Did some Vintage baby diapers come in larger sizes than actual size 6 or 7 baby diapers

I'm just curious here, maybe some people could confirm this, we know the sizes of the actual size 5-6 and 7 modern baby diapers, but I wonder, did anyone had any chance to check the size on some vintage baby diapers from the 70's 80's and 90's perhaps, I've stumbled upon an old pack of Pampers overnight for boys while visiting relatives and had the opportunity to check them closer (sadly no pictures, my phone was on the charger in their family room and it would have been suspicious if I wanted my phone to go to their basement since there's no signal there), and I swear I could probably have fitted in theses a few years ago. The size indicated on the pack was Large for babies over 23lbs

Generally the largest disposable baby diapers of the 1980's and 1990's were roughly equivalent to today's size 5-7 depending on a couple factors, but the numerical sizes only went up to 4 or 5, occasionally sizing included letters. The largest disposable baby diapers of the 1970's would be equivalent to today's size 3 or 4. Pampers disposable baby diapers came around in the 1960's for reference.
With the exception of the original early 1990's Goodnites, nothing has been available in a significantly larger size that is not still available.

Actually there was one I had found in the Northeast US. Called “Super Toddler”
It was a store brand- private label item. This was the late 80’s from the Stop and Shop grocery chain. I have no specs but trust me, they were large. When I first used to get them they had a single tape but switched to double tapes near the end of availability. For what its worth, the packaging said the manufacturer was Weyerhauser, the pulp,wood and lumber co.

Stop & Shop was only in 2 states at that time though and even at present they are only in like 5 or 6 states. Back then in the late 1980's they only had about 50 locations, compared to about 400 now. So the availability and distribution of that product would have been extremely limited. Generally most stores were only stockists for Huggies and Pampers baby diapers (and their subsidiary brands) in the late 1980's.

I belive it was pathmart good stores and the diaper was called super toddler plus

Yep, very limited for sure! As I recall.. waist was about 32”.. as in around 16” wide front and back, obviously all plastic with no stretch. The rise was good too, perhaps 24 or 25”.

I think pampers announced their size 6 in 1998. There was a commercial that went with it as well. I'm sure youtube could turn up something. I'm not sure if they had the size six earlier than that but I do remember the commercial.

babyblueblanket said:

I think pampers announced their size 6 in 1998. There was a commercial that went with it as well. I'm sure youtube could turn up something. I'm not sure if they had the size six earlier than that but I do remember the commercial.

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Size 5 stretch was the largest pampers before 1998, I started wearing them at the end of 96’ they were good, nothing as stretchy as today’s diapers though, these had little stretch wrinkle sides, the length was just about the same

Photo below is of a 1974 Pampers in Toddler size (biggest). I’d say these measurements line up right around a size 7, however there is much less stretch with the vintage.

A 1974 vintage Pampers toddler diaper is no comparison to a current size 7 in fit. Even a Luvs Size 6 will fit some small adults, those with a 26" waist or less. And Dollar General sells a generic size 7 that will fit a 30" waist without having to stretch too much. There is no possibility that 70's vintage toddler Pampers will have that capability.

Honeywell6180 said:

A 1974 vintage Pampers toddler diaper is no comparison to a current size 7 in fit. Even a Luvs Size 6 will fit some small adults, those with a 26" waist or less. And Dollar General sells a generic size 7 that will fit a 30" waist without having to stretch too much. There is no possibility that 70's vintage toddler Pampers will have that capability.

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Perhaps there was misundertanding with what I meant? I'm referring to the physical laid out measurements of a vintage pampers lining up to around a size 7. I'll re-explain it.

I compared the width, length, both end widths unfolded for waist of the vintage pampers to a pampers size 7. This is side by side and not accounting for the fact that the non-vintage is made to stretch. Seeing as each brand has a different size 7 "size" I thought i'd compare it to its own brand. I then mentioned that there's much less stretch (capabilities) in the vintage. (ie you can pull the plastic a little and it may pull, but its not elastic) If you're looking at waist, there's a few inches of stretch that the non-vintage can do. It's length is about 1 inch longer.

As far as which one is "larger". I think we can safely assume the size 7 is going to have a larger fit that the vintage, however its depending on your already small body size (Im sure not fitting in these, lol!) . We also have to keep in mind that each diaper has two WAY different cuts. For example, the Size 7 is going to have a more contoured and fit shape around the backside/frontside vs the flat fold design of the vintage that could actually cover more back and front surface..

Last, I see there's the idea that 70s diapers = size 3 or 4? LOL, no, that is absolutely a FALSE statement. Technically they still produced that same diaper into the early 80s, so we can rule out when someone says 80s kids were bigger I think someone saw 23+lbs and went.. "well, a size 4 diaper is 22-37lbs, so that must be the same range". Reality: 5-6 year olds still could comfortably wear the toddler size pampers throughout early childhood bedwetting. 5-6 year olds weigh way more than 37lbs.

Honeywell6180 said:

A 1974 vintage Pampers toddler diaper is no comparison to a current size 7 in fit. Even a Luvs Size 6 will fit some small adults, those with a 26" waist or less. And Dollar General sells a generic size 7 that will fit a 30" waist without having to stretch too much. There is no possibility that 70's vintage toddler Pampers will have that capability.

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Even with a tiny waist, those diapers are still not going to fit if their hips are big, especially if you are female. And baby diapers are too short in length to even go up to our waists. Waist size is misleading because it does not put hips into consideration. I am sure very few adults have the same hip and waist size and that would be with a man likely.

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Diapers from the 90's and beyond I would not be able to get on because the sides were not stretchy then. I couldn't even get the largest diaper on at age 10 and if skinny me couldn't get one on back then, I know there is no way I would be able to put one of them on now. I could only get one side fastened but not the other. I was five foot and 90 lbs. Tall for a ten year old. That is underweight for an adult but not for a child. But they could go up close to my waist because that was how big they were but put in mind I still had a girl's body so my hips had not gotten wider yet nor my pelvic bone and I was shorter.

I remember when Pampers Stretch came out but they were not as stretchy as they are now. I even watched one of the old commercials about it on youtube just now and it looked like nothing, there was barely even a stretch.