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
Nadia
Just wondering if any of the good/best/ok stuff is especially effective for use as a night diaper. I’ve been using cloth during the day and Dyer brand at night, but by 5:00 am my baby has usually soaked through which means an earlier wake up than it would have been if he were still dry.
Jess
I am having a very hard time finding safe disposable training pants for my toddler that have Velcro sides. Do they exist?! I currently use Bambo and love them. But, we may need to switch to something with the Velcro sides soon. Any suggestions?
Jenn
Hi-
Thank you for this information. I noticed Bamboo Nature has a classic line and a love line. Is your review just for the classic line?
Thanks!
Danielle O.
I was curious about the Sam’s Club diapers because that’s what my sister in law buys.
Depending on the size, they cost 14-27¢ each. Sounds like they would be rated “okay” maybe.
From the website: Hypoallergenic, and free of chlorine bleaching, lotions & latex, the Member’s Mark diapers are easy on your baby’s most sensitive skin. And with our Ultra Soft Max Liner, this is our softest diaper yet!
Anne
I’d love to know how Brandless diapers rate good/bad/sneaky
Tanya
Sorry but I’m still waiting for an answer about Naty…I believe that they are made with a 100% bio-based plastic top and bottom sheet made from Non-GMO corn starch, not petroleum based at all… am I mistaken? If there is anything petroleum based in these I don’t want to buy them anymore but I’m almost out of diapers so I need to make a decision quick! Please help!
Thank you!!
Catherine
Agreed… per my comment below, I was bummed when I did a test and the bamboo diaper I had (Andy Pandy) didn’t absorb at all. I’d be curious about their thoughts on Coterie because that diaper worked well in my test.
Catherine
I did an absorbency test with Andy Pandy, Coterie, Honest, Pampers Pure, and Huggies Little Snugglers.
I poured the exact same amount of liquid in each diaper and left them out in the air.
I wanted an eco-friendly/chemical free diaper but was concerned that the inside of the diaper always felt wet with certain brands (yes…I touched the pee).
I was pleasantly surprised that Honest and Coterie both absorbed almost as well as Pampers Pure and Huggles LS (both took about 10 minutes vs. 5 minutes for the others, but no biggie), however…the Andy Pandy diaper literally remained soaking wet for over an hour. Believe me…I wanted to find that bamboo worked well, but this brand at least truly did not wick away moisture in my touch. I eventually threw the diapers away, so for all I know…it never dried.
I was very disappointed. I like the idea of bamboo, but I’m not willing to let my 6 month old sit in wet pee (I understand this might be an asset for older babies!). I decided to stick with Honest after this test because Coterie is very expensive, and at least Honest is TCF. I have no interest in supporting P&G with Pampers Pure.
I also use the Honest overnight diapers.
That being said, I would be interested in thoughts about Coterie or the most non-bamboo eco-friendly option. Also, how does Hello Bello stack up against Honest environmentally? I think I could use some Hello Bello (much cheaper) during the day, however, at night there is absolutely no way these will hold up for me (12 hours before changing…I’ve been super pleased with Honest overnights).
Lori
I would love to know what she read about EC! I only have one book on my list, and it’s $50. Not so sure that’s necessary (although if it is, I’ll do it!).
Tanya
From a purely non-toxic standpoint, I’m not sure I understand why Naty diapers are not on the “best stuff” list?
Gabi
What about parasol? Good? Ok?
Maia James
Coterie and Parasol would both qualify as Good or Okay stuff:).
Caitlin
This is very informative but as a mom who always balances this with real life practicality… can you also give a rating of how they work??? Leaks, blowouts, mess?
Personally I will pay a little more and want to choose what’s better for our environmental but I will not keep using it if it means my daughter’s clothes are wet or she wakes up at night or I’m stuck with poop everywhere! lol!
Thoughts?
Elena
Any thoughts on Rascal Friends?
Candace K.
Also curious about coterie! I love how soft they are!!
Tammy
Ok I will admit that my daughter is wearing Huggies. Something that I didn’t want to do when I started my disposal diaper shopping research. However she had an allergic reaction to Pampers Pure and I, as her mother and primary diaper changer, am allergic to aloe which gives us very limited disposable diaper options. Can you tell me if any of the “good†diapers are aloe free? because even just picking a couple above at random they contained aloe. Also yes I’m completely certain my allergy is to aloe and I’ve been dealing with the increasingly limited number of items I can use because of it for over 2 decades now.
Gab
Yes – Parasol would be great to know about. And Coterie? THANK YOU!
z
Thanks for the updated guide! We’re graduating to pull-ups (training pants) and it seems that none of the “best stuff” offers a pull-up option. What would be your top recommendation?
Jennifer Siptroth
I pay $7.99 for Nature’s Promise diapers. The price per diaper depends on the size. That is always the price – they just incrementally reduce the amount of diapers as the sizes increase.
