I've never tried them, but I do find most supermarket brands I have tried aren't as soft around the waistband as the branded ones. That said, tesco and asda brands beat huggies hands down for me.
I think it's a bit off to suggest parents shouldn't be using them permanently because they can lead to nappy rashes and because they might have some bad stuff in them. All nappies can lead to nappy rash - yes even those apparently fantastic reusable ones - if this is something your LO is prone to. Nappy rash is not a new thing and as my mum has pointed out, we all had nappy rashes at one point. Whereas my daughter has barely ever had a rash and she's worn pretty much every type of nappy. The cost of nappies is massive. With the branded ones, much of what you pay for is advertising and the pretty packaging. Value brands are perfectly acceptable and if they stretch your pennies that bit further, or even if you can't afford to buy the brands, you shouldn't be made to feel you are compromising your child's health.