365 Diapers (Whole Foods) are ECF, and free of fragrance, latex, and TBT. We are also calling them Sneaky Stuff because of their lack of disclosure about phthalates, dyes, and lotion.
Price per diaper: $0.24
Earth’s Best Tendercare Diapers At first glance these diapers appear to be at least Good Stuff: they use a “plant based plastic” for their top-sheet and back-sheet and a cellulose fluff/SAP/bio-SAP core. However, there is no info on whether Earth’s Best diapers are phthalate-free or lotion-free. They do claim to be dye-free, but don’t give any info on what is used for the print. There is a general absence of transparency about the composition and percentage of the diaper that uses “plant-based plastic.”
Price per diaper: $0.32
Huggies Diapers are ECF, and free of fragrance, lotion, latex and parabens. The label states that they are “EU 26 allergens free,” as well. I’m not moving them from Sneaky Stuff because they do not disclose any information about phthalates, dyes, or the composition of the back-sheet.
Price per diaper: $0.59 to $0.88
Kirkland Signature Diapers As many of you know, Kirkland has made some great improvements to their diaper, and now appear to be free of latex, chlorine, fragrance, lotion, and artificial dyes. That said, there is no evidence that they are free of phthalates (we chatted with a rep and they said that they were unable to provide an answer about phthalates) and of course they are still made of petroleum-based plastics. They state that “some of the polyethylene is made from sugar cane” I would like say they’ve upgraded from Bad Stuff to Okay Stuff, but with a lable that boldly claims that these diapers are “made with plant-based materials,” coupled with the lack of transparency on phthalates, we have to call these green-washed, and therefore Sneaky Stuff.
Price per diaper: $0.26
Mamma Bear (Amazon brand) are ECF, fragrance free, latex free and hypoallergenic, but have no further information available. Mama Bear gets a “Sneaky Stuff” designation for lack of disclosure about phthalates, dyes, and lotion.
Price per diaper: $0.16
Rascal & Friends Premium Diapers A few of you asked about this brand, but the response we received was: “Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a detailed ingredients list of our diapers, as this is commercially sensitive. We are proud to say that our products are free from formaldehyde, elemental chlorine, phthalates, parabens, gluten, and endocrine disruptors. We also have a focus on no nasties, and our diapers contain no latex or fragrances and we only use water-based inks! The inks we use are non-toxic and completely harmless to baby’s skin.” Without more details on what is in these diapers, we will consider them Sneaky Stuff.
Price per diaper: $0.22
Up & Up Diapers (Target) are Sneaky Stuff because the label states “petroleum-free lotion” and “perfume-free” as opposed to simply being lotion-free and fragrance-free, although we did confirm that they do not contain phthalates.
Price per diaper: $0.43
268 comments
Sara
where can we find your updated guide on safe diapers?
thank you
Tigermoongypsy
I bought these at Target to try out since they were on sale, and when I opened the packaging, they emitted a chemical smell so strong that I had to return them. It may have been a one time occurrence, but I have not gone near them since.
Tigermoongypsy
I was about to try these out until I found out they are manufactured in China! Looks like I’ll be sticking with Bambo Nature even though they recently raised they’re price significantly.
Leah
As everyone knows Bambo nature has reinvented their diaper with a new design and a few different changes. What I was wondering is does the new bambo design use less SAP than their old green pack? I looked on their website and they mentioned how they made the new diapers thinner, and more flexible and all that jazz but never mentioned if they changed the amount of SAP they use. I was just wondering cause I noticed the exorbancy in the new diaper is different from the old diaper and feels different when wet and was wondering if that had anything to do with it.
Cara Mathews
I found this on the Pampers Website
What We Don’t Add to Pampers Products
To help answer questions we receive from parents about what’s not in Pampers diapers and wipes, we’ve compiled a list of what we don’t add*.
If you have any questions about Pampers products, please visit our FAQ page or call 1-800-726-7377.
- Bisphenol A (BPA)
- Dioxins
- Disperse Dyes
- Elemental Chlorine
Pampers does not add chlorine to diapers and uses an elemental chlorine-free process to purify the fibers in diapers. The FDA considers this method to be safe and dioxin free.
- Ethanol/Alcohol
Pampers wipes and diapers are ethanol free, so they are labeled as alcohol free, which is commonly understood to mean free of ethanol and isopropyl (or rubbing alcohol). These types of alcohol can dry out baby’s sensitive skin.
- Natural Rubber Latex
- Lead and Mercury – in printed inks
- Organotins
- Parabens (see preservatives below)
- Pesticide Residues
- Phenol
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Specific Preservatives
Pampers does not use preservatives in our diapers. We carefully select preservatives for our baby wipes to keep them pure and fresh. We do not use MIT or CMIT; formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasers; parabens; quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs); and triclocarban or triclosan.
Molly
Thrive Market just released their own diapers and wipes. I’d love to hear your thoughts of the ingredients, since you’re so much more versed in this than I am. They must the ingredients in their site, which I appreciated. They are:
Totally Chlorine-Free Wood Pulp (From Sustainably Managed Forests, No Optical Brighteners), Absorbent Bio-Core (Wheat/Corn Polymer Blended With Sodium Polyacrylate), Plant-Based PLA (Inner & Outer Layer), Safe Adhesives (In-Seams & Joints), Polymer Spandex & Polypropylene (In-Leg/Waist System), Ink (Made Without Heavy Metals in Printed Backsheet), Citrus Extract & Liquid Chlorophyll (Natural Acting Odor Blockers in Bio-Core
ALEXA
Most of the negative reviews I have seen are about the new, redesigned version (white package). It appears that the updates were purely cost cutting measures. I love the old Bambo and have used them for both my boys with very sensitive skin. I am sad that Bambo messed with a good thing. I am interested to see the write-up on parasol. The old Bambo (green) is becoming harder to find.
ALEXA
Most of the negative reviews I have seen are about the new version (white package). I love the old Bambo and have used them for both my boys with very sensitive skin. I am sad that Bambo messed with a good thing.
Stephanie
I have a question because i’m researching and cannot seem to find the information I am looking for. What is your opinion on “Cutie Diapers”? I see mixed reviews and I cannot find a webpage that lists the ingredients and I’m hearing that they have dyes and then other sites are saying they are all natural, but than another site is saying they have bleach in them. So I want to know your take on them because I do not want to use them on my son if they will give him a rash or cause harm to his body. I currently go between using Bamboo and Kirkland.
delina
Hi! My daughter is 8 months old and has eczema since she was 7 months. I’ve been using Honest pods for her clothes and Pampers Swaddlers. I use California baby shampoo, but not all the time and only for her hair. I thought maybe to try Green Shield laundry and Honest diapers. Also I saw Green Goo’s baby balm and Babo botanicals oatmeal calendula and was wondering if it’s ok to use for her. What would you suggest for laundry, diapers, lotion?
Thanks.