Tierney Johnso
Thanks for another great list! I cloth diapered my first almost exclusively… my husband had to convince me not to take my cloth diapers on a long vacation one year, I honestly don’t think we bought disposables more than once or twice. My second we probably did 75% cloth, 25% disposables. My third was cloth diapered hardly at all… I tried in the beginning and besides being super busy and dealing with some pretty intense depression and anxiety, I swear she was allergic to her own pee. The only diapers we tried and could use without her getting super red were Pampers Pure because they have that layer of netting that holds the saturated portion away from the body. I’m glad to see they weren’t the WORST option! I still feel bad that my first got the best off all my efforts and it slowly dwindled down, but such is life!
Katherine
For overnight diapers, I need to use extra padding like a Sposie pad. I’m guessing those are “bad.” Do you know of any liners that qualify as “good stuff”? Otherwise, the use of them negates the use of a safe diaper!
Jaclyn
Honest diapers are terrible! They don’t contain any pee or poop, even when I go up a size. I’m curious about the research beyond the materials in the diapers. You have them in “Good stuff” but, they are not good diapers (I know I am not alone in this). Did you consider quality of holding in pee/poop?
Natasha
What about honest diapers, parasol diapers and hello bello ????
Thanks
Monica
I’ve been wondering the same about this brand?
Liza
What about the new Earth and Eden diapers by Amazon?
Justina Merdian
Thoughts on the new huggies special delivery diapers??
Jackie
What about Naty diapers. We love those
Danae
I was wondering the same thing about this brand?
Grace
Hello, what are your thoughts on Dyper brand disposable diapers? They appear to be very eco-conscious and free of the bad chemicals. Thank you!
Paige
Really curious on your thoughts on Cutie Pea diapers and wipes. They advertise lots of “bad stuff” they don’t include and diapers that are half biodegradable and wipes that are 100% biodegradable. Would love to know. Currently using Bambo and loving them thanks to your AMAZING site! Keep on the good work!
Michelle
Bambo Nature seems to be the all around favorite, but on the list of ingredients, I see a lot of plastic products. I try to avoid plastic as much as possible, even the ‘safer’ types. What are your thoughts about this?
Non-woven backsheet (outer side) of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). Absorbent of polyacrylate (SAP) and cellulose (ECF fluff). Topsheet of non-woven (PP). Acquisition layer of non-woven (PET/Co-PET). Hook tab fastening system of non-woven (PP/PE). Adhesive made of synthetic rubber—no optical brightener added. Wetness indicator. Elastication made from elastane.
Gail Bayer
Like so many requests Love to hear updates on how Pampers Pure and Honest Company compare to your favorite Bamboo both for eco friendly and safety for baby? Of course blow-out proof. Have seen many reviews saying that the newer version of the Bamboo is not as good.
Cat
What are your thoughts on babyganics diapers?
Alicia F.
I keep seeing Abby & Finn diaper and wipe ads. Any idea as to whether these are any good? Or the Amazon brand Mama Bear diapers? Or the Cloud Island diapers at Target? Lol, so many new options but I’m so skeptical of EVERYTHING that comes out these days! Thanks!
Marisa
Have any thoughts on Pampers Pure?
Alissa
I have recently come across “Brandless” diapers. Have you researched them at all? Are they safe?
Anastasia
I’d also appreciate your opinion on Brandless diapers.
Aleya Martin
Do you have any insight into Dyper?
Jessica
Hi! Bumping request for Poof diaper review again – would love to see how these compare. And….
Brandless – if they are “good stuff”, the price is going to be impossible to beat!
Would LOVE your input on whether they’re good!
ECV
Are Aden and Anais diapers good or safe? They claim to be free of all bad chemicals. Thank you
Marsha Vitellaro
Yes also wondering about Rascal and Friends. Just picked them up at Walmart today.
Nicole
Wondering about Rascal and Friends diapers and honest company…thoughts?
Renee
Hi! I saw an ad for Abby and Finn diapers on my Facebook feed. Do you have any thoughts on this brand?
Honestly
Bambo diapers are made of polyethylene and polypropylene as well. Don’t be misleading to make a sale.
John F. Miller
Most natural disposable diapers also contain Dioxin. This is a chemical by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in the manufacturing of most diapers. Dioxin is carcinogenic. In fact, the EPA lists it as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals.
Melissa
When I asked the company, they were not able to say that the diapers were free of chloride bleach
RedHen
You do realize that Bambo uses SAP’s as well right? I saw you commented on other brands of natural/organic sposies semi critical because they used SAP’s. Wondering why you didn’t mention that with Bambo.
Janell
What about Abby & Finn diapers?
Jas
No updates about diapers? Been waiting for any response for a year now about Poof diapers..
Erin
Any updates on the new Pampers Pure diapers? Thanks!