the best disposable breast pads? Are there any others you would recommend?

If you are just starting your breast feeding journey you may also want to check out The Truth about Breastfeeding.